Musical Improv Comedy: Creating Songs in the Moment [With Audio CD]

I really couldn't recommend this book highly enough - Michael Pollock is one of those rare people whose genius at what he does is equalled by his genius at teaching it. As an Aussie improviser who has always loved musical improv (but only seen its application limited to the odd 'theatre-sports' style game) reading this book marked a real turning point for me. Not only did it open up my mind to the possibilities of musical improv, but it explained the nuts and bolts of how to do it in a clear and simple way. This book has laid the foundations of how to approach musical improvisation, while igniting my passion for it! The CD is brilliant too, bringing to life the examples in the book and allowing you to put your skills into practice right away. If you're at all interested in musical improv, don't even question it: just buy it now! Jenny Wynter, Australia

I teach Children's Comedy Theatre in North Hollywood. We have been doing improvised singing for a long time and I've always wanted a nice easy resource to use when teaching people how to create a song on the spot. This book is it. Not only is it VERY simple to follow and an excellent source of information, it also contains a CD that will be a fixture in my teaching for ages to come. If anyone has ever improvised a song, played music, or just wanted to be able to think quicker on their feet, this is the book for you.

Finally a book that focuses on the MUSICAL aspect of improv comedy. I've seen many performers engage in sketch comedy but very few who understood the musical improv aspect of live comedy - probably because it's far more demanding of the performer's skills and harder to develop technique. That's where Michael Pollock's Musical Improv Comdey fills a vast void in educating the aspiring sketch comic. The book breaks down the process - getting song ideas from the audience, a proper intro, rhyme schemes, rhythms, song structures and styles, song hooks and endings. My favorite part is that the book comes with a cd and exercises that get YOU involved, not just reading about it! This book is entertaining for anyone interested in comedic musical improv and a MUST-HAVE for anyone interested perfroming sketch comedy.

I work in film at Warner Bros and wanted to find some ways to get my creative "fun" side going when not working. I've always been a fan of making up songs as well as acting and improvisation. I started doing work at Second City and really enjoyed the musical improv games, and discovered, through a great referal, this musical improv book by Michael Pollock.I can't tell you it will change your life because I don't know you, but I will say that it opened me up to such a wonderful creative side of acting and music. I found it pretty simple to get going and then you can train yourself while you drive or at home. Being in LA, there's a lot of traffic. The book opens all the doors easy and hard, and it's up to you to decide which path you take.Plus, the CD, is useful and reuseable. The specific examples are also a real boon - and some of them are catchy and addicting. Great examples. I don't think I've found any other books out there like this, not to my knowledge at any rate. If you're a fan of singing, improvisation, or just musicality in general, and you want to impress your friends, (When I perform for other's all they can say is "I could never do that") or just perform, check out this book!

Any half-experienced improvisor can rattle off titles of books that they have read about improvisation: Truth in Comedy, Improv For Storytellers, Impro, Free Play, as well as many wonderful books on the history of our art form. This book, however, has the honor of being the first book focused on a subgenre of our art, one that is often overlooked, feared, and bastardized. Enter Michael Pollock, a man who has been accompanying improvisors for many, many years. He has discovered an immutable truth: singing a made-up song on stage takes nothing more than courage and commitment. Of course, learning to rhyme, find a groove, structure a song, and get into and out of said song help too. And Michael's got you covered. With over 100 pages of clear-cut techniques, exercises, bits of advice, and a CD with almost 50 practice tracks, Michael has given you everything you need to start making up your own songs easily and painlessly. If your improv training hasn't included much musical stuff, do yourself a favor. Take Michael's curriculum; buy this book!