(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) - I wanna start by sharing a little of my background and where I came from.

I'm born and raised in Brooklyn, New York.

And as far back as I can remember, I have been singing.

I was a little girl with a hairbrush for my microphone, in the mirror, singing and making up songs.

I also had older siblings that listened to jazz and R&B and soul, and we were in church every Sunday, so, gospel music, so music was all around me.

And in third grade, my music teacher said to my mom, "I think this girl has some real talent.

You should nurture it."

And my mom did.

I began studying classical voice, which I studied up through the High School of Music and Art in New York City.

I was singing Italian, German, and French arias.

And all of my teachers, when it was time to graduate, they all wanted me to go to Juilliard.

But I didn't wanna go to Juilliard, I knew I didn't want a career in classical music.

So, I chose Temple University for a jazz vocal major.

And at Temple, I began learning about improvisation, how to open my ears, and just, like, broadening my musical tastes.

I also learned how to sing through my passaggio.

The passaggio is the space between the head and chest voice.

And navigating that was pivotal for me in my career.

My entire career is built on that sound.

So right now, before I get into the career part of my journey, I wanna stop and I wanna sing a song for you.

This is "Home" from "The Wiz".

("Home") ("Home" continues) ♪ When I think of home, I think of a place ♪ ♪ Where there's love overflowing ♪ ♪ I wish I was home, I wish I was back there ♪ ♪ With the things I've been knowing ♪ ♪ Wind that makes the tall grass bend into leaning ♪ ♪ Suddenly the rain drops that fall have a meaning ♪ ♪ Sprinkling the scene ♪ Makes it all clean ♪ Maybe there's a chance for me to go back ♪ ♪ Now that I have some direction ♪ ♪ It would sure be nice to be back home ♪ ♪ Where there's love and affection ♪ ♪ And just maybe I can convince time to slow up ♪ ♪ Giving me enough time in my life to grow up ♪ ♪ Time be my friend ♪ Let me start again ♪ Suddenly my world's gone and changed its face ♪ ♪ But I still know where I'm going ♪ ♪ I have had my mind spun around in space ♪ ♪ And yet I've watched it growing ♪ ♪ And oh, and if you're listening, God ♪ ♪ Please don't make it hard to know ♪ ♪ If we should believe the things that we see ♪ ♪ Tell us, should we try and stay ♪ ♪ Or should we run away ♪ Or would it be better just to let things be ♪ ♪ Living here in this brand new world ♪ ♪ Might be a fantasy ♪ But it's taught me to love ♪ So it's real, real, real to me ♪ ♪ And I've learned we must look inside our hearts ♪ ♪ To find ♪ A world full of love ♪ Like yours, like mine ♪ Like home ("Home" continues) (audience applauding) Thank you so much.

All right, let's get back into the story.

Was my second Broadway show, called "The Look of Love".

It's celebrating the music of Burt Bacharach and Hal David.

In New York and in the Broadway community, I'm getting a little notoriety.

People are starting to say nice things.

They're like, "Oh, her voice is so beautiful.

Oh my God, that tone is so great.

She's so great, she's such a great singer."

And subconsciously, I'm beginning to internalize that, to the point where every time I opened my mouth, it had to be perfect, crystal clear tone, or I thought it was bad, every time.

And we know that that is not sustainable, right?

It's just not sustainable.

It's 10 o'clock in the morning.

The show is at 8:00 PM, and I'm nervous like this, like I'm getting ready to go on stage, all day.

And one night, I go out to sing one of my songs, and I have worked myself into, like, a state.

"Am I gonna make it, and can I hit the notes?

I don't know if I'm gonna make it.

I don't know, I don't know."

I get out on stage, my mouth goes completely dry.

I can barely, barely get the words out.

I'm like talk singing, just, like, trying to get it out.

I finish the song, applause, applause, applause, I walk off stage, and I'm running off 'cause I got a quick change, right?

I'm changing my clothes, and people are like, "What happened out there, what happened?"

I'm like, "I don't know!

I don't know, I just, I don't know!"

I change my clothes, I get back out there, I sing my next song as if nothing happened.

Singing like a bird, just singing.

So, the very thing that I was nervous and scared about, I'm gonna open my mouth, it's not gonna be perfect, the very thing had happened, and I was okay.

The world didn't stop.

Nobody died, right?

And so for me, that began my journey, right?

That perfection is never gonna work for me.

The goal is to operate in a space of excellence.

