The Singers Thread

[Varnafindë]

Originally Posted by katya

Yeah, the more melodic something is, the easier. I usually find that I memorize the chorus parts of songs (or whatever the more melodic parts are) first.

It even helps you remember it better.
I remember visiting some of our neighbours once. The husband had had a stroke, and had lost his ability to speak - he couldn't find the words, and could only say 'yes' and 'no'. (But he could use those with the full variety of intonation, so that you could see very well that he understood everything that was said to him - he could sound surprised, shocked, happy, etc. just in those 'yes' and 'no's.)

But when we had a meal, and were saying grace before the meal - or singing grace, rather - he joined in the singing and sang it with all the right words.

I would love to hear what you sound like! We've head so much about it.

I second that.

[Tessar]

I've heard of things like that before... one woman had a stroke and couldn't say anything for years, but then a friend who was a voice teacher started coming over, and he would sit and play old hymns that she knew (she had been a devout church-goer before her stroke)... and I believe the story went that eventually she started singing along with them, and did regain some ability to speak.

And I do have to take back, somewhat, my comment about the guy in the video. Apparently he's actually 25, not 21, and that's quite a difference in age as far as singing ability goes. I would still kill to sound like that though, and I hope I do by the time I'm 25.

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by Varnafindë

YouTube!
YouTube!
YouTube!

Ha! That's a great way to accomplish it!

However i may change my choice of songs to Let The Bright Seraphim!

It's higher, and just more fun for my voice at this point in its growth.

Tessar, i love reading about your progress. I also love how this thread has turned into a bloggish thingy of sorts for those of us who sing.

Mini-rant: I'm sick I've just been working way too many hours and i've allowed myself to get terribly run down (never again). I work with children, and i picked up the coughing cold that they had last week Thankfully i was able to sing in church yesterday before the frog in my throat became prohibitive. Today is not so good (darn! and i was looking forward to some practice! ), but at least it's not hurting anymore, which is a good sign. I did do a bit of light singing this morning to see where things stand - just gently sang through O Let Me Weep and some other middle-range Purcell, but my cords are swollen Oh well. On the road to recovery!

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by Voronwen

Tessar, i love reading about your progress. I also love how this thread has turned into a bloggish thingy of sorts for those of us who sing.

Thank you, I'm always glad to hear what you're up to as well... it's really nice to have that connection with another singer and be up on what they're doing. Your posts are always very interesting to me.

Mini-rant: I'm sick I've just been working way too many hours and i've allowed myself to get terribly run down (never again). I work with children, and i picked up the coughing cold that they had last week Thankfully i was able to sing in church yesterday before the frog in my throat became prohibitive. Today is not so good (darn! and i was looking forward to some practice! ), but at least it's not hurting anymore, which is a good sign. I did do a bit of light singing this morning to see where things stand - just gently sang through O Let Me Weep and some other middle-range Purcell, but my cords are swollen oh well. On the road to recovery!

Nooooo! I hope you're all better by now. It's so easy to push yourself too hard doing day-to-day things and as a result end up having vocal problems... you catch a cold, or just whatever, and then you end up kicking yourself. >.< It's frustrating.


Another exciting lesson day! My friend had a fantastic lesson... her progress is just mind-blowing. Even my teacher is surprised, and my friend is still somewhat in denial. After so many years of struggling, failing, not being able to sing, and basically having her dreams crushed by retarded people... I think she's having a hard time wrapping her brain around the fact that after four voice lessons she is now singing better than she ever has before in her life. She's 32, and when she was in high school she won competitions all of the time, but when she got to college she had a lot of things go wrong in her life, and her voice fell apart. So she came back to college three years ago, and spent three years in a studio with a moron who actually made her voice worse.

Now in four lessons her voice has tripled in size, her vocal break has completely vanished, her vibrato has evened out, and now instead of having "two" voices (an alto from the C3-Bb4, a hole from the Bb4-E5 where she couldn't really make sound, and then a 'soprano' voice from the F5-F#6 including whistle voice) she has 'one' complete mezzo voice up to the A5 (she almost hit a Bb5) with no hole at all. It's kind of a freak voice... her natural vocal range is enormous, and the timbre is just incredibly rich and beautiful. She'll probably end up being able to sing anything from the alto and mezzo repertoire... quite possibly some things from the soprano repertoire.

It absolutely kills me (in the happy way ) that she has gone from being one of the worst singers at my school to suddenly having more voice than most of our 'top' students.



Right now it's like I have two voices... one is okay, the other is really good, and I keep flipping back and forth between them unintentionally because of muscle memory. Stupid muscles.

