Teacup Café XXIX

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Midge

Remember.. I pretend to play piano! And here, I am pretty darn (dare I say? VERY) good at it.

Unless we actually have to know how to play what we say we play. Then I'm up a creek without a paddle.

Well, we don't really need another keyboard. And besides, it doesn't quite fit in with our proto-Baroque chamber orchestra lay-out, since the Piano didn't come until later.

And no, of course we don't have to know our instrument. Believe me, if Gwai really played the bassoon, I wouldn't even be a member of this board. I'd be dead.

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

I'm singing, not playing flute.

I don't believe in badly played flute. It gives me 'bad production of Mozart" nightmares.

As far as such intruments go, I'm all about the penny whistle.

Sweet!!! What are you? I'm sure you've told me before, but I can't recall... Mezzo-ish? More on the soprano side? I can't recall.


But girl, I am all about the penny whistles too . Those things are a ridiculous amount of fun... I haven't played one in a while though... I used to be able to play some simple, fun little irish stuff on 'em.

[Midge]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

I don't think so, hon. I said I was going to be inappropriate to tease Tessar, because he was being such a clown, and Sane was teasing me about how polite I am.

I'm pretty sure you didn't enter into it.

Okay, well, like I said, ignore it. I must have missed that post.

Hmmm... Thanks everyone for ignoring my brother's post [/real, true, non-sarcastic, I-promise sincerity]!

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Thank you!

So far we have

Me: Harpsichord
Nauitpus: Water-pump organ
Acalewia & Katya: Cello
Mari: viola da gamba
Sis: transverse flute
Sas: Violin (a Stradivari!)
Sane: blow dart gun
Curufin: Soprano I
Gwai: Bassoono alla stoppad uppa ()
Tessar: Tenor/Anything else he can sing

We need a few more strings. Someone on Double Bass, another Violin, a Viola regular, clarinet, trumpet, and some percussion. Maybe an electric guitar?

GW, are you up for some tam-tam playing? Merry? Pippin? Coffeehouse? Midge?

of course - ill do my best - Ive never done it - but if you never try ull never know. *feeling very filosophic*

[Curufin]

So how high are you guys taking me in this performance?

D# is about as high as I go comfortably.

[Tessar]

Well, Emma Kirkby barely has a C some days, and she's considered 'the' baroque soprano by most people, so I'm pretty sure you're good with a D# .

[Curufin]

Maybe I should have majored in music after all. I did for a year, before deciding I wanted to be able to earn enough money to eat.

Of course I can't just bring that D# out of nowhere, I have to be pretty darn warmed up.

I find F's and G's a lot harder than the really high stuff, though. I have a break right at G (the one that sits on top of the treble clef). Really sucks, because it makes 'Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again' difficult, and I love that song. 'Think of Me' is much easier.

[Mari]

Morning! The concert was lovely, but I was so tired afterward, I went straight to bed. I practically feel asleep during the fourth piece though, but it was so beautiful and soothing, so I guess that was the right reaction... right? Right? *looks desperately for confirmation*
Not that I had much time to sleep, because the next one was a 'thunder and doom' sort of piece...

[Tessar]

Well, my plan with the music is to teach and try to perform as much as I can... but I realize that teaching is not everyone's cup of tea. And really, unless you're good enough to do really well at the Metropolitan auditions or some equivalent, you'll find a career very difficult... at least that's my limited knowledge on the subject . You can have a decent local career, but those usually don't pay the bills.

I've heard a lot of sopranos, dramatic or otherwise, have problems with that spot. I was actually, funnily enough, talking to a woman tonight who may very well be a dramatic (although I'm suspecting a large-voiced lyric, and she isn't sure herself... most people don't seem to realize that 'loud' is not the same thing as dramatic...) and she said she had a problem with breaking on the F right below that G till she was pregnant... apparently the pregnancy messed with her voice, so she had to resort her technique to rely less on natural talent... and apparently that fixed her break. I can't lie--never heard that one before . Usually it's more to do with finding a good teacher, but it's great that she managed to sort it out herself.