That's the goal.

That I do my homework, I learn my songs, I learn my melodies, I know what story I'm trying to tell, I rehearse it over and over and over again, and then when I get out on stage, I am in pure joy.

That's where I wanna be.

But I wanted to share those early lessons that happened for me because they still govern everything I do.

I trust my instincts and I live in a space of excellence.

And I hope that something I have said here today resonates with some of you, those of you who wanna live inside your dreams, I hope that something resonates with you.

Thank you all so much.

Thank you.

(students applauding) And now we are gonna have the first of our three singers.

- My name is Abby Lowe.

I'm a student at ICC.

Today I'm going to be singing a piece from "Kiss Me, Kate".

This is "Always True to You in My Fashion".

("Always True to You in My Fashion") ♪ If a custom tailored vet ♪ Asked me out for something wet ♪ ♪ When the vet begins to pet, I cry, hooray ♪ ♪ But I'm always true to you, darling, in my fashion ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm always true to you, darling, in my way ♪ ♪ I enjoy a tender pass ♪ By the boss of Boston, Mass ♪ Though his pass is middle-class and not Back Bay ♪ ♪ But I'm always true to you, darling, in my fashion ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm always true to you, darling, in my way ♪ ♪ There's a madman known as Mack ♪ ♪ Who is planning to attack ♪ But if a mad attack means a Cadillac, okay ♪ ♪ But I'm always true to you, darling, in my fashion ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm always true to you, darling, in my way ♪ ♪ I've been asked to have a meal ♪ ♪ By a big tycoon in steel ♪ And if the meal includes a deal, accept I may ♪ ♪ But I'm always true to you, darling, in my fashion ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm always true to you, darling, in my way ♪ ♪ I could never curl my lip ♪ To a dazzlin' diamond clip ♪ If the clip meant let 'er rip, I'd not say nay ♪ ♪ But I'm always true to you, darling, in my fashion ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm always true to you, darling, in my way ♪ ♪ There's an oil man known as Tex ♪ ♪ Who is keen to give me checks ♪ ♪ If the checks, I fear, mean that Tex is here to stay ♪ ♪ But I'm always true to you, darling, in my fashion ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm always true to you ♪ Darling, in my way (audience applauding) - Bravo.

How do you feel?

- How do I feel?

- How do you feel right now?

- Pretty good.

- Pretty good?

- A little nervous.

- Tell me why you chose that song.

- It's a song I've had in my book for a little bit, and I wanted to kind of bring it back and do some work with it for this.

- Tell me, who is this character singing to?

- Oh, she's singing to her man.

She's singing to her man who she's not entirely loyal to, but at the end of the day, she will always come back to him.

She loves him very much, but she shows it in a very... She shows it in her own way, a very specific way.

- Okay.

So if she's talking to her man, I want you to put her man right here.

This is her man, right?

Because the way you just did it sort of performed it for everybody, right?

But sing, start it again, and talk to your man.

- Okay.

- You know what I'm saying?

- Talk to my man.

- Talk to your man, right?

Talk to your man, let me see what that does.

- Okay.

- He's right here.

♪ If a custom-tailored vet ♪ Asked me out for something wet ♪ ♪ When the vet begins to pet, I cry, hooray ♪ ♪ But I'm always true to you, darling, in my fashion ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm always true to you, darling, in my way ♪ - Okay, okay.

So you see how you did the second part, right?

Like, "But I'm always true to you."

The first part, I want you to say it almost like she's almost like she's never said this kind of thing to him before.

- Ah.

- You know what I mean?

She never said it before.

So maybe she's gonna maybe ease into it, maybe she might not.

You know, like, she might whisper it, she might... You know what I mean?

And then she'll get to a point where she's like, "But, but, but, but, but", you know what I mean?

So just start it again with that in mind, all right?

He's right here.

("Always True to You in My Fashion") ♪ If a custom-tailored vet ♪ Asked me out for something wet ♪ ♪ When the vet begins to pet, I cry, hooray ♪ ♪ But I'm always true to you, darling, in my fashion ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm always true to you, darling, in my way ♪ ♪ I enjoy a tender pass ♪ By the boss of Boston, Mass ♪ Though his pass is middle-class and not Back Bay ♪ ♪ But I'm always true to you, darling, in my fashion ♪ ♪ Yes, I'm always true to you, darling, in my way ♪ - Excellent!

How does that feel?

