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negative-speedforce · 2 months

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Your OCs find themselves face-to-face with a fairy-tale trickster! They're told they have to perform one song of their choosing, and it must be suitably entertaining to the trickster, or they'll lose their greatest skill forever! We're talking superpowers, Max's ability to design tech, Hyun-Ki's kills with performance (how ironic), whatever it is that makes them stand out.

What song do they pick, and how do they make sure the trickster is entertained by their performance?

Siv: Shows off their years of guitar lessons with a half-decent performance of "Boulevard of Broken Dreams"

Jay: Can't sing to save his own life, so he gives backup vocals for Cassandra's performance.

Cassandra: Sings "Texas Hold 'Em" by Beyonce, and while her performance by itself would have impressed the trickster by itself, she ends up making them leave because they got uncomfortable when Jay and Cassandra started making out.

Hailey: "Jokes on you, you can't curse me, I'm dead."

Ember: Uses his powers to make gemstones rain on them from the earth as they lipsync to P!nk's "Raise Your Glass" in her glitteriest outfit.

Arya: Mostly impresses the trickster with the fact that every songbird and squirrel was falling out of the trees around them because of their siren song, rather than their performance of BlackPink's "As If It's Your Last"

Gina: Asks if the trickster can wait like ten minutes, and she calls a few of her choir friends over and they perform "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" together.

Esme: Performs "Work Bitch" by Brittany Spears, and impresses them with the fact that no one should be able to dance that well while wearing heels that high and a skirt that short and tight

Cat: Joins Gina and her choir friends for "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" because they're gonna need someone for the alto line (or potentially the tenor line, if Freaking Travis doesn't show up again).

Max: Takes the microphone and starts singing Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" while slow dancing with Kyle and looking longingly into his eyes.

Kyle: Gets his old turntables from when he tried to learn how to DJ and makes a sick remix of Mad Love by Mabel

Eric: Pulls out his violin and performs "The Devil Went Down To Georgia".

Jacob: Serenades his husband with Elvis Presley's "I Cant Help Falling In Love With You".

Khalil: Sings "Daniel In The Den" by Bastille, attempts to impress the trickster by using his magic to create illusions to go along with the lyrics

Ameerah: Growls out a passionate cover of Hell's Coming With Me by Poor Man's Poison

Reggie: Manages to get through Rap God by Eminem without missing a single beat, impresses the trickster because xe's just this tiny kid who can rap that fast.

Antonio: Follows the trickster around for two hours playing The Song That Never Ends on kazoo until they promise not to curse him (yay psychological warfare)

Rania: Sings "Can't Catch Me Now" by Olivia Rodrigo and manages to impress the trickster with the sheer emotion coming through her performance (she is actually crying tears of rage by the end)

Kelsie: Sits the trickster down and pulls out a pad of paper and her glasses, and begins digging down into why they feel the need to do things like this. They feel much better after this impromptu therapy session.

Torryn: Just steals the trickster's magic and runs off with it.

Cory: Impresses the trickster with her fry scream and midair acrobatics while singing Monstarrr by Ennaria

Meredith: Starts signing aggressively about how she's "deaf and mute, dipshit, how is she supposed to perform music?" until the trickster feels bad and goes away.

Director Hawke

Onnie: Disintegrates the trickster before they can curse them and then she goes on with her day to day life.

Pippa: Sings a dreamy cover of "Flowers In My Hair" by Wes Reeve while daydreaming about kissing that mysterious Thawne girl she's only met a few times...

Jessi: Performs one of her own hit singles, puts on a really great show, and attracts a crowd of people because "OH MY GOD IS THAT JESSI JUNO???" (if you're looking for a real-world song with a similar vibe to her music, try "Bitches" by Tove Lo)

Hyun-Ki: Sings a haunting cover of Ave Maria, because no one expects the K-Pop star to be classically trained.

Marie: Screams out Girli's "More than a Friend" while useless lesbian-ing out over Qiara's existence, until she's blushing so bad that her face is bright green.

Liah: Dances to "Bombay Dreams" by KSHMR and shows off her skills from her former job as a Bollywood star.

Qiara: "No." *vanishes*. Jokes on you, you can't do that to an omnipotent space god.

Soraya: Asks for a religious exemption, since she's of the school of Islam that doesn't allow music or singing, so therefore she doesn't really know that many songs.

<note: for the Star Wars OCs, just assume it's the space equivalent to the song>

Thalia: Sings Elastic Heart by Sia (Space Version), actually does a fairly good job.

Reyna: Thinks she sounds great, but actually sucks so hard as she quite literally screeches out Space Demi Lovato's "Cool For The Summer".

Laila: Sings "Trouble" by Space Halsey, very obviously singing it to Athena. Stabs the trickster for even daring to suggest cursing her once she's done.

Athena: Manages to capture the trickster in a sack and then takes them back to her lab, where she decides to vivisect them to see how they work, all while singing a very sultry, seductive cover of Space Ariana Grande's "Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored"

Pyrrha: Screams out "Weapon" by Space Against the Current (which is basically her theme song), and impresses the trickster with her dance moves, since her cybernetic limbs have higher strength and range of motion than her natural ones.

Samira: Duets "Rewrite The Stars" with Aldrich, since it's their song as a vampire/human couple (BIG taboo on that one)

Aldrich: Duets "Rewrite The Stars" with Samira, taking Zac Efron's part while Samira does Zendaya's part.

Sohelia: Sings "Snakes" By PVRIS, all while visualizing Mr. Head of the Hunters' Guild, immortal alchemist, and accidental creator of Vampires everywhere, Thaddeus St. James, so she puts far more vitriol into her performance than necessary.

Dolores: Sings "Which Witch" by Florence + The Machine and impresses the trickster with her powerful belting and the sheer emotion behind the performance (living your life at risk of being hunted for sport will do that to you)

Victorie: Plays Vivaldi's Four Seasons on violin, since that was new music when she was alive.

Matt: Sings "Believe" by Cher, can't really do anything that special with his performance with his EDS and everything, so he makes sure and puts some extra "oomph" in with his voice.

Vanessa: Sings "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri, while slow dancing with Victorie, putting special emphasis on the line "Beauty is all she is".

Ellis: They're an angel, so they sing the Hallelujah Chorus with the voice of one. Probably go into the full "be not afraid" Biblically Accurate Angel form too.

#ask revan #oc shit #practically-an-x-man

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msilwrites · 3 years

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(A 3AM Update) A True Gentleman, Chapter 20 - A case of jealousy

A/N: Hi guys! Chapter 20 is up! Enjoy reading and tell me what you think in the comments below.

TWENTY

A case of jealousy

Diana stared at the large tall ceiling of the concert hall. Right now, she's lying down on the stage, with a book on top of her rib cage, whilst doing vocal exercises and singing. Without a doubt, any member of the orchestra knew it was Aedan's doing.

As Diana struggled to recover every time she needs to prolong a part, Aedan required her to practice her breathing and take her voice completely from her diaphragm.

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" You take the high road and I take the low, and I'll be in Scotland before ye, for me and my true love will never meet again, in the bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond..."

The instruments and Diana's voice closes the song, whilst the music fade, her cold voice prolongs the last verse, and echoes throughout the music hall, giving chills to people around. The hall was quiet for a while, but then applause followed coming from the orchestra musicians, appreciating the improvement in Diana's voice.

"OH MY GOSH! Aedan! your method work!!" she declares! seeing the improvement in her voice.

"It did, but you can't sing lying down during performances, Diana!" Aedan says playfully. "Which is why it is important to practice standing!"

Diana sighs and gets up from the floor. Singing had drained her a bit of vocal power and physical energy, therefore she needed a short break. She sits beside Aedan and takes the unopened bottle of Snapple beside him.

"That was mine!" he reprimands.

"I owe you one..." was her quick response.

"You owe me a lot, speaking of which... what was your Dr Skovgaards reaction?"

She narrows her eyes at him, remembering the incident that had recently taken place. "Are trying to get me into trouble, Aedan?! you bloody sent my dress for the wedding gig, with a box of flowers and a 'dirty' letter-"

"Which you wrote by yourself by the way!" Aedan quickly rebuffs her.

" It was your idea! I told you to discard it!! You made it look like some scene in some cheesy r-rated novel!" she says reprimanding him, but all he did was laugh at her.

" So? Did it work? did it work? what was his reaction?! tell me! tell me! you're killing me with the suspense!."

**********

FLASHBACK

It was Saturday quarter to noon when the doorbell rang. Isaac, since he was having his day off, was the one who answered the door, instead of Diana. Heck, that girl almost never showed her presence recently, and only placed mail for him at the dining table.

Isaac opens the door and was surprised to find a delivery man carrying a large black box of 'Net-A-Porter' and on his other hand, was a huge round box of bright pink roses.

"I did not order such thing!" was the first thing he said to the delivery man.

But the delivery man just laughed at him " Well, no one ordered them, these are all for 'Diana Rutherford' unless you happen to be her. Anyways, could you help me receive them? It's really heavy..."

Isaac's mouth hung agape, he didn't know how to react at the moment, and just took the boxes that the delivery man was carrying.

" Alright, please help me sign here to receive and we're good!" the delivery man hands him the 'received slip' after signing before leaving.

Isaac carries the boxes to the living room, and as much as he didn't want to, began snooping in. On top of the net-a-porter box was a card. He opened it and read its contents.

" To my sweetest Diana,

I hope you love the dress and the flowers I gave you. They represent my feelings towards you. I will fill you with love the next time I see you, I want to fill you with all the joys of the flesh, you lovely, lovely woman... I'd fill you until -"

Isaac clenched his fist and unknowingly crumpled the side of the letter. He read throughout it and it became steamy to explicitly dirty. His face felt warm, imagining what Diana had done with the man who sent these things, he just couldn't accept it and that was what broke the camels back.

He read the name at the end of the letter 'Sam'.

