Olympic inspiration

Over and over last night in the women's figure skating competition, the announcers repeated this refrain: "This score represents her personal best." Kim Yu-Na of course, with her record breaking score, but also Joannie Rochette (performing after a huge personal trauma) and the two Americans Rachel Flatt and Mirai Nagasu. Flatt and Nagasu didn't medal but they were as pleased as if they had. Why? Because they performed their personal best. They put in the long hours of practice, honed their skills, and under the intense pressure of an Olympic audience they performed to the best of their capabilities. That's just as admirable as winning a medal, and for those of us who will never be Olympic athletes it's a great goal to strive for.

Are you performing your personal best? Are you putting in the practice hours to get better? Are you spending time where it's needed so that you can sing to the best of your ability? Are you asking questions to find solutions to your vocal difficulties? Are you seeking out new material that challenges you and gives you room to grow as a singer? Take ownership of your voice and your progress. Aim each day to say, I performed my personal best.

On staying motivated

In singing as in most other crafts, staying motivated is often the biggest single hurdle to achieving our goals. Whether it's trying to unlearn a bad habit, develop new muscle memory, remember the words to a new song or even just sing that one stupid measure correctly, there often comes a point when we feel like giving up.

In those moments the best thing to do is often to simply step away for a bit and come back to it later. But what happens when you're going through a particularly frustrating phase, when you feel like you've hit a plateau and the next level is nowhere in sight, when you're wondering what's the point? It can be hard to feel motivated to practice when it doesn't feel like you're getting anywhere.

I wish I could tell you that there's one easy answer, but we all know that doesn't exist. Instead, here are a few of my favorite ways to troubleshoot those annoying measures, get motivated to practice, move through the difficult moments in singing and get back to having fun.

*This list is by no means extensive and may not address your individual needs. Consult a voice teacher for your best results.

Troubleshooting - general guidelines
Support
Having trouble with a long phrase? Take it back to the breath. Sing through your pieces on a lip trill or tongue trill; if you have trouble with the trill, try a simple voiced consonant like a super loose "v", making sure to allow the air to gently move through. Remember: Air before sound.

Sing silently
Trying to nail down a specific passage? Don't kill your voice singing it over and over again. Sing it silently - read through the music, envisioning the best, healthiest way that you will sing it, and taking care to be precise with the rhythm. You'll be amazed at the amount of progress you can make on a song without having sung a note out loud.

Talk it out
Speak the words to your songs as if they were poetry or dialogue. You'll get a sense of how to sing it when you really feel the emotion and impact of the words. Alternate this with speaking the words in rhythm - it's much easier to learn tricky syncopations, language, etc. when you take the pitch component out. Put the notes back in once you've got the rhythm down.

Mix it up
There's a time for focusing intently on one song or a few difficult notes, but it's not usually when you're feeling frustrated. Take a break from the hard stuff and sing something silly. Sing an aria and then a musical theater number. Sing some Christmas carols or a cheesy pop song. Switch between trills and vowels, or your favorite warm-up and that pain-in-the-butt measure.

Take a breather
There's no shame in taking a break for a few minutes. Step away from the keyboard, make a cup of tea and go back later.

Getting motivated
See a show
Hearing a new singer or going to see a favorite band can often be just the motivation you need. Watching others having so much fun onstage reminds us why we work so hard - so that we can have that kind of fun too. And with cover charges usually $15 or under it's a pretty cheap way to get inspired.

Sing with others
Join a choir. Take part in ensemble class. Sing karaoke with your friends. Sharing the experience of singing brings us closer together and is just plain fun. And on the learning side of things, you'll improve your ear for harmony and be exposed to music you might not otherwise hear.

Read a book
There are loads of great books detailing the trials and tribulations (and techniques) that singers go through. Some of my favorites: A Soprano on Her Head, The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer, Great Singers on Great Singing. This is a tiny, tiny selection of what's out there, so if you look you're certain to find a book that resonates with you.