It's going to get more consistent . I'm very excited about my progress, although thanks to the enormous breakthrough at my lesson last week I've now hit a plateau and I have to wait for my voice to even out before it will make any more 'leaps' forwards.

It's actually really funny and a little sad some times. I'll be singing, then suddenly it'll all fall apart... so I'll fix something, then it comes back better than before... then it falls apart.... then I fix it again.... so right now whenever I sing through a whole piece it's like two dueling singers are trading back and forth between phrases. One is a really good singer, the other isn't that great...



I'm hoping my voice teacher wont end up in trouble. :-/ The fact is, I'm convinced that right now she is by -far- the best teacher at the school... and lets just say that I'm not the only one who seems to think that. Students from other studios are coaching with her over the summer, and now we've had three people begin studying with her because their "required" years of lessons are over, so they're paying her to study privately. And all three of them have made more progress over this summer than they've made in their years of lessons.

There is an enormous attitude of, "these are my students, keep your hands off!" at my school (which I assume is normal) and I have a feeling that the other teachers may not be very happy when they see what's going on.

My teacher is enormously popular with all of the voice students, and even a large group of the instrumental students know who she is and love her. The faculty (at least instrumental) love her as well, and I know a handful of the voice people love her, but I'm hoping things aren't going to take a bad turn because of all of the students switching to her studio. Granted they are no longer required to take lessons at all, but it sort of says something when you aren't required to take lessons... and then all of the sudden you switch teachers.

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by Tessar

Nooooo! I hope you're all better by now.

No, i'm not I think i need a new job - i can't be catching every bug from the pit of hell that comes out of the preschools. My voice is worth much, much more than that to me.

I still have so much swelling and cough/congestion that i cannot sing today. This of course means skipping worship rehearsal tonight and, as a result, forfeiting Sunday morning (rules, rules ). But i probably do need the time off anyway.

Ah, i only wish i could sing! I hate this feeling of having my wings clipped. I want nothing more right now than to break into "Ah, se in ciel" or something.

Pray for me.

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by Voronwen

No, i'm not I think i need a new job - i can't be catching every bug from the pit of hell that comes out of the preschools. My voice is worth much, much more than that to me.

I am sooooo sorry. The only thing I can recommend is to keep a thing of hand sanitizer with you at all times, and basically never touch any part of yourself (including your entire face/neck, upper-body) without first using it on your hands. It doesn't always help, unfortunately.

Ah, i only wish i could sing! I hate this feeling of having my wings clipped. I want nothing more right now than to break into "Ah, se in ciel" or something.

Pray for me.

I'll absolutely be praying for a swift recovery. At least try to take this time to relax some... I know it's impossibly hard when all you want to do is sing, but try to use this time to recuperate.




Last night I discovered that I'm actually comfortable singing in a higher range than I used to be... you know when you're around the house and just humming or singing a few snippets here and there. Well usually I sing them very, very low... but I discovered yesterday, after I started feeling discomfort when I was just singing around the house, that I actually need to sing higher than used to be comfortable for me.

It's good news. Interestingly, it means that I'm actually more comfortable singing in middle voice than chest voice, which supports the theory that I'm moving into high baritone land. A switch to tenor really is extremely, extremely unlikely.

Oh, also found out something interesting in my lesson yesterday... I was talking to my teacher, and I mentioned to her that it feels like I need to already be fully into my middle voice by the time I hit an Ab3, and she said that's actually perfectly acceptable... particularly for a baritone. Most of the guys I hear are dragging their chest voice as high as a C/D4 before switching over, but listening to some baritones like Thomas Hampson last night I noticed that he really does move into middle voice in a 'low' area where most baritones are still fully in chest, and that's part of what makes his voice sound so incredibly fluid.

I think that realization is why yesterday and today I'm more comfortable in my middle range. Now that I know it's okay to use it in a lower range, I'm not trying to drag my chest voice up and making myself uncomfortable.

[Tessar]

.... okay, so I just saw a thing on HBO (via youtube) of my good friend when he was probably 18ish doing a masterclass with a very famous tenor. My friend was telling me that I needed to look for it because I would think it was funny, because there are a lot of things he does in the interview that are very 'him'.

.................... I'm going to be honest with you guys, because I can never, ever tell me friend this.

He looked totally gay. Like not just a bit gay. But completely, utterly homosexual.

I think my favorite moment was when he said that the famous tenor was one of his top role models, along with his parents and Jesus, and then he flashed the camera this completely twinkly, happy, enthusiastic smile, waved one hand in the air, and.... was wearing a bright pink oxford shirt. I had never thought of it before, but he just carries himself with such a nervous energy all of the time, and is such a happy person... that the things he does really do come off pretty gay, especially on camera.