He chuckled and finally decided. "Alright, Sam... off you go..." he mumbles to himself. He didn't exactly know what came over him, but he wanted to throw the things this 'Sam' guy has sent.

"Dr. Skovgaard!" a familiar voice from up the stairs called him. He looked up to find Diana, looking at him expectantly. "Are those for me?!" she said excitedly, and came jogging downstairs."

"Uhhmmm... yes, some 'Sam' guy sent it to you..."

Diana forced a smile. 'Sam' was the pseudonym that she and Aedan agreed upon when they wrote the letter. Heck, she told him to abort the plan, but it seems it wasn't the case.

She quickly takes the boxes from Isaac and took a look at their contents, the dress she rented for one of her performances was already there. Aedan had packed it using a net-a-porter box to make it look like it was 'bought' instead of being rented.

The flowers were something she had bought for herself to place in her room, but it was Aedan's idea to make it look romantic.

She looks at the letter, and cringe upon reading it. It was actually a group of explicit letters formed into one. On the side, she couldn't help but notice the large crumple on the perfectly smooth surface of the card.

"Did you read the letter, Dr Skovgaard?" she felt blood rush to her cheeks.

"Uhhhmmm... no..." was his quick denial, however, Diana's gaze made him admit to it unknowingly. " Yes... by accident, sorry I was curious... " was his immediate defence.

"Oh..." she felt embarrassed and screamed internally.

There was a moment of awkward silence between the two before he spoke again.

"Whose, Sam? Are you two dating?" he tried to sound casual, but there was a strain in his voice that didn't escape Diana.

"Oh... uh, ahehehehe," she laughs awkwardly, avoiding his gaze. She noticed his expression darken and definitely didn't want to look him straight in the eyes. "It's a secret Dr Skovgaard!" she declares and winks at him, catching him off-guard.

She quickly takes the boxes from Isaac, and the card, and ran back upstairs to her room, singing a sensual tune, called 'Pillowtalk'. "I love to hold you close, tonight and always, I love to wake up next to you..." she dreamily sings.

Isaac clenched his teeth, the dreamy and shy expression, and singing silly to a dirty tune. This woman was smitten to whoever this 'Sam' guy is.

He did not like it one bit.

END OF FLASHBACK

**********

Diana shakes her head, and covers her face in embarrassment, just by remembering the letter she wrote to herself, and the fact that Isaac has read the letter.

On the side was Aedan laughing his head off upon hearing everything that had happened.

"Stop it, Aedan!" she chastises him, slapping his shoulder, but he just laughed louder. "I'm about to die in embarrassment!"

"You should thank me! you got the reaction out of him, he's jealous!" he exclaimed.

"I don't think that's the case Aedan, I think he's more concerned and angry at the thought of me probably dating a hypersexual man."

"Oh, Diana, based on what you told me, he's definitely jealous! trust me! I'm a man!" he assures, but she still doesn't believe.

"Oh well... I guess I'd revel in his reactions while it lasts... " She sighs.

**********

The next weekend, her first assignment is to sing at a society wedding. Aedan saw that Diana lacked confidence, and he didn't want her to stand and sing awkwardly on the day of the main performance. So what other way can she build confidence? by doing a performance! Or throwing her to the sharks full of water, courtesy of Aedan.

Today, she was going to sing with a piano quintet, and the church choir and she couldn't help but feel nervous, knowing she is the soloist for today and felt regret despite the promise of payment.

"Well... I can finally buy a 3D printer..." she assures herself as she walks towards the church's opulent doors wearing the dress that she had 'sent' herself.

She knew this wee bit of money will help her buy the tools she needed in order to set up a small workshop studio she wanted and with renewed spirit, enters the halls of the church. Voices echoed as she entered halls, some of the guests were already seated whilst a number of children were still running around. The quintet was already there, setting up their strings and reading the music sheets, whilst the small choir were still chatting amongst themselves.

She heads towards the pulpit where all the musician was, but before she could even reach the place, familiar voices called her from behind. Turning around, she found her cousin Henry, beside her father, Francis and they were wearing kilts, and then she realized most of the men in the halls were indeed wearing kilts. Without a doubt, this was a Scottish wedding.

"Diana! It's nice to see you!" Henry greets, as he gets out of the pew to embrace his cousin.

"Ahehe... Henry? Da? What are you doing here?" was her first question.

"I should be the one asking you that!" was Francis reply. "What are you doing here? Do you happen to know the bride or groom?"

"Oh... uhhmmm... you know... to sing!" she declares.

"What?!" Francis was stunned. Sing?! Why does she need to sing? Unless she was actually the wedding singer. "Wait! Are you-"

"I'll talk to you later Da!" she says, half running to the pulpit, not wanting any more of the interrogation. It was better if he finds out himself that the wedding singer is his daughter. She'd face his wrath later on.

Half an hour later, the wedding has begun. She clears her throat and opens with the song called ' The One by Kodaline, as the entrance wedding march.

The piano began, and the choir began to sing the back vocals. Her cold voice followed, singing the first verse.

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"Tell me. Tell me that you want me. And I'll be yours completely For better or for worse." she sings, as the processional march began with the wedding officiant entering first, followed by the groom and his best men. Afterwards, the bridesmaids, groomsmen and the ring bearer and flower girls entered the halls, scattering flowers down the floor.

And when the brides, turn came, the guess had stood up to welcome her.

" You make my heart feel like it's summer When the rain is pouring down You make my whole world feel so right when it's wrong That's how I know you are the one " she closes, the song when the bride had reached the altar. Turning to the side, she watched the groom shed some tears, as he took his bride's hands. It was no mistake that it was tears of joy.

She turned and found a number of guests, also crying. Including her father, and cousin, Henry. Heck, she'd never thought she'd see the day these tough men cry.

A pang of jealousy hits her as she watched the wedding ceremony. It takes her back to the time when she was seventeen, dreaming of her own wedding, whilst looking at Vera Wang wedding catalogues on the internet. She too dreamt of getting married to a man who loves her, a man who'd help her escape from her once uncaring father. A man who'd take away all the pain that she had suffered. But no, the man whom she almost married gave nothing but pain. If they did end up on the altar, she wondered if she would've become mental by now, or currently doing divorce proceedings. It took many twists and turns for her to realize that only she can make herself happy.

When the vows ended, Diana took it as a cue to sing the next song 'Fix You' by Coldplay. The strings open the song followed by the piano and then the hum of the choir.

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"Tears stream down your face I promise you, I will learn from my mistakes Tears stream down your face and I...

Lights will guide you home And ignite your bones And I will try to fix you" The choir and quintet fade in the background as she prolongs the last word, and her voice echoed like cold wind throughout the church's halls.

The bride and the groom cry with tears of joy as the song ended, touched at the way Diana sang the song. The couple looks at each other fondly, before turning back to the altar.

"I now pronounce you Husband and Wife! You may now kiss the bride!" the wedding officiant declares.

Without any hesitation, the groom lifts the bride's veil and kisses her. Loud applause and cheers followed, and the recessional music plays.

Diana watched the bride and the groom march out of the church, followed by their cheering guest. It was moments like this that made her question her own life. However, she puts it aside, knowing where her priorities now lie.

A/N: I might have made some grammatical errors, so I'd do some soft editing along the way.

I hope you enjoyed that one! What do you think of Isaac being jealous? tell me in the comments section below.

#A True Gentleman #Mads Mikkelsen #Mads Mikkelsen Fan Fic #Mads Mikkelsen FanFic #Mads Mikkelsen Fan Fiction #Mads Mikkelsen FanFiction #Mads Mikkelsen x OFC #ooc #Original Female Character #Doctor! Mads #MissIronLady #MSILWRITES #MISSIRONLADYIW

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you-turn-it-into-light · 4 years

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Wakana - magic moment (2020) Album Review

My girl releases another album less than a year after her first. What a hardworking woman! First, let’s do some overall thoughts:

I really love the title of this album, it’s a happy title for a mostly happy sounding album

I also love the cover, maybe even more than the ‘Wakana’ Album

Are those shoes the same ones from the Aki no Sakura EP?

I really love the diversity of sound in this album. One of my complaints of the first album was the lack of variety. I love me some ballads (70% of my playlist of all the music I listen to are sad songs) but it felt a bit stale after a while.

My complaints with Wakana’s singing is always going to be the same thing since her vocal delivery has not really changed technically that much. Her vibrato is actually quite nice as opposed to what some people would say as ‘Goat Wakana’ (great criticism I must say), especially at the end of 442, her lower register is gorgeous but has no support (as expected of a soprano) and her higher notes in her chest voice are quite nasally. Her falsetto however is quite grating on the ears (I’ll elaborate later)

Why is Orange on the album? To fill up space, that’s why (I get it, making an album is hard, but why not just leave it out? There’d still be 10 songs) And Wakana wrote the lyrics, I guess?

I’m really interested to see how some songs will be performed live with some overlapping vocals (in 442) and strings being in many of the songs (without a violinist for the upcoming live)

I listened to the album first when I was in a bit of a bad mood so everything seemed super average. I’m feeling a bit better about most of the songs. Also after reading the self-liner notes for the album and listening to the lyrics, I was able to appreciate some of the songs more.

Okay, now for the individual songs:

breathing

(Lyrics: Wakana | Arrangement/Composition: Yumemi Kujira)

The orchestra sound is so gorgeous. At first it was weird hearing the japanese lyrics though lol. I like how they added different instruments for variety’s sake. The choir in the background was more hit or miss for me. During the first chorus is was really distracting but it was great for the rest of the song. My main problem is not the song itself but Wakana’s delivery of the falsetto; it’s very disconnected and screechy. It’s very hard to listen to and since the same chorus is repeated 4 times? It makes it a bit of a hard song to listen to overall. Wakana needs to develop better placement, breathing techniques and support when hitting notes in her head voice.

