My 2 cents worth this Christmas!

As I meandered down to Nielson Park this morning for a quick swim and a cuppa I was thinking about how Christmas in supposed to be a time for generosity of spirit! And generosity of the wallet!

As I wandered through the green grass and swaying gum trees I happened across another meanderer like me. Takeaway coffee in hand he was singing away to his ipod. As we crossed paths I convinced myself I would give him a friendly smile. So I did one of those half smile things where you don't actually show your teeth. Kind of a cop out smile really! And not surprisingly my fellow meanderer didn't even seem to notice me at all. He kind of glanced at me blankly and continued obliviously on his way. Oblivious of my half hearted attempt to show my generosity of spirit. Oblivious of me. stop.

So from that moment on I decided, especially during this Christmas season and heck....from now on in general, I am going to smile at strangers. Unless of course they are really strange! I am going to risk it, god damn it, and give them a full smile and perhaps even a friendly 'How do you do?'.

And if they don't respond, well perhaps they will next time or perhaps they are just unfriendly bastards....but that has got nothing to do with you and me! We shall spread our Christmas Joy.

And now to the main crux of my thinking.... the other thing we can share is our wonderful singing voices! Yes badly put, this suddenly sounds like a religious newsletter. Just makes one realize you know, singing is free. Singing for others is something that us singers can do easily but often we don't. Often we are held back by shyness or an over active ego which tells us that we have to fully prepare before breaking into song, know the words, practice our delivery, wear the right outfit. But just a reminder to all you singers out there, myself included....try not to be too precious.....just open up your mouths and belt out a carol or two this Christmas. It makes such an incredible difference to an evening or a party or to a simple gathering.

And although we sometimes forget, singing really is a gift. So let's all give it!

Tinsel Time Reminder

'....deck the halls with ?? of holly, tra la la la la, la la la la. Tis the season to be jolly tra la la la la, la la la la.......'


It's Tinsel Time

We're gonna have a casual barby, sip champagne and sing carols.

Where: Our pad – 75 New South Head Rd

When: Friday 11th December (tomorrow)

Time: 7pm and on & on into the night!



Bring; some booze, your own deck chair unless you don't mind the grass, loud singing voices, a positive outlook, um....your pet reindeers, no dogs and santa hats!

The indomitable spirit

Had a lovely day on Monday with one of my crazy students. I don't think she will mind me calling her crazy. Merenia Gillies is a very talented Sydney based singer/songwriter who runs music classes for refugees and women affected by domestic violence out at Penrith.
I went along to conduct a voice workshop with a group of women on Monday.

Merenia had been working with this group to create an original composition, not an easy undertaking! But with her down to earth approach, Merenia had managed to unite this group of unlikely friends. She told me she had encouraged the women to all contribute lyrics and melody ideas and the result of a number of weeks work was surprising.

I really had no idea what to expect when I arrived at the community centre out in Penrith after driving for what seemed like ages down that monotonous highway. On meeting everyone however I quickly saw what my job was going to be. It was to get the women to really 'SING'.They had written this potentially amazing song with uplifting lyrics and now all they had to do was sing it without inhibition, with the energy and strength that the song spoke of.

Some of these women had had unthinkable life stories of hardship and abuse, yet were standing there ready to listen to a skinny white gal like me.

To my surprise it really didn't take long at all to get these women dancing and singing with true conviction.Frowns and crossed arms were replaced with open smiling faces. We had one principal soloist who led the group in a call and answer type chorus. She was a powerhouse of voice and emotion and the group began to respond with equal intensity which gave me goose bumps!

It made me think about how we can be such 'winge-ie pants' about things that really don't matter. It made me think about how the smallest things can sometimes get us down and how we easily allow these feelings to re-enforce negative self belief and a cynical view of the world.

Yet here I met this group of women who having suffered a great deal more than I can comprehend were not sitting around wallowing in self pity. They were standing up, fearlessly claiming their ground and singing out about their love for life.

I left Penrith, of all places, feeling almost hyperactive with optimism!
It was one of the most rewarding things I have done in ages!

