Me: How much singing have you done today?
T: Choir.
Me: Does he do warm-ups?
T: A little bit, but I hate his warm-ups.
Me: What about them don't you like?
T: Well, I've noticed comparing your terminology and his terminology, that the way he states things, um, conotates, err, denotes poor habits...
Me: Uh huh...
T: ...and like when we're going through solo warm-ups, he wouldn't have me do something--at particular moments of how my voice is feeling...
Me: Uh huh...
T: ...that I recognize when he's doing choir warm-ups.
Me: I see. Well...
T: My voice just never feels comfortable now when we're warming up in choir.
Me: Well I'm glad that you're recognizing at least how you feel. Um, his ideas are... ok, it's hard to try and do [warm-up] a whole choir.
T: Uh huh...
Me: I mean it's a whole different ball game.
T: Right.
Me: So, I mean I can see where that would be a difficulty, and it takes, or comes into play. But, um, ok.
Me: Ok, go ahead and flop over. (I'm not very good at explaining verbally during this chunk of the lesson--as far as it being helpful for dictating this recording. I mostly showed her what I wanted at this point. I did make sure that her knees weren't bent and that her head, neck and shoulders were released and completely hanging freely.) Ok, and wiggle your head around. And then slowly roll up. Alright, and starting at your A-O joint, find a place of balance for your head, and work your way down the body. (I'd been yawing like crazy since the beginning of our lesson, so...) Me: *yawn* Sorry, I slept like crap last night.
T: Por que?
Me: Because I went to bed late.
T: That was was poor choice.
Me: I was studying for a test. So no it wasn't a poor choice, because I did awesome Cindy! (That really was a shout out to you Cindy, during my lesson.) Ok! Well, at least I hope I did.
Me: Are you going to keep fidgeting with your hair? (She'd redone her pony tail at least 4 times since the start of the lesson.)
T: I'm sorry, I had it right here, [in a low pony-tail on her left side] and it was throwing me off balance.
Me: I thought of that, but I wasn't going to say anything, which I probably should have. (I now realize that to be stupid to have intended not to say anything. Glad she was on top of things.)
Me: Ok. I feel like your hips and your knees look really, really tight. And let your arms relax. It's making you, just, like, stiff. (She re adjusts herself) That's better, your knees are still locked... because you're leaning so far forward that in order to compensate for your balance your' having to lock your knees. So just start at your head. Find a place that your neck and head feel comfortable. And then work your way down to your lumbar, in relationship to your thorax. So, yes you should have a curve because there's one naturally there, but it shouldn't be over done and you can't have clenched butt, you want to have a hover butt. So you shouldn't feel like your butt is part of your thighs. This [I demonstrate] is too much, this [demonstration] is too much this direction as well. You need to have a place were your butt just feels like it's floating.
T: Ok.
Me: Ok.
T: Cute toes by the way.
Me: Thank you. Umm, this is looking better, but don't put your hands in your pockets. That causes you to go like this [demonstration] and slouch forward. You're just like me, you feel uncomfortable not having your arms doing something. You need to maybe take some time this week, and get used to being comfortable with yourself. Because...
T: I should bring my heels on Friday.
Me: That would be a good idea. If I had shoes relitively close to your size, I'd make you wear them. But, um, I think I'm like 3 sizes bigger than you. Like numbers, not halves. So, um, ok let's start... I just want you to pretend like you're chewing some food. Then I want you to... *yawn*... I'm sorry I'm so yawny. So keep chewing some food and then start... make sure you're actually chewing, not just moving your lips and stuff.
Me: Ok. Uh, lets start with A B C D "thee" (this vocalize starts with speaking the four letters, then decending on "thee" on a 54321.) Let's start on D Major.
Together: (*I play DM chord*) ABCD "thee".(Down half-step, and I don't do it too, just Taessia this next time)
Me:*DbM chord*
T: ABCD "thee"
Me: *CM chord* You're really heavy. I want it speech-like, but I don't want heavy. So think a little bit lighter and space between your top and bottom molars. *replay CM chord*.
T: ABCD "thee"
Me: *BM chord*
T: ABCD "thee". Could you play that a little slower?
Me: Sure! *BM again*
T: ABCD "thee".
Me: I don't want you to punch every note, that's why I played it a little bit faster. I don't... the focus needs to be that the pitch is falling through your body, not necessarily hitting every single pitch because then you lock up. *BbM chord*.
Together: ABCD "thee".
Me: *AM chord*.
Together: ABCD
T: "thee"
Me: *DM chord*
T: ABCD "thee"
Me: So your ABCD that time... that was weird.
