What Does a Musical Director Do in Amateur Theatre?

If you’ve ever been in a musical, you’ll know the moment. The director has just finished blocking a scene, everyone is pleased with themselves, and then someone at the piano says “Lovely. Now can we try that while actually singing in tune?” That someone is the musical director, and in amateur theatre they are one of the most important people in the room.

The musical director (almost always shortened to MD) is responsible for everything the audience hears in a musical: the singing, the band, the tempo, the balance between voices, and the way the music supports the story. In a society production they often do a lot more than that too. This guide covers what a musical director does at every stage of an am dram show, how the role fits alongside the director and choreographer, and how to get the best out of your MD if you’re in the cast.

If you’re still getting your head around the production team, it’s worth reading who does what between the director and the producer first, then my guide to what a stage manager does. The MD is the third piece of that puzzle.

What is a musical director?

A musical director is the person in charge of the musical side of a production. In a professional show the title can be split between several people, but in a typical UK amateur society one person does most of it. They teach the cast the music, shape how it sounds, and then lead the performance, usually from a keyboard or with a baton in front of a band.

Get Into Theatre describes the role in very practical terms. The MD attends creative meetings with the director and choreographer, takes part in auditions and assesses vocal ability, teaches the music to the cast and the musicians, attends rehearsals, leads warm-ups before performances, and normally conducts the band during the run. They are also expected to play, and the piano is the instrument that comes up again and again.

Musical director, music director or conductor?

You’ll see all three terms, and they don’t always mean the same thing. In the UK “musical director” is the usual title in both professional and amateur theatre. In the US the same job is more often called the “music director”. Wikipedia’s entry on the music director notes that the title became common in American musical theatre in the middle of the 20th century, and that the Tony Awards ran a category for Best Conductor and Musical Director from 1948 to 1964.

“Conductor” describes one part of the job, the bit where someone stands (or sits) in front of the band and keeps everyone together. In a big professional production the MD may also conduct, or there may be a separate conductor, with a musical supervisor sitting above them both across several productions of the same show. In am dram, the MD is nearly always the conductor as well.

Is a musical director the same as a director?

No, and the difference matters. The director is responsible for the whole production: the concept, the staging, the acting and the final artistic calls. The MD is responsible for the music within that vision. A good way to put it, borrowed from a Broadway MD interviewed by Playbill, is that the music director is to the composer and lyricist what the director is to the playwright. They are the person who turns notes on a page into a living performance.

Do plays have musical directors?

Usually not. A straight play with a song or two might borrow someone with musical skills for a few rehearsals, but the full MD role belongs to musicals, operettas, revues, concerts and pantomime. In a pantomime the MD can be one of the busiest people in the building, because the music runs all the way through the show. If your society is planning a festive concert, my guide to Christmas songs for choirs and societies has a running order you can borrow.

The musical director, the director and the choreographer

In a musical, the creative work is shared by three people. They each own a different part of the show, but they have to agree on almost everything, because a song is acting, singing and movement all at once.

Role	Owns	Typical questions they ask	Who they work with most
Director	The whole production: concept, staging, acting, final calls	What is this scene about? Where does everyone stand?	Producer, stage manager, MD, choreographer, cast
Musical director	Everything the audience hears: singing, band, tempo, balance	Is that note right? Can we hear the words? Is the band too loud?	Director, choreographer, band, cast, sound team
Choreographer	Dance and movement	Can they sing while doing that? How many counts do we have?	Director, MD, cast
Stage manager	Running rehearsals and performances backstage	Where are we in the script? Are we ready for the next cue?	Director, crew, MD (for music cues)

Where the roles overlap

The overlap is where most of the interesting work happens. A choreographer might want a big lift in the middle of a held note; the MD might need the singer facing front so the sound carries. A director might want a song taken slower for the emotion; the MD has to judge whether the singers can sustain it. These conversations happen in production meetings, in rehearsal breaks and, sometimes, in the car park afterwards.

Who has the final say?

In most societies the director has the final artistic say on the production as a whole, but a sensible director trusts the MD on musical questions. If the MD says a key change is needed so the lead can get through eight shows without losing their voice, that’s a decision based on the singer’s health as much as taste.

