SHR7C010G~002 – 25102070 – Reflective Journal

by

25102070

by Tom Maxwell 25102070

Background Statement

The past eight months have been an incredible journey so far. For a course that I had been preparing myself for 18 months to attend, I did not imagine that I would have done as much as I have. I certainly would not have expected to have gone to America, not only once for a week of placement in a Broadway studio, but then to be touring for two months across the USA and Canada. There have been a number of bumps along the way, some crazy turns, and some amazing moments. I set out to learn as much as I could about being an MD, knowing some things I needed to improve on, finding out other things that I didn’t know anything about, and making sure that I have a good time with new people.

I have been a professional musician since I was eight years old, when I was a chorister at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Dublin. There, I recorded CDs, toured the UK multiple times, and it’s where I got interested in playing the organ. When I went to secondary school, I started accompanying all of the singers, choirs, and ensembles that were in the school for assemblies, concerts, competitions, and exams. In that time, I held an organ scholarship for a year in Christchurch Cathedral, then I spent the following eight years up until last September as organist and choir director in two churches in Dublin. The past two years before I moved to Leeds, I was a session musician, playing in wedding bands and jazz groups, playing and conducting for school and church choirs, singers, and singing students of my mother (who is a singing teacher), playing and MD-ing a few shows, and recording music with a band I’m in. I have a degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance from Dublin, specialising in the piano, and I am also a percussionist.

Me playing the piano at Bray Jazz Festival, Ireland – May 2022

It’s quite obvious that I’m a musician first, and I’ve come into this process of becoming an MD through music. I love collaborating with musicians and sharing my love of music with others. Equally so, in the bits of musical theatre work that I have done, I have loved working with directors, choreographers, and actors, being a small cog in a massive project, watching that project start from 0 and work its way up to the show nights. In my time in Leeds so far, I’ve tried to focus on more than just the music on the page, but more on the storytelling, the dramaturgical aspect of the music, and the other parts of a show that involve the MD but don’t involve the music. I’ve tried to focus on this as much as I could in my placements, whether that be shadowing MDs or interviewing them.

Currently, I have a method for how I want a rehearsal I’m leading to go. The thing I want to get out of a rehearsal and what I want for everyone else to have, first and foremost, is a good time. I find that this is more important than anything else, because if people aren’t enjoying themselves, then they are less inclined to put 100% in, and then general rehearsal efficiency levels go down. Secondly, I want to make sure that everyone feels happy and confident in what they are singing/performing. Again, for similar reasons as before, it’s really important to keep the morale of the group high, because then you’re more likely to complete everything you want to in that rehearsal. 

Interviews

I was fortunate enough to be able to interview four people in the professional industry in America as part of my research. I had two MDs/Music Supervisors and two actors, all with a wide range of experience, from new works, to Broadway and TV. The two MDs were incredibly insightful into what the job is like on a professional production and a much bigger scale to what I’m used to, and I thought it was important that I got some outside perspective from other stakeholders to an MD as to what they wanted from their MD, which is why I interviewed the actors.

Communication

What came up in both interviews from the MDs was the importance of communication. It is vital in everything we do. Firstly, you have to make sure that information is passed on to everyone in a team, cast, creative or stage crew, during or in between rehearsals in order for the rehearsals to be run effectively and efficiently. Secondly, the manner in which you speak to others is hugely important. We are social animals to begin with, and what we do, whether it’s music or drama, is a social practice, and so we are constantly communicating. The way in which we do that could be the difference between a project going smoothly or completely imploding. Not only that, but if you have to communicate with a group or individual outside of the project, you are essentially speaking for everybody in that project with you. Furthermore, after interviewing the two actors, they agreed that if there is a conflict in the creative team, the cast will absolutely notice it.

As part of my first interview, I was very lucky to be able to sit in rehearsals for a show in a studio just off Broadway in Times Square. The show was performed in an ART Theatre in Boston, but these rehearsals took place in the same studio where the likes of ‘In The Heights’ and ‘Hamilton’ were workshopped. I was shadowing the Music Supervisor, rather than the MD. There was a moment in the rehearsals where the MD had sent an email to a rehearsal studio regarding equipment ahead of a band rehearsal. However, upon reading it, the Supervisor (who was cc’d in), didn’t like what was said in it and how that represented everyone on the show. Another email had to be sent to the studio, correcting the error. You can’t always get a good idea of somebody’s tone in an email, and it must have come across very blunt and negative, which was not the intention of the MD. It should also be noted that, in a project, one person’s opinion does not necessarily represent the group’s, even if it is implied. 