It's like seeing someone who is fastidiously tidy walking around with a big pizza stain on the back of their white shirt that they can't see, but everyone else can. No one else cares, but you know if the person could see it they would be horrified. It's funny in a kind of ironic way.


The main reason I bring it up is that I've learned a very, very important lesson from it. Do not be bubbly and enthusiastic for the camera . Be serious, collected, and for the love of God don't wave a hand in the air while giving a twinkly smile.

[Tessar]

The more I work on the Don Giovanni music the more I wonder what the heck I'm going to do with it. I'm hoping the director is going to help give me a very clear idea when I get to DC.

My dilemma is that Don Giovanni is a horrible, lecherous, murdering, psychopathic, narcissistic womanizer... but the duet between D.G. and Zerlina is actually a very sweet, pretty song. It feels more like something Figaro and Susana would sing.

So I'm a little confused. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be obviously lying, for the audience's benefit, or if I'm supposed to sing it as though I'm being totally sincere.

[Varnafindë]

Could he be actually in love with her - or would he be more likely to just pretend, in order to seduce her more easily?

The director should have the final word on how he wants to interpret the character ... I'm sure it can be played both ways.

[Tessar]

Oh he's absolutely seducing her, no two ways about it. The whole point of Don Giovanni is that he is based on the character of Don Juan... he feels absolutely nothing for this girl except a desire to sleep with her once and then never see her again.

There is actually an aria in the opera where his servant shows one of the women who is vengefully chasing after Don Giovanni a list of all of the thousands of women Don Giovanni has slept with. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N-d9Q4TlBQ It's a great aria!

My question, which I realize now that I did not state very clearly at all, is this: Should I sing it like a love song because Don Giovanni is trying to seduce the woman and appear sincere, like he is so overwhelmed by her beauty that he really does intend to marry her right away, or should it be sung in an obviously lecherous way and we just assume that Zerlina is too stupid to notice?

It will definitely be up to the director... Either way, I have no idea what to do with it at the moment!

[Varnafindë]

Would you have any chance of asking the director now? Or will you have to wait until you see him?
It does indeed make a difference as to how you should practise the song - perhaps you ought to do both versions, to be prepared for either ...

[Tessar]

Unfortunately I have to wait till I get there . It'll be okay! It's an exciting challenge.

I'm having some mental problems singing the music.

At the start of my lesson I was singing great, then all of the sudden I could barely sing. My teacher started singing with me and my voice came back completely. Then I tried to sing by myself and it was gone again. It's frustrating. I think I get so hyper critical of myself that I kill my voice. There's no sense of strain, or being tired... it's just suddenly weak. Then if I can't really 'hear' myself singing, suddenly my voice comes back.

So I think it's a mental perfection thing. I think I just so desperately want to be good that I'm screwing myself up, and that's frustrating. I think I'm also just really intimidated because this music is SO beautiful, and I really, really want to sing it well. It's hard to listen to Thais without crying, it's just such incredible music. Garghldybargldy..... frustrating.



My friend had another insane lesson though. She warmed up to (and sustained) a B5, and the week before that she hit an A5. Give it one full year of lessons, and that is going to be a mind-blowingly awesome mezzo voice. The sound is incredibly rich, it's VERY big, and my friend is just so instinctively musical that everything she sings turns to vocal gold .

I think the whole experience is surreal for her. She doesn't believe when she walks out of her lesson that she actually did the things she did. Yesterday we left her lesson, and she told me that she was disappointed because she thought she had sung poorly. I had to stop her and make her realize all of the things she had accomplished and improved on. She knew how well she had done, I think she just convinced herself that she had dreamed it up.

I really want to slap her old teacher. He pretty much tore her down to the point that she needs not just a good teacher to help her, but I have to be sitting in her lesson cheering her on the entire time. I told her that I would be happy to leave her lesson at any point if she or our teacher wants me to leave, and they both just about jumped on me telling me to stay.

[Varnafindë]

Are you saying you're a perfectionist?

Perhaps your friend is a perfectionist too - or perhaps it's mostly lack of confidence

[Tessar]

Haha, my teacher says I'm her most OCD student . It's funny though because I am not OCD at all in other aspects of my life, only when it comes to music.

[Tessar]

Arrrgh! Who in their right mind would give a 21 year-old baritone Thais!? Who?! WHO?!!?!?? Much less a 20 minute scene from Thais!!!

Stupid Thais. I love it so, but this is going to seriously kick my butt in the worst way. -_- Two weeks of trying to maintain that tessitura for 45 minute rehearsals every day, and then 20 minutes on stage?

