The Happy Thread III

[Earniel]

Originally Posted by BeardofPants

Linear B. Let's at least get that right to begin with.

Sorry, translation issue, I think.

[Tessar]

Well today I was up at 5:45a.m. and out of the house by 7 a.m., was in classes till 4:30, ate out with some friends, and then spent a couple of hours chilling and listening to some members of a band jam together to get ready for a show they have coming up. It was pretty fantastic.

I didn't get home till about 11:30, and now just before midnight I am all set to hit the sack and then do it all over again tomorrow.


$()%#()$%(#) YEAH!!!!!!!!! This kicks TUSH!


But more importantly I learned a few things:

1. Trust my intuition more. There was this one guy who just made me feel incredible uncomfortable, but I was wondering if I was just being a jerk to avoid him. Nope. He really is a creepy, strange person... who got himself a restraining order and also kicked out of the music program last semester. But he's still hanging out in the music building talking like he's still a music major.

2. I shouldn't feel bad about laughing as much as I do.. I always feel awkward because I laugh at just about anything, and I can't help myself. I got about three comments from people at different times today telling me how great it was that I could just laugh so easily. So that was awesome.

3. I once would have said that you cannot have a pimple without everyone in the music department and their doggies hearing about it. I would like to amend that to, "You can't have an ingrown hair on your leg, hidden by the top of your shoe, your sock, and your pants without someone finding out and spreading it over the entire department."

For reelz. O.o Musician are -crazy- nosy people.

4. I am THISCLOSE to having a major break through in my upper singing register. I can -FEEL- it. I've got all of the pieces... I need to lift the inside if my mouth more thus opening the inside of my throat, stop trying to open the middle of my throat, really -feel - down for the higher pitches, and also let myself expand outward more as I ascend.

But I can't get them all to work smoothly together yet, so it's not technically a breakthrough. But it's so. flippin'. close. I'm really hoping that with some hard work and not pushing myself too hard mentally, I can get them all to click together at least some of the time by the end of next week if not sooner.

[Mari]

Dear Tessar: Smile and be RADIANT! Seeing people smile or hearing them laugh can have very positive effects on people, so don't stop or feel embarassed!!!
And good luck with point 4. We'll hear it if you succeed

[Tessar]

I am 1/2 rocked-out-loud, and 1/2 could-not-be-madder. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to death by all of what happened today, but... still.



Never mind a 'break through'.

Never mind all of the crap I've been doing to try to get into head voice.



I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SING INTO HEAD VOICE SINCE BEFORE I EVER HAD VOICE LESSONS.


ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RRRGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought it was yelling at the top of my lungs, and really harmful for my voice. But, um, no... apparently that's my head voice. It just sounds really shouty in my head, and once I applied proper breath support it became totally easy to sustain and I nailed all of my top notes. Repeatedly. Loudly.

See, one of my new songs has a really, really high note in it, and I've been trying to be able to sing it. I finally just kind of 'yelled' it, and my teacher jumped up and said, "THAT'S IT! That's the head voice!"

I just stared at her and said, "But I've been able to do that for ages--I'm just yelling."

She had me do it again, and this time really support and open my throat. And I sang right through the high note with relative ease.

We just kind of stared at each other for a second, and then she dropped her head onto the piano and said, "Anthony... why don't you ever tell me these things? Have you noticed that every time you stop second-guessing yourself you make huge improvements?"

So, anyways... we were both annoyed with me, but also really happy that we finally figured out why I was so trapped in my chest voice most of the time. I'm just frustrated because I have literally been holding myself back from making major progress thanks to my fear that it was the 'wrong' way to sing those notes. Don't get me wrong, it's not perfect--I still have a lot of throat tension, and it doesn't sound very 'nice' right now, but still... I can actually get up there.




She was completely floored when I also decided to reveal my falsetto work to her that I've been secretly doing. I figured... why not? If the one thing was okay, maybe this was too.

I vocalized my falsetto over about 3 1/2 octaves for her and ended on the B right below the soprano High C, and although I couldn't do it then, I also told her how I can get into whistle register and hit the F6# some times. She told me she's never had a male student do that for her--apparently they either never showed her, or her other students just had smaller falsettos. She told me that if I really wanted to, I could probably actually be a sopranist, because (according to her) for an untrained sound, my falsetto in the upper end is really beautiful.

But, honestly, I think I'm happier with my baritone voice, much as I love, love, love the soprano rep. I want to sing jazz and pop and folk music too, and you certainly can't do that so well as a falsettist.


So... argh. And yay.

[Mari]

Tessar, you always know how to brighten up my day with your happy reports. Congratulations!

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Oh, Tessar.

Honestly. It might get better, over time. People will never tell you the truth about this, because they forget, but it sux to be young.

I'm laughing and crying at the same time. *wipes eyes*

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Tessar

But, honestly, I think I'm happier with my baritone voice, much as I love, love, love the soprano rep. I want to sing jazz and pop and folk music too, and you certainly can't do that so well as a falsettist.

Falsetto, Baritone, Tenor, Soprano?!! Tessar, you're like a Grand Organ!

[Mari]

I went home by train today and in the train I was sitting with my ankle over my knee and I caught an older man looking at that in a disapproving manner and he saw me looking. Then he said that it was a manly way of sitting and in his days women knew how to be women and wore skirts etc. (I didn't have the heart to tell him that until 2 years ago I didn't even have a skirt) Anyway, we got talking about the "good old days" (when I wasn't even born, perhaps that's what made it better ) and he told me some very interesting stories! I was sad when I reached my stop and had to get out. I had a great time!!!

And later this evening I was eating with my parents and sister when she started eating her fishnuggets. She cut it open and saw something round and glimmering, so she showed it to us and asked what it was. We didn't know, so she put it in her mouth and started continuing eating, when all of a sudden my father said: a fisheye! My sister didn't know how fast to get the bite out of her mouth!

[Nautipus]

Oh, wow! That is funny!

[Mari]

Yes it was. We were all laughing very hard, except for my sis who was almost choking

[Nautipus]

I would have laughed too. Is she still trying to figure out what to study?

[Mari]

Yes, I gave her your links and she had a look at it, but she had to run, so I'm not sure if it was any help. She did say thanks though. I'll try and talk to her the day after tomorrow, when she comes home.

[Nautipus]

Awesomeness. Could you show me that link you talked about in the Teacup?

[Mari]

Originally Posted by Nautipus

Awesomeness. Could you show me that link you talked about in the Teacup?

Sure but it's all in Dutch...
article about the doctor
article on the walking octopus

The source is mentioned under the text though and it has some very nice pics and vids
EDIT: on the left hand where it says something like: "Link" or "het wetenschappelijk artikel" it is linked to the original article, mostly in English.

[Nautipus]

Thanks alot. Here's a little something for you.

[Mari]

Oooh! A present!? How nice!
But... the link doesn't work

[Nautipus]

I fixed it.

[Mari]

Yay, it works
Amazing how they can bury themselves like that.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Wow, Tessar, you could be a sopranist! That's so cool! Even if you don't choose to, the very fact that you could makes me so envious. I can't even sing! But that's really awesome.

What is also awesome is that I will be spending the weekend in San Francisco! Woohoo! Love that city!

[BeardofPants]

That's awesome, gwai, I LOVED SF when I was there.