#and i am a lyric mezzo for reference also

[sexygaywizard]

Gonna go on a rant that will matter to precisely no one but me but I find it so annoying these "range tests" meant to determine what your voice type is, if you're a bass/baritone/contralto/soprano etc etc it's like the armchair psychology equivalent of vocal classification. "I can sing E3-E6 so what voice type am I?" "You must be a soprano because you can sing high" THat's NOT how it WOrKS... FIRST OF ALL.... ok... Your voice type for solo voice is not determined by your range it is determined by your vocal quality RELATIVE to your range. What is your comfortable singing range is comparatively more useful for classifying choral voice types (Soprano/Alto/Tenor/Bass) because you will be singing with a bunch of other people for long periods of time so you don't necessarily need to be singing in a range that brings out your strongest solo capabilities. You need to prioritize the range that is best for your endurance. But if you ever look up "what's the most common voice type" you're going to see everyone saying mezzo-sopranos even though every opera house in the entire world will tell you that by far the most heavily impacted voice type are lyric sopranos. This is because, if you pull any untrained girlie off the street, yeah, they're most likely going to have a middling range. Does that mean she's a mezzo? NO! Of course range is taken into account when classifying, but along with range is the location of your tessitura (most comfortable/clearest/powerful part of your range) and your passagio (the boundary between your low and high registers). Your vocal range can change over time and with practice, but your tessitura and passagio will probably not. These kinds of things cannot be determined without the assistance of a qualified vocal teacher, not to mention that even a vocal teacher will probably not be able to fully & accurately qualify your voice type until your late 20's or early 30's (and then your voice type may change again as you get past your 50's but that's a whole other discussion). I say this not to gatekeep, but because your voice is not only an instrument but part of your body and pushing yourself to sing an uncomfortable range because you are convinced that you are a certain voice type will physically damage your vocal chords. If you try to lift 200 lbs without having the muscles to do it, you will fucking hurt yourself. Many singers have destroyed their own careers by trying to sing parts that aren't suited to them to try and fill a certain niche, appear more marketable, or simply because they were misinformed.

As a small pro tip, the upper boundary of your range can generally be extended with (safe and proper) practice, but your lower range can not. Your comfort (and I mean comfort, that means without stress) in your low range is a much better indicator of where your tessitura and passagio lie and thus, voice type, than the upper boundary of your voice. HOWEVER. Everybody wants to be a contralto and a bass because they are the rarest voice types. But consistently pushing yourself to sing lower than is comfortable for you is the easiest and fastest way to damage your voice. As is pushing your voice to sound "bigger" than it actually is (most voice types are lyric, not dramatic-- but that's getting into fachs and that's a whole other mess). Sorry but the most common types are the most common types, find peace with your space in the universe. ANYWAYS sorry it's just a pet peeve please be safe and practice good vocal health thank you

#i mostly talk about treble voice types bc that's what I have the most experience with #but for lower voices the most common voice type is the lyric baritone if you are curious. #and i am a lyric mezzo for reference also #anyways tbh if people got questions ask me stuff i'm talkative #i talk

[alonzopaula-xiii]

SHE IS RARE.

Selena Marie Gomez also know as Selena Gomez was born on July 22, 1992 (28 years old) in Grand Prairie, Texas. Her father is Ricardo Joel Gomez and Her mother is Amanda Dawn "Mandy" Cornett, a texas-born former stage actress. Selena was named after Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla, who died in 1995. Her father was originally from Mexico while her mother, has some Italian ancestry. Her parents divorced when she was five years old, and she remained with her mother. Selena has two younger half-sisters: Gracie Elliot Teefey, through Amanda and her second husband Brian. And Victoria "Tori" Gomez, through Ricardo and his second wife Sara. She received her high-school diploma through homeschooling in May 2010. Her mother gave birth to Selena when she was sixteen years old. She captured an interest in pursuing a career in the entertainment industry because she always see her mother preparing for stage productions. Selena began auditioning for numerous roles. She meets Demi Lovato during her audition for Barney & Friends in 2002, Selena portrayed the character of Gianna. It was her first acting experience. She appeared in thirteen episodes in 2002 and 2004 of Barney & Friends.

She had a cameo part in the film Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over (2003). She made-for-television film Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire (2005). She also made a guest appearance in the episode of the Disney series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody (2006). She has starred in the films Another Cinderella Story (2008), Princess Protection Program (2009), Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie (2009), Ramona and Beezus (2010), Monte Carlo (2011), Spring Breakers (2012), Getaway (2013), The Fundamentals of Caring (2016), The Dead Don't Die (2019), and A Rainy Day in New York (2019). She also voiceover the character of Mavis in the Hotel Transylvania film franchise (2012–present). And she is also the executive producer the Netflix television series 13 Reasons Why (2017–2020), and Living Undocumented (2019).

