Voice Journal Spring 2017 Feb 14-20

Feb 14
Good lesson despite my exhaustion, but the exhaustion continued and so I didn't write this on time and I've forgotten most of it. Oops.
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Feb 15
Piano, minimal sight-singing, but I did warm up. Then once through Candle on the Water, paying attention to vowels, delayed consonants, and emphasis. Unfortunately I was so tired at that point I couldn't do anything more.
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Feb 16
An hour of piano and just about half an hour of sight-singing.
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Feb 17
No actual music homework--Music Lit paper. But I sang Tore Down for an hour or so, and practiced dynamics, emphasis, and just plain flat having fun. I was being an old blues singer, rather than Cathie. *grin*
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Feb 18
Have another Music Lit paper due Monday. Have to decide what to do first, since it's already Saturday.
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Well. If it's a choice between homework and singing along to Tore Down, guess what wins? But hey, that means music lit is out of the way for the rest of the weekend.

I notice that an old blues singer who's just having fun sings VERY differently than a music student who's desperate to get it right. I like singing the "n" sound on some words, and I change my tone completely on some notes, and I don't sing notes exactly on pitch but it's on purpose because they're blue and I'm bending them. Totally different than I sing for this class, totally.

Oh, and I meant to mention, got told to relax my shoulders in my piano lesson Thursday. *sheepish look* Then when I surfed through the videos for the Old-Time Piano Contest last night, I noticed the guys were so relaxed they actually looked floppy, like marionettes with no one at the strings. So maybe this semester's goal is to learn how to relax.
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Soundcloud Intervals. Head voice is easier than before but I'm not so certain about intonation.
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Feb 19
Starting with vocal warm-up. Tighter than I expected to be. No volume unless I force it. Neck is the culprit--hard like concrete. Continued warming up caused pain in diaphragm and then big headache between eyes. Drats. I have a LOT of singing to do today. Too bad that relaxed ol' blues singer can't do Candle on the Water.

Stopped, massaged, went back to last semester's voice warm up with more humming. Ooops, felt myself tighten up again. Massaged again, kept going. Easier to remember to keep tongue at bottom teeth today. Taking another massage break.... suddenly remembered to tap the lymph nodes at shoulders and underarms. Probably get the sinus drip going but I bet it helps my muscles relax.

Lord, I just wanna be that "happy-go-lucky blues singer teasing her audience." *sigh* That never hurts and I don't get tense... but it surely doesn't come up to scratch for a voice lesson.

Went as far as I could, then back to this semester's warm up; much easier but I'm still tight, neck, jaw, cheeks, forehead, even shoulder and arm now.... now between my shoulder blades. This is crazy. However, no matter the tightness, my voice is clearing and getting more pure as I warm up. I have more volume now, about 3/4.... ooops. Ohhhh that hurts. Had to stop and massage again.

Sheesh have lost a lot of volume in favor of tone and actually being able to sing. And finishing the warm up means yet another headache right between the eyes. I think I'll have to do the actual singing later, after I rest my back and let my face and neck relax. Drats. So much for warming up first!!
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Did my sight-singing and scale degree practice. Wearing out fast, didn't even make it all the way through the piano chapter. This may be a bust of a week for the song, shoot.
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Feb 20
Sight-singing at school, warmed up on humming. SO tense. Didn't have time for more. Maybe I'll be more relaxed tomorrow when I'm not stranded with no transportation. Oy.