The Comedy Arena Training Center

Laura Hall’s Musical Accompaniment for Musicians Workshop is for you, if you are:

1. A musician who is thinking about playing with an improv group

2. Already working with an improv group as a musical director

3. A director of an improv group who wants to know how to communicate with or train a musical director

Laura will explain and demonstrate how she approaches working with singers, how to work on different musical styles, gear options and playing with other musicians, in both long and short form improv shows.

She will discuss the different functions of music in an improv show, focusing on creating songs with singers, underscoring scenes, and how scenes lead in to songs.

There will be plenty of time for questions, as well as hands-on opportunities to play with singer improvisers, and get feedback.

Although Laura is a pianist, all instrumentalists are welcome. Laura is best known for her work as Musical Director on all 20 seasons of the hit TV show, “Whose Line is it Anyway”. She learned how to play for improv at The Second Chicago from the iconic Fred Kaz. She has co-written a book “The Improv Comedy Musician: The Ultimate Guide to Playing Music with an Improv Group”, and created an online video series, “A Musicians Guide to Improv”, which takes a deep dive into the specialized skill of playing music for improv.

Please make sure you register for the correct class, date and time.