Selena released three albums with her former band, Selena Gomez & the Scene: Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011), all of which peaked within the top ten on the US Billboard 200 and attained gold certifications. Selena has also released three albums as a solo artist: Stars Dance (2013), Revival (2015), and Rare (2020), all of which debuted atop the Billboard 200. Selena has earned eight top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2017, Billboard reported that Selena has sold over 7 million albums and 22 million singles worldwide. She received various of appreciation and was honored as the Billboard Woman of the Year in 2017. She has a large number of followers on social media, and was one of the most-followed individual on Instagram. Selena has been described as a pop artist. She possesses a mezzo-soprano vocal range, her songs are influenced by dance-pop and EDM.

Selena released three albums with her former band, Selena Gomez & the Scene: Kiss & Tell (2009), A Year Without Rain (2010), and When the Sun Goes Down (2011), all of which peaked within the top ten on the US Billboard 200 and attained gold certifications. Selena has also released three albums as a solo artist: Stars Dance (2013), Revival (2015), and Rare (2020), all of which debuted atop the Billboard 200. Selena has earned eight top-ten singles on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2017, Billboard reported that Selena has sold over 7 million albums and 22 million singles worldwide. She received various of appreciation and was honored as the Billboard Woman of the Year in 2017. She has a large number of followers on social media, and was one of the most-followed individual on Instagram.

Selena released her own clothing line, Dream Out Loud by Selena Gomez, through retailer Kmart in 2010-2014. In 2012, she released a self-titled fragrance, Selena Gomez by Selena Gomez and in 2013, she released her second fragrance, Vivamore by Selena Gomez. She also created her own nail polish color collection for Nicole by OPI. From 2013-2015, Selena was a spokesperson and partner for Neo by Adidas. In 2015, she signed $3 million endorsement deal with Pantene. In 2016, She appeared in a fashion campaign for luxury brand Louis Vuitton. She also appeared in advertisement for Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" campaign. In 2017, She confirmed that she was partnering with Coach, Inc. She has a limited-edition collection of handbags called the "Selena Grace" that she designed in collaboration with luxury brand Coach, Inc. She also partnered with the athletic brand, Puma, as brand ambassador appearing in campaigns. Her collection in collaboration with Puma called SG x PUMA, Strong Girl collection was launched on December 12, 2018. In September 2020, Selena launched her own makeup line, "Rare Beauty".

Selena was raised as a Catholic. In 2014, She said that she listened to "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong United before performing at the 2014 American Music Awards. In 2016, she appeared at Hillsong Young & Free concert in Los Angeles, leading worship by singing her song titled "Nobody" where the lyrics are referred to God. She also covered Hillsong Worship's song "Transfiguration" during her Revival Tour. As of 2020, she attends a different gatherings in California, the Hillsong Church, and she has stated that she does not consider herself religious but more concerned with her faith and relationship to God.

In 2008, Selena dated Nick Jonas. In December 2010, Selena began dating Justin Bieber. After separating in November 2012, they reconciled a few weeks later before breaking up again in January 2013. They later reconciled for a few months in each of 2013, 2014, and 2015. In 2017, it was reported that the couple were back again together. But, they broke up again in March 2018. In 2015, After recording "I Want You to Know" with DJ Zedd, Selena began a romantic relationship with him; they broke up later that year. In January 2017, Selena reportedly started dating The Weeknd.

Selena was diagnosed with lupus in 2012-2014. On September 2017, she announced that she had received a kidney transplant from actress and best friend Francia Raisa. During the transplant, She broke an artery. They build a new artery using a vein from her leg. Selena has been diagnosed with both anxiety and depression. On April 3, 2020, Selena revealed that she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Selena has shown her support for the LGBTQ community. She joined with many celebrities to write a "love letter" during pride month, as a part of Billboard's 30 Days of Pride during the month of June 2016. She has also shown her support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Since I was in grade 2, Selena is my favorite singer. I am her fan for almost 10 years because since 2010 she is my idol. Selena has been a big influence on me especially as I grew up and as I got older I understood things better. Because of Selena, I loved singing more and I started appreciating my voice. She was also my inspiration about my illness because even though she became very ill, her fight continued, she continued to make many people happy and inspired. I also admire her because even though her relastionship was ups and downs, she never stopped or gave up. I love Selena because she has a heart to help others, she have many organizations and advocacies for children, women, for health and mental health, and so on. And she supports the LGBT community and the BLM community. Selena is also one of the reasons why I see my worth as a woman and I learned to appreciate my body. And she taught me that I should know my stand and rights as a woman. She taught me to be Rare. Selena is also one of my inspirations to continue to fulfill my dreams no matter what happens and no matter how difficult it is, because like her, she did not stop and she did not lose hope to fulfill her dreams. I am so proud of her and I will love her forever.