Me shadowing a Music Supervisor during a rehearsal process, New York, November 2025

The impression I picked up from these two MD interviews is that being able to communicate effectively with everyone is what separates and MD from a Music Supervisor, and that the role of the Music Supervisor only came to Broadway recently for this reason. Normally in a rehearsal, particularly on Broadway, you’ll have the MD at the piano in the main studio, and there could be other piano players/AMDs working with singers in smaller studios next door on a 1-1 session, so having someone overlooking everything and managing the passing on of information from room to room streamlines everything. Obviously, not every production will have a supervisor, so this responsibility will fall back to the MD.

Managing Frustrations Effectively

Another common topic that came up from both interviewees involved how to manage frustrations effectively. This ties in a lot with communication and also relates back to the earlier scenario. There’s always going to be a disagreement or conflict somewhere down the line and getting passed it can be tricky sometimes. Whether it’s conflict between people and you have to come in as a middle-man, or if there are frustrations regarding the music. The cast could be finding a part of the music difficult, or things might not be lining up between the band and cast. How you approach a problem like these and commicate effectively through it will affect the environment in the project.

Power Dynamics

One MD mentioned establishing the power dynamic quickly. There are so many variables that will affect what that dynamic will be like – cast size, how long rehearsals go on for until opening night, the ability of the cast and crew, if there is a personal relationship within the production. But it is important to find the right balance in rehearsals between allowing for collaboration, but also ensuring that you still are recognised as having the final decision, should it be required.

As part of my placements, I attended rehearsals for a production of ‘A Man of No Importance,’ as AMD. I was fascinated by the director of the show, how he allowed times for the cast to take their own initiative, and when he knew when he had to take charge. He always encouraged everybody’s creativity, including my own. For one part of the show, he wanted to add in an extra bit of music on top of what was there already. As the show is set in Dublin, and I’m a (proud) Dub, he came to me for some thoughts. I suggested, with the strong catholic themes running throughout the show, that we set ‘Hail Mary’ to a melody and have the cast sing it in Irish (‘Sé do bheatha Mhuire’). I then sat down with the MD and wrote a simple melody that fitted the harmonic movement, and matched the reserved, meditative feeling of the prayer, which is sung daily by Catholics. I then taught the Irish pronounciation and melody to the cast. It was a fantastic chance for me to share a part of my culture with those from somewhere else.

The director never said anything in particular regarding this dynamic, but the way in which he led the rehearsals showed everyone when they had that liberty of freedom, and when not, was incredible to see. He fostered a really welcoming and comfortable atmosphere and he never made anybody with a “poor” idea feel silly for having one. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to be there for the production, but I was told it was fantastic, and I’m so glad I got to be a part of it before going away.

Routines and Habits

I asked both MDs about what habits or routines they have to help them with these parts of the job. These answers varied a bit more, and they differed to my own routines. One MD noted that there will be different mechanisms for every project you do, since every project is different. But things you can bring from one project to the next will help you and others settle into the rehearsal process quickly. One such idea is in rehearsals, to listen more, loosen your shoulders and observe, taking something in and thinking about it rather than instantly judging it. When interviewing the actors, they said what they want from their MDs includes patience, composure and clarity, so incorporating these habits above will help to create that environment that actors appreciate.

Final Act – Hadestown

One of the projects I was involved in before Christmas was Final Act. This was a revue created by an MA Creative student that consisted of snippets of four shows connected by the theme of death. Each Director and MD was put into one show with a number of Company students, while the remaining MD was left as music supervisor. The show I was MD for was Hadestown and I had a cast of 5 in my group along with the director. The cast had three songs to perform as part of the revue; ‘Nothing Changes,’ ‘Way Down Hadestown (reprise),’ and ‘Word to the Wise,’ while I played drums in the band. 

