It's a gruesome story: arts groups closing all over now. I've lost one already (online singing lessons group I work for closed their doors 6 months ago. I went solo on it.) and almost lost another one that I'll share about.

Last year, Portland Symphonic Choir got to the run up for the last concert of the season. We had taken losses on every event that year, including a "fund-raising" concert we had hired a huge name in classical music to front for us. Six weeks before the end of the season, we learned that we (120 singers plus 12 board members and staff) had to raise $100,000 inside of six weeks to break even.

Well, long story short, we did it. We did the usual ask the group for pledges, but it wasn't just pledges from us. We aided singers in creating solo recitals (I was on the production team) for family and friends, donation to the PSC. We made challenge grants for each other. We made impromptu auctions every rehearsal. I sold a dinner for eight with a soiree and delivered it on Valentines week this year. In short, we made a miracle. A blessed miracle.

This year, we cut our budget by 100,000. One planned concert bit the dust. I music managed a soiree event for 60 people on Halloween week - and helped raise $10,000. We're coming up on the "fundraiser" again - this time the Mozart Requiem and two other short Mozart choral/orchestral works - and we are ahead of target on ticket sales. If you are in Portland, Friday March 13, you will hear a superb and impassioned performance. Is it worth the work? YES!

The first lesson I give my students, often even before I meet them is this:

~~~ Sing! ~~~~

~~~~~~ Sing Often! ~~~~~

~~~~~ It doesn't matter WHAT you sing ~~~~~

~~~~~~It matters THAT you sing.~~~~~

(Oh, that's for you. And all you other non-singing singing Pezheads, too.)

Survival is possible for non-profit arts, but Lord, it's hard work and it takes luck and expertise, both. There is nothing I'd rather be doing.

Immortal Invisible Parody

(To Hymn Tune: Immortal, Invisible...)

Immoral, impossible, God only knows
How tenors and basses, sopranos, altos
At service on Sunday are rarely the same
As those who on Thursday to choir practice came.

Unready, unable to sight-read the notes,
Not counting, not blending, they tighten their throats.
A descant so piercing is soaring above
A melody only a mother could love.

They have a director, but one wonders why
No one in the choir deigns to turn him an eye.
It's clear by his flailing, he wants them to look
But each singer slouches with nose in the book.

Despite the offenses, the music rings out.
The folks in the pews are enraptured, no doubt.
Their faces are blissful, their thoughts appear deep.
But it is no wonder, for they are asleep.

(Ah, the joys of random e-mail contacts)

Yours, Gary Shannon

I teach online voice lessons!
www.voice-mentor.com.
My passion: Your art.

( 8-{D} Balding, bespectacled, mustachioed, happy, bearded guy, usually open mouthed.

Singing Low Notes

Today's question:

Dear Voice-Mentor,
I'm having trouble making my low notes more powerful and "open". Do u have any pointers?
x00x

Dear xoox,

This I can answer! If your air is flowing gently and throat is relaxed, this exercise will extend the vocal range:

~ First, find SOME notes that sound exactly like you want, in your case, powerful and open.
~ Next, sing those notes, really getting the feel of them, until they sound just right to you.
~ Then, and only then, you start to slide that sound down

Adding notes to your range IS muscle training: you get gains by exercising those muscles, not thinking about it. It takes some time to build muscle and flexibility.

~ Take a breath, sing your good note, and slide it a little lower in pitch..
~ KEEP THE SOUND GOOD - don't go so low that the sound and feeling worsen.
~ If the good sound worsens, back up and sing a higher note that you can do well.
~ Be careful on going down. Do it SLOWLY. KEEP THE SOUND GOOD.

If your good sound does not go as low as you want it to go, have patience, it will come with time.
If your sound suddenly goes weak or choked, you've gone too low for now.

~ SING THE LOWEST PITCH YOU CAN WITH GOOD SOUND.

This stresses and trains the the muscles some, but it keeps your technique good. Five to ten minutes on this exercise at a time is plenty. When you get tired doing this, when even your good notes start to soudn worse, take a break, do something else.

~ After a while of singing your lowest good note, and slide it down a little and back up.
~ Very soon, the next lower note starts to sound good, too.
~ Congratulations, you are closer to your goal ~ that new note is your new "lowest note"!

Depending on how far along you are, this whole drill may take only seconds or it might be weeks before your next note appears. If you can't take the good sound lower, then don't. Go back and stick to the higher pitch for now.

~ Practice that new low note a lot.
~ Try sliding into and out of the next lower note from time to time.
~ When the next lower note comes in beautifully, now sing that.
~ Keep adding notes this way until you have all the notes you need.

It's easy to try to go too far too fast, but then you get nowhere. The real, real secret is to make the good sound color you want, THEN stretch farther, but not too far or too fast.

I'm glad you asked that question. I've been meaning to post the answer on this blog. Now, here it is!

Yours, Gary
www.voice-mentor.com

The Harmonics Demo script

the Harmonics Demo Tape Script, Draft One:

Purpose: show fantastic vocalizing, song selection and presence in a short clip -

Capture interest and direct potential buyers to next contact

Caveat: We're limited to snippets of tunes unless we pay mechanical repro rights.

