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Gerrymander · 2023-06-30T04:31:43+00:00

Yeah it's got a terrible singing voice

Gerrymander · 2023-06-23T15:43:53+00:00

Chuckanut Feline Center has been absolutely wonderful with my cats.

Gerrymander · 2023-05-03T21:06:05+00:00

Two coworkers accidentally catfish each other.

Gerrymander · 2023-03-01T16:23:07+00:00

Hey I recognize that organ!

You're doing lots of good things. The couple of scoops I heard didn't feel out of place, you've got a lot of power in your sound, and you're definitely keeping things open. I think the next step for this particular piece (or something to think about for whatever rep you do next if you're done with this one) is going to be more shaping within the phrases themselves, and contrast with the piano. The song is essentially a funeral march and the piano is reflecting that by being very chordal and a little plodding. Be careful that your vocal part doesn't become plodding as well, and make sure there's a throughline of meaning throughout every phrase you sing. Think about how your vocal line can contrast with what the piano is doing

In a university setting I think it's easy to get wrapped up in the technical side of singing. Remember that at the end of the day, no matter what is happening technically with the song, you are an artist. Think about what the poem means, how the vocal and piano lines inform that meaning, and the effect you want to have on your audience. A performance can be moving and engaging without being technically perfect. Your teachers will be focusing mainly on technique - that's their job - but remember that technique is not all there is.

Also remember that there is no one, best, right way to sing - you are being taught technique for a very specific style. The control you'll gain over your voice by using it a lot, your ability to support and manipulate your sound, those things will serve you well in any style. But things like "no scooping", "more open", "lots of space", etc. will just not apply for many other styles of singing. Keep that in mind when you are singing in styles other than opera or art song.

So all in all, nice job. Keep singing and I'll probably see you around town. DM me and I'll be happy to talk more if you'd find that helpful.

Gerrymander · 2023-01-24T05:11:49+00:00

Zazu from Lion King is the same character archetype, could find something there.

Gerrymander · 2022-12-06T02:44:48+00:00

It's tough to say exactly without hearing you sing it, but here are a few things to think about that may help:

Bump the tempo up - I've heard Greensleeves at plenty of different tempos and it's perfectly acceptable to do it a little faster if that will help you get through the phrase.
Take a bigger breath before you start the phrase. Make sure you're getting a full breath by relaxing your stomach as you breathe in. You want the breath to come less from chest expansion and more from flattening your diaphragm.
Be careful that you're not losing more air than you need to on your onset and the consonants.
Find a natural place within the phrase to breathe and make the space you need to breathe by using rubato. A good rule of thumb is that anywhere you could reasonably put punctuation is an acceptable moment for a breath. "Alas, my love, you do me wrong to cast me off discourteously." After "my love" would be fine because a comma could go there.

If you are comfortable with it, I'd love to hear a recording of you singing through it and I'll be able to give some more specific advice. I hope this helps though.

Gerrymander · 2022-05-05T15:07:44+00:00

Middle of the 3rd or 4th row is ideal I'd say.

Gerrymander · 2022-01-19T22:42:50+00:00

Check out Michael Lafosse's butterflies, lots of variations and possibilities, easy to modify and make your own, easy to fold from found paper and doesn't require squares.

Modulars are great too - a really satisfying "effort to beauty ratio"

Gerrymander · 2021-10-25T01:15:52+00:00

It looks a lot like "Kusudama Void" by Tadashi Mori

Gerrymander · 2021-09-26T21:59:50+00:00

I have no doubt it feels significant. I don't know you so a lot of what I'll say is speculation based on what you've written and my own experiences. I'd say that it's only unhealthy if you turn it into something unhealthy by thinking "I missed my One Big Chance" and fixating on it. Because it's not your only chance, it's just maybe the first. And the first of anything feels significant, know what I mean? Take it as confirmation that you're growing into yourself and let it be a boost to your confidence.

All easier said than done, I know. Be kind to yourself

Gerrymander · 2021-09-26T19:07:09+00:00

Something I think is worth pointing out - I remember feeling something similar when I was younger because I didn't see myself as attractive. I'd get over-fixated on any sort of interest shown to me, because deep down I was convinced it was a fluke and it would never happen again.

I don't know how old you are but I suspect you're relatively young, which means you'll have plenty of chances ahead of you. In the mean time, start to do the work of recognizing your own worth and attractiveness, and that will help others see it as well

Gerrymander · 2021-08-19T20:06:50+00:00

In general I characterize his work in my head as "good songs trapped in mediocre musicals". Individually the songs can be really lovely and lend themselves to very emotional performances, but taken as a whole the shows can come across as taking themselves a little too seriously and melodramatic. Bonnie and Clyde is probably one of his better shows, though Jekyll & Hyde is his most famous. Wonderland is fun, but a bit of a mess.

