I think I have finally figured out what to do with this recital I've been planning. I had a bunch of songs that I really love, but most of them were depressing and slow and I knew that an audience might not like a whole program of that as much as I would. On Friday, I finally got the music that my coach had recommended nearly 6 months ago. I spent Saturday translating, and then went over to the school to play and sing through them. Not only do they add variety to the recital program, I love them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Too many exclamation points? No. I really do love them that much.) My voice is being quirky again--I can't decide if it's the allergies, or the meds to deal with them--but even with a voice that wasn't at its best, these songs sounded and felt great.
My biggest challenge and the saddest part of yesterday was narrowing down the huge list of potential recital songs. I read somewhere that editing your novel is sometimes like killing your children. That is kind of how I felt about dropping these songs. The good news is that just because they won't be on this recital doesn't mean I can never use them. I will sing them again sometime in the future. It's just hard to let go of them, even just for awhile, when I have grown to love them so much and they have taught me so much.
There may still be a few minor adjustments to make, but I think now that I have a program that will be musically satisfying for me and interesting for the audience. I finally have some variety in the tempo and mood. Now I just need to work on building the stamina for this big program. When I feel well, I am singing better than I ever have. Sometimes I'm even shocked at how beautiful it is. But on the days when I am fighting the pain, tension, and allergies, it takes a lot more time and patience to work it into that good place. And some days, I really am better off just not singing. All that makes it very difficult to find the consistency and build the stamina that I know I need.
I'm so excited about this new music that it's hard not to practice it. I love it when I have to force myself to stop singing.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Why singers should do their own translations
I love the fact that many song anthologies now come with translations and IPA for the songs. There are also several Internet programs and iPhone apps that will do the translating for you if you can't find it in a book. These kinds of translations are especially helpful for young students who are still in the early stages of learning the language. And for more advanced singers, it definitely cuts the time it takes to work up a new song.
However, I still think that it is absolutely essential that singers learn how to do their own translations. First, by sitting down with the dictionary and 501 Verbs, you learn more about the subtleties of the language. You can see how the spellings change for the different verb forms or for making something plural. Also, most word-by-word translations give one definition per word, but the dictionary often gives multiple options. I find that I have a much clearer understanding of the poet's intent when I see these other possibilities.
The second reason for doing your own translations is that those translation programs, like spell check, don't always look at context. I have a new song that I am looking at as possible addition to a recital I am planning. I recognized many of the words, and could make a fairly good guess at what it was about, but I wanted to make sure it fit my program before spending all the time doing my own translation. So I typed it into a translation app...and boy was I surprised at what I got back. The line I needed to translate was:
"mie pene segrete"
If you speak Italian, you know where this is headed. What I got back was:
"my penis secret"
This definitely changes the whole song! The program chose the most obvious match for "pene" instead of the accurate one. "Pena" means suffering or pain, and when paired with the plural "segrete" the final letter becomes an "e". The line refers to my secret pains, not my penis secret! (Just to be fair, babelfish did get this correct). I think it's safe to sing this song in front of my mother.
Yes, use the tools that are available, but also take the time to really understand the language you are singing in.
-- Posted from my iPhone
However, I still think that it is absolutely essential that singers learn how to do their own translations. First, by sitting down with the dictionary and 501 Verbs, you learn more about the subtleties of the language. You can see how the spellings change for the different verb forms or for making something plural. Also, most word-by-word translations give one definition per word, but the dictionary often gives multiple options. I find that I have a much clearer understanding of the poet's intent when I see these other possibilities.
The second reason for doing your own translations is that those translation programs, like spell check, don't always look at context. I have a new song that I am looking at as possible addition to a recital I am planning. I recognized many of the words, and could make a fairly good guess at what it was about, but I wanted to make sure it fit my program before spending all the time doing my own translation. So I typed it into a translation app...and boy was I surprised at what I got back. The line I needed to translate was:
"mie pene segrete"
If you speak Italian, you know where this is headed. What I got back was:
"my penis secret"
This definitely changes the whole song! The program chose the most obvious match for "pene" instead of the accurate one. "Pena" means suffering or pain, and when paired with the plural "segrete" the final letter becomes an "e". The line refers to my secret pains, not my penis secret! (Just to be fair, babelfish did get this correct). I think it's safe to sing this song in front of my mother.
Yes, use the tools that are available, but also take the time to really understand the language you are singing in.
-- Posted from my iPhone
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Why I love contests, festivals, masterclasses, etc.