Having fun
Acknowledge your work
It takes time to develop muscle memory and to train your body to work as efficiently as possible. Even when things aren't going as easily as you'd like, it's important to remember that you're putting in the time and that it will pay off, probably sooner than you think.

Enjoy every minute
Becoming a successful singer is as much about process as it is about product. If you only narrowly focus on your shortcomings, you wind up missing so much else. What else are you learning? Moving through the hard stuff teaches us patience, self-forgiveness and acceptance of ourselves and our voices. If you can remember to enjoy those lessons as much as the specific vocal goals you have, I guarantee you'll enjoy singing a lot more.

The Voice Box Recommends - February 11 - 14

Lots of local art in action this week. Seattle company Backwards Ensemble is bringing in Brian Copeland for a 4-day run of his popular one-man show; experimental music group The Fisher Ensemble (of which I am a member) performs excerpts from Garrett's new opera; and musicians from all over town gather to raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake.

*****
NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN
Theatre Off Jackson
February 11 - 14, 8 pm
$20 - 50
Valentine's Day special - 2 tickets for $35

From Backwards Ensemble Theater Company:

The longest running solo play in San Francisco Theatrical History comes to Seattle for a very special limited engagement!

Brian Copeland's first solo show, NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN, reveals a little-known chapter of Bay Area history. In 1971, San Leandro was named one of the most racist suburbs in America. Congressional hearings were held. The next year, the then eight-year-old Brian Copeland and his African-American family moved to San Leandro. In a monologue that's both funny and poignant, Brian explores how surroundings make us who we are.

*****
Fisher Ensemble Artwalk Benefit
Cafe Metropolitain
Thursday, February 11, 7:30 pm
Suggested donation of $5-15

From The Fisher Ensemble:

Come join the Fisher Ensemble in a celebration of new art & performance!

In February we'll be performing our new piece, At the Hawk's Well in Seattle, and then in Boston and New York in March. Bring a friend, stop by for a drink and help us get there! Suggested donation: $5-15.

More info about the show: http://www.fisherensemble.org/atthehawkswell.html

The benefit will be in conjunction with the Capitol Hill's Artwalk; we have invited Seattle artist Garima Naredi to introduce us to some of her new work which will be on display.

http://www.garimanaredi.com/

Performing:
The Fisher Ensemble (excerpts of our new piece)
The Endeavors (http://www.theendeavors.com/)
Kathryn Hightower & Steel Grace Dance
Vanessa deWolf
Ines Andrade and Marchette DuBois
Rosalyn DeRoos
Amy Schrader

We hope to see you there!

*****
Seattle Sings for Haiti
Brahms Requiem
Friday, Feb 13, 7:30 PM
St. Mark's Cathedral
$10 suggested donation

From Seattle Sings For Haiti:

SEATTLE SINGS FOR HAITI

Combined Choirs of Seattle, members of Orchestra Seatte and NW Mahler Orchestra to perform at St. Marks Cathedral in Haiti Benefit Event

On February 13, 2010, at 7:30 pm, the city of Seattle will sing for Haiti.

The Northwest Mahler Festival, in collaboration with Orchestra Seattle and the Seattle Musicians' Haiti Benefit Project, will host a benefit concert in which Seattle's own George Shangrow will conduct Johannes Brahms' Requiem (entitled "Ein Deutches Requiem," Opus 45) before a chorus of combined Seattle area choirs and members of Orchestra Seattle and the Northwest Mahler Festival Orchestra.

St. Mark's Cathedral, which can support an audience of over one thousand, will donate the use of their sanctuary for the event.

Representatives from the aid organization Friends of the Orphans will be in attendance to collect donations for their work in providing aid to orphaned children in Haiti. Friends of the Orphans has ongoing projects in Haiti, and suffered the loss of several staff members and volunteers who were working in Port au Prince during the Haiti earthquake.

Donations will be collected at the door and 100% of all proceeds will be donated to Friends of the Orphans.