Request: comments, please. Recording is slated Jan 11

------BEGIN Script-------

Voice Over - (slate or movie bass sound)

"The Harmonics. dot com. demo track. Take One"

Group - (Get Ready, bridge)

"Whoa, I'm bringing you a love that's true. Get ready, Get ready.
I'm gonna try to make you love me too. get ready, get ready

Get ready 'cause here I come." ---

Get ready 'cause here I come!"

VO "

"The Harmonics. Dot com. Vocal Acapella. 2009. Not 1909

Group - (Romance[If I can get it], verse 4)

"Romance, I know it sounds old-fashioned, But the fashion is a passion with me
By chance of falling in love, I love the feeling passionately...
I'll take romance if I can get it, give me just one night, you won't regret it.."

VO

"The Harmonics. Dot com. Corporate friendly. Family friendly. just. friendly.

Group (Kiss the Girl, verse 5)

"Sing wit' me now... Sha-la-la-la-la-la Don’t be scared
You got the mood prepared, Go on and kiss the girl
Sha-la-la-la-la-la Don’t stop now
Don’t try to hide it how, You wanna kiss the girl,

go now kiss the girl ..."

VO

"The Harmonics. Dot Com. Four voices. Maybe microphones. Fits anywhere.

Group. (A Wink and A Smile, bridge 2)

"and now, Now my heart is music, such a simple song
sing it again, the notes never end. This is where I belong, belong
Just the sound of your voice the light in your eyes,

we're so far away from yesterday...

VO

"from Portland Oregon. Hal, T.J. Gary and Tom. For rent.

Group (And So It Goes, verse 3)

"so I would share this room with you, that's if the choice were mine to make,

but you can make decisions, too, and you can have this heart to break"

VO

"the Harmonics."

Group (Get Ready, tag)

"You know I never met a girl that makes me feel the way that you do.

Whoa, you're all right"

VO

(long pause) dot com.

----End script-----

Yours, Gary Shannon
I teach online voice lessons! www.voice-mentor.com My passion: Your art.
4022 SE 100th Ave. Portland OR 97266 503-761-1837
( 8-{D} Balding, bespectacled, mustachioed, happy, bearded guy, usually open mouthed.

Announcing "the Harmonics"

My men's acapella quartet chose a name, after rejecting scores of good and bad suggestions. When we first sang for our families, we found it: not over-used, easily understood and even the web address is available:"

"The Harmonics"

It is a great name for a group of artists, even according to dictionaries:

harmonics:
~~Agreeable relationship between the parts of design or composition giving unity of effect or an aesthetically pleasing integrated whole;
~~The science, theory or study of the physical properties and characteristics of musical sound.
~~ musical tones (or waves) whose frequencies are integral multiples of the frequency of a fundamental tone (or wave).
~~ A tone produced on a stringed instrument by lightly touching an open or stopped vibrating string at a given fraction of its length so that both segments vibrate. Also called overtone, partial, partial tone.
~~ Of or relating to Harmony:
Pleasing to the ear, a state of peaceful agreement and cooperation, a pleasant combination of two or more notes sounded at the same time, the way parts combine well together or into a whole.

[from Latin harmonicus, from Greek harmonikos, harmoni, "harmony; articulation, agreement", from harmos, "joint", from Indo-European Root *ar- "To fit together." Whence Latin ars, "art, skill, craft": ART, ARTIST]


We've got a few sample tracks up on the site, too. "The Harmonics.com"

Hallelujah

"Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen is one of those tunes you make your own by adding, changing or deleting lyrics. Compare
Leonard Cohen, (author in a German TV performance)

Damien Rice (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Performance)

Rufus Wainwright (from the movie "Shrek" in concert)


After the first two verses, each varies what comes next.

1 for Leo, Damien & Rufus
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
that David played, and it pleased the Lord,
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
It goes like this: the fourth, the fifth,
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah,
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

2 for Leo, Damien & Rufus
Your faith was strong but you needed proof.
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moon light overthrew ya
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

3. Rufus
Maybe I've been here before
I know know this room, I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew ya.
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

3: Damien 4. Rufus
There was time that you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me, do ya?
Remember when I moved in you
The holy dark was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

4. Damien 5. Rufus
Maybe there's a god above
But all I've ever learned form love
Is how to shoot at someone who outdrew ya
Well it's not a cry that you wear at night
And it's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

3. Leo:
You say I took the name in vain,
I don't even know the name,
But if I did, well really, what's it to ya?
There's a blaze a light in every word,
It doesn't matter which you heard,
The holy or the broken Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

4. Leo
I did my best. It wasn't much.
I couldn't feel so I tried to touch
I've told the truth and I didn't come to fool ya
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the lord of song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.

(even the closing tag changes)
Damien
Hallelu-----------jah. Hallelujah.

But the chords and the melody, they stay very close to:
C Am C Am
F G C G
C F G (tonic chord, the fourth, the fifth)
Am F (the minor vi, relative major IV) ~fantastic lyric writing~
G E Am -
F Am F C G C

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman 85% Spider-Man 65% The Flash 65% Robin 60% Iron Man 60% Green Lantern 55% Supergirl 50% Wonder Woman 45% Batman 25% Hulk 25% Catwoman 15%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the "Which Superhero are you?" quiz...