L

Love and the voice

So I was thinking...empathising with a student, contemplating what a huge effect your love life can have on your voice!

Has this really ever been discussed seriously? I mean it is pretty obvious that without love or loss there wouldn't be much playing on the radio? Not many people write songs about rising interest rates or asylum seekers (well some people do but they aren't usually playing on mainstream radio)! And it is not news that love has been the motivation for millions of compositions. But what what about the actual effect that love has on the voice?


Suddenly we have no high notes, suddenly our voices are hoarse and down in our boots. Or suddenly we can float through an aria effortlessly, our high C is mind blowing!
Could it be true that a bad love life or a tormented emotional state is bad for a singer and that a good relationship is highly recommended for vocal health?

But I do see it a lot. A student comes in, voice is in a mess, student has left boyfriend or vice versa. Student has shed so many tears that her/his sinuses are all clogged up and when she/he speaks I could have sworn they were doing a drag queen impersonation.
Now this is serious stuff!

I do recall myself meeting a fetching young fellow in Spain and flying to Kazakstan to pursue a love story that I believed had to be lived out...only to end up with my fragile heart in pieces.
And my voice? My high notes? My headspace? Out the window!

An unsettled emotional state unhitches the vocal wagon from the horse and the voice ends up cascading down the proverbial hill and landing in the creek! This is surely not a good thing before a concert or a competition.

Ok on a positive note, sometimes unhitching the wagon ( I'm still on about the wagon) can produce a raw type of abandon which can be amazing and relates back to the discussion we had in an earlier blog.

So what can we learn from this rather long winded contemplation on love and the voice?

DO NOT drop someone, get dropped or have an affair on the eve of a concert, performance or singing competition.
DO continue and pursue love that is nurturing, exciting and uplifting!

But as we singers all know very well...if that dark, mysterious, attractive someone turns up, concert or no concert, we will be in hot pursuit.

Because the moral of the story is that we are all passionate, impetuous beings despite our best intentions and strongest resolutions. Yes singers, we were born this way!

Eartha

I am not quite sure how I missed the news....but did everybody know, except for me, that Eartha Kitt had passed away? Apparently it happened last Dec 2008.

I heard a rendition of Santa Baby last week and thought that it really couldn't be sung by anyone else except for Eartha!

Even caught a glimpse of her myself many years ago in Monte Carlo in my show girl days!

But here's one of my special photos....my pop, Ron Roberts playing bass for that fabulous lady. What a lucky man!

And a very belated Bon Voyage!

Spontaneity

During one of my lessons the other day a student made me remember something about this artsy profession that perhaps we forget.

She was surprised I had not heard of the musical 'Spamelot' and proceeded to do a demonstration of one of the pieces from the show. She spontaneously began interpreting 4 characters all at once. She was singing and moving about the stage totally channeling the characters as they came into play. She was totally in the moment, not a seconds hesitation as she transitioned from one character voice to the next, only interrupted by a little giggle here and there. She was amazing!

I am sure she had absolutely no idea how great the performance was. She didn't care, she was having fun.

I began to question 'Could she perform like this in an audition, with exactly the same intention, intensity, abandon? 'Could she do this again in a performance with the pressure of an audience sitting there analysing her every move? '' Then I asked myself 'Could I perform with that kind of spontaneous, exuberance even if I wanted to?' Blimey!

She is 21, yes she is young and kinda has that irrepressible youthful energy thing that begins to make many of us question 'where did mine go'?

If she had been able to perform the piece exactly as she had done for me, alone in the auditorium at The Independent, if there had been an audience there to see it....they would have been enthralled. They would have said she was a star in the making! Perhaps she will be.....

But I wonder.....how do we keep that naive excitement for life which makes us able to throw ourselves completely and utterly into our craft, allows us to be there, totally present, without fear or self consciousness, delivering all that we are in that moment. Uncovering ourselves, letting go of the constant 'trying' and just sing with all the skills we have or haven't acquired up to that point?

