An exciting gift from The SAVI Singing Actor!

You and I have a lot in common. We share a passion for musicals, especially the art and craft of musical theater performance. We are fascinated by the challenge of singing and acting at the same time. We probably admire many of the same individuals, the writers who create songs for musicals and the singers who bring those songs to life. We have felt the life-changing, heart-splitting, mind-blowing power of a good song well sung, and we want to understand and master the mysterious skills that makes that possible.

Am I right? I’m guessing that’s what brought you to the SAVI Singing Actor website the first time, and perhaps even prompted you to sign up for my newsletter. You may have discovered this site recently, or you may have signed up so long ago that you’ve forgotten you did it, but if you subscribed, you joined a community of seekers and fellow enthusiasts, and I’m grateful and glad you did.

I’ve written thousands of words on this topic, and you may have taken the time to explore and read posts like my article on award-winning actor Forrest McClendon and his tips for the singing actor and this one on singing iconic songs. But no doubt you’ve also noticed that there haven’t been any recent dispatches from the SAVI Savant. Yes, I continue to teach (most recently at a conference in Oslo) and ponder and write, but I’m focusing my efforts on the book I promised myself I’d write, and that means I haven’t added much new content to The SAVI Singing Actor recently.

Today, though, in the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I’m happy to be able to offer you a gift – the first seventy pages of my book, Sing and Ding: Secrets of the SAVI Singing Actor. Click here to download the PDF, and you can start reading immediately! You’ll also find a table of contents that gives you an idea of the plan for the book and the chapters that’ll be coming soon.

In the first two chapters of the book, I talk about how songs, when properly performed, can change the world, and about the essential attributes of effective singing acting. I tell a little bit of my own story and how my experiences and skills give me a unique vantage point from which to tackle the challenges of the singing actor. I even introduce an original song, The SAVI National Anthem, and use it as a framework to establish some outcomes for the training of the singing actor.

The pages are a gift to you, and come with no strings attached. If you find you have questions, comments or reactions, I’d love to hear back from you, either via the comments thread on this post or via email. Was anything confusing? What would you like to hear more about? Did anything seem like it wasn’t helpful? This is an early draft, and your comments will help make future drafts even more valuable to readers like you.

And if you’re so inclined, leave a comment and tell me what you’re working on now, and what excites you and frustrates you about the amazing art of singing onstage. Maybe you’ve seen or read or heard something that’s stirred your thoughts about the field we both have so much passion for. As I said, I think you and I have a lot in common, and I think we can be helpful to each other.

Best wishes (and happy holidays!)