Method Acting for Musicians?

Last Semester in the Cuyamaca Rock Pop and Soul Ensemble we took on the near impossible task of performing the Beatles groundbreaking album Sgt Pepper's Lonely-Hearts Club Band. On Top of having to perform the complicated music, our director wanted us to wear the iconic outfits the Beatles wore on the cover and he wanted the guys to grow a mustache. Most of the guys in class were a little reluctant on the whole mustache thing but my mind was thinking of a lesson about “using Method Acting in music” we had in a performance studies class I took recently. Right then and there, I had already made the decision I was going to grow a mustache and transform in to Paul McCartney all semester. So, I grew a mustache. Even though at times it looked more John Holmes then Paul McCartney, I named it my Sgt. Pepper Stache. I listened to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely-Hearts Club Band Every Day during the semester. Along with The Beach Boy's Pet Sounds and The Mother of Invention's Freak Out (both known for influencing Sgt. Pepper). I busted out the old Yellow Submarine DVD, watched the rooftop performance over and over, read John Cage's Silence and all about the "Paul is Dead" conspiracy theories. Once my outfit came in the mail I began practicing in it. Walking around giving the worst Liverpool accent you can imagine. I would often say Ringo’s "I've got blisters on me fingers" quote but refer it to my bass hands. Sure, it’s nothing compared to De Niro, who worked 12 hour shifts as a cab driver to prepare for Taxi Driver. Or Jamie Foxx who glued his eyes shut to play Ray Charles. I still believed it helped me learn more about the artist, the music, and helped me overall prepare for the performance. Don’t believe me about method acting and music? Brian Wilson once put a sand box in his living room so he could feel his feet in the sand when he composed. David Bowie was known for his character metamorphosis. He was once so deep into his darker Thin White Duke character, he called Hitler "One of the first rock stars" during an interview.( he would go on to call this performance art later in his career) Let’s not forget Buckethead who records in a chicken coop while wearing a mask and a KFC bucket on top of his head. Method Acting for Musicians. Try it.

references and for more on method acting

Why the Oscars love Method Actors, Vox

https://youtu.be/TM42O6kYbI8

5 Super-Unorthodox Recording Techniques of Famous Musicians, Sam Schilling

https://thoughtcatalog.com/sam-schilling/2014/03/5-super-unorthodox-recording-techniques-of-famous-musicians/

Beginner's Guide: How to become method actor

http://www.projectcasting.com/tips-and-advice/sense-memory-method-acting/

Dustin Hoffman's Masterclass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbZxNJYn8HY

The Thin White Duke: David Bowie's Darkest Character ,Polyphonic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofeSZJJ_fxQ

to watch the Sgt. Pepper performance

https://vimeo.com/272125164