- It felt so much better.

- Right?

- Yes.

- Right, because I love this song for you, I love it in your voice, but I want you to play with that, right?

Like, we always think about when we're singing, who are we singing to, right?

And what is that relationship, and how does that inform the story we are telling, right?

Brava.

- Thank you.

- Beautiful work.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you, thank you so much.

- Thank you, Capathia.

- I want a hug.

- Oh, thank you.

Thank you so much.

- Oh, thank you.

- My name is Noel Thomas at ICC.

I'll be singing "Charity" from the musical, "Daddy Long Legs".

("Charity") ♪ Charity ♪ Oh, charity ♪ Now what can I do?

♪ Once I gave to those in need ♪ Now I'm in need of you ♪ Charity ♪ Oh, charity ♪ I cannot believe ♪ How easier it is to give ♪ Than to let yourself receive ♪ For what you have given me ♪ Came out of the blue ♪ What you have done for me ♪ I never could do ♪ Charity ♪ Just who is helping who ♪ You are free to go your way ♪ Whatever path you choose ♪ The love I've lost in you, my friend ♪ ♪ Was never mine to lose ♪ For what you have given me ♪ Came out of the blue ♪ What you have done for me ♪ I never could do ♪ Charity ♪ Just who is helping who ♪ Just who is helping who ("Charity" continues) (audience applauding) - Bravo!

How do you feel?

- Good, good.

- You sure?

- I hope so.

- Okay.

Tell me what the song is about.

Who is Charity?

What is charity?

Tell me about it.

- Okay, so, this is from the musical, "Daddy Long Legs".

It's... Oh, boy.

It's essentially "Annie", but Annie is like 18 and Daddy Warbucks is like 22, right?

So there's a little romance play going on there.

So, Daddy Warbucks, he's a little bit oblivious to people who aren't in his circle, and he falls in love with this girl.

Her name is Jerusha, ironically.

But eventually, he kind of messes it up, she breaks it off with him, and he thinks to himself, "How can I let her back?"

Then he realizes that he was the problem all along, right?

Charity.

So the idea of the song is him coming to terms with the fact that there's more to charity and there's more to being a good person than just how much money you have.

- Mm-hm.

Excellent.

Okay, so, in a song where we are talking about, you know, 'cause the song repeats the word charity a lot, right?

Every time we say the word charity, it's gotta have something else on it.

It's gotta have whatever that sentence is before, whatever it is afterwards, right?

I want you to think about that, I want you to start it again.

And when he starts singing to where he ends singing, what does he feel?

Is he happy?

Is he sad?

Is he mad?

By the end of the song, when you hit, "Charity," really, really big, what is the emotion under that?

- The way I've kind of interpreted it is more of like he's a bit mournful and sad at the beginning.

- Yes.

- And he moves towards maybe not happiness, but more acceptance of the situation.

- Uh-huh.

- And he knows that he has somewhere else to go, like, he has a goal now.

- Okay, now, that's good you saying that, but I didn't get that when you sang it.

What I got was the mournful part in the beginning, right?

But it seemed to be that, even when you hit the high note, I said, "Okay, well, what's happening under that?"

Can we take it from the very beginning, and then I'm gonna stop you, and then we are gonna go to the end, right?

So let me see what the beginning does, every time we say charity, what happens for you?

How is it growing?

What's happening under there?

Okay?

Okay.

♪ Charity ♪ Oh, charity ("Charity") ♪ Now what can I do ♪ Once I gave to those in need ♪ Now I'm in need of you ♪ Charity ♪ Oh, charity ♪ I cannot believe ♪ How easier it is to give ♪ Than to let yourself receive - Okay, stop.

So you know when you go... ♪ Charity It's something like, "I can't believe"- - "I cannot believe."

- Right?

And then you can't believe, and then there's a moment where you just sort of drop everything, take a breath, and come back to us, right?

Try it without dropping it.

Don't drop it, right?

In the middle of a sentence.

Do that line again, just acapella.

♪ Charity ♪ Oh, charity - [Capathia] Stay with us.

♪ I cannot believe - Right!

That's what I want you to do, right?

'Cause every time, when we're telling a story, every time we drop (exhales), now we gotta start all over again, right?

You have to stay with us, you have to tell us.

And it's all in one sentence.

"Charity, oh, charity, I can't believe," right?

Not, "Charity, oh, charity.

I can't believe"... You see what I mean?

So when you're working on this, I want you to think about that.

