Day 30! The END!

Woke up early to do my vocal practice stuff before work and to post everything I need to! 


Practice!


Technical Concepts: Nice easy warm up on goo and mee. Didn't go pass a mozzo forte and just relaxed into my middle voice. 


Minutes: 15


Repertoire: What Can You Lose


Minutes: 15


Success: Just worked on relaxing through it, and had fun. Thought about breath support which helped me through the long phrases. 


Areas of Improvement: My voice is a little tired from all the crazy stuff that happened yesterday, but it was not bad. Need to not over sing and always remember to sing correctly. 




My Live Performance

Date/time - Last night at 11:30 ish

Show/Venue - Reptilian Lounge at the Filling Station

Program or Song Choice – I sang bits of Hot and Cold, Sexy Back and Betty Yeah!

What did you most enjoy? – Just singing with  a band and in such a crazy, supportive venue.

What did you find challenging and why? – The audience did get a little rowdy, so that was tough. Also, the stag was in alley setup, and it's always hard to play both sides of  the audience.

Observations and Remembrances – We got really caught up in it and just had a blast! 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OFJJ2vzTIIM




New Song

Song Choice – What Can You Lose from Dick Tracy

Approximate time learning and coaching your song – I switched the song I was going to learn, but spent about 4-5 hours total learning and rehearsing it.

Describe your recording experience – It's always hard to listen to yourself. I had to do this last night to be able to post it, and my voice was not the greatest, but I got through and zthink it's okay.

General Observations – I think i tried to make this song to pretty! haha! Oh well! 


Link!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2FRoh5nvnQ




Charitable Deeds 4 and 5!


So two days ago, I cleaned out my closet and got all the clothes I did not need and put them into a large trash bag. Today, I went and dropped them off at Goodwill! I think it's good because it's a lot of teenage clothing that actually is not very worn out, so it made me feel good to give to them! 


My pile of clothes! 

Number 5:


I decided to triple the value of money I made at the Lounge last night, and give it to a charity! I talked to the lady at goodwill, and she said that they give to numorous charities, and that she would include my money when they give money to the battered woman's house. I know it's only something small, but every bit helps! 

Well, there it all is! This has been such a great experience! I have learned so much from it! Thank you all who followed, thank you Kurt for making this awesome challenge happen , and thanks to my support group who pushed me through! 


PEACE! 

The JRB pic!

Day 29: almost done!

Blogging back home!

Practice!

Technical concepts: warmed up my mixed voice and worked through my flem. Used a lazy goo sounds!

Minutes: 15

Repertoire: City and What is it...

Minutes: 15

Success: for being sick, everything was coming out pretty good. Gooing through both songs was helpful.

Areas if improvement: Flem sucks...but I thought I was ready for the masterclass.


Coaching #2

Masterclass with JRB

Time and date: today from 2-4

Points covered: really focused on hitting a note right on the pitch and then adding the vibrato.

Notes: I rated my performance a b-day. I don't normally have pitch problems on the song, but I think nerves got the best of me. Also, I tilt my head to the side when I sing the "air" which Jason said means I'm using one of my vocal chords instead of both to hit the note. Overall, it was more of a good experience than life lessons!

Best part was watching Jason Perform!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.6

Day 28: Still have a lot to do, but it will happen!

Today was an easy one! Just some practice and started to a charitable deed! I'll finish that tomorrow!

Daily Practice!

Technical Concepts: Used the warmups that Kurt sent us. And focused a lot on the Goo's and also worked on some "bee."

Minutes: 15

Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear The City," a little "Later" form Night Music and some "What Can you Lose"

Minutes: 20

Success: I buzzed and "goo'd" through both "City" and "What Can You Lose." It felt really nice and easy. I tired the high b flat in "Later"using relaxed cheek muscles and lowered larynx and hit it in my mix voice with ease! I was very excited!

Areas of Improvement: Need to try and always remember to use a relaxed and puckered face. Even when I sing for fun or sing just a little bit, I have to sing like that!

Notes: I'm very happy and excited to sing!!!

More tomorrow! Way more! JRB, performance! So excited!

Day 27: One pretty awesome and inspiring day!

Today was a nice uplifting day. I finished my dance/fitness stuff, as well a my voice lessons and had a good day! I'll just dive right in! 


Practice. 


Technical Concepts: Just did a nice easy warmup in the morning before work to warm up my voice for talking and later singing. Just did soft scales and lip trills. 


