I had my private vocal lesson yesterday.
It was just amazing. Or I felt like I was doing a meditation or Zen training although I'm not a specialist for Buddhism.
One of my problems is inconsistent pitch. I found that when I was ready with every aspect, my pitch became consistent. In another word, when I was not ready even with one thing necessary, my voice would not work well. Relaxing my jaw, breathing deeply, making a room behind my head, not making a vowel but just feeling it, then the sound comes out so naturally. It was exactly what I wanted to do for years and years but I couldn't reach the line yet.
My teacher gave me a lot of suggestions with detailed explanation. I couldn't respond her instruction and I felt so useless but it was the first lesson, it was just a start. I'll work hard and want to improve my voice by this great opportunity.
When it was finished, my brain was reached the limit, not working any more! I had to very much concentrate all the time. Yet, on my way to the station, many things went around in my brain. I was afraid of the things disappearing so I dropped in the doughnut shop and just try to write down what I learned with a corn bread and coffee.
For me, singing is still full of mystery. I feel often uncomfortable when I sing and think something must be wrong but cannot fix it. I've heard that vocal cord is uncontrollable muscle but you can train it by teaching how to work correctly. When it learns how to work, it remembers the process and will work well from there on, which means if you train it wrongly, it would remember the wrong way and it'd be difficult to change it from the bad to the good. I think my vocal cord muscle learned somehow wrongly and has been doing it for a long time so it'd be difficult to retrain it. But I really want to let it learn the correct way!
Today, I practiced by myself as I remembered the teacher's instruction. It's really difficult!!! I can't do it!!! No more!!!! I just can't do it! I repeat whine.... in my mind. But somehow, partly, a little bit, I could feel comfortable with singing. Just a baby step. I believe I can do it someday! I just started doing it. It's OK for today.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
C4 retreat
I joined the choir retreat this weekend. It was a great time for not only music but also for knowing each other, having a peaceful time in a rustic place, cooking hamburgers and hotdogs on the outside grill, walking around and finding pretty flowers and mushrooms...... I had a wonderful time there! I have uploaded more photos on my flickr page so please click this photo and see other photos as well!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
My music life in NY
I came here to work as a volunteer at a nursing home. I never expected I could have such a wonderful musical life during my stay in NY. Before summer, I joined two workshops with The Western Wind. I met excellent musicians there. They brought me other music opportunity.
I had two auditions and passed both of them. So I started to join two choirs from this fall.
One is The C4 Chamber Choir. I met several members at the first Smith Workshop and they asked me to join them. The audition was extremely difficult so I thought I failed it. I was surprised when I got an invitation from them. I'm joining two concerts for this season, in November and February. All pieces are composed by living composers. All are challenging for me. I have to work hard to catch up with them. The next concert's theme is "War and Peace". I want to do my best to make it best! The rehearsal is on Thursday.
Another choir is The Columbia Collegium Musicum. A singer who I met the second Smith workshop asked me to join. The members are mostly students of Columbia University. We are singing Schutz for the next concert in November. The conductor is a young and talented woman. It's a great opportunity for me to sing with young people there. The rehearsal is on Monday and Wednesday.
Other than these, I've been joining a sight singing group on Friday. On weekend, I enjoy singing among church choir. At the nursing home, I play the piano and sing at the chapel service and the Bible study, also I'm starting my own music activity this month.
My life here became not only about communicating with elderly people but also enjoying such a fruitful music life!
I had two auditions and passed both of them. So I started to join two choirs from this fall.
One is The C4 Chamber Choir. I met several members at the first Smith Workshop and they asked me to join them. The audition was extremely difficult so I thought I failed it. I was surprised when I got an invitation from them. I'm joining two concerts for this season, in November and February. All pieces are composed by living composers. All are challenging for me. I have to work hard to catch up with them. The next concert's theme is "War and Peace". I want to do my best to make it best! The rehearsal is on Thursday.
Another choir is The Columbia Collegium Musicum. A singer who I met the second Smith workshop asked me to join. The members are mostly students of Columbia University. We are singing Schutz for the next concert in November. The conductor is a young and talented woman. It's a great opportunity for me to sing with young people there. The rehearsal is on Monday and Wednesday.
