Alexa is in the company of composer, musical director, pianist, arranger and app creator Rowland Braché. Originally from Melbourne, Rowland has worked as an MD for productions such as West Side Story, The Last Five Years, Into the Woods and A Chorus Line. He joined Book Music and Lyrics in London in 2015 and was a finalist for the Stars and Drew Best New Song Prize in 2017. Rowland created the UK’s premier female vocal rock group called Rock Goddess and is the creator of the Warble app, which was ranked in the top 50 educational apps.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Warble is an app designed for singers, particularly those in the performing arts industry, who struggle to find suitable repertoire. Singers put their vocal range into the app, and it generates a curated list of songs within their range, addressing the common question of which songs to sing that best suit their voice.
- The motivation behind creating Warble stems from Rowland’s experiences while working at a dance college. Many talented singers attended the college, but as the focus was primarily on dance, their vocal abilities went unexplored. This inspired the idea for an app that empowers singers by helping them discover songs that showcase their voice and provides a platform for exploration.
- When using the app, you specify your voice type, for example, soprano, alto, baritone or tenor, and then the app gives you songs that correspond to that voice type. Then you can filter through different categories such as decade, artist, composer, musical style and genre. If you’re searching for a song for a specific audition, say a 1950s ballad, you can find that through the app quite easily by using the filters.
- Alternatively, you can utilise the voice range feature by inputting your personal vocal range. For example, if your range spans from G3 to E5, by entering these notes, the app will display all the songs available within that range.
- Free and premium versions of the app are available on Android and IOS. You can find it by searching Warble in the app store and Google play store.
BEST MOMENTS
‘One of my friends even uses it to find songs for karaoke’
‘I found so many songs that made me think “why haven’t I heard this before?”’
‘I want to make Warble a one-stop shop for everything you need’
EPISODE RESOURCES
Social Media:
- @warble_app
- Instagram: @rowlyb
Relevant Links & Mentions:
- Shows/songs referenced: Kimberly Akimbo; Into the Woods; Six; Defying Gravity (from Wicked)
- Book, Music & Lyrics: bookmusicandlyrics.com
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 55 Teaching Singing for Mental Health and Wellbeing with Cat Ogden
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep 65. The Top Benefits of Vocal Massage with Lydia Flock
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 74 Understanding Manual Therapy with Walt Fritz
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 85 Vocal Health Red Flags Explained with Kate Valentine
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 87 How to Manage Allergies and Upper Respiratory Infections with Laryngologist Declan Costello
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 90 Help! I’ve Got a Voice Problem with Lydia Hart and Stephen King
- Singing Teachers Talk Podcast: Ep. 96 Helping Singers Maintain a Vocally Healthy Lifestyle with Joanna Cazden
ABOUT THE GUEST
Originally from Melbourne, Australia, Rowland moved to London to continue his musical career. He joined the BML workshop as a composer in 2015 where he relished being surrounded by passionate and talented songwriters. Prior to London, Rowland worked as an MD and pianist on the musical theatre and cabaret scene in Melbourne. Australian credits include West Side Story (The Production Company), Cats, The Last Five Years, Merrily We Roll Along, Into The Woods and A Chorus Line. Rowland’s first musical Once We Were… was staged in 2012 at The Lithuanian Theatre, Melbourne, and a concert version of his second show Illusions was staged later that year at The GH, Melbourne. Rowland was also a finalist for the Stiles and Drewe Best New Song prize in 2017. Recent UK credits include; MD/Arranger: Footloose UK Tour (Sell A Door)- Repetiteur & click tracks, The Dressers (2020, Dublin), Peter Pan (QDOS Pantomimes), Ordinary Days (Streetlights), Sleeping Beauty (QDOS), Jack & the Beanstalk (QDOS), Beauty and The Beast (Imagine Theatre). Rowland is the creator of the innovative app for singers, Warble. On its first day, Warble was ranked in the top 50 of educational apps on the App Store. In 2021, Rowland created the UK’s premier female vocal rock group, Rock Goddess, which has been performing on cruise ships and at various festivals, holiday parks, nightclubs, and events up and down the UK.
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