I remember one of my voice teachers in Italy saying to me ' Just because it is spontaneous and expressive doesn't mean it is art'!

I have thought about this statement for a number of years and can certainly see her point on one hand but on the other hand it throws into question the issue of where 'our art' actually comes from in the first place, does it not?

To be continued....

The Art of Singing

Hi singers

Check out this website. It makes for interesting reading!

Here is a table of contents for what you will find;

THE ART OF SINGING By Luisa Tetrazzini
Luisa Tetrazzini—Introductory Sketch
Breath Control—The Foundation of Singing
The Mastery of the Tongue
Tone Emission and Attack
Facial Expression and Mirror Practice
Appreciative Attitude and Critical Attitude

THE ART OF SINGING By Enrico Caruso
The Career of Enrico Caruso
From a Personal Viewpoint
The Voice and Tone Production
Faults to be Corrected
Good Diction a Requisite
Pet Superstitions of Great Singers

Nan & Louis Armstrong

This is a great shot of nan with Louis Armstrong.
She met him a number of times and always spoke of the warmth of his huge smile.

My nan passed away only recently and was a huge musical influence on my life.
She and pop used to perform amazing renditions of 'Happy Birthday'! Nan singing away with beautiful velvety tones and pop bashing out a trad jazz version which was never ending!
Amazing memories.

L

Italy

A snapshot of 8 years in Italy.
Have you seen the sunflowers in bloom?

L

Ken & 'Feldenkrais & The Voice' Workshop

EurekAaaaah- there it is!

I had arrived at the Lisa's Feldenkrais singing workshop with various trepidations, but mostly at the prospect of having to sing a solo in the afternoon.
I had been working with Lisa for about 4 months and had made some good progress, she's a great teacher, but I knew I really had to face the gremlins head on, stand up and sing without accompaniment to an audience...
And not to your average audience - a mix of gifted opera singers!

There were about 10 of us in the morning session - all female. Every cloud...
After the mind/body harmonizing exercises we moved into the afternoon session and hooray! another guy! Jamie Scott.

We moved to the solos - I was in the presence of some serious talent.
Jamie's Aria was incredibly moving - sensual and penetrating, and as a fellow (wanna-be) tenor, I really started to hear in which direction I wanted my voice to be heading.
It was just now a case of finding it...
I was last to creep up to the front and sang a Paul Young tune pretty badly in two different keys - I knew there was no conviction or belief in the delivery and too much self consciousness.
Still I was happy I had faced my biggest fear. But where was that release?

The final exercise of the day was another of Lisa's ingenious drills. All 11 of us walking round randomly on stage and when our names were called, we had to improvise a greeting/discussion to the person nearest in full voice.
After about 5 minutes of this almost pagan ritual, Jamie's name was called, and me being nearest, was privy to to a bigger than life tenor Vox ringing straight at me asking me how I was going....
I replied... spontaneously... from the balls of the feet and from the bottom of the stomach - there it was - my real voice. All the trebly crap had gone, and the bellows were on fire.
Eureka.
Still a long road ahead but after 10 years of searching, I can finally say I sing with my own voice.

Ken

'FeldenKrais and The Voice'

Vocal Workshop for singers

An exciting and unique workshop to increase vocal freedom
incorporating the Feldenkrais method and movement.

Conducted by
Lisa Scott - voice teacher & Ingrid Weisfelt - Feldenkrais practioner

This workshop will explore the vital connection of our voice with our physicality
to increase freedom and potency of vocal expression.

Saturday 21st November
10am - 5pm
The Independent Theatre, 269 Miller Street, North Sydney

Morning and afternoon tea provided
1 hour lunch break

Workshop $90
Bookings essential - lisa@revolvearts.com.au

0405 550 015
www.RevolveArts.com.au

Thought for the day

"The moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decisions, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now."

Goethe

McDonald's Operatic Aria, Sydney Eisteddfod

Our very own Naomi Johns will be singing in the finals of the McDonalds Operatic Aria Competition this Sunday to be held at The Sydney Opera. She has worked her butt off this year and is singing fabulously!