In a few weeks, when I'm complaining about getting kids ready for Solo and Ensemble Contest, please email me and remind me to read this post.
It is so easy to get frustrated in preparing students for Contests or Festivals. For starters, their idea of ready is never quite the same as mine. Will I ever be able to convince kids that just because you know the notes, rhythms, and words, and are memorized, it does not mean that you are polished and performance ready? Then there is the whole thing with communicating scheduling and fee information. I tell them at their lessons; I email them and their parents; I post it on the lesson board; but still there are always a few that say "You didn't tell me." Once you get them to the event, there's always the concern that you will end up with the crazy judge that asks the kids to do something totally opposite of what you have been working on or the even scarier one that doesn't have anything nice to say even to the amazing kids.
So why do it if it is just one giant headache?
Here's why: because some of my students are going to grow in incredible ways from these experiences. Sometimes a judge will say the same thing I've been saying for months, but worded just a little differently and suddenly a light bulb clicks on for the student. Some times the light bulb moment is not while they are with the judge, but later in the next lesson as we talk about what happened. And sometimes, the light bulb is mine.
Two of my students just participated in a major festival held in another state. Their solo performances at the festival also counted for their scholarship auditions to that college. I hope the students will forgive me for sharing their stories, and I will try to keep things as anonymous as possible.
When Student A began voice lessons with me, I knew that there was potential for a really good voice there, but there were some serious technical issues that we had to work through. It didn't happen over night, but Student A has worked hard and has nearly conquered those hurdles. In addition to the technical stuff, we have talked a lot about interpretation and singing the meaning of the song. I was unable to attend the festival, so Student A's choir teacher was the accompanist. Student A did an amazing job, singing both technically well and extrememely expressively. Student A advanced to semi-finals and I believe that qualifies this student for one of the scholarships. I was really excited for Student A's success, but what pleased me more was that the choir teacher was able to see how much this student has grown and progressed.
Student B also did a very good performance at the Festival, but the really exciting stuff happened in the next lesson. Student B described some of the exercises that the clinician had had Student B do. Both Student B and the choir director seemed excited about the changes that these exercises had made, so we tried some of them in the lesson and then applied them to another song Student B is working on for auditions. There was some progress and with more practice, I think Student B could have improved the overall sound this way. At the very end of the lesson, I was inspired by the things we had been trying and had Student B do something very different, but with the same goals in mind. Instantly, Student B had the sound that we both have been working toward for months. Would I have had my inspiration if we hadn't just discussed her festival experience? Maybe. But I think the reason it happened is because both of us were open to learning new things and trying other methods.
So why do I keep sending/taking kids to festivals, etc. when sometimes beating my head on the wall would be less painful? Because even if it is just one or two students that find that awesome feeling of success or learn something new about themselves, all the frustration is worth it.
It is so easy to get frustrated in preparing students for Contests or Festivals. For starters, their idea of ready is never quite the same as mine. Will I ever be able to convince kids that just because you know the notes, rhythms, and words, and are memorized, it does not mean that you are polished and performance ready? Then there is the whole thing with communicating scheduling and fee information. I tell them at their lessons; I email them and their parents; I post it on the lesson board; but still there are always a few that say "You didn't tell me." Once you get them to the event, there's always the concern that you will end up with the crazy judge that asks the kids to do something totally opposite of what you have been working on or the even scarier one that doesn't have anything nice to say even to the amazing kids.
So why do it if it is just one giant headache?
Here's why: because some of my students are going to grow in incredible ways from these experiences. Sometimes a judge will say the same thing I've been saying for months, but worded just a little differently and suddenly a light bulb clicks on for the student. Some times the light bulb moment is not while they are with the judge, but later in the next lesson as we talk about what happened. And sometimes, the light bulb is mine.
Two of my students just participated in a major festival held in another state. Their solo performances at the festival also counted for their scholarship auditions to that college. I hope the students will forgive me for sharing their stories, and I will try to keep things as anonymous as possible.
When Student A began voice lessons with me, I knew that there was potential for a really good voice there, but there were some serious technical issues that we had to work through. It didn't happen over night, but Student A has worked hard and has nearly conquered those hurdles. In addition to the technical stuff, we have talked a lot about interpretation and singing the meaning of the song. I was unable to attend the festival, so Student A's choir teacher was the accompanist. Student A did an amazing job, singing both technically well and extrememely expressively. Student A advanced to semi-finals and I believe that qualifies this student for one of the scholarships. I was really excited for Student A's success, but what pleased me more was that the choir teacher was able to see how much this student has grown and progressed.
