Finally, the After

You heard the before and saw all the problems I listed.

Here is the after. I only occasionally have that full sound that I want, like a syllable here and there. And it only took about 7 attempts to get a version that I felt confident enough to post... although by no means am I pleased with it. This is strictly for comparison.

Experiment: Before and After - The Before

After about 20 attempts, I have a video that I'm willing to post as part of an Experiment. This is the Before, as in, before my vocal break. I will make an After video when I return from Florida so we can compare to see if there's a difference.

First off - I hear all the mistakes. I am aware that some notes are off, some are squeaky (aka, passaggio problems) and that the legato, well, sucks. I'm also feel like I move around too much, although I was actually trying not to. You can hear at the end where I run out of breath. So the short list is:

• Not open wide enough for high notes - I'm working on it!
• Keep the vowel forward, projecting the sound forward - I'm working on it!
• Low breath, low in the body - I'm working on it!
  
• Breath control - I'm working on it!
• Keep the arms down to prevent squishing of the rib-cage - I'm working on it!
• Maintain connection to the character - I'm working on it!
• Change the vowel sound through the passaggio to keep the vowel forward- Ouch I'm working on it!
  
• Legato - The first thing to go when I focus on something else, like all those things listed above. I'm working on it!

All those points to remember! They all overlap in that they affect each other, but for me it's not merely layers, it's more spatial and three-dimensional.

Several months ago I posted something about having a three-dimensional space in my head where all these things floated and I had to hold them all into their own places in order for it all to come together. That is the best way I can describe it, for now. Does that even make sense to anyone? Anyone????

So please comment and please be nice! Advice is welcome, bashing, not so much. I do that to myself enough already. I certainly don't need anyone's help. Anyway, here we go.

Before:



Oh, in case you're wondering - I had just washed my hair and I twisted it to help reduce the frizz and keep the curl. As if that helps. Not.

Speaking of experiments, a few weeks ago I posted something about experiment number two. Of course I kept it so secret that I now forget what that was about. Well, sort of. But that post refers to an earlier "experiment" post and reports positive results. I realize now that the earlier experiment had not concluded at the time of that report. It has now, I think, concluded, and the results are... inconclusive. Of course I don't quite remember what that one was either, because in a fit of I-don't-know-what (I'm lying, I know exactly what), I deleted most of it. But based on the comments, lap sitting was involved, so it must have been something good.

That's what's so great about having my memory go, um, pretty much when I got pregnant with Alex in 2003 - old things seem new and more importantly, I can recreate the past to my liking. Wait isn't that what we all do anyway????

Experiment No. 2: Drama! Intrigue! Insanity!

A few weeks ago I posted about an experiment. That experiment has concluded. The results are in. They are positive. Is that good? Are positive experiment results a positive thing? Well, in the realm of, "There is no such thing as bad publicity," I'm gonna say that yes, the postive results are positive. Should make things more fun, if only in my mind. And isn't that the only place that matters?

I am now conducting experiment number 2. This particular experiment involves... subterfuge (not by me!).... secret identities (not mine!) and any other dramatic words you can think of to trump this up into something more than it is and make it sound interesting. I will, of course, report the results, if not the particulars, once the experiment concludes.

Changing My Mind (again)

I retract my previous post. [so much so that I've deleted a chunk of it] I'm not asking for anything except, what? My money's worth from any performance I attend, anywhere. From anyone, really. Hm what does that mean for the free ones? After all, you get what you pay for and all that? But either way I'll get my own pink girl-drink and will say some variation of, "Why, you're welcome, it was my pleasure" if I ever hear a thank you. And that's to anyone who thanks me for anything. After all, my mother raised me that way. That reminds me -the experiment is still running. I will report the results, maybe, one day. Maybe.

Vowels: Followed Johnny O's advice and sang Una Donna, vowels only. In the shower. Ok that's irrelevant, but not really. The bathroom has great acoustics! So I did it a few times, then added the consonants back in, and I can feel the difference more than I can hear it. Although I can hear it too. Thanks Johnny! BTW, I Puritani opens this week. I think it's this week. For some reason I can't keep numbers in my head these days. That includes dates, addresses, telephone numbers, driving directions, whatever. These days? Ok it's been forever. I'm good at math though, go figure. Heh unintended pun.

Okayyyyy I am going off the deep end here. Rambling about nothing, boring everyone to tears. Stop crying and go read a more interesting blog from the list on the right.