- Simple Communication – At the time of a scheduled rehearsal or audition, it is the singer’s responsibility to communicate desired tempo, performance details, i.e. fermatas or repeats to the pianist before beginning the piece.
- Face your listeners – Singers should be directly in front of their listeners to be seen and heard, but close enough to the pianist for this collaborator to connect with you and your breath.
- Show breath and phrasing –Singers need to clearly indicate where they plan to breathe by the way they sing. The pianist needs to watch and listen for these cues and breathe with the singer.
- Know your part & pianist’s part well – Singers need to know their vocal part as well as what’s going on in the piano part. Does the singer always carry the melody, or is this shared with the pianist? Are there specific rhythms or melodic ideas in the piano part that provide valuable musical insight or cues for the singer?
- Guides for the pianist – Listen for vocal line while practicing piano part as much as possible. This provides more cohesive collaboration. Pianist should always have a translation of any foreign song text in their music. This informs the pianist of appropriate tone and interpretation by knowing what a song is about.