Images by Pinterest

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selena_Gomez

#selena gomez #music #Spotify

[fmdyeoreum]

IDOLIZED: A DOCUMENTARY SERIES PRESENTS…

date & time: february 2nd, 2013. / 15:34pm kst. location: coex center. / seoul, south korea. topic discussed: yeoreum’s audition for bc entertainment. references: song can be found here. word count: 1,247 words. triggers: mention of generalized anxiety & stage fright.

        having arrived at the coex center for events at the UNHOLY HOUR of six — thirty am, yeoreum and her most coveted friend, gippeum, were becoming more and more exhausted as the hours drifted onward. upon first entering the meeting hall to sign in, fill out all necessary paperwork, and provide the sound engineers with their song selections, there was a sea of other idol hopefuls gathered together. some of them paced the floor anxiously to release all of the nervous energy that plagued their souls, and others were off in other corners of the large edifice practicing the material they prepared for the panel of producers and representatives. flashbacks to when she auditioned to earn a spot in SOPA were prevalent in the caverns of her memory as she looked around. back then, her stomach was tied up in knots —— the burden of earning a place in one of the most prestigious arts academies in seoul heavy on her shoulders. it was one of the most stressful situations she was ever put in, but luckily, all of her months of prior preparation paid off when she was offered admission ; the tears that fell from her eyes in that moment filled with a joy she hadn’t experienced in years. so many vivid flashbacks were replaying in her mind, and she knew that, although this was a completely different situation, that there really wasn’t anything to be AFRAID of. the worst they could do was give her a rejection, which, in all honesty, she already was expecting. after all, the main objective of her taking part in this whole experience was to be a support system for her closest comrade. although they were in the same school, the other girl suffered from intense stage fright —— one that almost cost her the opportunity to attend the institute of her dreams. so, with all of that in mind, she sat beside her cohort and rubbed circles into her back ; humming a sweet tune.

        ❝ it’s going to be alright, gipp — ah ! i promise that it’s not as scary as you might think. ❞ yeoreum did her best to comfort the performer, knowing emotions were high due to all of their patience to enter the GRANDIOSE CORRIDOR where fate was waiting to decide their futures for them. the two of them were next in line, and as it stood, her own number was one digit lower than gippeum’s, so in only a few more minutes, she would be called into the room to show the distinguished individuals representing the company her voice. however, unlike the damsel at her side, she wasn’t feeling nearly as DAUNTED. ❝ you got into SOPA, right ?? you did so well, and you’ve been working so hard, and i just know that you’re going to make it through this first round. i have so much confidence in you ! ❞ just then, she heard her name be pronounced, and she nodded to the employee awaiting her arrival. standing, she strolled into the chamber and stood on the marker. without further hesitation, she looked into the lens of the camera situated across from her and smiled ; instructed to introduce herself. ❝ hello ! my name is yeo yeoreum, i’m seventeen years old, and i currently attend the school of performing arts in seoul. today, i’ve prepared the song GOOD DAY by LYRA — sunbaenim. please take care of me well. thank you. ❞ angling her head down towards her feet, she inhaled and exhaled a deep breath, but before the track had even began to play, she heard a voice speak over to her ; one filled with authority. listening to each vocable that fell from their lips, they had asked why she had chosen such a difficult vocal to sing. a smile tugged at her full pout, and she looked up and into the inquirer’s eyes ; courageous as ever. ❝ it’s just a song that i really like to sing. that’s all. ❞

        seemingly impressed with the effervescent ease of her retort, they nodded and beckoned for the audio engineer to press play on the sound system, and in only a matter of milliseconds, the opening chords reverberated from the speakers provided. she took the time to properly fill her diaphragm with enough air to get her through the first two lines comfortably, and the instant that she opened her mouth, her BEAUTIFUL & WARM mezzo — soprano timbre kissed each note gently. she didn’t want to start too strong and lose power when the climax reached, so she was particular with her placement during the introductory verse, and when that first sustained belt occurred, she resonated as she was taught, and kept her larynx perfectly level. instead of treating this as some sort of test for her skill set, she viewed it more like an actual recital ; one that she’d endlessly rehearsed for. those thoughts alone helped guide her through this with serenity. the sophomore stanza and chorus were a replica of the one previous to them, but as the bridge approached, yeoreum knew that things were about to get INTERESTING. this was juncture that had an increased importance : the melody became more difficult, and the key transitioned into one higher. not wanting to show any hints of timidness, she stepped forward slightly to convey each lyric with passion ; hoping to only capture their attention further. then, the signature three semitone leaps were right in front of her, and preparing for them, she paused where applicable and permeated her lungs with support —— each tone catapulted out of her with INTENSITY. as the conclusion approached, she added a softness to it and let it linger ; a healthy vibrato adding texture to it before she cease her production. loaded with adrenaline, she grinned from ear — to — ear, then bent into a grateful vow. ❝ thank you very much ! ❞

         an uproar of applause was given to her, which she didn’t anticipate, but she was grateful for it nonetheless. exiting back into the holding area, she gave gippeum two thumbs up ; hoping that seeing a glistening countenance emerge from such an onerous predicament would soothe her. before she was able to reacquaint herself with her friend, the other was invited within to complete her audition. wishing her well, yeoreum took a seat and BEAMED WITH AN AURA of excitement. it was in that moment where she thought that, maybe, just maybe, she would be proven wrong and she’d be given a pass through to a callback. was this life’s way of informing her that it had a different plan than she once thought ?? perhaps it was, and from that point forward, she became obsessed with the idea of débuting as an idol —— one that would hopefully be recognized for her TALENT & TENACITY. although this wasn’t her idea initially, she’s glad that she decided to tag along. not only did this give her more experience to put on a résumé should she have to, but it also filled her with the determination to succeed. hopefully, at some point in the near future, she’d be bathed in a spotlight brighter than any other she’s ever stood underneath, for in that moment, she’d realize just what her purpose in life is : to inspire others, and to create music that touches the hearts of all her supporters. only then will she be wholly and one — hundred percent pleased with herself.