Starting off, when the groups were assigned, we all sat down together and figured out a plan of attack. The director said that he would be away for the first two weeks of rehearsals, and I would be away for the third week, so we started off immediately on learning the music. After the first couple of rehearsals where we only did note bashing, we all went home and did some research on the characters that the cast were playing. As Hadestown is based on the Greek tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, not only did we look at the show itself, but we also looked into Greek mythology itself, understanding where these characters came from and what their significance is in the Ancient Greek world. For the vast majority of the three songs, the cast were playing the Fates, – three Goddesses who control everybody’s destiny by spinning a thread, and, as it is said in the show, they are “always singing in the back of your mind.” 

The cast were really quick to learn the music and this meant that we could focus more on the blocking, choreography and dramaturgical side to the music quicker. I felt comfortable opening the floor to the cast to discuss how we went about performing each song, and because of that, we were able to approach the three songs differently, despite them being all sung by the fates. The week I was away, I was in New York shadowing a rehearsal process for a show, and on my time off, I had the chance to see Hadestown on Broadway. It was a fantastic night, and I came back to Leeds and shared some of the things I noticed in the show with my group.

‘Nothing Changes’ is a slow, acapella tune, sung to Orpheus after being attacked by the workers in Hades. The Fates are telling him to give up, that there’s no hope when you’re in Hell. Listening to the original cast recording, they sing it quite brutally, almost sarcastically with a hint of joy in seeing him fail. Our group appraoched this song a little differently. The cast sang to the audience with a much gentler, motherly tone, like they noticed Orpheus’ naïvety and decide to go easy on him.

Above: Nothing Changes – Hadestown Original Broadway Cast – Below: the same song sung in Final Act rehearsals

Way Down Hadestown (reprise)’ was the longest song for our group. It involved Eurydice and Hermes alongside the Fates, so we had two actors play those two characters while singing the Fates’ lines. As well as this, we had the actors from the other 3 groups sing some of the ensemble lines and play workers in the mines of Hades. In this song, Eurydice has just signed her life away to Hades, and she’s slowly realising, with the help of the Fates tormenting her as usual, that she has made a big mistake. We gave the workers some choreography to simulate the mines, while their lines in the music showed the effort they had to put in and gave some sound effects to mimic the pickaxes hitting stone.

Above: Way Down Hadestown (Reprise) – Hadestown Original Broadway Cast – Below: the same song sung in Final Act rehearsals

‘Word to the Wise’ was the final song that came from Hadestown. The Fates are now playing in the mind of Hades himself, who has to figure out the best way to deal with Orpheus without being seen as weak on one hand or cruel on the other. The way our group approached the Fates was to begin with, they were mocking him. It’s the only time in the show that they get to go after a God, and it’s an opportunity that doesn’t come up often in their day to day lives of deciding the fate of humans, so we had the Fates really enjoy their time. That is, until they realise the effect that Hades’ decision could have on all other Gods, including themselves, at which point they act a bit more seriously and offer him some advice on how to deal with Orpheus, who is a Muse and a demigod, himself.

Above: Word to the Wise – Hadestown Original Broadway Cast – Below: the same song sung in Final Act rehearsals

I was really pleased with how my group did in that performance. The music was tricky for them to learn, but they got it down quickly and all three songs sounded really tight. They learnt ‘Nothing Changes,’ in the first hour of the first rehearsal, and I was able to use it as part of the warm-up at the start of every rehearsal. I very much enjoyed working on these bits of the show in my role, and thinking about the story-telling side of the music, something I want to improve on. I was also really happy to open the floor and discuss with the cast as a group how we were going to approach each song in the rehearsals. Once we had all of the notes down, we had a number of discussions about the show, Greek mythology, who the characters were and how they interacted with each other, and the extra liberty we had with the songs seeing as we were taking them out of the context of the show. I found that whole process really exciting.

There were one or two moments of troubleshooting, which provided a different sort of challenge. Listening back to my own playing on the drums in the performance video, I tend to rush, particularly in ‘Way Down Hadestown (reprise)’ in parts where we swap between straight and swing grooves. Rushing is a little bit of a bad habit of mine, and going forward, I need to get used to practicing more and more with a metronome, so that I lock into a tempo as soon as I start playing.