[Curufin]

although I'm suspecting a large-voiced lyric, and she isn't sure herself... most people don't seem to realize that 'loud' is not the same thing as dramatic...

Darn straight. I hate this too. Being a dramatic (so said my voice instructor) I can tell you it has very little to do with volume - it's range and tone quality. It's very difficult for me to sound light and cute and fluffy (a jealous dramatic's take on a lyric. ) - I'm much better at depressing songs or Wagner type things - fits my voice a lot better.

I've been out of practice for quite a while but I'm trying desperately to get my voice strong again. Singing is good for the soul - and I usually do it for me - it's such a relaxing, wonderful thing. I just ran through WYWSHA, with no words, just vocalizing, and had no trouble at all with my break. Now if I can just add the words.

EDIT: And let me tell you one thing that's annoying about being a dramatic - stupid high school choir directors who think all sopranos have light, fluffy voices and so viciously mis-voice you. I sang tenor in my high school choir. I was lucky I didn't destroy my voice. She was convinced I was a low alto because I have such a deep and rich tone quality. My college choir director (who was awesome) pretty much had a spaz attack.

EDIT II: I should do a recording of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' - I sound like a dramatic in that one.

[Tessar]

Originally Posted by Curufin

EDIT: And let me tell you one thing that's annoying about being a dramatic - stupid high school choir directors who think all sopranos have light, fluffy voices and so viciously mis-voice you. I sang tenor in my high school choir. I was lucky I didn't destroy my voice. She was convinced I was a low alto because I have such a deep and rich tone quality. My college choir director (who was awesome) pretty much had a spaz attack.

Yeah, definitely heard that one before. It's so unfortunate... a lot of REALLY good voices get stuffed under the rug in High School choirs because they're big... But then it's understandable because big voices also usually have big vibrato, and that's just wretched for a choral sound.

I'm lucky to be a lyric when it comes to choir--my vibrato's pretty evenly spaced and light, so unlike some people I've never yet been asked to tone it down. Although if I let my support go it does get heavier, but that's more a wobble I suppose.


But yes, more than anything misfaching drives me up the wall, and it runs rampant in church choirs. You've got mezzos calling themselves altos, altos trying to be female tenors, and sopranos who can't figure out a head voice trying to be altos, too.

Then you've got the glory-seeking baritones who end up singing tenor, the tenors who think they're basses (God help them...), and the bass-baritones who think it's just spiffy-riffic to sing everything down an octave because they think they're some kind of freakish stroh-bass... when if they'd just stop pounding on those low notes, their actual range would shift up about half an octave.


And to top it off, old lady vibrato. O.o *shudder* Nothing quite like an untrained coloratura about 50 years past her prime scooping up to that High A with a wobble so wide that she could be singing anything from the F to the C depending on when you catch the wave .

EDIT II: I should do a recording of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' - I sound like a dramatic in that one.

Pleeeeeease?


I'm currently trying to work on an aria from Cosi Fan Tutti, and it's... sort of meh. I'm having trouble with my placement because the song stays up pretty consistently in the middle voice and I'm not used to that. It almost makes it sound like it's too high for me even though it only goes up to a D4 (which is pretty easy for me these days), because as my placement gets out of whack it makes everything sound awkward.

[Curufin]

Maybe in the morning... It's three in the morning and my voice is starting to do that late night warble. And I'll have to find a decent karaoke file online!

I do have a strong vibrato. It's pretty typical for a dramatic, but mine isn't half an octave wide, so don't worry! I actually got quite a few compliments on it when I sang solo. I can tone it down in a large choir setting, but according to my choir director in college, that was also the reason I never made the madrigal group. Ah well. I guess I'll compensate for the dissapointment of that with my THREE OCTAVE RANGE. Take that, lyrics.

The only lasting problem of this is that it's made me a bit nervous of high notes. I was so convinced that I was an alto that I never tried in high school, and didn't even discover my head voice until I was in college. I was convinced I couldn't go higher than a C (and not a high one) because I was BELTING everything. Ouch. And, as I'm sure you know, hitting high notes is 95% confidence. Like Pavarotti said - singing high is nothing but controlled screaming. I've lost a lot of my high range (I don't know if I could do a D# right now - not without several months of re-stretching my range) but I know it's there. And it's pretty.