#⌈ ❀ ⌉ » TASK.┊♡ ━━━ ❛ JUST STAY WHERE YOU ARE. WE TALKED AT THE BAR ; WALKED OUT ON THE STREET. YOU WALKED IN MY HEART. #⌈ ❀ ⌉ » SELF PARA.┊♡ ━━━ ❛ SNEAK US THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. SIT ON YOUR ROOF HAVE SOME BEERS BENEATH THE STARS. #FMDIDOLIZED1 #IDOLIZED: A DOCUMENTARY.

[theloniousbach]

COUCH TOUR: VERONICA SWIFT with JOE FARNSWORTH’S TIME TO SWING TRIO featuring GEORGE CABLES, SMOKE JAZZ CLUB, 14 NOVEMBER 2020

Smoke has been both a reliable source for straight ahead jazz streams and ahead of their peers with that technology. The result is that I frequently find their shows a welcome addition to the weekend, often saving them for Sunday afternoon.

Their curation and the presence of George Cables was sufficient for me to go ahead with this one, even though I don’t generally seek out singers and don’t process lyrics that readily. But, as with traditional folk songs, the presence of a standard and shared repertoire helps to focus on interpretations. I have though heard a number of singers whose interpretations are so mannered, so eccentric, so out there, that I am quite leery to the point of generally avoiding them.

But, again, Veronica Swift had those good references coming in and my hunch paid off as I got a solid, swinging set with fine versions of a nice mix of standards. She has a rich voice with good range, so she can just sing. She is quite young, 26, but she grew up in the music with Hod O’Brien and Stephanie Nakasian as parents. Though not know to me, she has a respect for the traditions, including referring to the pianist as Mr. Cables. He is venerable (and essential to the night) and it was his birthday (getting a version of the old song which included her scatting and his own solo), still it was a nice bit of respect.

He played deftly and in the pocket. There were two trio tunes—In Your Own Sweet Way to open and Cables’s own Melodious Funk midset—plus plenty of chances to solo. But there is also an art to accompanying singers that Cables of course has; watching him play that role told me new things about how he feels chords in the rest of his playing. He was a big part of why I was at this show and that made it rewarding.

It was Joe Farnsworth’s gig and he gets props for putting together the band and his always precise, tasteful, and suited drumming. Paul Skiviie was on bass and was also a skilled accompanist. He got a showcase as Swift scatted to Oscar Pettiford’s Tricotism. He and she each held their own with this bit of bebop, each showing good chops.

That one and her mother’s verse of lyrics as a gateway to scat on Sonny Rollins’s Pent Up House convince me that she is a jazzer. She has a strong alto/mezzo, has more than enough vocal technique without devolving into tics and artificiality. Her/their tune choices were familiar but deep enough and wide ranging to show she knows her stuff. There were a couple of Gershwins (Who Cares? Someone to Watch Over Me), You and the Night and the Music, and You Don’t Know What Love Is whose solemnity was leavened byHelen Hume’s Million Dollar Secret.

If I’m softening on alto saxophone players, I will consider actual altos too.

#couch tour #2020 #smoke jazz club #concert review #jazz

[aerithflowermaiden]

Night Sky & Stars in Final Fantasy romances

I have observed that the Final Fantasy series is fond of using stars, moon and the night sky during romances so here are a few examples.

FFIV

The first mention I can think of is in FFIV after the king discharges Cecil from the captaincy and orders him to hunt Eidolons in the Mist Valley, and to deliver the Carnelian Signet to the village of Mist. The moon and night sky is clearly visible in Cecil’s room and are in view when Rosa, his girlfriend comes to his room.

That night, Rosa comes to Cecil’s room to show him sympathy. Cecil is torn between doing what he believes in and doing what the king orders and swears to never perform another act of evil on behalf of Baron. Despite loving Rosa, he knows they can never be together because of his profession as a Dark Knight.

The night sky is seen again in Kaipo where Edward sees Anna’s spirit encouraging him to be strong and helps him defeat the Sahagin.

She tells him Golbez cannot be allowed to acquire the crystals and that he loved her once, he should give that love to the world, then she leaves. While there are no stars, there is a glimpse of the moon on the water. 

