Musical Direction for Improv and Sketch Comedy: [Paperback]

Michael Pollock (Author), Rick Overton (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2005

Masteryear Publishing is proud to present this unique guide to a musical skill long considered mysterious and practically un-teachable.

Step by step, author Michael Pollock explains the thinking process behind comedy accompaniment and musical direction in clear, simple language. Each concept is illustrated by audio examples, featuring actors from The Second City Los Angeles and Michael at the keys.

The best comedy troupes in the world have live keyboard accompaniment, and musicians who can provide this kind of clever, spontaneous underscore are relatively rare. This book and CD leads the way to rapid progress for anyone who would like to learn.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Michael Pollock’s skill with improvised music for comedy is simply unsurpassed." -- Jeff B. Davis, ABC’s Whose Line Is It Anyway?

"This book is an invaluable tool for emerging artists and an important resource for professionals." -- Michael Descoteaux, Head Musical Director, The Second City Training Center, Chicago

About the Author

Michael Pollock is musical director of The Second City Los Angeles. He has spent decades working with world-famous comedy performers and troupes, and leads workshops all over the U.S. He is also the author of Musical Improv Comedy: Creating Songs in the Moment.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Masteryear Publishing (May 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974742740
• ISBN-13: 978-0974742748
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,004,716 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-have reference for anyone in music, theatre or comedy, April 11, 2005

By 

Marc Evan Jackson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Musical Direction for Improv and Sketch Comedy: (Paperback)

"Musical Direction for Improv and Sketch Comedy" is a book I wish I'd had when I was learning the job. Michael Pollock has undertaken and conquered the colossal challenge of compiling decades worth of insight into musical direction. Whether you are looking to accompany improvisation or sketch, this book is the shortcut that bypasses much of the land of trial and error. Enormously informative and very funny, Michael answers questions many might be too timid to ask. The book and CD offer great examples of the limitless power of music to evoke images and emotion in the minds of both the audience and the actors onstage.

When you enter an improvised world, you step into a white room with nothing in it. Michael Pollock gives you the canvas, the brushes, and most importantly the permission to paint a vivid picture through music. What a gift!

Chapter Twelve on its own should be required reading for life; it's a handbook on how more of us should act toward one another.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book opened up a whole new world for me..., October 3, 2007

By 

D. Whitney Quinn "the REAL mighty quinn" (lost angeles) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Musical Direction for Improv and Sketch Comedy: (Paperback)

Michael's excellent book is thorough, well-organized, entertaining and EXTREMELY useful. I had no previous experience in musical theater, let alone long-form improvised sketch comedy, but I really love it, and "Musical Direction for Improv and Sketch Comedy" has been an incredible boost in my learning curve.

There are also elements and rules in the book that can be applied to composing for film, television, commercials, and just plain songwriting and performing - creating a mood, underscoring, segues, becoming familiar with many styles and genres, etc. Any and every working musician can glean something useful from Pollock's book.

It's the closest substitute to having Michael Pollock as a personal mentor, and that's saying something.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a great tool for sketch and improv, April 25, 2005

By 

Andrew Melton "ImprovOlympic Musical Director" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Musical Direction for Improv and Sketch Comedy: (Paperback)

This is a great book. The ideas are clearly explained, and the lists are so valuable. Everyone involved in sketch and improv should have this. It has already helped me in my approach to this work, and it is the only book of this kind that I know of.