Man, the songs I've done...death and despair and wretchedness...kind of fun, actually. I get to die or nearly die in my songs a lot.

I remember singing in the Messiah community choir...the pain! the pain! Old ladies who think they're brilliant sopranos are, indeed, the MOST PAINFUL THING EVER. I felt like saying 'Hey, do you mind if I drive a semi through your vibrato?' or 'Well, at least you've got the pitch in there somewhere.'

Heh. I love talking about singing. Too bad you're not closer, we could get together and record some nifty duet for an entmoot concert.

EDIT: I wish I could play piano or find some decent opera karaoke. I'd love to work on some Wagner stuff!

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Ah, yes.

Originally Posted by Curufin

Darn straight. I hate this too. Being a dramatic (so said my voice instructor) I can tell you it has very little to do with volume - it's range and tone quality. It's very difficult for me to sound light and cute and fluffy (a jealous dramatic's take on a lyric. - I'm much better at depressing songs or Wagner type things - fits my voice a lot better.

I've been out of practice for quite a while but I'm trying desperately to get my voice strong again. Singing is good for the soul - and I usually do it for me - it's such a relaxing, wonderful thing. I just ran through WYWSHA, with no words, just vocalizing, and had no trouble at all with my break. Now if I can just add the words. EDIT: And let me tell you one thing that's annoying about being a dramatic - stupid high school choir directors who think all sopranos have light, fluffy voices and so viciously mis-voice you. I sang tenor in my high school choir. I was lucky I didn't destroy my voice. She was convinced I was a low alto because I have such a deep and rich tone quality. My college choir director (who was awesome) pretty much had a spaz attack.
EDIT II: I should do a recording of 'You'll Never Walk Alone' - I sound like a dramatic in that one.

I sang alto there. We had plenty of mezzos...and the alto parties were better.

Originally Posted by Tessar

Yeah, definitely heard that one before. It's so unfortunate... a lot of REALLY good voices get stuffed under the rug in High School choirs because they're big... But then it's understandable because big voices also usually have big vibrato, and that's just wretched for a choral sound.

I'm lucky to be a lyric when it comes to choir--my vibrato's pretty evenly spaced and light, so unlike some people I've never yet been asked to tone it down. Although if I let my support go it does get heavier, but that's more a wobble I suppose.


But yes, more than anything misfaching drives me up the wall, and it runs rampant in church choirs. You've got mezzos calling themselves altos, altos trying to be female tenors, and sopranos who can't figure out a head voice trying to be altos, too.

Then you've got the glory-seeking baritones who end up singing tenor, the tenors who think they're basses (God help them...), and the bass-baritones who think it's just spiffy-riffic to sing everything down an octave because they think they're some kind of freakish stroh-bass... when if they'd just stop pounding on those low notes, their actual range would shift up about half an octave.


And to top it off, old lady vibrato. O.o *shudder* Nothing quite like an untrained coloratura about 50 years past her prime scooping up to that High A with a wobble so wide that she could be singing anything from the F to the C depending on when you catch the wave .
.

You can tell who will sing what in most church choirs by their expression, when you hit the first rehearsal. The fat lady who works in the office sings all the soprano solos...and they're all soprano solos. If they need a trio to back her up, one of the members is that fluffy haired lady who sells something at the craft fairs, and one of them is the self-effacing older man with the pince-nez and bald spot. All the male solos are sung by the fabulous guy the choir director knows who comes in by arrangement from out of town, or by the guy who uses his fork to increase his imagined resemblence to Pavarotti.

Originally Posted by Curufin

Maybe in the morning... It's three in the morning and my voice is starting to do that late night warble. And I'll have to find a decent karaoke file online!

