Carnival - A Rock Opera

Abstract

Carnival – A Rock Opera is a musical study that infuses acting fundamentals within a live concert performance. Dramatic acting relies on a thoroughly developed script with clear characters, a rising and falling action, and text for the performers to bring to life. Is it possible to develop a quality through line of dramatic action while simultaneously writing poetic lyrics for a sung-through production that is free of text? Recent adaptations of concept albums by popular music artists have been edited and rewritten to better emphasize the dramatic arc of the story. In this thesis, the performer connects Linklater voice training, the Alexander Technique, and Suzuki training with their biopsychosocial history of musical knowledge to try and create a connection with audience members in an intimate space. The listed techniques were used to develop healthy performance traits while being used as tools that enlightened the performer to efficient vocal production skills, and physical presence. The challenges that were overcome in the early research period included re-writing charts for documentation and future recording purposes, active listening to live recordings of demo tracks to decipher musical interludes and patterns, and overdubbing instruments and vocal lines for a live concert feel. These adjustments to physical and audible presentation were imperative to the audience’s reception of a dramatic story within the live concert production. The concept of writing a rock opera that is easily decipherable by a listener is possible, but not probable without visual/textual aid to the viewer or listener.