T: Yeah, that was.
Me: Just speak it. ABCD. *DM chord*
T: ABCD "thee".
Me: *DbM chord* Don't think 'I'm going to sing now'. Just speak.
Together: ABCD "thee".
Me: *CM chord*
T: ABCD "thee".
Me: *BM chord*
T: ABCD "thee".
Me: *FM chord* now just do "thee".
T: Do you want me to "th" before the pitch?
Me: Yes. So I'll just play the top pitch, you "th" and think this pitch, and then when you start I'll follow. *FM chord, then repeatedly play C*
T: "thee"
Me: *EM chord, repeated B*
T: "thee"
Me: *EbM chord, repeated Bb*
T: "thee"
Me: Mmm...
T: I'm sorry.
Me: No it's not... don't apologize. I'm just not picking good things for you today.
Me: You're already going into 'sing' body position. Shake it out, re-balance yourself. Umm...*EM chord with the octave E above (for an arpeggio vocalize)* No... *DM chord with octave D* "Who's new blue shoes?" (on 8531). And I don't want you to 'sing' it at all. Just say it. *DM chord with octave D*
Together: "Who's new blue shoes"
Me: *DbM full chord*
T: "Who's new blue shoes"
Me: *CM*
T: "Wnbs"
Me: *BM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *BbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: Think buoyant though. So speak it, but speak it in like a... bouncy kind of way. *BbM again*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *AM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *CM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: oh, try that one again. *CM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: Your 'who' needs more speech-like. (I demonstrate what I heard her do, then what I wanted) *DbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: Try it again. *DbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *CM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *BM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *BbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: Try it again. *BbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: You're going into a little more 'singy'. (Demonstrates the wanted behavior) *BbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *AM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *AbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: Good! Umm, uh, let's... uh... So I want you to imagine that you are about to take a drink of water. (I do it with her. This is to get her to release her jaw in the down and back sort of way.) Feel how your jaw is. Now come up and let your jaw be in that same spot. So when people say that your jaw needs to open more, it doesn't mean (demonstrates). Because if you watch, that (my jaw) had to go forward. Our jaw works as it comes back and down. So maybe just rest your hand right here on your jaw, just like this. Just let the weight of your hand rest on your jaw. Let's pretend you're an old man snoring. Lay your head back and pretend you're asleep with your mouth open. Now bring your head up. Ok, so the trick is, not the trick, the goal is to have this nice released jaw and also have the energy so that the tone can focus out your forehead.
T: Ok.
Me: So you need to still have energy in your cheek bones, like Betty Boop.
T: Ok
Me: So she has the jaw back, but there is still the energy right in here. Ok?
T: Yup
Me: Let's try humming, on the tone of indecision, and then "thee" on 8531. *CM full chord, with repeated C5 playing (the octave up C)*
T: "mmm.....thee"
Me: But don't breath in between the two things. *CM chord, with repeated top note*
T: "mmm, thee"
Me: *BM*
T: "mmm, thee"
Me: *BbM*
Together: "mmm, thee"
Me: *AM*
Together: "mmm, thee"
Me: *DM* (with the jump she tried to make her "mmm" jump as well) No, don't make pitch, just think like you're not sure. "HMMM?"
Together: "mmm, thee"
Me: *DbM*
Together: "mmm, thee"
Me: *CM*
T: "mmm, thee"
Me: I feel like I see your larynx go jump up to find that note. So, let's just try the "Who's new blue shoes" again. *DM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *DbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: You're too 'singy'. (Demonstration of how she did it) You're going straight to the vibrato, which vibrato is not a bad thing, that's not what I'm saying. But you're thinking 'sing' mode. *DbM*
Together: "wnbs"
Me: *CM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *BM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: But with your body not crooked. *BM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *BbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *EbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: Oh, try that one again. *EbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *DM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *DbM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: *CM*
T: "wnbs"
Me: Ok. Um do you have it memorized? (Referring to her song)
T: Um, close.
Me: Did you work on it since yesterday?
T: Yes, but I just get really confused with like spitting out the words with the tempo because as soon as I get off tempo then I just get lost. You know what I mean?
Me: Maybe, guess we'll see.
T: Like it's out the door as soon as I don't say it write.
Me: Oh, ok. Go ahead and grab mom, and we'll have her come play.
Me: Let's just try and see how much you know. Let's just see how well you do.
Me: Alright Tage, before we start singing this, what is this song about?
T: I am a gypsy, and I like to have fun, and I think boys are ridiculous, I like flirting with them.