I do have a strong vibrato. It's pretty typical for a dramatic, but mine isn't half an octave wide, so don't worry! I actually got quite a few compliments on it when I sang solo. I can tone it down in a large choir setting, but according to my choir director in college, that was also the reason I never made the madrigal group. Ah well. I guess I'll compensate for the dissapointment of that with my THREE OCTAVE RANGE. Take that, lyrics.
The only lasting problem of this is that it's made me a bit nervous of high notes. I was so convinced that I was an alto that I never tried in high school, and didn't even discover my head voice until I was in college. I was convinced I couldn't go higher than a C (and not a high one) because I was BELTING everything. Ouch. And, as I'm sure you know, hitting high notes is 95% confidence. Like Pavarotti said - singing high is nothing but controlled screaming. I've lost a lot of my high range (I don't know if I could do a D# right now - not without several months of re-stretching my range) but I know it's there. And it's pretty.

My first vocal coach was horrified. Hey, if you want a mezzo to carry the whole freaking show you're gonna get belt.

I was auditioning for G&S a few years ago and a choir director friend was helping me, and he said "What's that you're doing? I waited years for you to sound like that!" I just rolled my eyes at him. "You did not, Jeff. You told me at every rehearsal to sing louder, so I could lead the whole darn choir to the pitch. you didn't give a fig about my tone quality." He had to laugh.

I sang tenor for Mikado once. Range rocks.

[Acalewia]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Did not! How was that an admission? It was merely a....something something to tick off Sane.

And by the way, it's boondocks around here. And don't you forget it.

Whatever you say

Originally Posted by The last sane person

Heheh... My friend forgot she was wearing that when she dived healong into the pool. She looked like a panda.

LOL. That is the very reason I don't wear make-up

Originally Posted by The last sane person

Heh, Inappropriate is fun. GO ahead and post on the other-message-board-free-of-teenyboppers.

Oh? Where;s that at

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

I nominate Curu for Soprano I. You can take Soprano II from the harpsichord.

Now we just not someone to sing Alto.

Don't you mean "Need"
[QUOTE=The last sane person;624824]*glomps for all*QUOTE]
*Is glomped*

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

Yep, something like that.

Most monsters have a pretty infinite number of lives, reappearing as different types of monsters and bearing different plagues. Occasionally in fabulous masks.

Like this:


Or this http://www.maskmaker.com/samples/dragob_blk.html

Evil overlords and mega monsters, however, have an excellent average against mere warriors, rogues, and clerics...and they get to draw people into their evil demenses.

Gwai...you seem informed...wanna play?

Sweet mask. Um.. What is LARP?

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Thank you!

So far we have

Me: Harpsichord
Nauitpus: Water-pump organ
Acalewia & Katya: Cello
Mari: viola da gamba
Sis: alto/mezzo
Lady Ravyn: flute
Sas: Violin (a Stradivari!)
Sane: blow dart gun
Curufin: Soprano I
Gwai: Bassoono alla stoppad uppa ()
Tessar: Tenor/Anything else he can sing

We need a few more strings. Someone on Double Bass, another Violin, a Viola regular, clarinet, trumpet, and some percussion. Maybe an electric guitar?

GW, are you up for some tam-tam playing? Merry? Pippin? Coffeehouse? Midge?

Oh? I play Cello? I didn't know that

[Gwaimir Windgem]

*envisaging Sis as Nanki-Poo*

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Acalewia

Oh? I play Cello? I didn't know that

You do now

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

*envisaging Sis as Nanki-Poo*

Bwahahaha! That's a great photoshop pic in the waiting...

[Grey_Wolf]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Bwahahaha! That's a great photoshop pic in the waiting...

Btw, The Moots have an excellent brass and string section which could play mood music in ur musical, HB!

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Grey_Wolf

Btw, The Moots have an excellent brass and string section which could play mood music in ur musical, HB!

Well it's not a musical. I think I'm going to lead my newly founded chamber orchestra in a new compostion of mine, though.

Seven Variations on "Mary Had a Little Lamb" for proto-Baroque chamber orchestra, water-pump organ, electric guitar, vocal soloists EDIT: and blow gun.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

And blow gun. That's for when the harpsichordist gets out of hand.