Minutes: 15


Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear The City"


Minutes: 15


Success: I just simply went over all that Matt and I had done. Just wanted to make sure I was still using correct placement and vowels. 


Areas of Improvement: Some sections still seem really spread and the "e's" in the piece are difficult. 


Notes: So much has changed! Haha!




Personal Fitness #9 and 10.


Yoga and dance!

Today at 6:30/5:00

Difficulty Level: All. Hot Vinyasa/ Ballet 1

Studio/Instructor: Blissful Spirits with Rebecca/ UNM with Vladimir

What I most Enjoyed: I did really well today in Yoga! I made it a little more spiritual for myself by repeating my goal during some exercises and also "breathing out the bad energy!" / For ballet, I really enjoyed when some guy in my ballet class asked if I was a dance major! Haha! Guess I look like I know what I'm doing! But really my favorite part was the bar work! 

What I found Challenging: The sit between your legs thing. it pinches so bad (which is healthy) and is really good for you, but i had to pull out of it multiple times because my legs hurt. / For Ballet, I had a hard time balancing in pase on one leg. Need to work on keeping my weight center.  

Observations: I love that Rebecca was sad that I was leaving. I just know that she cares for her students! I will be back! / Ballet is a lot of fun and very challenging. I'm really enjoying it!  

Voice Lesson # $

Time and date: Today at 3:00

Instructor: Kurt Robinson with Pual Roth on Piano! 

Minutes: One hour

Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear The City" and a little bit of "What is it About Her"

Points Covered: I feel like we covered so many points! We focused on keeping the larynx dropped and relaxed, keeping the lips puckered and relaxed, using the "lazy" sounds to get into proper placement and technique, using a baby cry to brighten relaxed vowels, using "my voice" versus a breathy one, singing softly and supported, using the mix voice and pulling it from the middle to chest, and keeping the sound forward, (which just happens when you sing right...weird, huh?)

Notes: This lesson was very uplifting and inspiring. It felt like Kurt gave me some awesome little tricks that did wonders to my voice! It all felt so healthy and controlled Through this relaxing, I can stick more closely to a pure vowel sound, I feel like I had more breath and it rang out very strongly and easily. I'm very happy with how this lesson turned out. Now to practice it, get it more comfortable and make it part of my regular technique! 

Day 26: So close to the end!

So today was one of the productive days in my very productive week! Squeezed some volunteering in before school, then had a full day of school followed by getting a new tire, reading some homework and then to work!

Practice!

Technical Concepts: Did a very soft warm up. This included warming up my falsetto, lip trills, and soft "ee" to "ahs."

Minutes: 15

Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear The City"

Minutes: 15

Success: Worked on those "exaggerated" vowels and using breath and placement instead of volume.

Areas of Improvement: I just need to sing soft all the time!


Good Deed # 3

Today I went to the Road Runner Food Bank at 8:00 this morning. When one thinks road runner food bank, one thinks sorting cans and such. I got to sweep leaves outside. While it was cold, it was nice to give back to the food bank. One of the ladies in the front desk explained that they are getting ready for their biggest fundraiser of the year, Souper Bowl Sunday. It sounds like an awesome idea and I might check it out!

One thing I am happy to say is that the Full-Voice gang is making an impression. When I explained that I was doing the challenge, the two people behind the desk knew what I was talking about (Because Amanda volunteered there) and said that they wanted the info to our blogs so they could share the link on their facebook! It just made me proud to be part of this amazing group of people and not only benefiting ourselves from the challenge, but also the community.

I was inspired today to keep volunteering! One of the may things this challenge has inspired me to do!

Night!

  

Day 25! 5 more to go!

Daily Practice

Technical concepts: Worked down from my falsetto and easily warmed up.

Minutes: 10

Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear the City"

Minutes: 20

Success: Just went over what Matt and I worked on before my lesson. USed correct vowles and placement.

Areas of Improvement: I was still not making my vowels forward enough, but we worked on that.

Voice Lesson 3

Time and date: Today at 12:30

Instructor: Matt Naegeli 

Minutes: One nour

Repertoire: I Cannot Hear The City 

Points Covered: We worked on a lot of "ee" to "ay" warmups, and they felt really good. I felt like I made a lot of progress and didn't get corrected that much! haha! We also talked about hitting a not soft and straight tone before growing and adding vibrato.