Other than these, I've been joining a sight singing group on Friday. On weekend, I enjoy singing among church choir. At the nursing home, I play the piano and sing at the chapel service and the Bible study, also I'm starting my own music activity this month.
My life here became not only about communicating with elderly people but also enjoying such a fruitful music life!
Meeting good people
I met good people on Friday.
In the morning, I had an interview with a head teacher of a school for special kids. She wants volunteers to help her research there. I'm interested in speech pathology so I asked her if I could help her. Unfortunately, our conditions didn't meet well. It takes one and a half hour for me to get there. Also, I need to pay $100 to check criminal records for my finger prints. And I can't get any necessary cost, including transportation fee or meals. She understood my condition and offer me to keep in touch with her and I might help her at home, such as researching good educational materials on the net or at the library and telling her. She explained their excellent education system to me using her past presentation materials. She was energetic, enthusiasm, and very sharp person. I was so glad meeting her.
After the interview, I got on B35 bus from Remsen Ave to Church Av. and Nostrand Av. Taking bus is always difficult for me. I can't catch what the driver's is saying and misses my stop often! This time I got off a few stops earlier. I got off where I thought it was my stop. I couldn't find the subway station. Got lost. I found another bus stop and asked a young woman where the subway station was. She said, "Take the but to get there or walk about 5 blocks." I said, "I just got off the bus now so I think I'll walk. Could you tell me the direction?" She said, "OK we walk!" I was so surprised. I said, "Are you walking with me?" She, "Yes, it's a good exercise! The bus might not come until we get to the station. So we can walk!"
We enjoyed walking together. I talked to her about the interview. She talked to me that she is working for an alternate high school. I told her that I just started to read a YA novel about a boy who is back from reformatory institution to high school life under a supervision. I felt so happy meeting a nice person like her after a tense time at the interview. We exchanged e-mail addresses and promised e-mailing to each other.
What a wonderful time walking with someone who I met just a minute ago!
Then I went to a Salvation Army Store in upper west side, Manhattan to get some warm clothes for the coming winter. I'm joining a choir retreat next weekend so I needed warm relaxing wear until then. My current sleeping wear is short-sleeve T-shirts and shorts. It would be not enough at an up-state place.
The labels on the clothes were varied in colors. The add on the wall said, "50% off for the pink labels!" So I looked for clothes with pink labels and found good ones! Off course, I got 50 % discount for all!
Here are what I got there.
form the left: warm pants for $3.5, a purple sweater for $2, three colored trainer for $2, black fleece full zip jacket for $3.5, and beige fleece blanket for $1.99.
A shop person was nice. He was joking around, saying, "it's $100!" or "You can't get any discount for these!" or something. He made me laugh. I told him I'm working as a volunteer so have no income and I'm really serious about this shopping. His attitude changed and stopped joking around. We had a good chat at the register and said good-bye in a very good mood in the end!
Meeting good people always makes me happy!!!
In the morning, I had an interview with a head teacher of a school for special kids. She wants volunteers to help her research there. I'm interested in speech pathology so I asked her if I could help her. Unfortunately, our conditions didn't meet well. It takes one and a half hour for me to get there. Also, I need to pay $100 to check criminal records for my finger prints. And I can't get any necessary cost, including transportation fee or meals. She understood my condition and offer me to keep in touch with her and I might help her at home, such as researching good educational materials on the net or at the library and telling her. She explained their excellent education system to me using her past presentation materials. She was energetic, enthusiasm, and very sharp person. I was so glad meeting her.
After the interview, I got on B35 bus from Remsen Ave to Church Av. and Nostrand Av. Taking bus is always difficult for me. I can't catch what the driver's is saying and misses my stop often! This time I got off a few stops earlier. I got off where I thought it was my stop. I couldn't find the subway station. Got lost. I found another bus stop and asked a young woman where the subway station was. She said, "Take the but to get there or walk about 5 blocks." I said, "I just got off the bus now so I think I'll walk. Could you tell me the direction?" She said, "OK we walk!" I was so surprised. I said, "Are you walking with me?" She, "Yes, it's a good exercise! The bus might not come until we get to the station. So we can walk!"