FFVI

The second mention of the night sky that I can think of is in FFVI in The Opera where Celes Chere plays the role of Maria, who gets separated from her lover Draco due to war breaking out between the armies of the east and west:

The West was defeated, and Maria’s castle                                                 

came under Eastern control.                                                                               

Maria, forced into marriage by                                                                         

the Eastern Prince Ralse,                                                                                    

does not abandon her feelings for Draco,                                                          

but thinks of her lover each night as she watches the skies…

Credit for the Opera lyrics: http://www.fflyrics.com/ogc4.html

There are four tracks of the Opera but some of Maria’s lyrics from the Aria di Mezzo Carattere translated literally from the Japanese refer to shooting stars which are used in Final Fantasy to symbolize promises:

My beloved, are you going to a distant place?

And we just pledged eternal love…

Through sad times and hard times,

I’ll think of that shooting star as you.

Credit for the Opera lyrics: http://www.fflyrics.com/ogc4.html

FFVII

Cloud makes a promise to Aerith to be her bodyguard in the Sector 5 Church and his payment is a date. Although who Cloud likes is up to interpretation, the canon date at Gold Saucer is clear. Cloud and Aerith spend the night together on their gondola ride with the fireworks all around them, which mirrors Snow and Serah’s date with fireworks in FFXIII.

While Cloud and Aerith are spending the night in the gondola as it travels around there is a belief glimpse of the moon and clouds that are visible.

#111 “Sanctuary of amusement” FFVII Art Museum card The Planet’s largest amusement park is run by Dio. Cloud and company visit this place many times in their battle. They meet Cait Sith here. A promised date that ends in a magical night. In the city of desire that floats above the sands, the light memory of the two people is asleep even now… (??!!)

マッチョな園長ディオが運営する世界最大の遊戯場ゴールドソーサー。クラウドたちは戦いの合間に何度もこの地を訪れた。ケット・シーとの出会い。チョコボスク エアで繰り広げられた数々のデッドヒート。そしてマジカルナイトの夜に果たされたデートの約束…。砂上に浮かぶ欲望の城に、二人の淡い想い出は今も眠る…。

「あなたの中に彼を見ていた…　でも、ちがうの。今は、ちがう…。ね、クラウド。私、あなたを探してる」 （デートの最後、観覧車に乗った時のエアリスの言葉）.

Source: http://www.cloudandaerith.com/Cards.html

This is the #111  “Sanctuary of amusement” FFVII Art Museum card which is Gold Saucer, notice that it directly refers to Aerith and Cloud’s date as a promise that is being fulfilled and it holds their memories of the “magical night” in a “city of desire”.  

“I think I must have seen him again, in you… But you’re different. Things are different… No, Cloud… I’m searching for you…” (Said to Cloud during their first and last date)

「ね、クラウド。私、あなたを捜してる」 （最初で最後のデートでクラウドへの想いを語る） (Aerith’s FFVII Art Museum Card) also references her canon date with Cloud at the Gold Saucer while they are on the gondola ride.

- The Promised Date at the Gold Saucer The “1 date” reward promised when she enlisted Cloud as her bodyguard. She invites him on the date during the night spent at the Gold Saucer; participating in a play and riding the gondola, they have a pleasant time, though it is brief.

約束のデートはゴールドソーサで 「デート１回」の報酬を約束にはじまった、クラウドヘの護衛の依頼. ゴールドソーサーに泊まった夜、約束どおり彼をデートに誘い、演劇をしたり観覧車に乗ったり、つかの間とはいえ楽しい時間を過ごす。 (FF 25th Memorial Ultimania Vol. 2, p. 29)

-This is the payment she suggests when Cloud says that it’ll cost her to hire him to be her bodyguard. This line shows the composed and mischievous side of her. It may be because of this promise that it’s easier to have Aerith be the other party in Cloud’s date when they’re in the Gold Saucer. (FFVII Ultimania Omega, p. 30)

-In Aerith’s case, if you play the game normally, the partner that generally comes will be Aerith. (FFVII Dismantled, p. 189)

エアリスの場合。ふつうにプレイしていると、だいたい彼女がくる。

-“Oh, Cloud…I enjoyed our date at the Gold Saucer. The view from the gondola that night was really beautiful. I’ll never forget it. I’ll never forget you, Cloud…” ~Aerith; Final Fantasy VII Dismantled; Square Enix, p. 164

“クラウド……ゴールドソーサーでのデート、楽しかったよね。ゴンドラから見た夜景、とてもきれいだった。私、ずっと忘れない。 クラウドのこと、忘れない……”

Before the group exits the Temple of the Ancients, Aerith asks Cait Sith to read her fortune. Though the scene doesn’t have actual stars, they’re mentioned that Aerith and Cloud’s match.

There is another mention of the night sky in the official novella Maiden Who Travels the Planet/Hoshi wo Meguru Otome (星を巡る乙女) when Aerith thinks back to her conversation with Cloud around the fire in Cosmo Canyon about her Cetra heritage and her feelings of loneliness for being the last of her race. Here is her recollection while in the Lifestream where Maiden Who Travels the Planet takes place of her kobito Cloud and her memory of their conversation at Cosmo Canyon and her desire not to be separated from people she holds dear:

“There are still people I don’t want to be separated from. I can’t sleep yet. Until that time comes, I’ll wander around here for a while. I’ll spend my time here in the Planet… In our Promised Land… Wishing she could send away her thoughts, Aerith looked up at the sky… She looked beyond the shell of the Planet above her head. The particles of Mako that floated and shot around looked like the night sky to her.