揺れる春 (Yureru Haru)

Lyrics: Wakana | Arrangement/Composition: Miki Sakurai

I don’t really like this song? The lyrics are quite nice, but it just feels like a plain upbeat song about being happy and reaching for goals and all that fun generic stuff. But what Wakana said in the self liner notes made me feel a bit better about the song:

“The hook’s 駆け出した (run off) and 君の叫び (your scream) are connected, right?”

“The urge to run off and shout. It’s exhilarating, and the canvas that you have now is white so you can draw freely and go with the urge. And the second verse’s 睫毛に触れたのは昨日の自分の欠片 (What touched my eyelashes was the pieces of yesterday’s me) are about tears. The tears hit my eyelashes and one part stops there. The fragments that came out of itself include those that you pick up yourself (I had a hard time translating that sentence so I used google translate hehe).

where

Lyrics/Composition: AlbatoLuce | Arrangement: Akihito Takashi

I LOVE Wakana’s low register in this song and the verses. I also really like the acoustic guitar, it provides a really contrast to the more dance-centric feeling of the song. The first chorus still lacks the appropriate punch, but the key change for the second half of the song makes up for it. Also those ‘wooah’s’ are really awesome. Wakana’s voice during the 3rd verse (after the key change) is just gorgeous.

442

Lyrics: Wakana, Airi Okamoto | Arrangement/Composition: Koichi Ikekubo

I really wanted to know the meaning of the title, and apparently it’s the hertz sound of a baby crying for the first time!

“The lyrics are co-authored. First we talked about the subject (of the lyrics), we said “When we plan the song, let’s make the theme the reason why you started singing”. So when looking at the lyrics given to me, words came out from inside of me. In particular, the phrase 愛の声が聴こえた (I heard the voice of love) that Okamoto-san produced for us for the hook. [...] I thought that I was born to listen to the “voice of love”. And so, that singing voice is echoing throughout my whole body. It’s strange to cry with the same sound of when we were born. I wonder why? I thought about it, I was born to do something and I thought that your first cry was a singing voice that expressed it.”

I love the melody and instrumentation of this song, especially the chorus. The chorus holds an incredible amount of weight. Apart from her nasality, Wakana’s singing is quite solid throughout this song. I love Wakana’s ‘ai no’ at the last chorus. So much power! I also really like the violin and am disappointed that there won’t be any in the live... Also I love the last line 響き渡る歌声 (resounding singing voice) and the music stops when Wakana sings ‘singing voice’. I don’t have anything objective to say about it, I just adore that part.

ひらりひらり (Hirari Hirari)

Lyrics/Composition: Silence! | Arrangement: Mamoru Kuge

Bland... It might take me a few listens but I don’t know if I’ll like this song. Wakana’s singing during the verses is gorgeous, very clear and the melody of the verses and pre-choruses are lovely, but the chorus is really bland and forgettable. I like what Wakana said about the song though.

“It's a song for people who want to meet but can't meet, whether it’s because you can't meet because you're away or because you don't have the courage.”

I’m in a long-distance relationship, so this song hits home a little bit. The lyrics are actually quite sad. If the whole song was like the verses I’d like it a lot more but the chorus is so uplifting...

アキノサクラ (Aki no Sakura) (Acoustic ver.)

Lyrics: Kei Saito, Yoshitaka Taira | Composition: Kei Saito | Arrangement: Toshio Uchida

I love the combo of bongos and accordion! There isn’t much to say about this song apart from the new instrumentation and the tempo. I really like the former but not really the latter. I don’t think I like it more than the original, but it’s a very nice song. The vocalisations during the bridge is also a pretty touch, especially when Wakana sings along with the music. and that ‘naite’ at the end was so emotional

myself

Lyrics/Composition: AlbatoLuce | Arrangement: Yoshifumi Ise

When I first heard this song, I thought it was BORING. On the second listen, I really liked it. Wakana’s voice is so gorgeous on this song. I love the melody of the line 壊れぬように抱きしめてた (I embraced it so it wouldn’t break). Her vibrato is a bit shaky with the delivery and her low register is not as clear as other tracks (but maybe that’s because of the mixing). Some of the strings sound synth, especially during the bridge but I’m not very sure. The parts with just the one violin instead of the quartet are my favourite bits of the instrumentation; it sounds really lonely. There’s nothing much else to say about it, a very solid song.

君だけのステージ

Lyrics: Wakana | Composition/Arrangement: Satoshi Takebe

I was disappointed. I really like this song and in my review of the live version I mentioned that her high register suits a song like this. But the way Wakana’s singing in the recorded version sounds different to me. The vowels are shaped in a way that sounds like a sadder song. Maybe this me being picky, but it took away from the happier experience. The nasality in her voice is the worst in this song, it literally sounds like she needs to sneeze and drink some water. Also the added noises (synth bells?) during the pre-chorus is very distracting. My review sounds very negative, but I really like this song and the lyrics are gorgeous.

Happy Hello Day

Lyrics: Wakana | Composer: Akihiro Kasuga | Arrangement: Shu Kanematsu

At this point, the strings are really nice, even if they’re getting a bit old. But the piano during the verses is very cool... I really like the strings in the chorus and the melody of it too. The message of the song is quite sweet and easily applicable to anyone in every day life. These lyrics in particular:

手を叩き軽やかに Clap your hands lightly, 口笛吹いて whistling. ありふれた幸せで僕らはできてる We are made of ordinary happiness.

君が空を仰いで涙流し You look up at the sky, shedding tears. 息を詰まらせて動けなくなったら If you get short of breath and can't move, 此処に僕が居る I'm here.

These lyrics (for like the first 2 lines) are about a performer and the audience. Creating the atmosphere of a happy and chill live (clapping lightly, still listening to the music) and everyone being the same, even the performer. The second section reflects the way some people view performers and music to be an escape from their life. But it can also be interpreted as just an everyday person being happy to have met someone they like. I love how it’s so interchangeable and up for interpretation.

magic moment

Lyrics: Wakana | Composer: SIRA | Arrangement: Shu Kanematsu

The strings are gorgeous (why no strings for the live????!!!!) and so are the verses. I particularly love the pre-chorus. The chorus however is quite bland and boring and the changing rhythm is a bit hard to grasp. The lyrics are lovely as well. I mean, I’m biased because Wakana wrote them. But I love these ones:

いつから夢も見ない大人になったの？ Since when did I become an adult that never dreamed? 最後の場所は決めたよ　さあ行こう I've decided on the last place. So, let's go!

The song is actually quite growing on me. I’m sure I’ll keep liking it but the chorus is still weighing it down.

OVERALL:

I really like this album. An unimpressive first impression followed by a very nice second and third one. I’m impressed with the amount of variety in the songs and her singing is mostly solid. I just wish she would improve on different places and I’ll probably keep complaining about them. I think Wakana is liking the independence when it comes to helping the creation of these songs and I’m very happy for me.

#wakana #magic moment #album #review #2020 #kalafina

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seouledbysisi · 4 years

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Something New

Chapter Twelve

Sasha

A couple of months had passed without Jaehyun physically there with her. She lied in bed in sorrow most nights. How had things changed so fast. She understood that his mom had a responsibility to do what was best for her children and she had to get away from her father but it was such bad timing. She and Jaehyun had just gotten together and things were going so well and now she wondered could they weather through this change. They hadn’t been together for a really long time so she prayed that he wouldn’t find someone better or more like him there in Korea. Every night before she fell asleep she replayed their last goodbye or ‘see you later’ as he called it.

-FLASHBACK-

They stood in the airport holding each other’s hands.

“I don’t want to let you go.” Sasha spoke as tears started to well up in her eyes.

Jaehyun sighed and pulled her into his chest. He held her tight. His heart had started pounding like crazy. It scared him to leave her. What scared him most was that she wouldn’t be able to deal with the distance and she would call things off. “I don’t want to leave you either. This is so hard for me too. You know that, right?”

She nodded in his chest. A tear escaped. “Don’t forget about me.”

He pulled back from her and stared into her face. Trying to permanently lock in her features in his brain. “How could I ever? You’re the best thing that has happened to me in a very long time.”

She wiped her nose. She couldn’t control her emotions. She was breaking down. “What if you find someone else whose prettier?”

He shook his head quickly. “You’re the prettiest in my eyes. Besides you have everything I want and need.”

His mom came up and rubbed her back. “I’m so sorry, Sasha. But you’re more than welcome to visit us whenever. Just say the word. You’ve been so good to my family and at this point you’re apart of my family.” She kissed her forehead and stood to the side.

Ivy, Brianne and Johnny all walked up and joined in the group hug.

“See you later,man!” Johnny said as he patted his shoulder.

“It’s time, Jeffrey.” His mom said softly as she rubbed his back.

He finally allowed a tear to fall onto his cheek. “Have no fears, babe. I’ll always be yours.” He whispered to her. “I love you.” He spoke quickly and let her go before she could even respond and grabbed Max up and followed his mother and Ellie.

Ivy pulled her into her embrace and rubbed her hair. “It’s gonna be okay, love.”

-FLASHBACK ENDS-

A knock formed on Sasha’s door. Her mom came on in and laid on the bed with her. She knew her daughter hadn’t been the same since he left.

Sasha knew her dad didn’t approve of how hard she had been taking Jaehyun’s departure but he just didn’t understand. Jaehyun meant a lot to her and his presence was something that she longed for.

“I have something for you.” Her mom whispered as she laid a piece of mail in front of her. “I think you should open it. It’s from Mrs. Jung.”

She tore the mail open. It was a letter from her plus a plane ticket voucher to use anytime she wanted.

Hello Sasha,

I pray all is well. I’m so sorry for causing an inconvenience to you and Jaehyun. I see how hard it is for my son without you. He doesn’t talk much and stays locked up in his room and I know I’m the cause of this behavior. You may not understand this but I had to leave. I couldn’t stay here where my husband is, I couldn’t allow him to change my mind about leaving. I pray you will forgive me and not ever punish my son. He loves you very much and so do I. Here’s a plane ticket. I meant when I said you could come here whenever. I’d love to have you here!

