Saturday, May 30, 2009

grateful for friends and family

I am grateful that the recital went well. I have happy memories of preparing the room, buying flowers with Sam and the kids, making banana bread and cookies and buying juice and cups. The room looked so spacious and clean. I turned Grandpa Alden’s picture in my direction….also thinking of Uncle Ed and knowing my mom would
love to be there as well. I am grateful for supportive parents, husband and children, and the sweet friends who took the time to come.
There were a few songs that made me feel a bit nervous. I felt like I had too much weight to carry them off gracefully. I need to lighten up a bit on them or maybe practice them more. I am thinking of the Dove Sono especially. I always wish that it were over when I’m only mid-way through. Heavy songs that don’t move much are what I need help with.
I moved on to CD#7. I am excited that it is a bit more challenging. I didn’t finish it all before getting tired…it was almost eleven o’clock at night. I’ll go back to it today.
I am eager to hear back from BMS…excited to set up an appointment for lessons.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

one day to my living room recital

I have had a hard time getting myself motivated to practice the arias for the recital tomorrow. Maybe its because I've been working on them for over a year now so I don't feel the need to cram. I also didn't want to wear my voice out and there's the whole time constraint thing.

In the morning I put on CD#6 again, I didn't want to focus on new things since I am performing tomorrow. I really find the last few exercises a good challenge. Practicing keeping the edge in the head voice helps me maintain a sensitivity even when I go legit on the classical pieces.

I have been pleased that I haven't felt my usual pre-performance feelings of dread....just kind of eager. Now I am getting a little nervous because I just watched Susan Boyle perform Memory on Youtube and felt both excited by her performance and vicarious nervousness. Also, Sam is riding the overnight train with his sixth grade class tonight. They are coming home from their trip to Shanghai. So I feel a little anxious about that. But I feel fairly confident that after a few songs I will feel comfortable. It was great to see Susan Boyle overcome her few moments of stage fright and really give a powerful performance with great connection to the audience. The smile on her face was like she was sharing it with one person...very honest.

I practiced guitar and sang today for William and got a few scales on the piano in before the kids started getting up for school. Tonight I made a ton of banana bread (tomorrow I'll make cookies) for the recital. We moved the furniture around in the music room so the piano is in the right direction etc. I practiced ebben n'ndro lontano a little and listened to the itunes version....I forgot the woman's name.

Monday, May 25, 2009

more CD#6

My access to Blogger has been off and on so I haven't written much lately.

I have been going over CD #6 and the second style CD lately.

It interests me that the exercizes help my classical sound as well. Even the ones that are designed for the more popular sound.

I managed to get to the piano this morning...just for about fifteen minutes of scales. Then the field trip, then I played guitar and sang for about one hour while Caitlin played nearby. I've started into CD#6 but got distracted by baby William. I'll try to get back to that. One morer day until my open house/ recital. I hope a few people will come.

I e-mailed BMS about coming out for a visit in the summer.

Monday, May 18, 2009

digrastic muscles

Tuesday I put on the Singing Success CD#6 while I made shepherd's pie for dinner. So here are some notes.

-rapid scales help build agility and vocal freedom, free up tension in the neck, sing through the bridges without consonants

-sustain vibrato above the bridges

wee wee, pure head voice to chest voice
a "a shading exercize"

could change to gwee

squeaky head to chest voice, use edgy sound to keep from breaking into falsetto

digrastic muscles- disengage outer muscles of larynx
vocal chords vibrate freely
squeaky sound to open vowel sound
cancel out outer muscles
my voice is going legit-not staying edgy

Later I practiced Ebben n'andro lontano

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

almost out of hiding

Saturday morning Rob went off for a jog. I tried to do some writing as the entropy began. We were all kind of half diapered, half fed etc. My Saturday morning voice student arrived unexpectedly. I had kind of given up thinking that the high school kids had reached that busy time of year. Two of them came. I was glad to have the chance to go over some of the new exercises. I didn't feel focused or prepared though. And there was much chaos in the house. We did our best.

This week I reviewed CD #4 and 5 and the style CD. Here are some notes:

"Drinking up the sound"

"chest to middle to head- no pushing or pulling" "tone thins out and releases"

I like the mum for bringing down the larynx, yawn to feel it drop, open the resonating cavities, mouth, head and throat
slightly dopey sound

The no no no on a long scale encourages the head voice because it is narrow. Broad vowels pull you down to chest.

nueh good for mixed

I made my flyer for the mini recital I want to do. I'll attach it...now to actually show it to someone who could come. I need to reconfirm with Jessie today and send it out as an e-mail after. Now to practice these songs...the time?

Rob made a great contact at work. I'd been praying to know how we could learn more about recording. He met a man who does recording at local universities. Great! We want to get any experience we can. I can't wait to learn more about this.

Friday, May 8, 2009

tongue twirls

I went back to the third Singing Successes CD. My high note now is g above high c. I didn't really imagine that his exercises would go above that. The soprano sings up to c above high c. Pretty amazing. I'm trying to think about releasing to get higher.

I am in love with the tongue twirl. I've never done this before. Bethany, loves it too. At first I couldn't do them on breath. I had to focus on keeping my breath flow smooth and consistent to keep the twirl going. I think about the tongue twirl when I am singing arias to keep the sound free and spinning.

I also love the nasty sounding 'ne' for closing the vocal chords properly. This is a popular style exercise but it helps the classical too. I don't know how to explain why right now.

The emphasis is on 'the least amount of strain'. I think singing should be vicariously relaxing for the listener...or releasing if the mood calls for it.