She looked up into the sky like the time she sat beside Cloud around the kindling fire in Cosmo Canyon.” ~Maiden Who Travels the Planet; Square Enix

Source: http://new-shinra87.livejournal.com/73135.html

Aerith "I'm... alone... I'm all alone now..."

Cloud "But I'm... we're here for you, right?"

Aerith "I know. I know, but... I am the only... Cetra."

Cloud "Does that mean we can't help?"

According to dansantcaparet, Cloud shows he is falling in love with Aerith by accidentally expressing his feelings when he says he is here for her before backtracking in the quote below:  

“Having a character accidentally express feelings for another, and then backtrack from their slip-up, is a common literary device to show romantic attraction from one character to another. This piece of dialogue is a subtle (yet obvious) way to show Cloud is falling in love with Aerith.” ~dansantcaparet

Credit to my friend: http://dansantcaparet.tumblr.com/post/51686005576/50-epic-reasons-to-support-cloud-x-aerith

This is also a non-optional example of Cloud and Aerith’s romance developing under the night sky unlike the Gandola ride where despite the Cloud date with Aerith being the canon one, Cloud has three other people he can choose between as alternative dates to Aerith depending on the choice of the player. 

There is one last sighting of stars which occurs at the end of Final Fantasy 7 in an interesting visual callback through a panning shot across the stars to Aerith, which is Cloud’s love interest before the game finally ends.

FFVIII

At the SeeD inauguration ball, right before Squall meets the mysterious Rinoa Heartilly for the first time, a shooting star appears by the large prominent Moon and Rinoa comes over to ask Squall to dance using her index finger to sign the number one which Squall sees immediately after the shooting star. Rinoa convinces him to dance by being flirty when she said Squall was going to like her. 

Rinoa and Squall’s dance to Waltz of the Moon ends with fireworks all around them, which mirrors Snow and Serah’s date with fireworks in FFXIII and Cloud and Aerith’s gondola ride during their canon date at the Gold Saucer.

At the end of Final Fantasy 8, we see Rinoa standing on the baloney next to where the SeeD ball was held with the night sky facing her. As she looks into the sky, a shooting star passes by.

After Squall walks up to meet her on the baloney, Rinoa signs him one with her index finger which was how she greeted him when they first meet at the ball, he smiles before kissing her as Balamb Garden flies off into the night.

After Squall and Rinoa kiss and as Balamb Garden flies off into the night there is a beautiful sighting of the Moon which also displays Griever's silhouette before the game officially ends.

There is one last sighting of stars which occurs at the end of Final Fantasy 8 in an interesting visual callback through a panning shot across the stars to Rinoa, which is Squall’s love interest before the game finally ends.

FFIX

 At the end of the game during Tantalus’s return performance of I Want to Be Your Canary in Alexandria, the protagonist Marcus has lines where he is waiting for his love Cornelia who has not appeared yet to elope with him by ship at dawn which show the night sky and the twin moons of Gaia and Terra are visible. I Want to Be Your Canary is likely performed on Garnet’s 17th birthday now that she is queen, approximately a year after the final battle. Doing the performance Garnet is shown to be in a gloomy mood, because she is thinking of Zidane who went missing after trying to rescue Kuja, until the climax of the play when Marcus who has been wearing a black cloak surprises everyone with the ending.

Marcus implores the twin moons to grant his wish, which we find out is that of reuniting with his love.  

The actor playing Marcus removes his black cloak, revealing himself to be Zidane, and Garnet joyously rushes through the crowd to reunite with him on the stage ending I Want to Be Your Canary with a happily ever after improvisation before the cheering audience.

FFX

After Tidus learns the truth about the Final Summoning from Rikku that the Final Aeon needed to defeat Sin not only kills Sin, but the summoner as well, meaning Yuna will die if she goes through with her pilgrimage and with help from the Al Bed, Yuna and Seymour’s forced wedding in Bevelle is crashed. Seymour tries to kill Yuna’s guardians but Yuna and her guardians escape to Bevelle’s temple and on their way out of the Chamber of the Fayth after acquiring Bahamut are arrested and put on trial by the Maesters of Yevon for treason. They are branded traitors of Yevon for killing Seymour and imprisoned in the Via Purifico. When the party reunites after escaping they have a second battle with Seymour in his second form Seymour Natus who reveals his plans on using Yuna to become the next Sin and destroy Spira, "saving" everyone from fear and suffering. Afterwards they escape back to Macalania Woods.

