What sorts of topics should I cover in my CLICKCOACH Video?
So you've chosen your category and now you need to think of what you'll discuss. Documenting your thoughts, ideas, tips & tricks, score-related knowledge, your process, and even your experience with a work or topic is the goal, so planning what topics you're going to cover before you make your video will help you a ton. Since these aren't performances, you'll do mostly talking as you've done or seen in masterclasses. Demonstrating (by singing, playing, or showing) is wonderful and encouraged! Be sure to avoid using anything audio/visual that is copyrighted unless, of course, you've obtained the rights from the content creator to use them in your video.
There are any number of topics you can cover based on your own experience with a work or instructional topic, but we've broken down some of our favorite coaching videos and found similarities between them:
1. Talk about your experience
You have your own relationship with a work or topic. Perhaps there are things that were or are difficult for you but you have a method to get through them; maybe you've noticed that everyone takes the same breath in a phrase and you can explain the reasons why you also do it (or don't!)...At the end of the day, this video is about your experience, so share that as a form of advice with your audience.
2. Don't hide the recipe for your secret sauce!
Tips, tricks, pearls of wisdom, words to the wise...whatever you call them, share them! They could be something that you think sounds crazy or they might be the most brilliant piece of advice you've ever been told. Whatever these helpful things are, peppering them throughout your video will gain you big points with your audience.
3. Demonstrate...please!
A coaching isn't a performance, but demonstrating things you talk about to prove or make a point clearer is so helpful. The proof will be in the pudding, so to say!
Tip: Before recording, be sure to test out the sound going from speaking to playing or singing. You may need to plan to change your proximity to your recording device if the sound is distorted.
Tip: Minimize unnecessarily moving locations in your video by pre-planning any demonstrations in relation to where you record. If you'll be demonstrating at the piano, for instance, consider filming your video at the piano. If demonstrating yoga moves for singers, already have that yoga mat in view when you start your video.
Tip: CLICKCOACH is about sharing information, so limit your playing to relevant passages or sections and avoid using your video as a performance. The focus should be on specifics and be informational in nature.
4. Tell us about those pitfalls
Every work has difficult spots and every opera or musical theater role has some challenge attached to it. Give your audience a heads-up on where those difficult places are and what to watch out for. This advice is some of the most valuable you can give.
5. Errors, Mistakes, and Markings
A great topic to address is score errors, mistakes, or score markings. Pointing out something as elementary as a printing error can save someone hours and hours of time. With regard to markings, sharing your own ideas or interpretations of what's on the page based on your own research and experience gives your audience a wonderful insight into a work.
These are just some of the topics you can cover in your videos. Feel free to talk about what you think is relevant and helpful to document. Doing so will make your video all that more valuable.