Why the relationship matters for the cast

When the creative team are on the same page, rehearsals feel calm and organised. When they aren’t, the cast gets mixed messages: sing it this way in the music call, act it that way in the blocking call. My view, from the performer’s side, is that good directors communicate well, protect breaks, work with people, are organised, and let performers grow into a role rather than pushing an interpretation too hard. When the director and the MD share those habits, the cast hears one clear message instead of two.

What a musical director does before rehearsals start

A lot of an MD’s work happens before the cast ever sings a note. By the time you arrive at the first rehearsal, a good MD will already know the score inside out.

Learning the score and the show

The MD studies the vocal score and the full band parts, works out where the hard bits are, and thinks about how the music tells the story. In a book musical the songs grow out of the scenes, so the MD needs to understand the script as well as the music. They’ll also be looking at practical things: how many singers each harmony needs, which numbers have tricky key changes, and where the dialogue runs over music.

Working with the rights and the materials

When a society licenses a musical, the licensor supplies the scripts and the music. The MD checks what has arrived, which instrumentation the society can afford, and whether the show allows any flexibility in the band size. Licence terms are set by the licensor, so the MD and the producer work out together what’s possible before anyone starts changing arrangements.

Planning the music rehearsal schedule

The MD sits down with the director and the stage manager to plan the rehearsal calendar. Music usually comes first, because it’s hard to block a song the cast doesn’t know yet. A typical plan front-loads the big ensemble numbers and the hardest harmonies, then brings in principals’ songs around their scenes.

Building the band

If the society has a live band, the MD often books the musicians or works with someone who does. In the professional world there’s a person called an orchestral fixer, which the Official London Theatre interview with a West End musical director mentions. In am dram the fixer is usually the MD, their phone contacts and a lot of goodwill. Some societies use backing tracks instead of a band, and then the MD’s job shifts towards rehearsing the cast to those tracks and working with the sound operator.

The musical director at auditions

The MD is usually on the audition panel for a musical, alongside the director and often the choreographer. Their job there is to hear what each singer can do and whether that fits the parts. If you’re auditioning soon, my am dram audition guide covers the process from the performer’s side.

What the MD is listening for

• Range: can you reach the notes the part needs, top and bottom, without strain?
• Tuning: do you stay on pitch, especially on long or exposed notes?
• Tone and style: does your sound suit the show (legit, belt, pop, rock)?
• Musicality: do you keep time, follow the accompanist and shape the phrases?
• Potential: how quickly do you pick up a correction if they ask you to try something different?

That last one matters more than most people think. An MD who sees you take a note and improve on the spot knows you’ll be good to work with for the next three months. If you want to understand where your own voice sits, my guide to vocal types is a good starting point, and if you’re a mezzo there’s a full list of mezzo-soprano audition songs.

The audition pianist

Often the MD plays for the auditions too, or brings in a pianist so they can listen properly. Either way, bring clearly marked sheet music in the right key. A pianist sight-reading a messy photocopy can throw even a strong singer.

Casting conversations

The final casting decision usually rests with the director and the panel together. The MD’s view carries a lot of weight for singing roles, because they know what the score demands. A brilliant actor who can’t reach the climax of the big number is a problem the MD will flag.

Music rehearsals: teaching the cast

This is the part of the job most cast members know best. For the first weeks of a musical, a big chunk of rehearsal time is music calls, where the MD teaches the songs.

Note bashing

“Note bashing” is the unglamorous name for learning the notes. The MD plays each vocal line, the section sings it back, and they repeat until it sticks. Sopranos, altos, tenors and basses might be taught separately and then put together. It’s slow, it’s repetitive, and it’s where the foundations of a good show are laid.

Harmonies and balance

Once the notes are in, the MD works on harmony and balance. Are the altos drowning out the tenors? Is the melody clear? Can the audience hear the words? A big ensemble number with 30 voices only sounds good if each part is balanced against the others, and that’s the MD’s call.

Vocal coaching and style

Wikipedia’s entry on the music director notes that the music director in musical theatre is often the vocal coach as well as the rehearsal pianist and conductor. In am dram that’s very common. The MD may help you with breathing, where to take breaths in a long phrase, how to protect your voice, and how to sing in the style of the show. A jukebox show needs a different sound to a classic operetta.