Her faith in Yevon shaken, Yuna goes off to the spring to be alone, Tidus goes after her, and, having discovered the truth behind the Final Summoning, apologizes for his eagerness to defeat Sin and talking how they would visit his Zanarkand, not knowing what would happen to her but Yuna assures him he had made her happy. Tidus attempts to convince Yuna to abandon her pilgrimage and stay with him, and though Yuna considers it, she is unable to abandon her duty to Spira and starts to cry. Tidus comforts her and they share a kiss in the spring under a full moon and dreamy underwater scene. She resolves to go on, with Tidus promising he will always remain by her side.

While there are no actual stars in this scene, the moon is full and the night sky is visible.

While only the moon is visible, we can see there are lights in the spring which appear to resemble stars which make the scene more dreamy, romantic and beautiful. The theme song for Final Fantasy X, which plays during Tidus and Yuna’s underwater kissing scene, “Suteki Da Ne/Isn’t it Wonderful?” translated literally from the Japanese has lyrics that also refer to the stars and the moon.

The moon, a shaking heart in an unsteady mirror                                    

The stars, gentle tears in an overflowing stream

The moon, a heart flowing in the clouded mirror                                                  

The stars, broken and swaying, like tears unable to be hidden.

Credit for the song lyrics: http://www.jpopasia.com/rikki/lyrics/80849/mitsu/suteki-da-ne/

FFXIII

After shopping to get Lightning a birthday present, Snow slips away and buys two engagement necklaces and he and Serah go on a date and spend the night together. After getting engaged, they take a ride on flying vehicle with fireworks all around them and eventually kiss. The date is weighed down by the emotions of Serah’s fate to turn into a l'Cie. Serah is immediately comforted by Snow’s vow of eternal love to stand by her and get married no matter what happens.

The theme song of FFXIII Eternal Love which plays while Snow and Serah are on their date at the fireworks festival has lyrics that also refer to the night sky:

In order that my love with you would be forever                                                    

I swear to the night sky, that these hands, would not part again                 

Because I don’t want to part with my love with you                                              

I swear to the night sky, that these hands, would not part again

Credit for the song lyrics: http://www.jpopasia.com/sayurisugawara/lyrics/20845/first-story/eternal-love/

As Snow and Serah finish their date, there is a sighting of stars as they ride their flying vehicle into the night sky.

FFXV

Noctis and Luna have an official artwork from the Piano Collections in which the moon and night sky are clearly visible and in view while the couple walk on a path alongside a lake.

While there are no stars, there is instead a glimpse of the moon on the water. In addition, the names of the characters have connections to night sky.

Noctis Lucis Caelum is a Latin phrase that means “Sky of the Night Light”.

Lunafreya Nox Fleuret is a Latin phrase that means “Moon Night Blossom”.

This may play on her role as the Oracle keeping the darkness of the night at bay, being the light that illuminates the darkness of the night. Luna is also associated with blue flowers known as sylleblossoms and has a meeting with Noctis in a flowerfield like Cloud and Aerith, Squall and Rinoa and Tidus/Yuna.

The theme song of FFXV Stand by Me has lyrics that also refer to the night and the moon which are perfectly representative of the game as the land does actually go dark after Luna’s death as the last Oracle:

When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we’ll see

No I won’t be afraid

Oh I won’t be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me

Credit for the song lyrics: http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Stand_By_Me

All of these references of stars and the night sky have come into a full circle with some of Maria’s lyrics from FFVI’s Opera “Maria and Draco" that are my personal favorite and could mirror Noctis’s feelings for Luna:

I’m the darkness, you’re the starlight                                                   

Shining brightly from afar.                  

Through hours of despair, I offer this prayer                  

To you, my evening star.

Credit for the Opera lyrics: http://store.ffdistantworlds.com/track/opera-maria-and-draco-final-fantasy-vi

#cloud strife #aerith gainsborough #clerith #ffvii #ffviii #ffvi #ffiv #ffx #ffxiii #ffxv #tidus #yuna #noctis lucis caelum #serah farron #snow villiers #squall leonhart #rinoa heartilly #tidus x yuna #squall x rinoa #lunafreya nox fleuret #noctluna #cloud x aerith

[baeowulfisbae]

A review of Jesse Raccio’s Beowulf

This week, we discussed modern interpretations and adaptations of Beowulf. I read the dragon chapter of Grendel, which was really perfect--and I watched Jesse Raccio’s and Buffy Sharpe’s operatic adaptation of the poem (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo02DllRRFo). The opera was exactly what I expected: young singers deconstructing voice pathos over minimalistic, repetitive triads. It was disappointing, initially, but I warmed up to it and I think this team did a lot of things very well with their adaption.

In his studies on fairy tales, Jack Zipes distinguishes between duplication ("produc[ing] a lookalike") and revision ("creat[ing] something new that incorporates critical and creative thinking of the producer and corresponds to changed demands and tastes of audiences") (9). Zipes says that, "a result of transformed values, [revisions] alter the reader's views of traditional patterns, images, and codes" though such alterations are not necessarily "improvements" or "progressive" (9). As far as adaptations go, Sharpe's reading of the Beowulf story is progressive in its deconstruction of harmonic form and voice pathos, but slightly regressive, in its characterization of some figures in the story.