With so much love,

Mrs. Jung

Her heart felt a bit lighter after reading Mrs. Jung’s words. She could never be mad at Mrs. Jung. She understood that they were dealing with tough circumstances and she wasn’t a selfish person. Nonetheless she just missed Jaehyun. Seeing him on FaceTime was great but it was nothing like getting to feel the warmth of his arms wrapped around her or the spark from the soft kisses her gave to her. It was just different but she had to find a way to deal with it because she couldn’t lose him.

Ivy

The ladies walked the halls of school together. There were posters advertising the prom’s theme everywhere. Arabian nights.

“So we’re still going prom dress shopping after school, right?” Ivy asked the girls.

Brianne looked over at Sasha with sad eyes. “Yeah of course.” She answered under her breath.

Ivy sighed as she noticed that Sasha didn’t answer. “You’re still going to prom. Me, you and Johnny! He’s both of our dates, he has no choice in the matter.” She giggled.

Sasha shook her head. “No, this is senior prom. Our last one, I’m not ruining your moment simply because I don’t have a date. I’m fine, I’ll probably just try to FaceTime with Jaehyun that night.”

Ivy snatched her around. “The only way you will ever ruin it is by not going with us. Johnny already knows he’s both of our dates. Jae wouldn’t want you to miss this night, Sasha!”

Sasha exhaled deeply. “So you’re making me go?”

“You’re damn right I am!” She responded with her hands on her hips.

Brianne giggled. “And if you don’t want Johnny you can always share Taeil with me!”

Ivy rolled her eyes. “She should be ever so lucky to walk arm in arm with my man!” Ivy laughed.

“I guess I’m going dress shopping then.” She sighed. Her phone pinged. Jaehyun.

I’m thinking of you, baby <3

Her face lit up. She wasn’t expecting a text from him but it’s almost like he knew the right moment to remind her that everything was going to be okay in due time.

Ivy snatched the phone. “He’s so cute!” She handed the phone back. “He loves you, Sasha!”

Brianne smiled. “I don’t know how you do it. I’d be stressing out everyday!”

Sasha shrugged. “This is the test of all relationship tests.” She giggled. “But I’m not giving up.”

Ivy beamed at her. “That’s the spirit. Plus he’s loaded, you can see him whenever you want.”

Sasha rolled her eyes. “His parents are loaded, he can’t just use their money on me whenever he feels like it.” She chuckled.

Ivy shrugged. “Johnny does for me.”

Brianne cleared her throat. “Speaking of him again, did y’all ever have sex?”

Ivy began to blush. “Now you know if he had popped this cherry y’all would be the first to know! But I do think it’s happening soon.”

Sasha became curious at this point. “Everyone has sex on prom night, you think it’s happening?”

She nodded with a huge smile. “It better cause if it doesn’t I’ll be so disappointed!”

“Why?!” Brianne exclaimed a little too loudly that people in the hallway looked at them.

Ivy giggled. “Because I’m ready. Every time I’m around him I’m hot and bothered. Something has got to happen, cause I don’t wanna feel like this every time he’s in my presence.”

“You do realize that the feeling will probably be amplified once y’all act on it, right?” Sasha told her with a smile.

Ivy shrugged with a smirk on her face. “Well so be it! I’m too ready for the di-“

“Don’t finish that sentence!” Brianne quickly cut her off. She was a little weird about too much intimate ‘bed talk’.

Johnny

For some reason a few scouts from SM had been in and out of the music room all day. Johnny wanted to be nosey to see what had been up.

He stood to the side of the door as he listened to someone singing. The voice was amazing. Sounded like the voice of an angel.

He cracked the door open a bit and was even more shocked that the voice was coming from Taeil. He knew he was in the school choir but he had no idea the man had vocal cords that good.

https://youtu.be/sCAIXySOw4w

youtube

Taeil

After he got through singing the scout gave him a standing ovation.

“Your choir director recommended you. How do you feel about being an idol?” She asked.

Taeil raised an eyebrow. “What’s a idol?”

“It’s a singer, performer in Korea. You’ll be placed in a group. You’ll go through rigorous training and when the company thinks you’re ready you’ll debut for the world to see.” She explained.

Taeil shook his head. “I just do this for fun. I’m not trying to be a performer.”

“Think about it, what could be better than having a million screaming girls who are infatuated with everything about you?” She asked with a smirk on her face.

He shrugged. “I get enough attention from my girlfriend.”

The woman sighed. This was harder than she thought it would be. “What about traveling the world? What could be better than experiencing many different cultures?”

“Now you have a point. That could be fun.” He said with a smile.

She nodded. “And some of your schoolmates have already been scouted as well.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Like who?”

“Taeyong Lee and Johnny Suh.”

His eyes widened from shock. He wondered why Johnny hadn’t mentioned anything. They hung out with the girls every weekend so it was strange that nobody had mentioned anything.

“Look, you have an amazing voice and we need that. You have range and you could potentially debut being a main vocalist. Your voice would be out front! Here’s my card. Contact me soon if you’re interested because after you graduate we need you in Korea! I’m looking forward to your call.” She said and grabbed her things and left out.

Taeil started back playing the piano. He had only visited Korea before like maybe twice. His parents were born there and he had grandparents there but that was about it. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do but he knew that SM wanted an answer sooner rather than later unfortunately so he didn’t have time to think long.

-stay tuned

#fanfic #stories #kpop #kpop idols #soft hours #nct yuta #nct 127 #nctzen #nct jaehyun #nct taeyong #nct johnny #nct mark #nct haechan #nct doyoung #nct jungwoo #nct winwin #fangirl #czennies

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trainthief · 6 years

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Hey I was wondering if you'd ever consider doing like a top 20 fav classical music albums or composers list or something. Obviously if that just sounds stressful disregard this but I know you are like, into classical music & I grew up with my parents playing it & recently got, like, into the classical station but aside from like 3 artists I like I don't know where to start & I like your blog and would be interested in hearing about like, your taste

Sorry for responding to this so late, I’ve had a real week and I wanted to make sure I had time to put some thought into answering this ask. I’d definitely love to help, I always like recc’ing classical stuff to people! The idea of 20 absolute all time favorites is a difficult one for me because I love so much stuff and it’s really difficult to compare like… Caroline Shaw’s modern experimental chorale stuff to Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos. Anyway, instead I will give you some full length pieces in different styles that I think are great for new listeners, and explain a little about what each one is doing and what I love about it, and some more pieces I recommend if you enjoy what you’re hearing. Hopefully that will help!

In no particular order:

Appalachian Spring by Copland: Let’s just get this one out of the way up front. If you’ve been following me for any amount of time at all, you know I’m deeply in love with Copland. He essentially invented the American compositional style by adding jazz elements to the established practices, which caused an absolute uproar at the beginning of his career as people then considered it an unholy mix of high and low culture. He doubled down on this concept when he wrote “Fanfare For The Common Man” which essentially stands as a celebration of the working class and those who couldn’t afford to see the symphony anyway. He was, I should also note, both gay and Jewish. A real icon. Anyhow, although I love so much of his work and could go on forever, I consider listening to Appalachian Spring in its entirety a spiritual experience, no exaggeration. Take it on a hike, listen to it while you look at the trees and think about whatever crosses your mind, and by the time the Coda hits you… well I personally can’t tell you what experience to have, but I feel for a second like I can see and be seen. Anyway, aside from that, just good music, very pretty. If you’d like similar music that incorporated jazz effectively into classical work, I’d of course recommend another favorite of mine: Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin.

Russian Easter Festival by Rimsky-Korsakov: As a general rule of thumb, Russian composers are ALWAYS good for some drama. This piece in particular is great because it’s not only fanfare and excitement, there’s a touch of pastoral calmness that I really love (more on that as a concept later) at the beginning, but we still get plenty of wildness. There’s a frantic octave part the violins play around minute 5 that always makes me want to scream. If you like this, I’d also recommend checking out Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol. The man knows how to write sexy.

Romance in D by Berkey: I recommend this partially because it’s a lesser known and very beautiful piece, and also because it’s a good lead-in to a whole subset of classical called Furniture Music. Essentially called that - originally by the composer Satie - because it’s nice to put on in the background. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still fun to listen to, and from a compositional and performance standpoint it can still be very impressive. But it’s just good and calming and you could certainly sip tea to it in the restaurant area of a ritzy 1920’s hotel while you read a novel and ignore your rich husband asking if you’d like any marmalade. A good example of the same effect is the soundtrack to Phantom Thread. It’s also good for studying. If you like that conceptually, I’ve got a whole playlist here.

Pictures at an Exhibition by Mussorgsky: A really excellent intro to classical and one of my favorite works, AND like the last one, also a lead-in to an informal format. Pictures was written with the idea that each song was a separate painting that the listener could imagine they were looking at in a museum. For that reason, each one has a different style and personality, and feels very descriptive and exciting. A collection of small related pieces is called a suite, but I haven’t yet been able to find a technical name for that specific kind of storytelling structure within a suite. It’s not uncommon though, and in that same vein I’d also recommend The Planets by Holst (about the planets, as you might assume), and Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saens (about… yeah you get it).

