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...

Sing-ism

Wyzant.com has me connecting to new students and teaching locally. If you go thru their service for lessons, you will pay more and I will get paid less, but you will get the security of an established third-party site that takes credit cards.

Here is a a sample initial contact.

------------------ Job Posting ----------------------

Hi there, I've been wanting to take voice lessons for quite sometime now and never really followed through with it. I have been playing the guitar for many years casually... but now its come to the point where i wanna play and sing and create music and eventually do the solo act doing a talent type of thing like downtown or for friends.. I have the guitar-ism down if you will... now i just need that sing-ism. what kind of information can you give me as far as everything i need to know ... Thank you in advance.. -- J.

Hi, J!

"Got guitar-ism. Need sing-ism." With that kind of word play, you might be a great lyricist.

I specialize in training beginning vocalists. I can guide you to sing-ism, everything from how to sing in tune and how to be present in the back row of the hall, to crafting your career and stage act. Everything.

Now for the barriers:

~~ You need to commit to work and practice during regular lessons. You need to commit to AT LEAST an additional :30 minutes three times a week. Triple that gets better results.

~~ Your home is outside my travel area. If you travel to East Portland regularly, we might meet somewhere there. Another solution: about half my students (some are overseas) take their singing lessons online. Get a computer headset and a free Skype account, Yahoo Messenger, or the like and you can take your lessons on-line.

~~ Share the credit information Wyzant wants so we can connect in person.

~~ Schedule your first lesson. What weekday afternoon (Pacific Time [GMT-8]) can we connect for an hour soon?

I hope to see your reply and hear your voice soon

Gary Shannon
Portland, OR

Hourly Rate: $36.00*
* Rate for advance purchase of at least 10 hours of tutoring ($40.00 otherwise).

Your first voice lesson

A new student request contact:

I am interested in experimenting with my singing ability. I am 23 years old and getting a late start with my desire to sing. I have no other prior experience with voice lessons of any kind or music lessons. With you have some time in your schedule I would like to possibly sign up for lessons with you. Looking forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you, [Name withheld]

Hi!
Gary Shanon, Oregon Portland/Gresham voice-mentor here.
This is a great time to get started. 23 is hardly too late! Chances are that you've been singing your whole life. You've already started if you've sung in a choir or karaoke with a good host. We'll take that experience and build on it.
In your first lesson, I'd like to find out what your dreams are, hear you sing a song and find out what you need and want to learn. Then we start practicing and really mastering what you need and want. Toward the end of the lesson, you'll get a homework assignment. Then we'll schedule your next lesson.
This 2008 summer, I normally teach during the day, since evenings and weekends are reserved for my gigs and my family. We'll also need to pick a place to meet: we can use your home, we can meet online or by phone, or there are places we can use near my home near I-205 and Powell Avenue.
As soon as you complete your contact/billing information, we can start!
Gary Shannon
Portland, OR
45 minute rate: $37.00*

What choirs want

This e-mail is from a singer we heard audition last weekend, but could not accept into Portland Symphonic Choir:

---------------------------------------------

Thanks for your feedback and for hearing me at my audition.

I wonder if you could answer a few questions that would help me perform better in the future:
What do you look for in members of the PSC? What can I do to improve my voice as you heard it, and how can I perform better in future auditions? How can I improve my chances of getting into an auditioned choir in the near future? Thanks for your input--- and good luck with the coming season of song!
Sincerely,

- [name and e-mail withheld]

--------------------------------------------------

Hi!

Gary Shannon, Portland Symphonic Choir tenor section leader here. Mark in the choir office forwarded your e-mail to me.

Generally, any major choir is looking for strong voices with a free, natural tone color. We cannot accept voices that are regularly out-of-tune, forced, nasal, swallowed, throaty, shouting, inaudible, strained, quavering, breathy, or pinched. Preparing music on your own, adequate vocal range and sight reading ability are secondary considerations.

Voice lessons are always recommended - even our very best singers take voice lessons, sometimes from each other. A free, well-supported sound, without much strain or effort is the goal, and it usually takes an outside ear or two to help develop it.

The audition committee generally does not generally give out details on why we select some singers and not others. However, if you will write back to me and tell me what song you sang for us to jog my memory, I will answer what I can regarding your own audition, and preparing for your next one.

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.

Renato Fabbro

I've had the good fortune of connecting to this ace pianist through Portland Symphonic Choir. Since he has no web-page yet, here is a note about him. Ron deserves a web presence.

Officially, per Tualatin Presbyterian Church::

Renato Fabbro received both Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in piano performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he studied with Larry Graham and Angela Cheng respectively. As a fellowship student at Rice University, he received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree under the tutelage of John Perry.

Dr. Fabbro has performed at the Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Music Festival, Boulder Bach Festival, Idyllwild Arts Academy, and was recently invited to give a master class at Marylhurst University in Oregon. Competition prizes include top honors at the Fort Collins Symphony National Young Artists Competition, Young Pianists Competition, MTNA Wurlitzer Collegiate Artist Competition, and the Lee Piano Competition. Concerto performances include those with the Fort Collins Symphony, Grand Junction Symphony, Centennial Philharmonic of Denver, Colorado University Orchestra, and the Grand Junction Youth Symphony.

Dr Fabbro has served on the faculty of Lee College, and has also taught at Rice University and the University of Texas at San Antonio Summer Music Institute.

Un-officially, Ron simply plays piano beautifully, accurately and reads music like nobody's business. That, and he knows all the same cartoons I do.