Singing soprano as Yum-Yum in Hot Mikado with Erewash Musical Society was a real challenge for me as a mezzo, and I took vocal lessons throughout that production. They helped me find my voice. That was lessons rather than music rehearsals, but the principle is the same: a trained ear can spot what you can’t hear in your own voice.

If you’d like to work on your voice between shows, my series on learning to sing for free is a good place to start.

Warm-ups

Many MDs start every music call and every performance with a vocal warm-up. Get Into Theatre lists leading warm-ups before shows as part of the role, and the Official London Theatre interview with a West End musical director describes a set warm-up time before each performance. In am dram the warm-up also does a useful social job: it gets everyone in the room, focused and breathing together before the real work starts.

Bringing music and staging together

Once the cast knows the songs, the MD moves from teaching to shaping. This is where the MD, director and choreographer work closest together.

Sitting in on staging rehearsals

In a musical the MD (or a rehearsal pianist) is needed at almost every rehearsal. Cambridge University Amateur Dramatic Club’s wiki puts it plainly: for musicals the MD is needed at almost all rehearsals, accompanying, checking the singing hasn’t slipped while the cast concentrates on blocking, and making small adjustments.

Tempo, cuts and changes

Sometimes a song needs to change to work on stage. A dance break might need a few extra bars, a scene change might need underscore music to cover it, or a key might need to drop for a particular singer. The CUADC wiki lists adapting the score where necessary as part of the MD’s job. Any change has to stay within what the licence allows, so a careful MD checks before cutting or rewriting.

Rehearsal pianists and assistant MDs

Bigger societies sometimes have an assistant MD or a separate rehearsal pianist, so the MD can listen from the room instead of being stuck behind the keyboard. The CUADC wiki notes that co-MDs and assistant MDs are common in student theatre, and the same is true in many community societies.

Band calls, the sitzprobe and tech week

As the show gets close, the MD’s focus shifts to the band and to putting the sound together in the venue.

Band calls

Band calls are rehearsals for the musicians alone. Amateur and freelance musicians are often busy people, so there may be only one or two of these before the band meets the cast. The MD runs through the score, sorts out tricky transitions, and makes sure everyone has the right parts with the right cuts marked in.

The sitzprobe

The sitzprobe (German for “seated rehearsal”) is the moment the cast and band sing and play together for the first time. Everyone sits, there’s no staging, and the focus is purely on the music. The CUADC wiki calls it the most important band rehearsal. For a cast who’ve been rehearsing to a piano for weeks, hearing the full band is a lovely moment, and occasionally a confusing one, because the cues you’ve been listening for may sound completely different.

Tech and dress rehearsals

In tech week the MD works with the sound team on balance between band and voices, and with the stage manager on music cues. My stage manager guide covers how the stage manager runs the cues; the MD and the SM need to agree exactly where each piece of music starts and stops. If the band is in a pit or off stage, the MD may need a monitor or a camera so the cast can see the beat.

On the night: leading the performance

During the run the MD is usually in front of the band, conducting, playing keyboard, or both. The Official London Theatre interview with a West End musical director describes conducting from above the stage while also playing piano, and advises anyone wanting to do the job to practise playing keyboard while conducting.

Keeping the show together

Live theatre never goes exactly the same way twice. Someone skips a line, a costume change runs long, a laugh lasts longer than expected. The MD watches the stage and adjusts: holding a vamp, cutting into the next section, bringing the band in on the right bar. Good MDs do this so smoothly that the audience never notices.

Looking after voices across a run

A week of shows is hard on voices, especially for principals singing big numbers every night. The MD keeps an ear on how singers are coping and can suggest small changes to protect them. Warm-ups before each show help here too.

What the cast should watch for

• Know where the MD is: if you can see the beat, you can stay with the band.
• Watch for cut-offs at the end of held notes, not just the start of phrases.
• If something goes wrong, keep going. The MD will find you.

