Music Improv @ The Focus Theater

Music improv is rocking The Focus Theater. Whether you’re looking for short-form games, silly jam sessions, or fully improvised musicals, we’ve got you covered.

You can’t have music without musicians though, so we sat down with three of the theater’s most talented ones to get the inside scoop on what makes music improv sing.

Introductions

Kat Kuo has been flexing her improv muscles since 1998. Growing up in a family of musicians, she’s always found music to be a powerful tool for connecting with others.

“When I got into improv and found that there were games where you could sing,” she said. “I was just like, ‘Yes!’”

Kirk Stevens has always loved theater, and when he was finally introduced to improv, he was hooked. Along with being a singer and songwriter, Stevens has worked with several musical improv teams such as NYC’s Good Catch and Philadelphia’s Thank you, Places!.

A member of ComedySportz UK for over a decade, Felix Janeway has provided musical accompaniment for them at various shows, including numerous Edinburgh Festival Fringe performances.

“Accompanists are another player in their own supportive way, and I prefer being behind the piano,” he said.

Exploring Song Structure

Just like improv, much of music is based around structure. There are patterns and motifs that can be used, whether building entire performances or just individual songs.

Through practice and repetition, these same tools can be applied to improvised music. 

“We just drill song structure,” Stevens said. “For example, [an accompanist] knows how to communicate that this is the song we’re doing if we’re drowning, or this is the song we’re doing if we want to lead somewhere else.”

Songs in musicals fit into archetypes. While these aren’t easily defined, some common ones include the “I Want” song and the patter song. 

Examples such as those play a narrative role in progressing a musical’s story, but individual songs can be broken down even further.

A song contains several parts. The chorus is the catchy, repetitive section that conveys a song’s main idea, while the verses advance a song’s story or emotional core, with each iteration featuring a similar melody but different lyrics. 

Kuo’s group, Mouth Harpo, takes the form of an improvised indie rock jam session, drawing on the tropes of rock, jazz, and blues rather than musical theater. 

“If someone plays the opening of a blues song, I could start with the line ‘Woke up this morning…’, and I’ve just entered the universal blues song. There are patterns like that,” she said.

The idea of improvising an entire song may sound stressful, but it’s important not to overthink every single word.

“When you sing, there are all sorts of little helper tricks,” Kuo said. “You can repeat yourself, and it sounds absolutely natural.”

The Music Difference

Along with a song’s structure and lyrics, the accompanist plays an important role in mixing energy levels and establishing a consistent tone. They’re an equal member of the team but also a driving force in the performance.

“When playing an instrument, you’re supporting and throwing out the first suggestion, … and you’re creating the first vibe that inspires what’s going to happen,” Janeway said.

A skilled improviser recognizes that, while music may present a different set of challenges, it’s just another tool to be utilized on stage. At the same time, there’s an added sense of risk and reward that comes with musical improv.

“It’s the high wire,” Janeway said. “To some degree, with a musical, you’re making a larger promise to the audience. If you do fall off, you fall off a larger platform, but that’s also fun to watch.”

Any form of improv requires the audience to buy in. Along with providing suggestions, music is another avenue for getting people involved, whether through clapping, laughing, or singing along.

“We try to make our shows as interactive as possible because we want people invested in what we’re doing,” Kuo said.

As a performer, getting up on stage and going for it often requires the biggest leap. When it comes to something as intricate as music improv though, the audience has your back as much as your team.

“If you’re skilled enough to make up and sing songs, then you can go down swinging,” Stevens said.

When it works though, it really works. Bringing together singing, dancing, and comedy can make for an extremely memorable audience experience.

“Anyone who hasn’t got an improv background thinks normal improv is mind blowing,” Janeway said. “Once you put those extra layers on … the next level becomes unimaginable.”

Future Endeavors

Kat, Kirk, and Felix are heading plenty of projects at The Focus Theater.

Kat Kuo teaches the Music Improv Bootcamp and performs with Mouth Harpo and ComedySportz Buffalo.

Kirk Stevens teaches classes at the theater. He also coaches Sassy Knoll and is a member of Milo, a local rock band.

Felix Janeway is providing accompaniment for various groups at the theater, such as the monthly Game Night show. He also coaches Suddenly Sondheim, which does both short-form and long-form music improv.

Interested in learning more about their current projects or pitching something new? Feel free to reach out!