Whenever I'm using my sick time I always feel like it should be a special gift, some paid time to just do my thing. Too bad needing time off from work generally means, well...I'm not well enough to work.
As it turns out, recovering from surgery takes a lot out of you. Noted. But I've had this entry brewing in Evernote for a week now and I feel like it's time to get back into the swing of things just a little.
While vacationing in Disney World with friends and husband, I decided to audition for the American Idol Experience attraction. This was one of those spur of the moment decisions that left me too little time for adequate preparation, but I knew deep down I'd be disappointed if I didn't go for it.
The rundown: with no prep time I had to make a safe choice, so the song didn't show off much besides my ability to pick a song I could sing. Oh well. More importantly, it was the first legitimate audition room I'd set foot in in at least seven or eight years. Secretly, I don't think I audition well. I do well at acting nonchalant all the way until the first note. Then I have trouble seeing it as just another performance and get a little (or a lot) nervous.
Anyhow, that 30 second spot in front of the casting agent was way important for me. Sure, she gave me good feedback after -- that my instrumental music background gives me great breath control and a decent ear, but I don't have quite the depth and breadth of vocal experience they're looking for -- but I'd already proven all I needed to. In that moment, I made myself believe. I proved I could do it.
Since then I've felt different, better, more inspired to keep at it. More comfortable with the idea of singing with my friends, making mistakes, starting one of those ridiculous YouTube-based bands that seem to be all the rage.
This is something I've been watching very closely on the real American Idol, too. I think it could decide who wins the competition. Conviction and a genuine belief in oneself is perhaps the most important ingredient when you're talking about being an artist -- and probably a successful person, too. Once you know, accept, and like who you are, once you feel good about putting that out there and being bold, others can't help but believe right along with you.
Showing posts with label singing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label singing. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
A Few of My Favorite Things...
In a little over eight hours, I'll be in surgery. I started to write a blog entry about that, but what a downer, right? I've had an awful day on account of being preoccupied by my fear of anesthesia and medical procedures.
So guess what, I'll write about the finer points of my day, like writing myself notes so I remember to try to figure out Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod by the Mountain Goats on the piano. In an attempt to make my evening somewhat enjoyable, I sang along with everything, including the continuous procession of songs playing in my head. Hell, once my arm is in that sling tomorrow singing will be one of the only things I can do largely unhindered (though the sore shoulder might make it a little hard to breathe).
This evening reminded me of my previous post on music as a coping mechanism, and this is one of those times when it was great to come home from work, sit down at the piano, and figure some stuff out. Focusing on telling stories through song took the weight of my stress away, and I think I really relaxed for the first time since this week started.
Writing about my experiences and making music have been my standby coping mechanisms since the first moment I had anything real to cope with. Not surprisingly, they're the only two things I chose to do tonight (in addition to watching American Idol, that is).
So guess what, I'll write about the finer points of my day, like writing myself notes so I remember to try to figure out Hast Thou Considered the Tetrapod by the Mountain Goats on the piano. In an attempt to make my evening somewhat enjoyable, I sang along with everything, including the continuous procession of songs playing in my head. Hell, once my arm is in that sling tomorrow singing will be one of the only things I can do largely unhindered (though the sore shoulder might make it a little hard to breathe).
This evening reminded me of my previous post on music as a coping mechanism, and this is one of those times when it was great to come home from work, sit down at the piano, and figure some stuff out. Focusing on telling stories through song took the weight of my stress away, and I think I really relaxed for the first time since this week started.
Writing about my experiences and making music have been my standby coping mechanisms since the first moment I had anything real to cope with. Not surprisingly, they're the only two things I chose to do tonight (in addition to watching American Idol, that is).
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Singing With Your Headphones On
Despite having heard some advice to the contrary, I enjoy singing with headphones on. More accurately, I tend to sing with one earbud in, one earbud out. I think it's pretty effective as an accompaniment, especially for songs I have no hope of ever being able to play on the piano.