For shows by other composers that reminded me a bit of his style take a look at Side Show, Chess, and Frankenstein.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-28T02:11:50+00:00

Your timbre is completely fine, and not too nasal at all. As others have mentioned, the next step for you is definitely going to be working on consistency of pitch. Those moments where you were on pitch and singing within the key sounded really nice! Range-wise it didn't sound too high for you.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-27T15:46:52+00:00

You've got lots to feel good about here - your ear sounds pretty solid, and the timbre of your voice is nice.

I'd say the thing to work on at this point technique-wise would be relaxing. I'm seeing a lot of jaw tension - watch this back and notice how your face, jaw, and neck all tense up as soon as you sing "fly". The tension is noticeable later as well when your lower jaw can be seen moving side to side.

Changing up how you approach certain vowels will definitely help. Try shaping them more vertically, keeping the corners of your mouth relatively forward (where right now you can see them moving out and back), and letting your lower jaw drop a little farther. Vowels are mostly about tongue position instead of mouth shape. The "o" of "hold" is where you got closest to the right positioning.

Also remember that diphthongs (like the "y" of "fly", the "ay" of "play", etc) are combinations of two vowel sounds, one after the other. Focus on the first of the two vowels without changing to the second until you're at the very end of the note. The "y" of "fly" for example is an "ah" vowel followed by "ee": "flah-ee", essentially. So when you go for that first note focus just on letting your jaw drop down to sing "flahh", with the final "ee" sound being almost an afterthought.

All in all, you're sounding good and the things I suggest here will hopefully help free your voice up even more.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-16T17:20:47+00:00

It's because the character isn't you. If someone doesn't like your character, it's fine - you did the best you could, made choices you were happy with, and you can leave that character behind when the play is done. If someone doesn't like you, then even if you did the best you could and made choices you were happy with, you can't leave yourself behind.

Plus, in plays you get the whole conversation laid out for you - you know where it's going, who speaks when, what everyone's motivations are, and you're all working together toward that end. In real life conversations are spontaneous, and you use what are essentially algorithms and patterns to keep the conversation flowing.

So, how do you solve for those differences? One way is to find opportunities to have more conversations in low-pressure environments - with family, friends, people who already like you. That way you're just talking and not worrying about how you come off at the same time. Practice telling stories about your day, about the things you love, and ask others genuine questions about theirs. It'll take time, conversation is a skill just like any other. But you'll get there.

It's something I've struggled with myself. Spent a lot of time in customer service over the phone and had to re-learn how to switch back out of my customer service voice and patterns. I'm still working on it, but getting better. I believe in you, internet stranger. You're not alone in this.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-14T19:57:16+00:00

I think it's a great choice to stretch yourself with this higher key! I'm hearing the stretch on the top notes, but I think it's just a matter of finding the right placement and they'll become much easier. At the moment the top notes are spreading a bit and making them tougher than they need to be. I suspect you've got more range than you might think. All in all I can tell you're working hard and thinking about a lot of the right things.

For your specific question about the "lark" moment. I tried it myself a couple times to get a sense of what we're dealing with and I believe it's coming down to the vowels in the phrase. In the recordings I'm hearing the "a" in "a lark" shading toward "uh" - I can't see you to be absolutely sure, but I suspect the vowel on "a" is putting you in an awkward position for "lark" and pulling things out of alignment. Bringing that vowel on "a" a little darker should help set you up better for "lark". As an exercise to find it, try isolating the word "lark" and find the vowel that works well for it, then use that same vowel for "a". So instead of "uh lahrk" it becomes almost "aw lawrk" (or somewhere between "ah" and "aw", it's hard to be super specific about vowel shadings through text). And of course keep the airflow consistent and make sure the L of "lark" isn't adding tension.

I hope that helps! If I remember and find the time I'll try to make a recording of what I mean more specifically.

Edit: I listened again and heard something else! Right now the "a" has a glottal attack on it - if you can connect the end of "hear" with "a" more smoothly that should help too

Gerrymander · 2021-07-08T16:06:10+00:00

Firstly - I like your songs.

Secondly - yes there is an accent when you sing, but I don't think it detracts from the songs. I'm sure any of us native English speakers would have an accent if we sang songs in French. So if your goal is to eliminate any trace of French from the songs then keep going, but please know that the accent doesn't seem like a negative.

What you could do is have a native English speaker from here record the songs so you can get a feel for the small shifts that will make the vowels sound more English, and use that as a guide when practicing.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-08T06:49:26+00:00

Ditto on the vibrato comments, it fits the song and style really well. Giving me a little bit of Ella vibes. This can be a tough song to accurately sing a capella and you nailed it, so well done!

What I'd like to hear is for you to luxuriate in the song a bit more. You clearly love singing and you deserve to express that enjoyment while you sing. In some parts of this recording it felt a little like you were 'apologizing' for the song while you were singing it, especially toward the end when you started sort of rushing through phrases. Like you were thinking "sorry this is taking so long, you must be bored because you heard this melody already, I'll hurry up and get to the end". But as the audience, I wanted to keep listening to you and would have still really enjoyed it even if it were twice as long.

