So Much Music, So Little Time
July 29, 2009
Within a quartet, building a repertoire is more challenging than one might think. After some study, we conclude that finding music parallels dating in surprising ways. Consider the following points:
- You might get ahold of a song that would be perfect if you just make a few tiny adjustments. No date, nor song, is just right on first meeting but with time and coaxing a more ideal situation can be achieved!
- There are many qualities you are looking for in a song, just like the perfect date. Of course this list is organized in must-haves, nice-to-haves, etc. There’s an equally important list of should-not-haves, too!
- Like being set up on a date, your singing friends “suggest” music to you. You may even ask them if they know any songs that might just work for you. “Fixups” happen in the music world almost as often as in the dating world!
- You may spend months on a song, and it is just not working out, and you just have to call it “quits”. As in many relationships, when it’s not working, it’s just not working.
- There is so much music to choose from, and so little time to get to know it all!
I am sure there are many many more. Share with us the parallels you see!
About “Nobody Does It Like Me”
July 19, 2009
So in college I auditioned for many different musicals. I found myself singing the same old popular numbers from broadway – Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera, Cats, you get the idea. Everybody was using these songs and I wanted to stand out. I know, me??? Want to stand out??? Go figure. Anyway, my piano instructor came to me and said he had the “perfect” number for me. As Michael would say, it’s in my “fach”. So I picked it up, learned it, loved it and got the lead in the next musical for which I auditioned.
A few months back I was singing this song for my quartet who said they’d never seen me so excited about a song. I brought it to Michael Gellert (director of HCMC) and he arranged this fun piece for us.
“Nobody Does It Like Me,” from Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields’ last Broadway musical Seesaw (1973), is an upbeat song about a woman who can’t seem to do anything right, especially fall in love.
In April, 2009 we competed at the Mid-Atlantic Harmony Sweepstakes A Cappella Festival and performed this number where we decided to put a new twist on it. Rather than just standing and performing – we added some choreo – “Temptations” style. This was very well received and helped secure our 4h place finish.
Singin’ Low
July 13, 2009
Having a low range women’s voice can be frustrating at times. Try singing along with the radio, for example. Most popular female radio singers’ voices fall naturally into the higher registers – Lead or Tenor in barbershop, Soprano or Mezzo Soprano in choral music. When I tune in to my local country radio station, I can’t sing along with Martina or Faith – I can’t hit those high notes. Even Keith Urban and the guys in Rascal Flatts can sing higher than me! Turning over to the adult contemporary station doesn’t help, Celine is way out of my range. How frustrating it is to want to croon along with those songs as I drive along to and from work every day, only to find that I have to sing an octave lower than the artist I’m trying to emulate. While I can sometimes hit those high notes by belting it out REALLY LOUD, I’ve learned that the drivers beside me at the stop light don’t really appreciate the quality (or lack thereof) that results from that method.
That’s why I was so thrilled to discover the beautiful and talented Diana Krall! For those unfamiliar, she is an incredible jazz pianist and singer – and she has a women’s Bass voice! Her voice is as low as mine, and has a wonderful smokey quality that is perfect for the style of music she plays.
I suppose Diana has been on the music scene for a number of years, but she is a recent discovery of mine. In the year or two since I’ve found her, I’ve collected nearly all of her recordings. On some of the records, she plays her piano backed only by a drummer and an upright bass. On others, she has a full, lush orchestra. Each of her albums has a distinct flavor and feel.
My husband and I recently had the pleasure of seeing Diana Krall live in concert at the Meyerhoff Hall here in Baltimore. We had seventh row seats, on the left side of the auditorium. Our view was of her back as she sat at the piano facing the right of the room. But I think we got the best view – we got to watch her right hand float over the piano keys all night long. It was amazing!
So, for all the women out there who have low singing voices, don’t despair. Pick up some Diana Krall music and you’ll be right at home!
Here’s a video that highlights some of the best of her abilities:
RSS – It’s Really Simple, See?
July 12, 2009
Ready for Something Special? Well, we’ve got it for you! You can Receive Short Status reports, Ridiculously Silly Stories, or information on some Rather Serious Subjects from the Lustre website just by Requesting a Simple Subscription to the Lustre RSS feed.
What is an RSS feed? It stands for “Really Simple Syndication”, and it is a web-based format used to publish frequently updated works, such as blog entries, news headlines, or other web-based information sources. Read more about RSS here. A reader (like you) can subscribe to a publisher’s RSS feed (like Lustre’s News blog) and automatically receive the updated information when it becomes available. No need to continually check on a website to see if there’s something new – it can be sent straight to you!
How do you read an RSS feed? There are lots of ways, but the most common are to either use an “RSS reader” (an application designed for this purpose), or to subscribe via your email address to an RSS feeder.
To sign up for Lustre’s RSS feed:
1. Go to the Blog page on Lustre’s website
2. Click on “Subscribe to RSS” in the top right column
3. Choose your favorite RSS Reader from those listed in the “Subscribe Now” block, OR
4. Click on “Get Lustre Quartet delivered by email” in the “Subscribe Now” block
Then sit back and Read Short Snippets of information while we Regularly Share Stories and information that will both entertain and educate you on the craft of Barbershop. You’ll learn about Lustre’s Repertoire of Show Songs, learn why we highly Recommend Singer’s School in Region 19, hear about how we are Readying both Secular and Sacred songs for the upcoming holiday season. We might share what it’s like to learn to sing Rangy Song Scores. We’ll describe our search for the Rhinestones, Sequins and Silky costumes that so define the women’s barbershop performance attire. We might Recap Show-Stopping moments from our performances. We might be Rambling, Sometimes Schmaltzy, but we promise you won’t Regret your Simple Subscription.
Click here to sign up today!