Me: ...ok. Ok, let's go with that. Give that to me, cheater! (she tried to sneak her music for the sing through)
T: (Singing: "Chi Vuol la Zingarella" from the opera "I Zingari in Fiera" by Paisiello.)
She made it through the first sentance in the song before she freaked.
T: You are making me nervous!
Me: Why? Because I'm looking down at a piece of music?
T: I don't know... because I feel like you're judging my Italian.
Me: Don't think about Italian, we can work on Italian. Just think... yeah (calming gesture), I am not out to get you, neither are the judges. If anything, they are willing you to do a good job.
T: *singing* (She made it to the second verse this time) Can we start over?
Me: This is a new spot. You've come to a rest position [in the song]. It's good that you recognize that you're not in a good place right now (referring to her state of being while singing), cause you're not.
T: No.
Me: So, take a second, re-set yourself. Obviously you can't do this in a performance, but you can to some degree because that's what fermattas are great for. (There is a fematta over the rest that precedes her new verse.) A new start over. So re-align yourself, because you're doing crazy things with your hips. You're doing this (demonstrate), and when your hips are jutting forward, can't really do a low breath, can you? Cause there's not anywhere really for it to go.
T: Right.
Me: Find a good place where you're comfortable with yourself. If you're not comfortable with yourself, they're not going to be comfortable with you. (judges, audience, anyone really...) K? Ready?
T: *singing* (she got to the cadence and it was different than the first verse.)
Me: Stop. What are the notes there? (my mom played them.) Ok go from [the spot a few measures before this ending]. That's an 'A' that you end on, and what's the next note that you sing?
T: A.
Me: Right!
Together: *singing cadence with correct notes slowly*.
Me: Great, let's try it again from the [2nd verse].
T: Um, is it always this fast?
Me: You can take it a little bit slower.
T: Cause, we haven't practiced it this fast...
Me: Well, you set the tempo, mom just follows you.
T: Ok.
Me: Ready? (I counted in the measure at a slower tempo)
T: *singing* (messed up words and that same cadence.) Sorry, my pages got all mixed up.
Me: It's fine, just start from the same place again.
T: *singing* (was a little shaky on the cadence again, but it was mostly there)
Me: ...better keep going... (I told her this right after the cadence, and then helped her sing the next part so that my talking wouldn't throw her off.)
T: *singing* (another mess up on the ryhthm/notes)
Me: Hold on a sec mom. Ok, let's just me and you sing through this, with out mom, for a sec.
T: Ok
Me: So from page 27, at the 'Chi vuol'.
Together: *sang through 2nd verse, and then had the piano keep going with just her on the 3rd*
T: *singing* (I had to help her a tiny bit on the ending).
Me: Alright...
T: Ugh... I'm sorry!
Me: The biggest problem I fear right now, is that you don't have a good sense of pulse in your body. So, notes and rhythms aside, until you can feel the pulse, the underlying pulse, you're speeding up. You're trying to speed things up, because you see 32nd notes, and in your head you're like 'BAAHHH'!
T: Mmm hmm
Me: So, you need (demonstrates a pulse/bouyant sound in the opening phrase). Until you can feel that pulse, it's going to turn into mush when you're trying to do the notes. So let's go from top of 28.
T: *singing* (she messed up some of the same spots again, so I sang them with her until she got back to a spot she knew in the 3rd verse. At the end of the song, she struggled with how to pronounce the Italian on the written rhythms.)
Me: Ok...
T: I sound like a little girl...
Me: Ok, let's just go to the top of 28 again, with out acc., and I just want you to pulse [with your body], but like squat pulse. You're still doing the hip thing (hips jutting out/forward)
T: OK.
Me: It's like your go-to when you're nervous. You clench your butt and that makes your hips go forward.
T: Oh I'm not a butt clench-er, I just push my hips forward.
Me: Oh. Well something is causing it them to go forward. Which then you have to start wringing yourself out to get any air out. (I then spoke the words in rhythm with her doing a squat pulse.) So, besides the pulse thing, I think your biggest enemy in what you're doing right now, is you're not taking advantage of your rests. Because you have giant places for breaths. You don't need to hold the note longer than what the music tells you to do, because it's not a 'show off, I'm awesome' moment. On ritards, on more elaborate phrases, yeah, that would be appropriate. But this is more of a 'get to those places' point. Ok, let's start here (pointed at music).
Together we pulsed out the beat using little squats, and then spoke the text in rhythm.
Me: Ok right there you need to give mom a better indication of how you want to ritard that. So go from the third system. (still with out piano, worked on that cadence ritard).