Spem in Alium by Tallis: We’re taking a wild left turn now and veering into the Christian choral tradition dating back to the 1500s. Like anyone else who isn’t even a Christian, there’s a few things about Catholicism that I’m obsessed with. Namely the hymns and the stained glass. Focusing only on the hymns, Tallis is one of the best examples of polyphonic hymnal work. Polyphonic, essentially, means that the different voices in the piece are moving around each other and will frequently change their notes in a way that will compliment - but is not necessarily in line with - the direction of the piece as a whole. It makes more sense if you just listen. The style, however, was developed in an attempt to capture the idea of the stars and planets circling each other in their own independent orbits, because at the time people had just started to turn their gaze to the sky for answers about their own lives. Aside from that very cool background, I just find the really human side of the choir format in particular paired with the elevation of music being this untouchable but powerful thing paired with the holiness of the concept paired with how awesome the acoustics of a chapel can be…. It’s just a lot. If you like this I’d also recommend Miserere Mei by Allegri, Ave Maris Stella by Dufay, and O Magnum Mysterium by Lauridsen

Peter Grimes by Britten: Classical music is so rooted in every musical tradition, and visa versa, that it’s almost impossible to separate it conceptually from a lot of genres. Technically, “classical” refers to a period of time more than it does a genre anyway, but let’s not get pretentious about it. While we’re pushing the boundaries of what can and can’t be included in this list, let’s talk Opera, and specifically Peter Grimes. When asked to describe it, Britten said it was “a subject very close to my heart—the struggle of the individual against the masses. The more vicious the society, the more vicious the individual.” More specifically the struggle was an allegory for gay oppression, and ironically Britten wrote the lead role with his lifelong partner Peter Pears - an opera singer - in mind. To give a taste without giving too much away, the Prologue establishes that Grimes, a fisherman, is being questioned over the death of his apprentice. The townspeople are all convinced before the questioning even begins that he must have done it, but the coroner decides the death was accidental. Grimes is let free and advised not to get another apprentice, but he of course ignores this…. If the vocal side of opera doesn’t do it for you, there are 4 Sea Interludes from this work that are really great independently. If you want even more opera with even more drama, I’d recommend looking at Tosca or Turandot both by Pucccini. If you think classic opera is too high brow and you want something a little sillier, try Mozart’s Magic Flute. If you want something more new age and weird, try listening to Two Boys by Muhly or selections from Einstein on the Beach by Glass (but probably not all 5 hours, Knee Play 5 and Spaceship would be my top 2).

Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” by Beethoven: I mentioned earlier when describing the Russian Easter Festival that I love a piece with pastoral calmness. Getting back to that point, I haven’t ever seen one word that’s commonly used to describe this particular sense in a piece, but I personally call it a Pastoral after Beethoven’s 6th. In general, the symphony is one of my favorites as a composer and listener, especially given that it’s really just about taking a walk in nature which is one of only 3 themes music should have anyway in my opinion. A good amount of my music is written with this feeling in mind. Aside from all that context, the first movement in particular is very nice, passionate but not sensational, and is just about being excited to be outside. Nothing wrong with that. This subset of music is probably the most informal of all the ones I’ve listed so far, but if you’d like more “Pastorals,” or pieces that have a nice calm passion to them, I’d also highly recommend Enigma Variations: Nimrod by Elgar, Fantasia on a Theme of Tallis by Vaughan Williams, Once Upon A Time In America by Morricone, Musica Celestis by Kernis, and of course again Appalachian Spring by Copland. (I would also be legally sent to jail if I didn’t mention that while we’re on the subject of Beethoven, his 9th Symphony is generally considered one of the greatest achievements in classical music).

Rite of Spring by Stravinsky: A lot of these pieces have been good jumping off points into different musical concepts, but with this one I’m sticking my description to the initial piece itself. I got the chance to email with a composer I admire and he at one point described composition not in the sense of writing something “smart”, but in writing something “detailed”. The Rite of Spring is a really great example of detailed composition. It’s extremely experimental with its time changes - essentially the way that you should be counting your notes as a musician constantly changes and always into a pattern that’s difficult to keep track of - and also with its chord structure. The music itself can be jarring and odd to listen to but the composition wasn’t random and when studied shows an obsessive elbows-deep involvement in the work that I really admire. It might not surprise you to hear, however, that at the initial performance the audience was so furious that the lighting technician had to continually flash the lights to confuse them, out of fear of a riot. If you’d like something a bit more fun to listen to by the same composer, however, Firebird is a good one. And if you’d like another great piece that was completely booed off the stage at its premier, I’d recommend Grand Pianola by Adams.

Romeo and Juliet by Prokofiev: While we’re in the general vicinity of ballet, I should get into that deeper. Ballets can have some of the most fun music to listen to because the timing is required to be so much more specific. Romeo and Juliet is a lot of fun, particularly the “Montagues and Capulets” and “Masks” sections. Another great ballet is, of course, The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky. I’d also recommend Don Quixote by Minkus, and Rodeo by Copland…. I know I know

Violin Concerto in D by Tchaikovsky: I said Russians bring the drama, and it’s doubly so when it’s a gay Russian. This piece is a classic example of the solo concerto format, which is a staple of classical as a whole. The setup is a single player on whatever instrument the piece is written for accompanied by an orchestra, and is usually a showcase of technical skill by the soloist. This one in particular is basically THE turning point in a violinist’s studies and just about every violinist learns it as soon as they’re capable of taking it on. Personally I still vividly remember when my teacher finally gave it to me, it’s a very specific sense of accomplishment. Similar examples of the solo concerto format on different instruments would be Piano Concerto in F by Rachmaninoff, and Oboe Concerto in C by Mozart, both of which I absolutely love.

The Revd Mustard His Installation Prelude by Muhly: I’ve gone on forever so I’m trying to be quick. Nico Muhly is one of my favorite modern composers and Revd Mustard combines his classic ecstatic and constantly moving style with an organ, which I’m a sucker for. Contemporary classical in his style can be difficult to listen to because it’s gotten very experimental and as a result, very complicated. But if you don’t go into it with the expectation that you’re going to hear a structured and logical Mozart-like piece and you instead surrender your opinion until the whole thing has come together for you, it can be really interesting at the very least. As a side note, Nico has collaborated with Sufjan, Bjork, Jonsi, Teitur…. lots of people. You’ve certainly heard him before even if you didn’t know it. For more classical from the last few decades I’d recommend Partita for 8 Singers by Shaw, Tissue No. 7 by Glass, Different Trains by Reich, the Red Violin Concerto by Corigliano (especially because I just saw it live a few days ago and am still reeling), Perpetuum Mobile by Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten by Part. Each of which is vastly different, stylistically speaking, but all of which I really love. And for more organ listen to one of my favorite pieces of all time, Symphony 3 by Saint Saens.

Ok, you know what? I’m cutting myself off because I’ve gone on forever. If you haven’t been put off of asking me questions entirely by now, please feel free if you want even more recommendations in a specific style, or want to know more about something you enjoy. Clearly I love talking about this. Hope that helped!

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hynohtz · 7 years

Text

11 RANDOM FACTS ABOUT MY ASS

Okay ffffffffine. I was tagged by a couple of Roomfriends to complete one and I feel nothing but incredibly loved right now. I don't usually do these things but - this has been a fun one to get to know my buddies with so WHY NOT?! Honestly, this is not hard bc .... well, I'm weird. Bwahahaah!! I'm also not shy, especially when it comes to difficult conversations of confrontation. Buckle your seat belts. I'll try not to make it hardcore but all things are what make us , us , right?? I have enjoyed getting to know the fandom and feel like sharing, if it's with the right intentions, can only ever do good. Right? We'll see... Yeesh 😬 1) I'm a proud Lefty. It's cool functioning on the right side of our brains, in creativity and problem solving. It's not cool however when you have to dine at a large table or try to cut ... well, anything with a pair of scissors. I had a permanent pencil/ pen stain on my side palm for my entire school life. lol I assure you I am not from the devil. That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard and I'm not particularly kind to those who have changed their children from left to right for these reasons. You'd be surprised how many, and how many ppl are AMAZED that you're a lefty. I swear it's about the equivalent of telling them you were a virgin. The wide eyes and gaps .. lol 2) I was an opera major in my undergrad. I say that as if I went on to get more degrees but I didn't hahaahaha. ( wait I can't stop laughing ) ..... Yes. I hold a Bachelors of Music in Vocal performance from Peabody Conservatory of Music of Johns Hopkins University @tuxedos-are-not-suits yup. No, I don't do it now. Funny thing about opera... you kind of have to like the city or traveling and if ur in just the chorus, it doesn't pay the bills. Insurance is also with the Union ... hrumph. I sing where I can, weddings, funerals, stage, and hold the occasional theater podcast or YouTube lessons (bwahaha, Roomfriends.) 3) I can't dive. I never learned. I found out the hard way had an eighth grade pool party with all the cool kids in my new hot two piece bikini, that placing both hands on your head in the manner of a shark fin and squatting to only then fall in the water ... is not diving. Feet first. Always. 4) I got to be the "surprise" witness in court to a man who was a notorious date-raper around campus and was counter suing his own victim for defamation of character. You should've seen the asshole's face when I showed up that day. Proud to tell the whole court and judge that I would've been one of his victims if I hadn't gotten away from him and called the campus shuttle to pick me up. I said "your honor, there is no counter sue needed as I was happy to tell everyone male and female months before this poor victim that he was dangerous, possibly mental, and to stay away from him." God that was an awesome day. I didn't tell my parents till 5 years later , for fear that my father would hunt him down and kill him 😂 5) I can talk through my nose. I don't think it's amazing but apparently everyone and their mother at a party does... lol I can say the ABCs and sing with my mouth closed. It's my stupid human trick. People love that shit for some reason... 6) I once lived with 3 guys in an apartment just like Jess. They weren't as cute , ( nor was I ) and ruined my furniture and left dishes rotting in the sink, ....but I look back on that experience and smile for the couple of mos it was a reality. Guys will do anything to protect and support the chick they live with. It's almost like a brother/sister thing. Maybe that is where my love for 4D comes from? 7) one night "my boys" went out drinking and left me at home alone. A man got into our apartment and then into my bedroom. He fired a gun behind my head to scare me and tied me up. He didn't hurt me but said he would if I screamed again. He took all my family heirloom jewelry ... and my trust in strangers. He made me lay on the bed on my stomach and left me to ransack the apartment. I made the decision to go over to my bedroom door close it and lock it in hopes that maybe if he came back to get me ...he would give up. The plastic phone that was on my bed was easy to get off the hook and I dialed 911 with my tongue. I subconsciously continued to recite the Lord's Prayer , even though I was not "saved" at the time. By the time the police had gotten there in about six of the longest minutes of my life, he was gone. The sound of the police radio was like heaven's choir singing to me. They then untied me and I dropped to my knees crying and the woman policeman told me to my face "we expected to find you dead." It's not pretty, and it took while to get over... but it makes me, me. 8) my two front teeth are veneers. yes. fake. I was born with the "Madonna" gap my mama had as well and I hated it. Almost every day I would try to place my white gum behind my two front teeth so I can make it look like they were too large teeth that went together seamlessly. When I was 15 and my mom was 40 something, we both got veneers, together. I will not disclose how many times I have cracked or chipped them, and on what foods. Let's just say I have the "teeth falling out dreams" all the time, and I don't have a great time in black lighted bars and clubs 😬 9) I was in an abusive marriage before I was reunited with my wonderful hubby. I didn't listen to the warning signs or tell myself the truth and went ahead with it, even though the first time he laid hands on me was 3 mos before the wedding. I was in a loveless and disrespectful marriage for 1.5 yrs. At the third time ( too many) I grabbed the dog and got the hell outta dodge ( or GA ). I keep some of the photos in a box in my closet, so I can tell my daughter about what every woman deserves and that we should always be honest with ourselves. She will always know and understand the true reasons you marry someone. Life isn't perfect, but it's makes me, me. 10) I say "reunited with my hubby" because kids, the fact is, my husband dated my best friend in college. I always thought he was the cutest and funniest and most caring boyfriend that she had ever dated, and when she broke his heart I thought she was friggin nuts. But God has a bigger plan. Nikki's suite mate in college asked her the first day why she had a picture of "Molly" on her desk and she said that's my best friend and the suitemate replied my mom works for her moms preschool. We were friends together for a long time. Fast forward to 10 years later when Nikki has 3 kids, Steph has two and I'm divorced and crying myself to sleep in the bathtub because all of my guy friends are married or short and bald, ....and my future hubbys mom moves ACROSS THE STREET from said Suitemate. She called me. I sped over and ... history was made. He's just as adorable today as he was when we were 19, and I adore him every day. We have two beautiful children ( a boy 3 and a girl 7 ) who are my world, and I thank God every day that fate revealed itself to me. 11) I was/AM a fierce daddy's girl. My father passed away when I was eight and a half months pregnant with my son. He had been sick with stage 4 lung cancer for 6 mos and in and out of the ICU. I watched him die on 9/29 and it was the most difficult and most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed in my entire life. I was able to tell him everything I loved about him and that I will miss him every day of my life. It's been 3 years and I still cry almost once a day. My son is named after him and I will take great pride in teaching him about the man that never got to hold him. I occasionally see him in dreams... but let's be honest, it's never enough. Hug your daddies if u have them on earth still... for me, pls. If you see me preaching about the dangers of smoking, get mad. I don't care. No one else needs to die this way. Especially not those I love. F it. Shit. That's all? I could go on and on ... lol mmkay 11 random facts. Done. Please still be my friend, k? I hope instead of tagging everyone again, some followers will just do it... yasssss do it. You know u want to, and you know you can't be as fucked up as me, right?!? so just go for it!!! Hahaaha PS I love my Roomfriends Love and Life, Molls