Student B also did a very good performance at the Festival, but the really exciting stuff happened in the next lesson. Student B described some of the exercises that the clinician had had Student B do. Both Student B and the choir director seemed excited about the changes that these exercises had made, so we tried some of them in the lesson and then applied them to another song Student B is working on for auditions. There was some progress and with more practice, I think Student B could have improved the overall sound this way. At the very end of the lesson, I was inspired by the things we had been trying and had Student B do something very different, but with the same goals in mind. Instantly, Student B had the sound that we both have been working toward for months. Would I have had my inspiration if we hadn't just discussed her festival experience? Maybe. But I think the reason it happened is because both of us were open to learning new things and trying other methods.
So why do I keep sending/taking kids to festivals, etc. when sometimes beating my head on the wall would be less painful? Because even if it is just one or two students that find that awesome feeling of success or learn something new about themselves, all the frustration is worth it.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
O Holy Night
For the last 10 years or so, I have been asked to sing "O Holy Night" at least once during the Christmas season. I appreciate the invitation since I don't do a lot of performing anymore, but at the same time, it adds stress to my already stressful December. Sometimes I think I should just say no, but then as I reflect on the experience later, I realize that singing this song is a very good thing and something that I need to continue doing. Here's what I've learned over the years.
1. It's not about me or how I sound. It is about what the listeners hear and feel. This year at one performance I totally skipped the second verse and didn't even know it for several phrases. My accompanist knew that I had skipped ahead, but couldn't find where I was. We ended up just having to stop and then start that section again. My younger self would have freaked out and left the meeting immediately after the song to avoid the embarassment of talking to people afterward. My calmer, more mature self didn't get thrown. The music that came after the mess up was just as beautiful as what came before. And although people noticed the problem (How could they not?)their comments afterward were genuinely positive. Even through my errors, they heard the message of the song and were touched by it.
2. Because this song does not naturally sit well in my voice and requires mega stamina, when I sing it I must focus on moving the phrases and letting the meaning color the tone. If I let it get too slow or heavy, or if I am just thinking technique, it is not a pleasant experience for me or the listeners. This year, I found some colors and dynamics that I have not been capable of previously.
3. The song continues to grow and improve the more I do it. As I just mentioned, this year I had a totally different approach to the colors and dynamics and I think it created a better sound. It was certainly more interesting for me.
4. As strage as it sounds, this song is actually a little easier a half step higher. In E flat, it just sits in the wrong place. I have to work it up half a step and then bring it back down while maintaining the lift I find in the higher key. Yes, I've considered just transposing it for the performance, but I'm almost always sick or recovering from illness when I have to sing this, and I just don't trust my B when I'm sick yet.
I survived another season with "O Holy Night". Will I do it again? Probably. It's not my best song, but it makes a difference in the lives of those that listen. So I guess I will continue to give them what they want and continue to find ways to make it easier for me.
1. It's not about me or how I sound. It is about what the listeners hear and feel. This year at one performance I totally skipped the second verse and didn't even know it for several phrases. My accompanist knew that I had skipped ahead, but couldn't find where I was. We ended up just having to stop and then start that section again. My younger self would have freaked out and left the meeting immediately after the song to avoid the embarassment of talking to people afterward. My calmer, more mature self didn't get thrown. The music that came after the mess up was just as beautiful as what came before. And although people noticed the problem (How could they not?)their comments afterward were genuinely positive. Even through my errors, they heard the message of the song and were touched by it.
2. Because this song does not naturally sit well in my voice and requires mega stamina, when I sing it I must focus on moving the phrases and letting the meaning color the tone. If I let it get too slow or heavy, or if I am just thinking technique, it is not a pleasant experience for me or the listeners. This year, I found some colors and dynamics that I have not been capable of previously.
3. The song continues to grow and improve the more I do it. As I just mentioned, this year I had a totally different approach to the colors and dynamics and I think it created a better sound. It was certainly more interesting for me.
4. As strage as it sounds, this song is actually a little easier a half step higher. In E flat, it just sits in the wrong place. I have to work it up half a step and then bring it back down while maintaining the lift I find in the higher key. Yes, I've considered just transposing it for the performance, but I'm almost always sick or recovering from illness when I have to sing this, and I just don't trust my B when I'm sick yet.
I survived another season with "O Holy Night". Will I do it again? Probably. It's not my best song, but it makes a difference in the lives of those that listen. So I guess I will continue to give them what they want and continue to find ways to make it easier for me.
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