During Hollywood Week on this season of American Idol I caught a glimpse of Mary Powers doing the same thing in rehearsal -- complete with holding the iPod like a microphone -- and I thought, hey, it's catching on! So naturally I was pretty impressed when I watched a video about the audition process for Disney's American Idol Experience (I'll be in Disney World next week and have half a mind to check it out) and saw they'd done us one better. They rigged iPods to display the lyrics while the song is playing, kind of like your own personal karaoke. This is what they give you for rehearsal if you make it through to the performance rounds.
Maybe it follows naturally, maybe it doesn't, but my next question was, I wonder what this looks like when I do it? Also knowing recording yourself is an effective practice tool, I whipped out my video camera, pressed the YouTube button, and ran through an entire song.
It was...awful. I watched the entire thing to see if it got better toward the middle (or end), but it just stayed dreadful. I felt like I was watching one of the American Idol auditions where the judges ask, "has anyone actually ever heard you sing before today?"
Ouch. So that left me wondering, is it the headphones thing? I feel like I can hear myself sing. Or is it that at a certain age, you just can't just decide you want to start singing? Well, really? 20 is too old? What if I should have listened to my fellow instrumental musicians when they said "there's a reason we play instruments and don't sing?" What about the people who have complimented me in the past, the juries who have given me passing grades? Does this really need to be an existential crisis, or can I just note the flaws and work them out?
The thing is, this is something find really, really fun. So fun that if I had my druthers I'd put on my carefree and fun-loving face and audition for the Idol Experience while we're in Disney. And who knows, that might end up being the moral of the story: just because you have a discouraging experience doesn't mean you need to give up entirely. And I probably will keep on going like I've been forever, though not without a lot of harumphing along the way. After all, I eventually got over what was arguably my most frustrating performance moment ever: blowing an audition by messing up a scale. I missed the cut by one slot, but still scored at the top of every other category (sightreading and a prepared piece, as I remember). Ugh.
The thing is, no matter what the circumstances I expect all this to come naturally. If it doesn't, I'm just "bad at it." But of course, I'm sure my manuscript has shaky passages I'll need to rework. I play bad notes on the piano all the time. I sat through some brutal critiques on the path to my BFA in Studio Art. It all requires work, even when that work involves watching a torturous video that's nothing like what I saw from my own point of view.
Maybe I just need to spend more time walking around the house with one earbud in my ear.
During Hollywood Week on this season of American Idol I caught a glimpse of Mary Powers doing the same thing in rehearsal -- complete with holding the iPod like a microphone -- and I thought, hey, it's catching on! So naturally I was pretty impressed when I watched a video about the audition process for Disney's American Idol Experience (I'll be in Disney World next week and have half a mind to check it out) and saw they'd done us one better. They rigged iPods to display the lyrics while the song is playing, kind of like your own personal karaoke. This is what they give you for rehearsal if you make it through to the performance rounds.
Maybe it follows naturally, maybe it doesn't, but my next question was, I wonder what this looks like when I do it? Also knowing recording yourself is an effective practice tool, I whipped out my video camera, pressed the YouTube button, and ran through an entire song.
It was...awful. I watched the entire thing to see if it got better toward the middle (or end), but it just stayed dreadful. I felt like I was watching one of the American Idol auditions where the judges ask, "has anyone actually ever heard you sing before today?"
Ouch. So that left me wondering, is it the headphones thing? I feel like I can hear myself sing. Or is it that at a certain age, you just can't just decide you want to start singing? Well, really? 20 is too old? What if I should have listened to my fellow instrumental musicians when they said "there's a reason we play instruments and don't sing?" What about the people who have complimented me in the past, the juries who have given me passing grades? Does this really need to be an existential crisis, or can I just note the flaws and work them out?
The thing is, this is something find really, really fun. So fun that if I had my druthers I'd put on my carefree and fun-loving face and audition for the Idol Experience while we're in Disney. And who knows, that might end up being the moral of the story: just because you have a discouraging experience doesn't mean you need to give up entirely. And I probably will keep on going like I've been forever, though not without a lot of harumphing along the way. After all, I eventually got over what was arguably my most frustrating performance moment ever: blowing an audition by messing up a scale. I missed the cut by one slot, but still scored at the top of every other category (sightreading and a prepared piece, as I remember). Ugh.