A musical director’s year in a society: at a glance

Stage	What the MD does	What the cast notices
Show choice and planning	Reads the score, checks band size and vocal demands	Not much yet
Auditions	Sits on the panel, listens for range, tuning and style	The person at the piano asking you to try it again
Early rehearsals	Note bashing, harmonies, warm-ups	Lots of music calls
Staging rehearsals	Accompanies or listens, adjusts tempo and cuts	Notes on singing while you’re also learning moves
Band calls and sitzprobe	Rehearses musicians, then brings cast and band together	Hearing the full band for the first time
Tech and dress	Balance with sound team, music cues with the SM	Long days and lots of stopping
Show week	Conducts or plays, warms up the cast, keeps the show together	The MD’s hand at the end of every big number

Is a musical director paid in amateur theatre?

It varies. Many am dram cast and crew are volunteers, but MDs are often an exception because the job needs a high level of musical training and a huge time commitment. Get Into Theatre publishes guide fees for musical directors and notes that community theatre pays less than the professional scale. Some societies pay their MD a fee, some cover expenses only, and some MDs volunteer because they love it.

If your society is looking for an MD, you’re not alone. NODA’s news pages carry adverts from member societies looking for MDs, with details such as rehearsal nights, cast size and whether there’s a live band. If you’re on a committee, those details help a potential MD decide whether the show is right for them.

How to become a musical director in am dram

There isn’t one route. Berklee, describing the US career path, notes that many music directors start with community and college productions, and that’s very much how it works in UK am dram too. Here’s what usually helps.

The skills you’ll need

• Strong keyboard or piano playing, including sight-reading.
• A good ear for tuning, harmony and balance.
• Basic conducting technique, or the confidence to lead a band from the keyboard.
• Patience and clear communication: you’ll be teaching people with very different levels of experience.
• Organisation: rehearsal plans, band parts and cuts all need tracking.

Ways in

• Offer to be a rehearsal pianist for a local society.
• Shadow an MD as an assistant on one production.
• Take on a smaller show, a concert or a revue first.
• Join a society’s band and watch how the MD works with the cast.

If you’re new to the am dram world generally, my guide on how to join an amateur theatre society explains how societies work and how to get involved on or off stage.

How to work well with your MD as a performer

You don’t need to be a trained singer to be a great person for an MD to work with. These habits make a real difference.

Come prepared

• Bring a pencil to every music call and mark your part.
• Practise between rehearsals with any recordings or tracks the MD shares.
• Learn your words. It’s much easier to fix notes when you’re not reading.

Ask good questions

If you’re not sure about a note or a breath, ask. An MD would much rather sort it in week two than discover it in tech week. Keep questions to the point so the whole section isn’t kept waiting.

Look after your voice

Warm up, drink water, rest when you can, and tell the MD early if you’re struggling. A problem raised in good time can be solved with a small change; a voice that’s gone in show week is much harder to fix.

Learning music vs learning lines

In my view, lines are harder to learn in a play than in a musical, because there’s no music to hang them on. In a musical, once the MD has drilled a song into you, the words come with the tune. So treat music calls as a gift: they’re doing a lot of your learning for you.

A note from the director’s chair

I’m directing for the first time at the moment, with Now That’s What I Call a Musical! for Erewash Musical Society. The biggest surprise so far has been how many non-obvious questions come up, and how often I’ve needed to reach out to other people for information. A musical isn’t made by one person, and the music side alone is a huge job, which is exactly why the MD role exists.

Frequently asked questions

What does a musical director do in a musical?

A musical director is in charge of everything the audience hears. They help with auditions, teach the cast the songs, rehearse harmonies, lead warm-ups, work with the director and choreographer on staging, rehearse the band, and conduct or play during the show.

What is the difference between a musical director and a music director?

In practice they’re the same job. “Musical director” is the usual UK term; “music director” is more common in the US.

Does the musical director conduct the show?

In most amateur productions, yes. The MD usually conducts the band, often while playing keyboard. In large professional productions the conducting may be shared or handled by a separate conductor.

What is a sitzprobe?

A sitzprobe is a seated rehearsal where the cast sing with the band for the first time, without staging. It’s usually one of the last rehearsals before tech week.

Does every am dram show need a musical director?

Every musical does, even one performed to backing tracks, because someone has to teach and shape the singing. Straight plays usually don’t need one unless they include live music.

For the rest of the production team, read who does what between the director and the producer and my guide to what a stage manager does. And if you’re auditioning for your next musical, start with my guide to vocal types.