Stay with us, right?

'Cause you have some of those pauses and breaths kind of built in.

I want you to take 'em out and stay, okay?

Now, can we skip to the end just before the big note?

♪ For what you have given me came out of the blue ♪ ♪ What you have done for me, I never could do ♪ ♪ Charity ♪ Just who is helping who ♪ Just who is helping ♪ Who - Beautiful.

Beautiful!

And that's what I want you to do.

Go like that all the time, right?

Never go back from that.

Always moving forward, telling story, stay with us, and then get to the end and let me understand what the end is, okay?

Beautiful.

- Thank you.

- Beautiful, beautiful.

- I'm Johnny, and I will be singing "On the Street Where You Live" from "My Fair Lady".

("On the Street Where You Live") ♪ I have often walked down the street before ♪ ♪ But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before ♪ ♪ All at once am I several stories high ♪ ♪ Knowing I'm on the street where you live ♪ ♪ Are those lilac trees in the heart of town ♪ ♪ I couldn't hear a lark in any other part of town ♪ ♪ Does enchantment pour out of every door ♪ ♪ No, it's just on the street where you live ♪ ♪ And, oh, the towering feeling ♪ ♪ Just to know somehow you are near ♪ ♪ The overpowering feeling ♪ That any second, you may suddenly appear ♪ ♪ People stop and stare, they don't bother me ♪ ♪ For there's no where else on earth that I would rather be ♪ ♪ Let the time go by, I won't care if I ♪ ♪ Can be here on the street where you live ♪ ♪ And oh, the towering feeling ♪ Just to know somehow you are near ♪ ♪ The overpowering feeling ♪ That any second, you may suddenly appear ♪ ♪ People stop and stare, they don't bother me ♪ ♪ For there's no where else on earth that I would rather be ♪ ♪ Let the time go by ♪ I won't care if I ♪ Can be here on the street where you live ♪ (audience applauding) - Ah!

How do you feel?

- So good.

- You feel good?

- So good.

- Excellent.

That was excellent.

Tell me who you're singing to.

- I am singing to my significant other.

- And your significant other is in the room with you right at that- - No, nope, sorry.

- Aha, right?

- I'm singing to myself about my significant other.

- Right.

- Who is currently behind a closed door, and I cannot talk to her one-on-one.

But just being in her neighborhood is enough for me, you know?

And I'm okay with, she might need some more time before she can come out, and I can truly meet and talk to her more.

- Now, I got that part of the story.

Excellent storytelling.

But I want you, because we do a repeat, right?

We go back to the bridge.

So, the first time and the second time we do the bridge should be different, right?

- Different, yeah.

- So the first time, what if, right, what if it's more pensive, right?

Which is counterintuitive, right?

It's counterintuitive 'cause it's like a big part of the song.

But what if it became a little bit more pensive, a little bit more inside of you, right?

'Cause the the last thing you say is, "And then what if she appears," right?

Does that scare you?

Does it excite you?

Is it, "Wait a minute, I'm not ready for her."

Is it that?

And then what happens the second time you say that?

You understand what I'm saying?

So I want you to take it from the bridge again, and keep going, 'cause I wanna hear the bridge again, and I wanna see what the difference is.

♪ And oh, the towering feeling ♪ Just to know somehow you are near ♪ ♪ The overpowering feeling ♪ That any second you may suddenly appear ♪ ♪ People stop and stare, they don't bother me ♪ ♪ For there's nowhere else on earth that I would rather be ♪ ♪ Let the time go by ♪ I won't care if I ♪ Can be here on the street where you live ♪ ♪ And oh, the towering feeling ♪ Just to know somehow you are near ♪ ♪ The overpowering feeling ♪ That any second, you may suddenly appear ♪ ♪ People stop and stare, they don't bother me ♪ ♪ For there's nowhere else on earth that I would rather be ♪ ♪ Let the time go by ♪ I won't care if I ♪ Can be here on the street where you live ♪ - Bravo.

Bravo.

Ha-ha!

How did that feel?

- Thank you, wow, yeah, much better.

- Good, right?

- It felt much different.

I appreciate that.

- Yeah, excellent.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you so much.

- Thank you.

- Every time we repeat something in a song, let's find a reason to repeat it, right?

We don't just wanna do the same thing, we wanna have it have story.

That was excellent, on your feet, brava.

- Thank you so much.

- Brava!

- Thank you.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues)