From Broadway Swing to Principal: Eight Shows a Week...with Victor Carrillo Tracey

Your voice is the most temperamental instrument you’ll ever own, and this week Victor Carrillo Tracey – original company member of Broadway’s The Outsiders – walks you through what it takes to keep one working eight shows a week. Hydration and sleep swap places at number one, alcohol and caffeine cost more than you think, and inspiration doesn’t get a vote when downbeat is 8pm. You’ll hear how a single college voice lesson with a head cold taught Victor to navigate around a compromised instrument years before he needed it on Broadway, and why nerves usually answer to preparation rather than talent. Book the room. Play your opener as the last song of soundcheck. Always Be Performing starts well before anyone’s watching.

Then it gets nerdy. Victor breaks down what a swing actually is (think relief pitcher), and how he covered nine tracks at once before working his way up to playing Paul full-time. You’ll pick up forced perspective, the staging trick that tells an audience exactly where to look and translates straight to your own stage. Plus the band sealed in the pit under the apron, monitor wedges in the floor and sidefills in the wings, a rig that tracks each voice around the house, watching a Broadway book get written in real time, and Dave’s case for mixing your in-ears in stereo instead of piling everything up the middle. Victor’s last Outsiders show is October 11th, right around performance number one thousand…and he still tells himself this is the best job ever before every show.

00:00:00 Gig Gab 548 – Monday, August 24th, 2026


August 24th: International Strange Music Day
Guest co-host: Victor Carrillo Tracey



00:02:45 The voice is the most temperamental instrument


00:06:04 The benefits of an education
Always Be Learning – Beginner’s Mind



00:08:54 Learning to navigate around your voice when things are non-optimal
00:13:28 Taking care of your voice


The most important thing is hydration.
Except Sleep is the most important thing.
Be aware of alcohol and caffeine



00:17:01 Inspiration won’t always strike
00:18:35 And taking care of your body
00:20:55 Preparing yourself for success


Play your opener as your last soundcheck song before the house opens
You can visualize this, too!
Book the room to rehearse in advance
Always be preparing
Having a preparation mindset



00:28:40 SPONSOR: Hims. With Wegovy® at Hims, lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. Visit https://hims.com/giggab to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you.
00:30:08 Being a Swing


Kinda like a relief pitcher
Nine tracks at once!



00:33:33 Ok, a detour into musical theater and The Outsiders
00:39:02 Forced Perspective
00:43:12 Missing playing a non-voice instrument
00:45:19 Playing with the band in a theater show


…without seeing your bandmates



00:50:46 Watching the Broadway book being built


And recording the Cast Album at Power Station at BerkleeNYC Music Studio
Jamie Eblen
Justin Levine



00:56:11 Mixing a musical…and hearing it on stage!


Monitor wedges in the apron
Sidefills in the wings
Cody Spencer



01:04:55 Previews are grueling, and great!
01:05:45 Mix your in-ears in stereo


Nothing up the middle: kick one degree right, snare one degree left.



01:07:43 Victor’s leaving The Outsiders after 2.5 years


Choosing your destiny…follow your gut


And make it happen!



Gratitude!


“This is the best job ever” before going on stage every time.






01:12:37 Gig Gab 548 Outtro


Follow  Victor Carrillo Tracey


IG: @victorctracey



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