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Inputs from Team Members
Matt Picioccio
Contrast between the verses. You call out the bridge, but the verses need to have a different sense from each other as well. I think the texture of the verses should follow the key word differences, which the music does a good job of calling attention to (if you love me, LOVE/TELL/KISS me now").
John Ludeman
This is nice Scott – what’s your thought on how do we manage the arc of the story in the song. I’m worried it will be four minutes of ‘I love you’ with a short bridge in between. Where (and how) do we create emotional contrast in the journey that keeps it interesting for the audience?
Bill Hickman
Excellent! I think you have captured the essence of this one.
One thought – because the piece is so long I think it will be difficult to maintain the emotion throughout. Can we use the natural breaks in the flow to recharge or change the emotion? Perhaps to refine or to gather new emotion to layer onto what they have already done? The places I have in mind are the transition breaks (between the intro and the verse in M16-17, the transition to the second verse in M32, and break after the key change in M64.
Ira Allen
I was listening to the song in my car yesterday and a thought came into my mind about the lyrics in the context of the singer’s/actor’s life situation. The power and poignancy of this context had me balling my eyes out!
Imagine either a new/blossoming relationship or even a long-term, stable, committed relationship – it can work in either situation. In the first, they are trying to decide where the relationship is going. In the second, maybe they are at a stage where they are taking their love for granted. Now, add in the context that the person singing the song recently saw the doctor, who found a suspicious mass. The person he is singing to does not know yet. This could be cancer. The results of the biopsy are pending.
Now listen to the song and see if you are able to not cry!
Oh – and the real kicker that makes the ending even more powerful (this is where I start crying uncontrollably): just before the climax, at measure 71, the person singing the song gets a text from the doctor – “It’s benign”!
Matt Picioccio
Ken's plan calls for a long pause or two. Consistent delivery across breaths and long pauses is going to be essential; personal transformation during long pauses is what we should strive for (instead of stasis).
Bob Strand
Your final two points will require a LOT of attention.
We had a great start at learning the song, but from a music standpoint, two things became obvious in a hurry:
a) difficulty in keeping the resolution (turning) of word sounds in sync (for some, it's like a language barrier).
b) TUNING and balancing tight, inverted, and uncommon (to NWS) chords.
These are only two of the many challenges confronting us. Everyone buying into the emotional plan is the most important element but to achieve A level unity, we may need to do some individual screening. Small group video recording could help in isolating sources of both visual and sound distractions. Conducting such recording sessions in early September should allow sufficient time to identify and correct major distractions.
Paul Renhard
Ira, I was also moved by the scenario you've painted here.
The approach we take toward getting everyone on the same page, with respect to our artistic interpretation, is very important, and the sooner we address this the better.
In the past, we've asked guys to personalize their emotional engagement by visualizing something or someone in their life experience. Although sometimes effective, this tends to generalize rather than specify what's going on in our mind when presenting the lyrics.
By having everyone visualizing the same picture or story, we may have a better chance of having each person treating each phrase and each word the same way.
Definitely worth discussion.