T: *singing*
During her singing I would give her little instructions like, "You're in 'sing' mode!", and "Speak it!" I had her to it all the way to the end without the piano. Again she struggled with the Italian on the end. So I had her back up a few systems and try that part again with out piano. I sang it with her to make sure she did it right. Then We went back to the beginning, and I had the piano join us again. During the intro, I instructed Taessia to stand in the way she would if she were performing.
Me: Stand as if you are performing. You can use the music still, since I know you won't be able to do it with out, but I need you to feel the pulse internally. If you don't feel it, mom won't be able to pick it up and it makes it very difficult for her to follow you. So wiggle your hips out... Actually, I want you to do hula hips while you're singing. Get into the position you would stand in for singing, and then I want you to pretend like you have a hula hoop on the whole time you're singing. Yeah?
T: Ok
Me: If you want to do a figure eight so that you get different directions, go for it. Ok? Alright, go ahead mom.
T: *singing* (WOW! Her timbre suddenly focused and her pitch was a LOT more centered!!)
I stupidly didn't mention to her how awesome she sounded once she released her hips. If she forgot to move them (because she got to a part she didn't know very well), I would remind her, and the sound would again improve. At one point, we stopped so that we could work on the mellismas from the first verse, then continued on with the song. Still I would remind her to do the hips by just saying "hips!" when she started getting tight. She was finally starting to get into the pulse a little bit this time through the song, so even when she was a little shaky on the notes or rhythms I still encouraged her to keep going because I didn't want her to practice stopping each time she made a mistake, but rather how to jump back into it and find the pulse again. SHE STILL BOTCHED THE ENDING WORDS!!! (even listening back to the recording, I wanted to bop her on the head! Let the record show that I didn't though). I should have made her go back and do it correctly over and over, so that she could mylinate the right way to do it. I didn't though, so that's my mistake.
Towards then end of the song, there is an ascending phrase that has 32nd notes that build up to the F. She didn't have enough of the "teacher, pick me" feeling during that phrase. So I told her to imagine her body getting taller through that whole line. I also mentioned that I didn't want her to pull her back to get taller, just lean forward onto her tippy-toes. I then demonstrated it for her, adding a flop-over on the P4 leap up to the F. I told her to do the tippy-toes thing and add the flop.
Me: The energy shouldn't come from you pushing more air out, the energy should come from a feeling in your stomach. ( I then gave her the "teacher, pick me" scenario.) That feeling is what I want you to imagine. Pushing more air out is not going to make that happen. It's that energy and the thought, working together, that will make that pitch. Ok?
T: Ok.
Me: Do it again, and this time I want you to raise your hands in the air and do the teacher thing. Ok?
T: *singing*
Me: Oh, you tend to suck your tongue back to hit that top note, so you need a visual reminder that is opposite to that. (Told her to point with her hand forward, and flop her head over a little).
T: *singing*
Me: Blow out all your air. Right before you took this giant breath (demonstration), and raised your shoulders. So blow out all your air. Now take a comfortable breath (demonstrated the phrase with that breath). K? Loose shoulders
T: *singing* (still sounded WAY pushed)
Me: Sing it as quietly as you possibly can.
T: *singing*
Me: Ok, try this again. But this time, I want you to imagine that you're in a library, but you just found out some juicy gossip, and you're dying to tell somebody, but you've got to be quiet because your in the library. (Demonstration) K?
T: *singing*
Me: ...Ehh...
T: It was better...
Me: Well, the thing that I wanted to change, and wanted to accomplish with that happened, but then you did other weird things. So, you're pressing so hard, right now, with your breath (demonstration of her sound). I liked when I had you do the quiet thing, that you didn't try to... air vomit... "AHH I have to get it all out right now!"
Me: Let's go back a little bit and don't use your music. I'll help you if you botch it.
T: *singing*
Me: Try, no not try... I would like you to be less heavy on "Chi". What does that mean?
T: I have no idea.
Me: Who. What do you think is the most important word in this phrase: "Who wants the gypsy girl"?
T: Wants.
Me: Right. (I then demonstrated what I heard her do, and then I demonstrated what I would like)
T: *singing*
We talked about the end ritard. She had added rhythms in an attempt to slow down, and I explained that you slow it down by stretching out the written rhythm, not adding more.
Me: This is getting better!
The rest of the lesson I helped pick out some small rhythms differences between the verses.
Me: This has improved immensely, especially in the last hour. I mostly worked on ways to maybe solidify the words in your head. Hopefully next time, we can maybe focus more on attitude.
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