Notes: Again, it felt really good to sing so healthy and forward. We talked about my current placement, and how it was very forward and nasal, and because of that, my throat is having to work more than it should. He said that the way I am singing now is more connected and full an also connected more to my breath. he did say to kind of res my voice and not sing or talk if not necessary. So For the remainder of this, I'm going to take it a little softer and easier. 

Yoga and dance, number 7 and 8!

Today at 6:30/5:00

Difficulty Level: All. Hot Vinyasa/ Ballet 1

Studio/Instructor: Blissful Spirits with Rebecca/ UNM with Vladimir

What I most Enjoyed: Just exercising and feeling active!/ I love ballet, and fell like I do really well in it and have the basics down.

What I found Challenging: My arms were so so tired this morning. I had to take more breaks than usual. / For Ballet, I had a hard time keeping my hips turned out, and then it started to pinch a bit, so I eased up.

Observations: I'm sad I have to stop in February because I start my workout plan.../ I always need to focus on my turn out! 

Day 24: A simple day!

Well my car didn't start again, so I had to ride my bike to school. But school was good. My mom picked me up and I went to the doctor. It was semi-successful. Got some steroids for allergies because that's what my symptoms looked like, so e;ll see how that goes. Still going to the ENT. And then had to change my battery, and then did some homework!

Practice!

Technique: Warm, breathy "ee" to "ay" and lip trills.

Minutes: 15

Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear..." and "What is it About Her"

Minutes: 20

Success; my voice feels in a good place, as does my placement. We'll see how my lesson goes tomorrow...

Areas of improvement: The top didn't feel as good. Need more technique, less push.


Healthy Meal 25! My last one! (Of course, I eat healthy anyways, but I no longer have to log them!)

Description: Roasted turkey sandwich with avocado and vegan pumpkin spice soup!

Market: Whole Foods!

Rating: I'll give it a 10! Love crescents, love the soup. It was amazing!

Day 23: Started off crappy, but got better!

So this morning my car wouldn't start, so Leonard had to help me start my car (I thought give me a jump before work sounded a little inappropriate), then my tire popped, and then I had to change it, get my battery checked and then go back to work. But I got cut first so I got to come home early and do some homework!


Practice!


Technical Concepts: Tried to "push" my self a little more. Sang a little louder and higher, but still healthy. "Ee" and "Ay's" like always!


Minutes: 10


Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear" and "Love Can't..."


Minutes: 20


Success: I really worked on using  the consonants to help get the forwardness of the vowels. "I Cannot..." became easier.


Areas of Improvement: Still need to work on maintaining the placement. Also still have trouble on the last note of "Love..."


Notes: Regular Dr's appt, tomorrow. We'll see how that goes.




Healthy Meal 23 and and 24...only one more. 

Meal Description: Salad with mushrooms, spinach, carrots, cucumbers and feta greek dressing. Also, whole wheat pasta with marinara and mushrooms. 

Restaurant: Tomato Cafe!

Rating: 8: Always delicious! 

Meal Description: Salad with Spinach, cucumbers, grilled chicken, quinoa, edamame, roasted yams, feta, cottage cheese, carrots, mushrooms and balsamic vinaigrette. 
 
Market: Whole Foods

Rating: 8. It was pretty tasty!

Day 22: Got to do this early so I can go to the Lounge tonight!

I can't believe it's already the 22nd! Had a good day off, and just lazied around. Leonard and I just saw Black Swan...very trippy, but I enjoyed it? haha! Here's today!

Practice!

Technical Concepts: A soft warm up. Voice feels good today, so I warmed up the top a little more.

Minutes: 15

Repertoire: A little of "I Cannot Hear..." and "Love Can't Happen"

Minutes: 15

Success: My voice feels pretty good! " I Cannot..." feels pretty good. "Love Can't Happen" is a work in progress! haha! See below...

Areas of Improvement: The "a flat" (not A as I thought...even worse...) is still really hard for me and it's totally the vowel...sucks. Will work on that in my lesson.

Healthy Meal 22!

Meal Descriptio: Greek Salad with olives, feta, cucumbers and lettuce!

Restaurant: Mac's La Sierra

Rating: 8: a good salad!

Day 21: just a quickie!

Practice!

Technical concepts: warmed up very breath and easy.

Minutes: 10

Repertoire: I Cannot Hear The City and Love Can't Happen

Minutes: 20

Success: my voice feels okay. Got a little tired, but not terrible.