If you are unable to attend the upcoming gala performance at St. Mark's Cathedral, but would still like to donate to Friends of the Orphans, please visit their 2010 Haiti Earthquake Relief donation page, found here. Please indicate that you heard about Friends of the Orphans through Seattle Sings for Haiti.

What's goin' on?

Happy New Year (a couple weeks late) - here's the latest studio news:

• Winter quarter is in full swing at Music Center and our ensemble class is off to a great start. 19 fearless students are taking on scenes from Rossini's Cenerentola and Broadway hits Company and Title of Show, among others, as well as choral works like Lauridsen's lovely "Dirait-on". Everyone's been working hard to learn their music before staging starts next week. Mark your calendars for the concert on March 10th - you don't want to miss it! If you're interested in joining ensemble class next quarter, see me for more info.
  
• I've compiled a 20-minute vocal warm-up playlist for those of you without pianos to practice with at home. Let me know if you'd like a copy. And if you don't have a piano but would like to get one, Prosser Piano has student pianos available to rent for as little as $39.95 a month. (No, they didn't pay me to say that - I just like their stores and service.)
• Music Center is now on Facebook! Visit their page today and become a fan to keep updated on the latest news and events.
  
• I've added new links and a blogroll with some of my favorite and/or most helpful sites. If you have a favorite singing or music-related blog that I missed, send me the URL and I'll consider adding it to the list.
  

December performances

Tis the season for lots of holiday concerts! Here’s what your fellow students are up to in December, plus a few other fun shows:

Saturday, December 12th, 4 pm
The Gift of Music holiday recital
Music Center Recital Hall
Come hear Lexi Hagans, Achil Jackson and many other Music Center students sing holiday favorites old and new.

Saturday, December 12th, 8 pm
The Esoterics present CHIAROSCURA
St. Joseph’s Cathedral, 18th and Aloha
Hear an unforgettable program of choral music, featuring the rarely-performed Concerto for Mixed Chorus by Alfred Schnittke.

Saturday, December 12th, 7:30 pm
Northwest Chamber Chorus presents Comfort and Joy
Greenlake United Methodist Church
Deon Miyoi is a member of NWCC and their holiday program looks fantastic.

*****
Sunday, December 13th, 6:30 pm
Messiah Sing/Playalong
St. John’s United Church, 55th and Phinney
Warm up those “Hallelujahs” and celebrate the season by participating as a singer or instrumentalist in Music Center’s annual sing and play along of the Christmas portion of Handel’s masterpiece. Please bring a food or cash donation for the FamilyWorks food bank.

Sunday, December 13th, 3 pm
The Esoterics present CHIAROSCURA
Holy Rosary Catholic Church, 4139 42nd Ave SW (West Seattle)

*****
Wednesday, December 16th, 7 pm
Ensemble Class Concert
Come see Janessa, Jonathan, Arlene, Barbara, Achil, Donnie and many more Music Center voice students as they present an evening of scenes from opera, musical theater and the choral catalogue. This is a MUST-SEE event!

*****
Saturday, December 19th, 8 pm
Seattle Women’s Chorus presents Making Spirits Bright
Meany Hall, UW Campus
Arlene Havlark and the rest of the amazing SWC singers will knock your socks off at their annual holiday concert.

Sunday, December 20th, 2 pm
Seattle Women’s Chorus presents Making Spirits Bright
Meany Hall, UW Campus

*****
December 4-21, Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 8 pm
PIECES (The Authors Voice and Salome)
TPS Theatre 4, Seattle Center
Janessa Cummings Penn is currently starring in a one-woman show! The full description is available at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/81566; please note that the production may not be appropriate for children under 17.

Also, congratulations to Barbara Leigh on her November concert with Seattle Bach Choir and to Halle Townes who has been cast as Mrs. Potts in Ingraham High’s production of Beauty and the Beast. I love to see so many students involved in the community arts scene! If you’re not performing but would like to be, talk to me at your next lesson about preparing for auditions.

A prescription...for dehydration

An entertaining article (with recipe) from the November 22 Sunday Styles...