The day I arrived back in Leeds from New York, I went straight into rehearsals. I had flown overnight to Manchester, with a layover in Dublin, and then I got the train to Leeds. By the time I arrived, it was around 5pm and Team Hadestown were halfway into rehearsals. I noticed immediately that the atmosphere in the room was off, certainly compared to how it was when I left for my trip. There was a bit of a division between the director and the rest of the cast, and it didn’t seem to me like the rehearsal time was being used effectively. This was the first rehearsal in which both myself and the director were there, so during the break, I had a quick chat with the cast first to figure out what was wrong, then with the director to figure out what we needed to do to get the rehearsal back on track. At this point, I was on no more than an hour’s sleep over the two flights and with 5 hours of jetlag to catch up on, but I knew I needed to be a 10 mentally and a 10 physically if I were to help everyone in this rehearsal. We figured out the problem, and sorted a small plan change for the rest of the rehearsal, which then went really well.

A lot of my job in this break ended up relating back to what was said in the MD interviews I conducted. Being able to step in as a middle-man when something’s going wrong, communicating well with everyone to ultimately navigate through a frustration and get things back on track. Were I not able to do that, jetlagged or not, that rehearsal would have gone worse, and potentially the entire rehearsal process leading up to the performance could have been icy.

Christmas Concert – a Lack of Communication

Another performance project I was involved in before the Christmas break was the Christmas Concert in the Conservatoire. The concert consisted of a number of songs and pieces of music for a choir, smaller singing ensembles, bands, and more, with a number of the pieces arranged by the MD students. We all attended the choir rehearsals every week to learn the music we had to arrange. Us MDs also made up part of the band, the rest of which was called in by the teachers from the School of Music in LCon. We had two band rehearsals and then the dress rehearsal with everyone else performing, followed by two runs of the concert the day after. While the concert went down really well, and I was really happy with how my arrangement sounded, there were a number of times where there was a breakdown of communications, which led to an increase in stress and affected some of the performances in the concert.

My Percussion set up for the Christmas Concert

There were some changes to the music made that weren’t passed on to us until midway through the second band rehearsal. One song was cut entirely, and two others had partial cuts made in the middle. These decisions were not made so recently before that rehearsal and should have been told to the MDs when they were made, particularly the MDs arranging the music.

I was playing percussion for the concert, and I made a list of the instruments I was going to use. Most of the bits I was able to pick up with no problem, but I needed a teacher’s approval for one or two pieces, like the congas. Despite sending the list to the conductor, the events and tech team never found out about the extra percussion they needed to bring in, nor were they told about the band set up at all. This meant that before the dress rehearsal, the other MDs and I had to run all around the building, looking for the equipment we needed, including amps, keybords, drums, chairs and music stands.

We ended up using in-ear monitors for the concert. However, we weren’t told that we were going to be using them until the dress rehearsal. Everyone in the band didn’t have any on them, and there weren’t enough in the house to go round for everyone. This meant that during the dress rehearsal, the band, who already couldn’t see the conductor as we were seated behind the choir on the stage, couldn’t hear the choir, as they were singing away from us, and could barely hear each other. This added a lot of stress onto everyone, especially the band, because we were being told that we were out of time, but there was nothing we could do about it. By the time the first of the two concerts came, we all had in-ears sorted for us in one way or another, but the balances in our monitors were way off, so we still couldn’t hear what we needed to. It wasn’t until just before the second concert that we got a chance to sort out our balances, and once we did, the concert went down without a hitch.

Conclusion

I have found it really interesting in analysing the work I have done so far and comparing it to what I talked about in the interviews with the MDs and actors. The parallels between what was said and what happened in the projects have been really useful to me, because it has given me a better idea on the things I need to work on to improve my own skillset as an MD, and as a musician. Almost everything mentioned above relates back to communication. Making sure that messages and information is passed on efficiently and clearly, as well as in a good manner, is key and could be the difference between a production going really well or a production imploding.

Finally, above all, despite everything I’ve looked at and learned from in my research and the projects I have been a part of, I still think that the most important thing in a project is that everybody has a good time. What we do is called ‘play,’ and, not to undermine our practice or our passion, that element of play and enjoyment has to come through in the shows we put on, and that is something that comes from the rehearsals.

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