#random facts

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idolizerp · 6 years

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[ LOADING INFORMATION ON VIVID’S LEAD DANCE EVIE…. ]

DETAILS

CURRENT AGE: 24 DEBUT AGE: 17 SKILL POINTS: 10 VOCAL | 12 DANCE | 03 RAP | 15 PERFORMANCE SECONDARY SKILLS: Fashion Design

INTERVIEW

off camera, eunbi is sociable.

she’s curious, she’s fun, she’s adventurous.

she’s a stark contrast from the role she plays as evie.

evie, you see, is marketed to the public as phlegmatic in nature.

she’s the member with mysteriously alluring charms; the one who talks, but never too much. the one who smiles, but never too wide. the one who laughs, but never too loudly. her gaze is tempting and fierce, her movements on stage sensual and brazen.

the public, for the most part, responds well to this image. they call her cool girl, an ice princess in her own right. they eat it up when she sheds so much as a single tear, when she shows any signs of vulnerability and weakness for the cameras. as a matter of fact, tears are what managed to land her here in the first place.

rewind to 2012: one of ViViD’s earliest variety appearances. eunbi nervously addresses the backlash regarding her “poor” attitude, her generally unhappy demeanor on-camera. she has no idea what excuses to give. she knows she can’t openly admit that her humor doesn’t align with the public’s, that things like random dancing and intentional ugly faces are lame.

so she cries. she thinks of the saddest possible thing, and she breaks into a sob. she blames her lack of participation and frigid facial expressions on nervousness, on her rookie status.

and surprisingly, her scheme for sympathy works. when articles are released hours later, the tone in the comment section changes. "people are being too harsh on her,“ one person says. ”it’s refreshing to see her finally show some emotion!,” says another.

and like that, management decides that eunbi will be something like a jolly rancher crunch n’ chew— classic hard shell, surprisingly soft center.

BIOGRAPHY

( tw ; alcoholism )

december, 1993—

ryu eunbi begins her life at the soonchunhyang hospital in seoul.

immediately following the delivery, an obstetrician swathes the newborn in bundles of rosy-colored fabric, and rushes her into the neonatal intensive care unit, where she spends a total of three weeks relying on endotracheal tubes and intravenous feeding lines to survive.

the doctors explain, in a frank and professional manner, that eunbi’s health complications are the result of preterm labor. “premature birth can be caused by a number of things,” one says. “it can be caused by certain health conditions such as diabetes or hypertension, or it can be the result of other factors, like familial history of premature birth, substandard prenatal care, smoking and drinking, or even air pollution. because of this, it’s difficult to pinpoint an exact cause. nearly half of our cases are medical mysteries.”

and as if spoken into existence, maternal alcohol ingestion — a likely culprit — is never suspected. eunbi simply becomes another statistic; her birth, another case for the books that collect dust on the hospital shelves.

another medical mystery.

✦✦✦

april, 1999—

a distressed eunbi is dragged into a choir room against her will.

she cries and begs, she screams in sheer terror as she clings to her mother.

she doesn’t want to be left here alone. she doesn’t want to stay with strangers, she doesn’t want to sing at their command.

but her protests are met with condemnation and little success. her mother, apathetic and ill with annoyance, asks her to not make such a scene, to behave and be a good girl. “you’re only five years old,” she says. “you’re not old enough to make your own decisions. now let me go, please, i’ll be late for work. i promise i’ll pick you up in four hours.”

work.

work, work, work.

how her parents love that word.

✦✦✦

august, 2005—

CHOIR TRIP COMMITMENT AND PERMISSION FORM

“…in order for your child to participate in the choir trip, this document must be signed by the parent and returned to the administrative office by august 19th, 2005…”

eunbi knows there are certain procedures she must follow when it comes to consent forms, certain formulas she must apply if she’ll have them signed by either of her parents. as usual, the margin of opportunity is narrow.

if she asks her mother too early in the morning, she’ll be met with rejection. "can i please do that another time?” she’ll say. “i’ll be late for work, and you’ll be late for school.”

if she asks when the clock strikes four, the end of her mother’s eight hour work day, she’ll be met with rejection yet again. “not now, please, i just got home and i’m tired…” her mother will tell her, with a facial expression that implies the highest degree of vexation. “let me unwind a little,” she’ll add, settling into the couch and uncorking a fresh bottle of red wine.

if she asks when her mother has just woken up from a nap, her mother will be too dazed, too inebriated to give consent. “i don’t feel well, dear, why don’t you wait until your dad arrives so you can ask him, instead? i’m sure he’ll sign it.”

and if eunbi does that— if she manages to wait up late enough for her father to return home, he never does. he doesn’t expend the energy to call and say he won’t be coming, he doesn’t even send so much as a single text message. he simply doesn’t show.

so eunbi resorts to signing the form herself.

it’s not the first time.

it certainly won’t be the last.

✦✦✦

february, 2008—

teachers refer to eunbi as a fiery-eyed, unruly troublemaker.

she is a student whose wayward tongue cannot be tamed, whose priorities lie entirely in the wrong places, whose friend group consists of an exuberant youth involved in a murky world of clandestine activities. she is imprudent, pugnacious, nothing but a lost cause.

a disruption to the classroom, to the other students.

the school counselor believes her poor behavior is a result of her life at home. “children with divorced parents are usually at greater risk of experiencing poor outcomes,” he says during a private meeting with her mother. “separation is a challenging obstacle, as i’m sure you would know, and its not abnormal for a child to display behavior issues after their parents divorce.”

eunbi simply scoffs at these words; he says so much, yet he knows so little.

"i don’t care about my parents divorcing,” she insists, bubble gum popping obnoxiously loud. why would it affect her, anyway? she isn’t oblivious. she always knew it’d happen, sooner or later. even a blind person could’ve predicted that outcome.

her father proved from the beginning that he was never a family man. he was never destined for parenthood or marriage. his devotion belonged to his music, to his failed career. it was all he cared about, and the month-long studio stays confirmed it.

her mother was no better, really— an emotional wreck with the inability to handle her liquor. even after managing to sober up, to steer clear of wine and beer bottles, she made very little improvement. instead, she became much like her husband. she neglected her marriage, her child, all in a desperate attempt to reach the peak of various nine to five jobs.

bacteria; it flourishes in environments that lack free oxygen.

ryu eunbi; she flourishes in environments that lack proper guidance and discipline.

at a young age, she decides that she’ll never be like her parents. she will never settle for the monotonies of a humdrum lifestyle, she will never work an unfulfilling or standstill job, she will never become enmeshed in the complexities of a loveless marriage.

life is too short, she thinks. it’s meant solely for spontaneity and excitement, for opportunities or luxuries not easily afforded to her.

her mother disapproves, she tells eunbi that her studies are important, that securing a steady job and healthy habits will ensure she lives a good life. but each word goes into one ear, and straight out of the other. eunbi’s crass behavior continues— the sticky fingers, the academic negligence, the underage tobacco and alcohol consumption.

her mother eventually becomes frustrated, and she gives her daughter an ultimatum.