Areas of improvement: when I have a high note in a song, I need to mark!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Day 20: A Great Day!

Today was a great day! Met some of the gang at Flying Star for some healthy food, then went to the VSA which was amazing (see below), and then school all day! It was awesome and I really enjoyed spending the day with Jenni, Buckles, and Jonathan.


Daily Practice:


Technical Concepts: I warmed up very easily today. Just did some lips trills and very breathy, full "ah" warmups.


Minutes: 10


Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear The City"


Minutes: 20


Success: I can sing the song, and I still have my voice. I sang the higher part of the song once just to make sure it was all there, and it was.


Areas of Improvement: Just singing healthy.




Personal Fitness #6


Today at 5:00 pm

Difficulty Level: Ballet 1

Studio/Instructor: UNM Dance Department with Vladimir Conde Reche 

What I most Enjoyed: Doing ballet! It's such a demanding type of dance, and I have gotten very comfortable with the technique. 

What I found Challenging: gain, flexibility, but I am working on that! 

Observations: Love Vlad, and this class! Glad to be back in Ballet! 

Healthy Meals # 20 and 21

Meal Description: Egg white omelet with fresh greens and wheat toast!

Restaurant: Flying Star 

Rating: 9. It was really good! And I had a nice refreshing glass of peppermint tea.

Meal Description: A salad with onions, tomatoes, roasted ham and turkey, hard boiled egg and greek vinaigrette dressing. Also, sweet potato chips! 

Market: The new Co-Op connected to the bookstore. 

Rating: 8. I really liked it! Had a lot of herbs in it, and very healthy. 

Good Deed # 2 

Today, Jenni, Jonathan, Buckles, Cierra and I all went to the VSA to volunteer. We sat in on a class taught by the wonderful Margarita, and helped out and participated in exercises. It was a class for mentally challenged adults. It was both very emotional and inspiring. The class is a performance based class that will hopefully end in a performance somewhere on the UNM campus in March. Margarita was showing her students how much space was needed to dance and to have personal space. She had a piece of large paper that represented the amount of personal space needed and was explaining the directions of this space, including forward, back, the sides and diagonals. Many of them struggled to understand and know what these things were, but they were so excited and eager to learn what they were. I don't mean to discredit any of the students in any way, I just want to somewhat describe how the day went. 

Next, we took a break and then practiced leading from different parts of our bodies, such as our elbows, noses and even our butts! It was so funny and I enjoyed myself as much as everyone else! 

The group is made up of some amazing people with a ton of personality! I can't wait to go back next week! If anyone cares to join, let me know! It's Thursday from 9:30-11:30. It was so eye-opening. I don't feel I can describe how beautiful it was, but if you care to know, ask me, and I can tell you all about it! 

But here's a pic we took outside because we were not allowed to take pictures inside. 

And yes, I know it has nothing to do with anything, but we were just having fun.

Ah what a day.

Day 19: an easy day.

Today I had class all day and then went to work. Had some time to do an easy warm-up and some singing, but nothing too serious. I talked to Kurt today, and we talked about taking it easy, so that's what I'll do from now on. Because my voice hurts, it could be a good sign that what's happening is not nodes. So yeah. Called to make a regular doctor appointment and should hear back soon about that. Tomorrow should be fun with Yoga and helping out at the VSA! So I'm looking forward to that!


Daily Practice

Technical Concepts: Warmed up using a soft "ay" and kept it soft and bright. Used lots of air.

Minutes: 15

Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear The City"

Minutes: 15

Success: I still have my voice, I just don't want to push it too hard. I just need to relax, and sing very little.

Areas of Improvement: Singing soft.


Healthy Meals 18 and 19

Meal Description: A Turkey Pesto wrap and Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Market: Whole Foods!

Rating: 8. Good and tasty!

Meal Description: Pasta with home made tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and a crescent. And green beans!

Market: Home made by our roommate Antoinette! Green beans from my work!

Rating: 9! The pasta was so delicious and so were the green beans.    

  

Day 18: An interesting day...

Today was a weird one for me. Started with some hot yoga, then some food, then a lesson which was good but a little scary, then school. So here we go...


Daily Practice


Technical concepts: Worked on "ee" to "ah" the whole warmup. 


Minutes: 10


Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear the City" 


Minutes: 20


Success: Again, vowels are helping  a lot. When They are on, they're on. 