The thing is, no matter what the circumstances I expect all this to come naturally. If it doesn't, I'm just "bad at it." But of course, I'm sure my manuscript has shaky passages I'll need to rework. I play bad notes on the piano all the time. I sat through some brutal critiques on the path to my BFA in Studio Art. It all requires work, even when that work involves watching a torturous video that's nothing like what I saw from my own point of view.
Maybe I just need to spend more time walking around the house with one earbud in my ear.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Good Things Today:
Every morning begins with Zeke's coffee for me.
One way you and your partner can be mutually inspiring is for one of you to be productive (and joyful about it). My daily piano playing has begun to rub off on Doug, who has a whole repertoire of songs he's learned by ear and memorized. He can't read music, but he can play Ben Folds Five's Brick now just from watching me practice. Anyone want to play Name That Song for this video?
Got this in the mail on Friday. After reviewing my favorite songs and seeing that they're all more or less right in my range, I'm way excited to try singing them.
A CLEAN DESK has made me so much more productive at the office, and I'm ready to start feeling those effects at home, too. My desk hasn't looked like this in a long, long, time -- I feel like I've opened up a whole new world for myself!
One way you and your partner can be mutually inspiring is for one of you to be productive (and joyful about it). My daily piano playing has begun to rub off on Doug, who has a whole repertoire of songs he's learned by ear and memorized. He can't read music, but he can play Ben Folds Five's Brick now just from watching me practice. Anyone want to play Name That Song for this video?
Got this in the mail on Friday. After reviewing my favorite songs and seeing that they're all more or less right in my range, I'm way excited to try singing them.
A CLEAN DESK has made me so much more productive at the office, and I'm ready to start feeling those effects at home, too. My desk hasn't looked like this in a long, long, time -- I feel like I've opened up a whole new world for myself!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Inspiration #17: Song
Sometimes practicing your best version of Boxcar Racer's Letters to God is all you need to make the day seem great, right? If I had someone to accompany me I might consider posting a video just for fun -- maybe later in the month, if I decide not to be shy.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
What's next?
Now that my summer voice class is over, I feel a need to keep the creative momentum going, find a new challenge right away. What's next? always seems to be the most difficult hump for me to get over, since having a schedule and/or telling people about my creative work tends to keep me pretty accountable.
A few weeks ago I visited the Load of Fun space on North Avenue for work (lucky me!) and found it totally inspiring. Its graffiti alley out back, black box theater downstairs, and warehouse full of studio spaces crystallized a thought in my mind that we really can do anything with our lives. Photographers' studios made me jealous of all their equipment, giant paintings stirred a little urge to create on canvas again, improv theatre groups' spaces made me want to audition for a musical. There was just SO MUCH, it almost brought tears to my eyes.
Okay, I'm telling this story with a disclaimer that I get a little dramatic sometimes.
But really, experiencing many different art forms (or even just art spaces) keeps my blood flowing. I used to love standing on empty stages before or after rehearsals and just imagining all the performances I'd give in my life. Sometimes the reality -- that I'm not doing those things now -- makes me yearn for a time when I could picture myself as anything I wanted. Truthfully, though, I don't think the best parts of the creative world are out of our reach even if we do have day jobs, bills, and adult responsibilities. It's just a matter of answering the question firmly:
What's next?
A few weeks ago I visited the Load of Fun space on North Avenue for work (lucky me!) and found it totally inspiring. Its graffiti alley out back, black box theater downstairs, and warehouse full of studio spaces crystallized a thought in my mind that we really can do anything with our lives. Photographers' studios made me jealous of all their equipment, giant paintings stirred a little urge to create on canvas again, improv theatre groups' spaces made me want to audition for a musical. There was just SO MUCH, it almost brought tears to my eyes.
Okay, I'm telling this story with a disclaimer that I get a little dramatic sometimes.
But really, experiencing many different art forms (or even just art spaces) keeps my blood flowing. I used to love standing on empty stages before or after rehearsals and just imagining all the performances I'd give in my life. Sometimes the reality -- that I'm not doing those things now -- makes me yearn for a time when I could picture myself as anything I wanted. Truthfully, though, I don't think the best parts of the creative world are out of our reach even if we do have day jobs, bills, and adult responsibilities. It's just a matter of answering the question firmly:
What's next?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)