Why not come along and support her?

Sunday 20 September 2009. 06:30 PM

For tickets go to http://www.mytickets.com.au/mcdonalds-operatic-aria-sydney-eisteddfod/1-441847/view.aspx

'Be there when six of Australia’s finest young vocal superstars vie for more than $57,000 worth of prizes in a musical battle featuring some of the world’s greatest composers and operatic masterpieces.

This dazzling evening of technical skill and musical mastery promises to be a highlight of the 2009 Sydney performance calendar.'

It would be great to see you there.
Lisa Scott

Workshop Participants

'Feldenkrais & The Voice' Workshop Reminder
with Ingrid Weisfelt & Lisa Roberts Scott

Saturday 15th August @ The Independent Theatre
Workshop Starts at 10am - 5pm
Please bring a yoga mat and/or rug
Wear comfortable loose clothing.(Not jeans or skirts)

Please remember to bring the sheet music for a piece you would like to work on.
Morning and afternoon tea will be provided and there will be a 1 hour lunch break.

The Independent Theatre is opposite Stanton Library.
269 Miller Street, North Sydney
The closest train station is North Sydney station.
See you all there

Lisa Scott

Sing thru the flu season!

A number of my students have been coming down with the colds and persistent sore throats this year. I have to boast getting through this years coldest months without even a tinge of a sore throat. And lets face it, being a singer with a sore throat can be downright depressing.

What can you do to ward off colds and sore throats? Well it may sound like obvious advice but one of the best things to do is to simply take a good quality vitamin C powder on a daily basis. Some of the good ones contain other things like zinc and calcium and give your immune system a real boost. You will find a better range at a health food store than a pharmacy.
Keep your stomach healthy too by taking acidophilus regularly.

Although it is cold outside and one would prefer to stay rugged up indoors it is important for singers to keep their lungs working by going for a brisk walk or jog in the fresh air or doing some yoga.

Being around other singers who are not well can be a problem. A violinist friend of mine who is now in his 100th year told me that he managed to stay healthy even when the entire Chicago Symphony Orchestra had the flu by gargling whisky or a strong spirit and rubbing it around his nose before and after rehearsals!

If you do find yourself with a sore throat coming on, get yourself some good lozenges with propolis and manuka honey. You can break them up into small pieces and keep sucking on them regularly throughout the day to keep your mouth disinfected.

It is best not to sing on a sore throat. Just give yourself a few days off regular practice. You can sing with a snuffy nose and some singers often think they sound better than usual but this is just due to the increased resonance they are hearing within their own head and doesn't usually sound as great to the listener!

I hope you find this useful.
Lisa

Lessons conducted by Lisa Roberts Scott are held in the auditorium at The Independent Theatre in North Sydney in order to take advantage of its state of the art acoustics.

Singers

SING AS FREELY AS YOU SPEAK

Vocal Tuition at the Independent Theatre
with Lisa Roberts Scott
269 Miller Street, North Sydney

Private Lessons, Group Lessons, Workshops
Performance opportunities

Lisa focuses on the release of all unnecessary muscular action
for the free production of tone developing natural resonance,
good intonation, clarity of tone and clear articulation of words.
Lisa teaches the crucial connection between the speaking and
singing voice promoting the unique vocal identity of singers
creating a clear and honest performance.

Enquiries - lisascott25@gmail.com Phone 0405 550 015

'FeldenKrais and The Voice'

Vocal Workshop for singers

An exciting and unique workshop to increase vocal freedom
incorporating the Feldenkrais method and movement.

Conducted by
Lisa Scott - voice teacher & Ingrid Weisfelt - Feldenkrais practioner

This workshop will explore the vital connection of our voice with our physicality
to increase freedom and potency of vocal expression.

Saturday 15th August
10am - 5pm
The Independent Theatre, 269 Miller Street, North Sydney

Morning and afternoon tea provided
1 hour lunch break

Workshop $90
For Bookings Email - lisa@aria.ac