Singing and Song Writing

[Tessar]

http://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/show...0&pagenumber=1

That's for the old entmoot album thread . My Gosh is that thing old...

Too bad none of the links work. *sigh*

[Tessar]

You know, on the subject of singing and ‘sound’ I learned something very interesting last night.

I mentioned to our Choir Director that it was so strange how all these sixteen and eighteen year olds were popping up in the Music Industry with "The Voice of a Thirty Year Old!" I've heard of at least four or five of them lately.

He said that it didn't surprise him, because of the way that Rap and Punk music have become so popular.

Apparently someone put together some recordings of children singing before World War One, after WWI, before WWII, and then after WWII and that you could hear a huge change in the 'sound'. They sounded less like little children, and more like older children. The music had lost that cute little 'Angelic' sound that most children have.

Apparently whenever something 'big' happens (like nine eleven) and children are exposed to it, it actually changes the way they sing.

Interesting.

[brownjenkins]

hmm... sounds like a bit of a stretch... interesting though

maybe it's more a matter of the choice of material... or how the adults direct the children to sing?

[Janny]

I think now choir masters of small children are very aware of how little children's shows are perceived. That probably leads to trying to make them sound more mature.

[Tessar]

On the contrary, many Choir Masters are trying hard to get than angelic sound back, but they can't.

Kids who haven't heard much Rap/pop/heavy metal music still have that sound apparently.

Think about it, if you grow up with people who speak nothing but Spanish, you learn Spanish, and you end up with a Spanish accent.

Chinese, you end up with nothing but that language, and that accent.

Rap and Pop... and you end up sounding like a Rap or Pop artist.

EDIT:

A last example would be that I grew up hearing a large amount of Country Music because I liked it for some reason.

Even today I have to struggle with a natural 'twang' in my voice from time to time, although years of singing church music have finally dimmed it for the most part. I got that twang from hearing the Country Music.

[Janny]

You make a valid point. I do sound rather like Ryan Adams now!

[Tessar]

I don't watch TV, but I saw some clips online from the American Idol thing that's been so big here, and I can't BELIEVE they voted off (or whatever they do) that one guy named Matt Rogers.

He had a GREAT voice .

[Laurelyn]

My friend and I have a songwriting arrangement going: she writes lyrics, and i set them to music. We're recording one of our songs over Memorial Day weekend, actually, though I'm not sure we're ready.
I'm a soprano thorugh and through. Okay, my voice goes down to the G below middle C, if I'm lucky the F, but I hate singing that low, and everything from Middle C to G - those five notes - is just awful. I have a uselessly high range, though: high C and above. I've been taking voice lessons for a while.
My songwriting pal and I are trying to start a band. Or . . . I'm trying to start a band and she's following along.
I didn't realize there were so many others like us here on the Moot.

[Tessar]

Hummm lets see, you'd be what, thirteen or fourteen by now right?

Ouch, kind of tough trying to start a band with a soprano. Most 'band' songs were really written for tenor men or alto women from what I can tell. Good luck though! I'd love to sing in a band.

Heck, maybe when I go to the private school I can start or join something . My voice is terrible though :-/. It still needs a lot of work, but I’m 100% sure I can get SOME kind of decent sound at least by the time I’m twenty-five or so. I’m in this for the long haul .

[Tessar]

<.<

>.>

*ba-BUMP*

So, anyone else still singin' away?

I got to start taking voice lessons last year, and just recently I've been noticing some major improvements in my voice. I'm not a Bass at all, any more, and I'm more of a Baritone with a very light quality to my voice, although I do still have some of those low notes .

[Janny]

My! Hello! I'm still writing and I have updated stuff in my sig.

It's interesting that as you get better you find you sing a higher voice. In our (very poor) school choir there is a progression males to start singing as basses and then move on to tenor as they either improve or become interested. (The people who study music are forced to attend) [I'm sure you were good before you became baritone btw! ]

What kind of music do you sing in your choir?

[Khamûl]

Originally Posted by Laurelyn

I have a uselessly high range, though: high C and above. I've been taking voice lessons for a while.

Wow, that's like coloratura/Queen of the Night range. I'm impressed.

As for my vocal range, I don't really have one. I've been singing a bit in my aural skills class and I enjoy it, but I'm just not terribly good at it. I'm sure I could get better with lessons, but I don't care that much.

[Spock]

Golly, we went almost two full years without a post and now all the birds are a chirpin to beat the band......fortunately I can turn off my speakers.....

[hectorberlioz]

speaking of birds, queens and singing:

One morning as I was half asleep, I heard this bird outside of my window. Cute eh? Well, enough is enough when the bird is right on the tree next to your window, and it's repititous and shrill chirpings were really getting on my nerves.
Now, in the mornings My hair sticks up, and my eyes are squinty because of the sunlight. Well, I got up, and I was about to yell at the bird (all the while blinking becuase of the sunlight) when I remembered that my sister's boyfriend was still asleep on the floor, and I didnt want to wake him.
But that bird kept on. I opened the window...and through blinking eyes I clapped hard several times. This was not an encore, nor do I think the bird was afraid of my clapping: more likely my crazy hair, squinting eyes killed it, because it shut up and was heard no more.

[Spock]

it was a metaphor

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by Janny

What kind of music do you sing in your choir?

Old stuff by Mozart, Bach, Byrd, and various other composers. Some of it's from the boroque era, although most of it doesn't have that 'boroque' sound.

Speaking of coloraturas, my favorite would have to be Sumi Jo. Anyone heard of her?

Why are you taking Aural skills, Kam? Just as an elective?

[Khamûl]

Actually, I'm doing a music minor and it's one of the few required courses. I have to have aural skills I and II and music theory I and II. Then I have lots of electives, like private lessons.

[Finrod Felagund]

Well...I've been singing since I was 3.

And had the good fortune of happening upon a paying gig, singing across Canada. And this was right after highschool.

I can sing mid-range Bass, to high tenor, and onjoy many styles.

Jazz, musical theatre, R&B, and a little rock and roll. I've also done some choral and classical stuff. I have to admit, I take great pride in my ability to jump from genre to genre.

[Tessar]

Sounds good, Finrod .

I'm really hoping that in about five or six years my voice will be at a point where I can do some jazz singing in public. I don't want it to be a job, but I'd really like to try some gigs. I've always enjoyed performing, and Jazz is pretty big where I live.

That's really neat that you're getting a music minor, Kam. I may end up having to do that if I can't get past the audition process. My voice is okay, but it sounds like my college has simi-strict audition rules and tests that I'm not quite sure I can pass.

[Sam]

Like Laurelyn, I have a freakishly high range (way higher than any man's should be). Infact I once beat my friends guitar in range