What this opera does well: Voice pathos gesture to the binaries within the text. We have spoken of pairs of binary oppositions, in class, and Tolkien addresses this, to some degree, in his Monsters and Critics essay, noting that the poem is “essentially balance, an opposition of endings and beginnings. In simple terms, it is a contrasted description of two moments in a great life, rising and setting; an elaboration of the ancient and intensely moving contrast between youth and old age, first achievement and final death" (5).

When I speak of voice pathos, I am referring to the roles and melodies composers write for particular voice types. I am a dramatic soprano, for example, and the last two roles I played were Delilah and Salome. My voice has weight to it and women with weighted voices never play love interests. I will always be cutting off someone's head, because weighted voices are powerful voices and powerful women, prior to the 20th century, were always disruptive figures. As far as general rules for pre-20th C voice parts go, the heroes are always tenors, the love interests are always lyric sopranos, the servants are generally basses (or mezzo-sopranos, for teenage boy servants), the wise, older male figures are baritones, the grandmothers are contraltos, the strong female figures are dramatic sopranos or coloratura sopranos. Raccio's voices her opera as such:1. Aeschere: counter tenor 2. Grendel's mother: dramatic soprano 3. Hrothgar: baritone4. Beowulf: tenor  5. Wealtheow: Lyric soprano

The voicing was the first component of the opera that impressed me, since Aeschere is--at the first listen--seemingly misvoiced. In the Beowulf story, of course, Aeschere doesn't speak at all, but Sharpe writes him into Grendel's mother's entrance and Raccio uses a counter tenor (or a tenor trying to sing a counter tenor's range). It's disconcerting, hearing a dramatic soprano paired with a counter tenor; there's too much power on stage and the melodic lines are jagged, the melody never going where my ear tells me it should go. It's unpleasant and symbolic: a lot of power on stage, but misplaced power, out of range and out of key, like Grendel's mother bursting into the safety of the Hall.

By contrast, Hrothgar has very simple, musically-logical melodic lines that move within a more traditional, Western harmonic structure (C-F-G-C sorts of progressions, overall). Beowulf tends to get the soaring heroic tenor melodies and there is really no better way, musically, to signify boasting than to write a heroic tenor melody. The wonderfully creative revision that Raccio makes, with the boasting, is that--while Beowulf's melody is less jagged and sounds properly-voiced, the text, "Fear not," (as in--Fear not. I will go after Grendelkin) is sung on a minor second. In music theory, the minor second is always used to denote tension (the two repeated notes from the Jaws theme constitute a minor second, for example), so that while Beowulf is voiced from a place of musical stability, there is an element of tension, to the scene, also. Raccio is not the first composer to play with a story that has some of its basis in Norse mythology and it is really nice to see her playing with the kinds of conventions Wagner does. Wagner's well-known leitmotifs--symbolic chords--are structured on a premise of nothing resolving the way that it is meant to, in the way of chord progressions. I sense that Raccio's playfulness with musical tensions may be a nod to Wagner, especially when she moves from epic or heroic chords to...improperly resolved chords. (Stephen Fry discusses Wagnerian leitmotifs and musical tension, in this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWLp7lBomW8)

What the opera does not do well:

The librettist, Sharpe, writes Grendel's mother in a way that devastated me, to some degree, as a dramatic soprano. Grendel's mother is a siren--which gestures back to some of the critical writings we've discussed on epics--but she does not need to be a siren. In the Grendel opera, adapted from John Gardner's book, the mother is strictly physically powerful. She's threatening because she's physically threatening. I know that there are many good feminist essays on this subject--and on the subject of Beowulf's sword melting in Grendel's mother's body--but it seems lazy to me to automatically eroticize her power. I'm not opposed to erotic power outright, but there are so few moments, in literature, in which women have an outright physical advantage and Raccio and Sharpe have written that out of the text just so that this singer has a more legato aria. Putting this this woman's powerful voice to good use is understandable, but, reasonably, they could have also written her a reflective/solitary aria(or lullaby) of grief, and then broken the melody into a more recitative-style (with conversation-like snippets of sound), as she enters the hall to avenge her son's death. Composers don't like to put weighted voices into faster melodies, but it can be really effective when they do (case-in-point: Norman, 30 seconds into this aria--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H9LTixHHug). Hearing Aeschere say, "She's a siren. She's a minx. She is not as she appears to me," then, is a bit irritating, especially given Aeschere’s age. On the other hand, though, the slow seduction leaves affective space for a slow exit from the Hall. In that moment, she cradles Grendel's arm in hers and it is actually quite moving. 

Overall then, this opera has its strength in Raccio's experimentation with sound and harmonic form, in the moments in which Heorot has been compromised. The libretto, though, has far too much seduction and romance and we don't get the engagement with the community, that we see in the original text and I don’t like reading this story without it. 

Tolkien, J.R.R. “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.” Beowulf: A Verse Translation. Ed. Daniel Donoghue. New York: Norton, 2002. 

Zipes, Jack. Fairytale as Myth/Myth as Fairytale. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1994.