I could take any section of what they gave me and sing it without too many problems, but to string the whole thing together and do it for a 20 minute stretch.... major difficulties.

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by Tessar

the duet between D.G. and Zerlina is actually a very sweet, pretty song.

I'm a Zerlina!!!! Let's sing it together!

Haha, my teacher says I'm her most OCD student

Uh, wait..... Isn't that *all* singers..?

Arrrgh! Who in their right mind would give a 21 year-old baritone Thais!? Who?! WHO?!!?!??

A teacher who believes in you.

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by Voronwen

I'm a Zerlina!!!! Let's sing it together!

Oh do, lets!!!

Uh, wait..... Isn't that *all* singers..?

Excellent point. Unfortunately that does not apply to most of the singers at my school. Unless you can count being a gossipmonger as an OCD trait?

My teacher has confided to me on several occasions that while she loves every one of her students deeply, she kind of wants to kill most of them because they don't practice.

A teacher who believes in you.

When I get to the workshop I am going to explain my concerns to the director. I'm not going to go in and fall down sobbing, "OH I SIMPLY CAN'T CARRY ON!!!" But I will explain my concerns about my ability to maintain that tessitura for a 20 minute scene and see if they have any suggestions. Also to make sure that they will understand that I'm not being lazy if I have to mark for most of the rehearsals.



My voice lesson is tomorrow, and we'll see how I do. I've been trying to fill my head with positive ideas for the music, and trying to make sure that I have thoughts to focus on other than, "Am I flat? Do I sound good? Am I singing this wrong? Do I sound like crap? Should I really have worn these shoes with this shirt, and do these jeans make my thighs look enormous?"

Just kidding, of course. My thighs look amazing in any jeans, so I don't even worry about that.

But seriously... I've been trying to focus most on making a good line, and I feel like I'm making some real progress. One of my pitfalls is that I start thinking about trying to make each note sound 'good', so I forget to put those notes into a musical line, and of course then I'm not singing with any emotion at all. The line and the emotion go hand in hand for me, so I feel like this is a good thing that's helping me grow musically.

It's also interesting to notice how my breathing and breath release is so different when I'm singing a real line, and how that breathing is connected to the emotions I am trying to express. I love it.

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by Tessar

The line and the emotion go hand in hand for me, so I feel like this is a good thing that's helping me grow musically.

YES!

[Tessar]

Today I hit a B4 in vocalizing. It looks like my 'performable' range may top out at an Ab4, which would be pretty normal for a baritone. After I hit that Ab4, my voice has to 'stretch' into the next few notes. It's actually pretty easy to do now, but everything above the Ab4 is very unpleasant to hear. But the good news is that previous to now it was a real effort to get up there, and it was with a tight throat... now things are much more open.

Surprise, surprise, I also figured out that singing my exercises and arpeggios as a "line" lets me get up to those 'extra range' notes . Of course it's not really a surprise, my teacher has been telling me to do it, I just didn't know how.

I got really frustrated in my lesson today because now my technique has officially surpassed what I'm willing to believe I can do. I keep psyching myself out in the middle of singing, and I'll think I can't do something (a huge leap, or starting on a really high note), but when we go back and try it again it works perfectly... but I can't make myself believe that I can do it so I'll 'flinch' and pull off of my support, and then everything just dies.

I'mma kick my own butt if I don't start believing in myself enough to sing well. I guess in my own defense I've only been singing 'easily' into those areas for a few weeks, but I know that's no excuse. I need to get over my fear.

To make me feel better, my voice teacher is lending me a book with 600 Broadway melodies in it. AND I LURV IT SO DEARLY!!!!!!! Oh friggin' man... when I get back from DC there will be no end to the crooner stuff I'll be singing.

Right now I have my eye on "Make Someone Happy," "Time Heals Everything," "Smile," "Someone To Watch Over Me," "I'll Be Seeing You," and a couple of others.

[Voronwen]

Originally Posted by Tessar

To make me feel better, my voice teacher is lending me a book with 600 Broadway melodies in it. AND I LURV IT SO DEARLY!!!!!!! Oh friggin' man... when I get back from DC there will be no end to the crooner stuff I'll be singing.

Awesome! I'll be doing my own little share of crossing-over this weekend.....

Since i got so sick with bronchitis, i decided two weeks ago that there was NO way i could be 100% enough for the Queen of the Night by this Saturday. Or anything that would be more than 0% pressure, for that matter. So at the last moment, i changed my song.

I thought about it, and... hmmm... What could i sing that would NOT be opera, that i would love singing, that would be just for FUN? So, insane Lord of the Rings fan that i am, i decided on "May It Be", sung Celtic Woman style.

There will be audio and even video of this event.