What Do I Do With My Hands?: A Guide to Acting for the Singer

In "What Do I Do With My Hands?" - A Guide to Acting for the Singer, Rhonda Carlson has shared her years of knowledge and success as a performance coach by providing both the singer and the singing teacher the tools that marry the art forms of acting and the singing. Although a solid vocal technique is essential for every singing artist, that technique is a means to a greater end, not an end in itself. Basically, singing is more than just singing. The soulful grimaces, "pick a spot on the wall" stares, and cliché hand gestures that so many singers grow to depend on are simply not enough to move an audience or land a role. "What Do I Do With My Hands?" explores acting from the singer's vantage point and takes into account the specific limitations and needs of the musician. Thanks to the clear and concise explanations, practical tools and exercises, as well as a comprehensive list of recommended practice repertoire, the singer will learn how to develop imagery, draw on sense memory, and merge the form and style of music and acting in a symbiotic, holistic way. This will not only provide the answer to "what do I do with my hands", it will take the singer to new levels of expression that are at the heart of an effective aesthetic experience.

Rhonda Carlson serves as an international workshop clinician, specializing in acting for the singer. Besides a long performance career in music and theatre, as well as a directing resume of over 200 productions, Rhonda has nearly 40 years of performing arts teaching experience. She has taught music and/or theatre at such schools as The Boston Conservatory, Boston University and The University of Southern Maine, and her students have performed on Broadway, in national tours, on television, in film, and have been accepted into some of the most prestigious performing arts programs in the world. As a composer, she has composed scores for film, and as a composer/playwright, her musical, Dear Emma, has received critical acclaim from The LA Times, as well as numerous other sources. In 2009, her play, Fly Over Land, won the 2009 Larry Corse International Playwriting Competition. Rhonda resides in Las Vegas with her husband, Kevan, and her daughters, Laura and Kayla.