Areas of Improvement: . I tend to push the vowels into the back of my mouth, or make the notes nasal. 


Notes: Sing healthy!




Healthy Meals: 16 and 17. 


Meal Description: Egg whites, turkey bacon, whole wheat toast, and apples. 


Market: Home! My parents home! But I made it!


Rating: 6. Didn't have a lot of flavor, but still was good.  

Meal Description: 1/2 of a veggie wrap with lettuce, hummus, sweet peppers, tomato, cucumbers and a kiva juice (not pictured, but Leonard will vouch for me!)


Restaurant: Times Square Deli in the Sub


Rating: 8. It was alright. Simple and good, but nothing special. And the pic looks worse than it is. I ate half already, so I didn't have much to work with! 

Voice Lesson 2

Time and date: Today at 12:30

Instructor: Matt Naegeli 

Minutes: An hour

Repertoire: I Cannot Hear The City 

Points Covered: We really hammered down the vowels. It's really hard to keep them up, but it feels so healthy and amazing. When the note is placed right, it just spins and lives so happily there! We talked a lot  about the muscle underneath the jaw and keeping that engaged. We went through the song, and marked the vowels and how they should be sung. I=ee and stuff like that

Notes: We had a more serious conversation and talked about a rasp, or thin air that happens when I talk and sing. Matt said e looked it up and was concerned for my vocal health. I had already scheduled an appointment with an ENT, and he said that was good because if it is something developing on my chords, that it's better to take care of it rather than keep singing. So I need to do some research and see if I should go on vocal rest from now till my appointment, or figure out if I'm being to dramatic and it's nothing. I'll schedule an appointment with my doctor tomorrow just to get things checked out, and the ENT appointment isn't till April. It just sucks because I haven't been singing the way I used to, and now it hurts. We'll see. I'm really worried. But like Brian Herrera said today, "Think if singing now is worth it, or if it is worth it for the future." Or something like that. Well, here we go...

 Almost forgot Yoga! # 5!

Today at 6:30 am

Difficulty Level: All. Hot Vinyasa

Studio/Instructor: Blissful Spirits with Rebecca

What I most Enjoyed: Doing yoga again! Stretching and feeling my body work and sweat!

What I found Challenging: Being dehydrated. I forgot my water, and was so thirsty!

Observations: I was a little more tired today, but I got through it!

Day 17: A great day!

I had a really great, fun packed day! Woke up and ate with Leonard, then went to rehearse our lounge act at Aaron's house, then of to an awesome jazz class with Leonard and A-Mo and now some dinner! Really fun!

Practice!

Technical concepts: Really worked on "ee" and "ah." Like really worked it, a lot.

Minutes: 15

Repertoire: "I Cannot Hear The City," and The Songs for our lounge act (Sexy Back, Hot and Cold and Betty Yeah!)!

Success: Betty Yeah is an original song wrote by Aaron Hendren for a movie I was in and I recorded the song! It is so comfortable in my range, and I realized today that I have the brightest and most pure vowels ever! It felt so good! Then after, I sang "I Cannot Hear..." and my placement was a lot better!

Areas of Improvement: Still need to work on the word "Safe" in "I Cannot Hear..." I have a lesson tomorrow and we'll work on that!

Notes: Jamming out is the best!


Healthy meals 13, 14, and 15!!! BAM!

Meal Description: Breakfast! Egg whites with mushrooms, spinach and basil. Some crescents and strawberry preserves and blood oranges!

Market: home! Leonard made surprise breakfast before work!

Rating: 8: It was really good but sometimes eggs make me nauseous...but it was good and healthy!

Meal Description: A Salad with spinach, edamame, quinoa, cucumbers, feta, carrots, hard boiled egg and balsamic vinaigrette. Also, a little pasta!

Market: Whole Foods

Rating: 9: always good!

Meal Description: Stir fry with pineapple, edamame, carrots, onions, broccoli, snow peas and grilled chicken!

Market: home made!

Rating: 9. I think it;s really good and the pineapple is a good touch!

Dance Class #4 


Today at 5:30

Type of class: Jazz

Difficulty level: 2/3

Studio/ Instructor: Marshall's with Virginia 

What I most Enjoyed: I loved Virginia and the class! It was a lot of fun and organized! Excellent class! 

What I found Challenging: Stretching and leaps .

Observations: Virginia is a great teacher! Leonard, A-Mo and I had  alot of fun!