In this episode of the Berklee VoiceCast, host Charlie Christenson sits down with vocalist, songwriter, and educator David Thorne Scott for a deep dive into the art of musical prosody—the subtle but powerful relationship between lyrics, melody, and meaning.
Together, they explore how great singers and songwriters align the natural rhythms of speech with musical phrasing to create performances that feel authentic, conversational, and emotionally resonant. From interpreting existing repertoire to crafting original songs, David shares practical strategies for making musical choices that serve the text and connect more directly with listeners.
The conversation highlights how strong prosody can transform a performance from technically accurate to genuinely expressive, and why marrying the singing voice to the speaking voice is key to compelling storytelling. Drawing on examples from artists like Mel Tormé and Carmen McRae, this episode offers insight into both the craft and artistry behind meaningful vocal performance.
Whether you're a singer, songwriter, or educator, this episode provides actionable ideas and listening strategies to help you bring more intention, clarity, and emotional impact to your music-making.
00:00 Intro
01:22 What is Prosody?
07:16 Fixing the Composer’s Mistakes
08:25 Writing with Prosody in Mind
14:09 Exercises for Developing Prosody (Jazz Ballads & Rubato)
14:50 Recommendations and Final Thoughts
Credits
Produced and Hosted by Charlie Christenson
Music by David Thorne Scott, “Lunar Landing,” and Charlie Christenson
Guest Bio
David Thorne Scott is a singer-songwriter and instrumentalist who performs in jazz, pop, and classical styles. He is also a composer, arranger, bandleader, and teacher. He often accompanies himself on piano and electric bass.
Cadence Magazine said, "He phrases like a saxophone player and is as slippery and hip as the young Mel Tormé," and Herb Wong wrote, "I haven’t been this moved by a performance of 'For All We Know' since Carmen McRae."
His most recent album is “Thornewood,” featuring Grammy winners Paula Cole and Sara Caswell. His current project is a new musical, “Animal Spirits,” which explores the life and work of economist John Maynard Keynes (CANES). He teaches Survey of Vocal Styles, among many other things, at Berklee.
Links from This Episode
David Thorne Scott Website: davidthornescott.com
David Thorne Scott on Spotify and Instagram
Berklee College of Music: berklee.edu
Berklee Voice Department: college.berklee.edu/voice
Berklee Voice Instagram: instagram.com/berklee.voice/
Charlie Christenson: charliechristenson.com
Carmen McRae — Jazz Casual (1962): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5Q7nLC1-64
Songwriting Resource: Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison (Berklee Press, 2010)