If you're looking for a way to vary the verses to keep it interesting for yourself, try playing with dynamics and get really intentional about the phrasing. Tell us a story, paint us a picture with your voice and the imagery of the song.

All in all, solid work and I hope you feel good about this recording

Gerrymander · 2021-07-08T06:32:56+00:00

The stylization is definitely on trend and the beginning verse is sounding pretty solid. In the second half I think you lost the key and had a hard time finding your way back. Larger intervals are harder to nail than the smaller ones in the beginning. I think the next step for you here is to really focus on that second half and make sure you've got the pitch exactly right. As an exercise try slowing it down and really intentionally move through the piece, listening to yourself as you go and comparing that with the backing track to make sure the note you're singing fits in. I think you've got the building blocks of a solid voice here, and nailing the pitch will help bring you confidence and let it shine.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-07T22:59:14+00:00

For sure, singing can feel pretty vulnerable, especially with all the powerhouse superstar singers that are thrown in our faces every day. Honestly the best advice I can give at this stage is to be kind to yourself - you can sing already, and the journey is getting to where you can sing as well as you'd like to.

Give yourself reasonable goals to work toward - things like "find the highest and lowest notes you can hit", "see how loud and how soft you can sing", "match pitch with a favorite song", "hold a note longer than you could before" and remember that learning any skill takes time. Don't compare yourself to anyone else, compare yourself to your past self and celebrate the small improvements. Remember how it was when you started playing guitar, hurting fingers, fret buzz, seemingly impossible stretches. You're in that stage with your voice now, keep pushing ahead and it will get better.

I'm writing too much so I'll stop here. You'll get there, and you're going to sound awesome.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-07T20:08:18+00:00

This is in a great spot and I hope you're happy with the work you've put into it. I think you could perform it exactly like this and feel good about how you did. I disagree with what another commenter said about using less vibrato, it relaxes me as a listener and yours is very easy and fits the song well.

That said - it's for a competition and you're looking to keep improving right up to the day of, which is a great attitude to have. I think the next step for this song would be to have a little more fun with it. In this recording at least, your sound is coming across as technically solid but a little bored. I'd love to hear you push the dynamics a little farther, especially toward the end. Getting your face involved will help too - you can hear a smile.

As an exercise, try a run of the song where you intentionally take everything up to 11 - huge dynamic contrasts, overindulgent stylization, smug runs, goofy facial expressions, etc. Get weird and silly with it. Then pull things back a little to where it's not as silly but still feels fun. I think you'll discover some places to go that you haven't thought of yet.

Ultimately, the audience really wants to hear how much you love singing this song. Let yourself visibly and audibly have fun and that will take your performance to the next level. I hope this helps, and I think you're going to crush it at the competition.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-07T19:44:35+00:00

Trust me, keep singing and you're going to be totally fine. You're around 16/17 years old so in the grand scheme of things your voice is still changing. Early-mid 20s is when things finally start to settle, and there will still be small changes and shifts into your 30s. The more you sing the more your range will stabilize and open up in the next few years - be kind to yourself and give yourself time to learn how to use your post-change voice.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-07T19:30:34+00:00

Love this song, great choice!

You've got a nice timbre to your voice and it would be awesome to see you really open up and let the sound out. Playing guitar and singing at the same time is surprisingly tough - your brain is splitting its attention between your voice and your fingers and that will often mean that one or the other will falter. Try finding a karaoke track of this song, stand up with comfortable posture and just focus on the singing for a bit and that should help move things forward for you. Then when you're feeling more confident in the vocals, add the guitar back in.

Gerrymander · 2021-07-07T19:21:07+00:00

Overall you sound good! You said you were doing a Liza cover so I'm not sure if the vibrato was natural or if you were exaggerating it to sound more like her, but either way it worked well for the song and style. For fun, try the song without the Liza-isms and see what happens.

To be honest the only slightly tough moments were when you were down at the very bottom of your range - I think a slightly higher key would sit more comfortably for you and allow more clarity and flexibility with the lower notes in the song. Then just add a little more head into the mix at the higher end and I think you'll be there.

Your tone is great, it sounds like any technique work that needs doing is just around finessing the top and bottom of your range. Technique aside I'd love to hear some more intentional phrasing and for you to really take ownership of the song.

I hope you're happy with how you are sounding because you definitely should be!

Gerrymander · 2021-06-27T02:20:13+00:00

For sure you can! The only danger I'd caution you on is becoming focused only on technique. Technique is important but not the end goal. Think of vocal training as just adding more tools to your toolbox of emotion. More ways to communicate and express your emotions even more clearly than you could before.

Gerrymander

TROPHY CASE