Shaken & Stirred

Barkeep, a Placebo on the Rocks, Please

By JONATHAN MILES

Published: November 22, 2009

Bartenders, normally dispensers of pleasure, have lately been playing doctor behind the bar.

My favorite tidbit:

Consider the Flu Shot, a drink on the menu at Drop Off Service, a bar on Avenue A in Manhattan. It’s a mixture of garlic-infused honey, jalapeño-infused tequila, orange-lemon-ginger purée and a few drops of liquid echinacea. The Flu Shot — which is meant to be slugged, not sipped — sounds like a cheeky gimmick. But its creator, Signe Grant, is earnest.

“You’ve got your vitamin C in there, and the garlic is an antiviral, and the ginger is also an antiviral and an immunity booster,” she said. Ms. Grant is also the creator of another remedy, the Throat Coat, in which honey-and-pepper-infused vodka and B&B, a French liqueur, are combined in a snifter with a spoonful of honey. This one is meant for sipping, and is tasty enough for taking with symptoms or without — which is decidedly more than one can say about Robitussin.

I hate to judge before tasting, but I think The Flu Shot might work simply because after you drink it no one will come near you. These bartenders' hearts are in the right place, but if you're a singer coming down with a cold, drinking alcohol is generally a bad idea. Have as much garlic, vitamin C, honey or echinacea as you want - just hold the liquor till you're healthy.

On Staying Healthy

Fall and winter in Seattle seem to sneak up on us every year - the leaves change color, the air turns crisp, the rain begins...and within a week or so half the city is sick. I was just hit with the flu 2 weeks ago, and now the crud is making its way through the school, causing missed lessons and lingering coughs that make singing (or even walking up the stairs) a difficult task.

Living in a city that is damp for over half the year makes it nearly impossible to completely avoid illness; however, as singers we rely on our voices and really can't afford to be sick at any time. The best thing we can do is take preventive measures to lessen the chance of catching a virus and make sure we're in the best overall health possible. Most of these measures are pretty standard: maintain a healthy diet (lots of green vegetables, not too much junk), drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, wash your hands often, get enough sleep. Seriously, I can't stress enough the importance of getting enough sleep!

Every once in a while, though, you can feel something coming on. Is it a cold or just allergies? Do I need to drink more water or is my throat dry because I'm getting sick? For these occasions, I have a few favorite homeopathic tricks up my sleeve.

**Please note that these are observations based on my own experience and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. I recommend that you visit your primary care physician before embarking on a treatment plan, and always check to make sure that the remedy you choose does not conflict with any of your current medications.

Favorite over-the-counter cold/cough remedies

When I feel a cold or sore throat coming on, I swear by Anti - V Formula. It contains a potent form of echinacea along with astralagus root and reishi mushroom, and it tastes disgusting. But it really works for me, and has stopped many a cold before it started. (Couldn't stop the flu though.) I first took it two years ago when I had a throat infection that wouldn't go away; within a day and a half of taking this every 3 hours, it was gone. Love it!

Singer's Saving Grace is a natural throat spray that can really help with dry, scratchy throat. The mint flavor tastes sort of like Aveda products smell, but it makes my throat feel much happier and I'll put up with a lot of funny tastes for that.

If you've already got a cold, Umcka can help shorten the duration; I have several students who have great success with this product. If you decide to use it I'd recommend getting the alcohol-free drops so you don't get too dried out.

Sometimes you just need a lozenge. My new favorites are Halls Vitamin C drops and Ricola Honey-Herb, but I'm pretty fickle. Find your favorite flavor and keep a stash with you.

For more homeopathic remedies to help with sinus congestion, visit my March blog post about allergy remedies for singers. Whether it's allergies or a cold, the sinus pain and remedies are pretty much the same.

Sometimes you just get sick and there's nothing to be done about it but let the virus run its course. If this happens to you, do everyone a favor and stay home! No one wants to get sick because you were so dedicated to your rehearsal, lesson or class that you couldn't stay away. Take the time to care for yourself, watch some bad TV, get well and come back when you're healthy.