"since you can’t seem to use your free time responsibly, here’s what’s going to happen. you are going to dedicate yourself to an afterschool learning program, and an afterschool activity. or i’ll have no choice but to send you to a reform school abroad. the choice is yours.”

the stringent demand sends teenage eunbi into a fit of rage and demur. she angrily folds her arms across her chest, she stomps her feet against the floor, she complains that her mother is being ridiculous and unfair. what did she care, really? what right did she have to make any demands? what right did she have to pick and choose when to be a parent?

of course, there’s no way eunbi will allow herself to be exiled to a foreign country.

she chooses the former option. she decides she’ll dedicate herself to excruciating self-study sessions, she’ll rejoin the local youth choir— anything to stay in korea.

and as fate would have it, her decision turns out to be the optimal choice.

after months and months and months of unvaried routine, eunbi is blessed with opportunity. she trudges into choral rehearsals, tired and disinterested, only to discover a new flyer that’s been tacked onto the grungy bulletin board in the back of the room.

midas entertainment is holding auditions.

✦✦✦

march, 2012—

eunbi the troublemaker is now evie the kpop idol.

originally, she would have never imagined this. she wasn’t like other children, it was never her dream to sing on a stage or perform for large, boisterous crowds of people. all she really wanted was a mere taste of the onerous trainee lifestyle, to pass time doing something better than singing for a choir she no longer had any interest in.

her taste comes in the form of grueling procedures and the instant acquisition of new skills. singing aside, the training curriculum consists of many other things: acting, dancing, variety, foreign language, and public speaking. eunbi must learn all of them, must have the ability to perform each at the expected level, requiring extensive and thorough practice.

as expected, she struggles. she struggles to remember basic vocabulary words in japanese, she struggles to create and control what emotions her face communicates. the only aspect that seems to come easy is dancing. she is a natural, almost, her body an instrument able to project movement as clearly and efficiently as a dancer should.

she develops a new goal, as a result, and decides her dance skills should be perfected. she practices with a commitment to perfect her technique, to be one of midas’ best dancers and perform better than the other trainees. it’s a competition, it’s something authentic to dedicate her time and energy to.

and it pays off. the long hours, the arduous routines, the immoderate perseverance; it makes her a perfect candidate for debut, and suddenly she becomes a member of midas’ upcoming girl group, ViViD.

ViViD’s debut thrusts her into the public eye, she becomes something like a doll— an object to ogle at, a toy to pick apart and examine. she despises it. there’s no privacy, no breaks, not even a proper income to make up for the horrors she and her groupmates are subjected to.

her disdain for her career easily bleeds through the mask of happiness and exhilaration. she isn’t an actress, she’s a measly rookie who has trouble controlling her facial expressions and feigning interest when it simply isn’t there.

fan forums and comment boards light up with criticism and insults as a result.

• her poor attitude is really f*cking annoying • good singer, but she sucks at managing her facial expressions.. • am i the only one who thinks she never looks happy at all? ㅋ ㅋ ㅋ • she’s a joke… is it really that hard to smile for a few minutes on TV???

✦✦✦

may, 2018—

it’s been seven years since the debut of ViViD.

seven years of taxing work schedules. seven years of precise image management. seven years of sinister prying eyes and outré speculation.

it’s been seven years of sheer exploitation. seven years of strict managerial constraint. seven years of wavering income and success.

her career path in itself has been an incontestable struggle, but truthfully, eunbi has grown to love every single minute of it.

she’s learned to manipulate the system to her own benefit, to maximize her exposure. she’s learned that, in order to succeed and enjoy the industry, one must bear a calculative mindset, one must know how to make smart decisions and systematically correct choices.

in realizing this, she is able to relish in what good the industry has to offer— high-priced gifts, exclusive access to clandestine events, admiration from those whose friendship prove to be beneficial.

the goal now is to strive for longevity. to secure her position in the music industry. to ensure her reign of success continues long after ViViD.

#id.bio #id.vivid #id.midas #id.park jiyeon

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theseventhhex · 6 years

Text

Dillon Interview

Dominique Dillon De Byington

Photo by Joseph Kadow

Dominique Dillon De Byington, aka Dillon, was 19 when she started releasing her first songs. In 2011 she released her debut album ‘This Silence Kills’, a record created from years of songwriting and landing her critical acclaim for her ‘chason pop’ and ‘sensual electronics. On her third opus, entitled ‘Kind’, Dillon deals with love and how to recuperate through it. Brass instruments are impactfully deployed as Dillon creates her own musical symbol system, which, from a certain point onwards, defies all interpretation. It is about the intensity of her voice and words and about being captured by both. ‘Kind’ is the preliminary pinnacle of a unique personal and artistic growth, in which Dillon’s enigmatic and in particular fashion, electronically grounded pop, reaches a breathtaking intensity… The Seventh Hex talks to Dillon about her relationship with the piano, Jeff Buckley and living at sea…

TSH: What are the immediate thoughts that come to mind with your latest album ‘Kind’?

Dillon: ‘Kind’ marks the first time that I didn’t have to go to an extremely painful place to create, which lead to a very exciting process for me. I’m so appreciative in not having to pull from discomfort on this record. I’m also celebrating this sort of kindness within myself, it’s very much like an encounter that I had with myself.

TSH: Does a sense of isolation and loss still impact your writing?

Dillon: I think isolation and loss will always be present in my work simply because that’s just part of my confusion and struggle in life. However, there’s a difference between being lost and scared and lost and just floating. I feel like the latter is where I’m at now.

TSH: Is the starting point for new music still visuals at times...

Dillon: Yes, at times. What I’m actually not inspired by and it’s something I get asked quite regularly is the music of others. I personally have no connection to the music of others whatsoever. Obviously I really do enjoy listening to the music of other artists, but never do I feel triggered to produce my own music because of other artists. And the reason for this is because I’m already fulfilled by what I’m hearing. Also, yes, visuals do impact me, but it’s also what I see and experience around me which helps me to write music.

TSH: For you, surrounding yourself with nature is the easiest way to crawl into your own mind...

Dillon: What I like about nature is that not only do I find it calming but it just puts things into perspective because nature is not man made. I love architecture and it can move me, but when I’m looking at a building, I just think it must have been a hassle to make that thing. However, if I’m stood in front of a tree, it’s just a tree, you know? And this can be so overwhelming in a positive sense. My surroundings help put things into perspective for me, including pain and fear, which are two of the things that I really struggle with.

TSH: How would you assess the role that the piano has played in your music over the years?

Dillon: I guess I could try and make it romantic, but the relationship that I have with the piano is really not that deep. The piano is simply just the first instrument that I got hold of which I was able to control and play to my advantage. The piano initially helps me to build a grid or a rough sketch of what I’m trying to do. I mean it could have been guitar, but I have nails so I can’t play the guitar. I was leaning towards piano in my early days because I wasn’t a classically trained singer, but the longer I do this, I don’t feel the need to hear the piano. I’d rather hear myself sing than hear the piano, which is something that I think is definitely happening over the course of the three albums. I wouldn’t say the piano is disappearing, but instead it’s playing a different role in my compositions.

TSH: How do you commonly decide on your vocal direction?

Dillon: It’s completely intuitive. Also, I’ve never had any singing lessons. Personally, I like to go dancing, I smoke and I scream a lot too, so it’s not like I’m even taking care of my voice. I try to live my life using my voice however I want to, and that’s what I try to do with my songs too.

TSH: What sort of motivations do you draw on for a song like ‘Stem and Leaf’?

Dillon: Well, every day I buy myself flowers. One day someone was asking me why I do this and instead why don’t I receive them from someone else? To me, it’s a matter of perspective; I don’t need to be receiving something to find it more joyful. Anyhow, it got me thinking and I started to think what it must be like from the perspective of the flower. So ‘Stem and Leaf’ is basically about the flower in the flower shop waiting to be picked up by me.

TSH: ‘Shades Fade’ is a song which came about whilst you were pacing outside the mountains in Firenze, Italy...

Dillon: Yes, it did. Like I said, there’s something about nature that just impacts me in such a positive way. That part of Italy is very beautiful and I’m there very often. I couldn’t really run there much because it was so muddy, instead I was just sort of walking at a fast pace and I started to hear this melody in my head. It all just came together in such a nice way and it made perfect sense. I tend to get really good ideas when I’m walking because my mind can just flow.

TSH: On this record you’re also using brass to capture the human element. Tell us more about this...

Dillon: Well, I used to not work with anyone except for my producer Tom, who is one of my oldest and closest friends. However, at one point I felt isolated and decided to work with a choir for my performances, which was so interesting when we played live constantly. This approach soon became exhausting because with every voice there’s a story and a personality and it’s hard to deal with everyone. So with this album I had no interest in working with other voices because I’m picky and I have my own way of singing, besides I didn’t want to control other singers. So I wanted something that resembled human voices sound-wise and I think brass is definitely what comes closest.

TSH: Speaking of voices, you’re in love with Jeff Buckley’s voice...

Dillon: I actually have this weird thing with voices. You know that feeling when you fall in love at first sight and you don’t really know why you’re so attracted to that person? Well, I have that with voices. Jeff Buckley is so moving because it’s not just the way he is singing, but also what’s he’s singing about. I can’t even think of anyone to compare Jeff with, that’s how fulfilled I am listening to his music.

TSH: Does living in Berlin serve you well?

Dillon: I really enjoy living here in Berlin. I moved here when I was 6. I’m very aware of the freedom I have here compared to the life that I would have had in Brazil. There is so much manic traffic in Brazil, but in Berlin, you can just get on a bike, a train or a tram and just go places. I guess Brazil has changed over the last 10 to 15 years but it’s still quite dangerous. In Berlin you don’t have that direct danger on the streets.

TSH: How do you overcome the more difficult days?

Dillon: Well, sometimes there’s nothing that helps and it’s all about surviving. On the days when I feel like I have control, I try to meditate and make sure that I drink enough water. Integrating and incorporating conservative things into my life certainly helps. However, being on tour is very difficult because I’m exposed to so much stress; it becomes hard to find a healthy balance.

TSH: What normally allows for you to maintain a positive frame of mind?

Dillon: It’s difficult for me to keep a positive frame of mind. I just try to surround myself with warmth, kindness and only people that I need to talk to. The most difficult part is feeling the pressure and like you have to justify things. I like being in my own environment because my own environment protects me, cares about me and doesn’t doubt me, which in turn takes away a lot of the pressure.

TSH: Do you prefer to keep online activity to a minimum?

Dillon: Well, I don’t really do anything online. It’s much more difficult for me to function on the street than on the internet. I mean I don’t get any newsfeeds and I don’t follow anyone on social media. I don’t really use my Twitter and my Facebook is really just for my direct family and friends that can reach out or call me. I guess I only read the news to be informed. Even still, I’d rather buy Time Magazine or The New Yorker and read them when I have time. I just don’t like being invaded and bombarded with information because I’m too sensitive.

TSH: The idea of living at sea certainly intrigues you?

Dillon: I just love the idea of living at sea. All the drama and scary things do not take place at sea, they take place on land. Give me a boat and I’m outta here.

TSH: What drives you most artistically right now?

Dillon: I honestly have no idea. If I knew the answer to that, I would work much more, haha! I feel like I’m just a vessel waiting to do something that I’m not really in control of. Being able to work with a newfound energy may look and sound different, but it’s still quite heavy and sad for me. I have no idea what sort of energy will propel me for future work. I guess what drives me is that I do not feel too negative when I’m working, but otherwise, I just really struggle with staying alive.

Dillon - “Shades Fade”

KIND

#Interview #Dillon

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i-am-very-very-tired · 7 years

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Keeping The Throat Healthy "If I cannot fly let me sing." -- Stephen Sondheim. Singers and speakers alike will often acquire throat irritations. This interferes with the voice and interrupts the singing process. This can be most frustrating, especially when we don't know what causes the irritation. Any type of irritation in the larynx can rob the vocalist of a successful performance. Every singer has a responsibility to learn what to do to avoid throat problems. The tips I'm going to talk to you about are proven -- they've been tried and tested for years among singers from every genre. When we sing loud and long, it is crucial that we use proper breath support to avoid abusing the voice. Always measure the amount of air needed for each phrase. When releasing air as you sing, hold back (suspend) and don't allow all the air to escape at once. A tickle is caused from dryness in the throat. The dryness can cause coughing. To avoid this, drink plenty of room temperature water to keep the vocal cords hydrated. You may also try drinking warm lemon tea, with a small amount of honey before singing. This is better than anything on the market, which really does nothing anyhow. Avoid any yelling, screaming, and extreme temperature changes, such as going from air conditioning to a hot temperature, and vice versa. Sleeping with a humidifier is necessary for serious singers. The steam from the humidifier, enters the nose and throat, bringing much needed moisture to the area. This is highly important for those who sleep with the mouth open, which dries out the throat. You can also inhale steam from a hot shower or boiled water (put a towel over your head when inhaling the steam). Be careful not to get a steam burn. Moisture to the throat is needed at all times, particularly when singing and giving speaking presentations. Sip, sip, and then sip some more all day long. Keep a bottle of room temperature water with you at all times. The throat must be wet in order to function. Never drink ice cold water, juice, or soda within three to four hours before singing. Cold temperatures restrict the vocal bands, hindering the vibrations needed to produce sound. The same holds true for alcohol, antihistamines, most medications, and of course, smoking (including second-hand smoke). If you can't control these substances, you're better off not singing. I personally have worked with very famous singers, who smoke, drink, and do drugs and I have witnessed what happens to these voices. Some artists have spent a small fortune for "quick fixes" just to be able to do a concert and sound great. You would be amazed at who these singers are. So do not fall into these bad and destructive habits in the first place. It will take its toll. "A song will outlive all sermons in the memory." -- Henry Giles Yelling, screaming can cause vocal nodes/nodules Yelling, screaming can cause vocal nodes/nodules Avoid drinking ice water Avoid drinking ice water Laryngitis? Laryngitis can last a anywhere from a few days to weeks, and it can re-occur again. It can be brought on by a virus. But most singers who contract laryngitis do so by abusing the voice box. The three main reasons for vocal abuse are (1) Yelling or screaming at a sporting event (or at your kids) (2) Singing too loud (over singing) and/or (3) Singing too high. Rest. If you suspect signs of vocal abuse, you must rest your voice. Stop singing and even speaking, if you can. Give the vocal bands time to recover and heal. Otherwise, you invite more throat irritation. Bathe your throat with water by drinking not only h20, but warm lemon with honey tea. Using fresh lemons is best and bring faster relief. Easy humming. As soon as your throat is better, introduce easy humming before singing vowels found in words. Correct humming gives you a feeling of vibrations in the lips and lip areas. Take care that you "place" the tone in the nasalpharangeal (mask) area. Your singing range must be the middle range of your voice so that it is easy and very relaxed. Don't force it. Never, ever force your singing voice. Good and correct singing should always feel easy. There is never a strained or forced feeling. Like all of Mother Nature's off-spring, the human voice should be natural and easy, even when singing loud or high. If you feel any discomfort in the throat area, your singing is incorrect. Breath support. The best friend to the singer and speaker is breath support. With every note you sing, with each word you form, you absolutely must have enough air for the tone to "ride" on. Diaphragmatic breathing acts as a "seat" or "cushion" for the tone. If you try to sing louder or higher without the support for the voice, you will suffer vocal abuse. Avoid polyps/nodes. At all costs, you want to avoid growing polyps/nodes on the vocal cords. It's best to avoid dairy products. It's best to avoid dairy products. No Dairy While Singing Dairy products are a no-no and must be avoided before singing. Most dairy, especially ice cream, will cause phlegm and mucus to build up. Mucus is thick and makes the singer want to clear their throat. Clearing the throat is not a good habit. Every time you clear your throat, it's like scratching your vocal cords with your finger nails. Instead of clearing your throat, just swallow a few times. If your mouth is dry and water is nowhere to be found, simply and gently bite the tip of your tongue. This action will provide you with enough moisture to swallow. So, save the ice cream for after a concert, or rehearsal. Ditto for other dairy foods. "Singing lessons are like body building for your larynx." -- Bernadette Peters Have a Tickle in Your Throat? Try Salt Water As a singer, I have found that salt water is one of my best friends. I can't tell you how many thousands of students this easy combination has rescued from a tickle to a full-on sore throat. Saline spray. My favorite is a bottle of nasal saline spray (salt and water). Simply spray the salt water solution up into your nose to wash out the germs. As soon as you get a tickle, by flushing your nasal passages, you can prevent the mucus from getting too thick. Gargling. Another way to go is to try gargling with warm salt water. Add a few teaspoons to a half cup of warm water and then gargle. Repeat this several times each day until symptoms disappear. Avoid coffee and chocolate. The other foods to avoid before singing are coffee and chocolate. The caffein in both products will dry out the throat. Good health. Nourish your body with good nutrition and get plenty of sleep. Remember, as singers we use our entire body when we sing - our bodies are our vocal instrument. Protect it, care for it and remember to "tune it" often with correct warm ups. Your voice is meant to serve you with power and beauty all your life. Following these tips will assure you that it will. "I can’t stand to sing the same song the same way two nights in succession, let alone two years or ten years. If you can, then it ain’t music, it’s close-order drill or exercise or yodeling or something, not music.” -- Billie Holiday Sing with joy. Quotes From The Greatest Tenor in The World, Luciano Pavarotti "I'm not a politician, I'm a musician. I care about giving people a place where they can go to enjoy themselves and to begin to live again. To the man you have to give the spirit, and when you give him the spirit, you have done everything." "I think a life in music is a life beautifully spent and this is what I have devoted my life to." "Nothing that has happened has made me feel gloomy or remain depressed. I love my life." (I love this quote from Pavarotti) "If children are not introduced to music at an early age, I believe something fundamental is actually being taken from them." * * * About Pavarotti: "The whole world will be listening today to his voice on every radio and television station, and that will continue. And that is his legacy. He will never stop." -- Zubin Mehta Last Performance Warning: Sing Within Your Key Range Every song you sing should be written in your key. What does this mean? Your singing voice has a range which is limited to how high and how low you can sing. When a singer needs the notes higher it means the song needs to be in a higher key. This works the same for low notes. Singers do not sing in just one specific key. This is because composers use different keys (scales) to write music. Professional vocalists hire manuscript writers to transpose the music into their specific singing range. Most people learn a song by imitation. They repeat what they hear regardless of whether the song is too high or too low for them. When they do this they can damage their voice because they strain the vocal chords. The result can be hoarseness, a sore throat, or eventually vocal nodules will grow on the vocal bands. This happens often in choirs. Never allow a choir director to make you a soprano if you are an alto...or a tenor if you sing bass. How do we know if a song is too high or too low for us? It's really quite simple. Listen to your body. If singing a high note doesn't feel easy - the note is too high. The same is true for low notes. Sometimes using proper diaphragmatic breathing will help to sing higher notes. This is because higher notes require more air. This doesn't always work. You must be the judge. The general rule for all singers is: If the notes are difficult to sing - don't sing them. With proper use and care your voice will last you a lifetime. One of my favorite tenors ~ He sees through his heart © 2011 Audrey Hunt

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