We enjoyed walking together. I talked to her about the interview. She talked to me that she is working for an alternate high school. I told her that I just started to read a YA novel about a boy who is back from reformatory institution to high school life under a supervision. I felt so happy meeting a nice person like her after a tense time at the interview. We exchanged e-mail addresses and promised e-mailing to each other.
What a wonderful time walking with someone who I met just a minute ago!
Then I went to a Salvation Army Store in upper west side, Manhattan to get some warm clothes for the coming winter. I'm joining a choir retreat next weekend so I needed warm relaxing wear until then. My current sleeping wear is short-sleeve T-shirts and shorts. It would be not enough at an up-state place.
The labels on the clothes were varied in colors. The add on the wall said, "50% off for the pink labels!" So I looked for clothes with pink labels and found good ones! Off course, I got 50 % discount for all!
Here are what I got there.
form the left: warm pants for $3.5, a purple sweater for $2, three colored trainer for $2, black fleece full zip jacket for $3.5, and beige fleece blanket for $1.99.
A shop person was nice. He was joking around, saying, "it's $100!" or "You can't get any discount for these!" or something. He made me laugh. I told him I'm working as a volunteer so have no income and I'm really serious about this shopping. His attitude changed and stopped joking around. We had a good chat at the register and said good-bye in a very good mood in the end!
Meeting good people always makes me happy!!!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
tears and a funeral service
I attended a funeral service last Thursday. It was different from what I've seen before. There were just two of us, Ieva and me, and the dead resident. He died the previous week at the age of 63. We couldn't find any of his relatives to contact with. Last Wednesday, Ieva asked me if I could do the service with her. She said if we didn't do it, then there would be no service at all. I said yes right away.
Thursday morning, we met at the funeral hall at 10:30. Then we were led to a basement room. There were two sofas, two chairs, a small table and his body in a coffin. That was all. We sat there to waited till the scheduled time came, 11:00. Meanwhile, Ieva went out of the room twice to make phone calls to our nursing home to confirm if anybody else would attend or not, 5 minutes or so for each time. During then, I was just alone with the body. When I was a child, I was scared of dead bodies terribly. I hated ghosts stories, haunted houses at amusement parks, being alone in my room at dark.... This time, to my surprise, I was not scared at all, rather I felt peaceful. He was there still. He didn't move, looked like just sleeping. I thought he might have awake soon after taking a nap or so. I felt calm.
At 11:00, we started the service by just two of us. We stand beside the coffin. Ieva started to read the funeral prayer from the Hymn book. We sang a Hymn "Be Still My Soul" together. Ieva stared to read another prayer. I noticed her voice was changing little by little to nasal tone, and weakened. Then I knew she was crying. She couldn't finish the prayer so I read the last line and we said "Amen" at the end together.
I remember Ieva once told me that she can't cry before people. It was just before she got officially retired from the job this June. At that time, as we were walking along the hallway, lots of staff and residents came up to her and gave her sweet comments and hugged her tightly. I was impressed to see the beautiful scenes. And I'm sure she was impressed by everybody's sweet comment, too. Ieva told me that she felt like crying, even got choked up, but no tear comes out. I know you could get rid of a choke-up by crying. Tears wash away your chock-up somehow, even partly. I understood her mind and felt sorry for her.
So I was a bit surprised to sense her crying during the funeral service, at the same time, I was somehow glad with it. I don't know why. Maybe I thought that she could cry before me because we built up our good friendship. I might be wrong but I felt so and somehow glad with it.
Then I sang a Hymn "O Jesus, I Have Promised" solo just for the dead resident. I chose it and practiced it at home the previous night, remembering his smile. As I was singing, I hoped his peaceful life without any pain in the heaven with God.
I felt warm although the body was real cold when I touched him at the end of the service.
We had a good time with him. I thank him to let us have a good peaceful time altogether.
Thursday morning, we met at the funeral hall at 10:30. Then we were led to a basement room. There were two sofas, two chairs, a small table and his body in a coffin. That was all. We sat there to waited till the scheduled time came, 11:00. Meanwhile, Ieva went out of the room twice to make phone calls to our nursing home to confirm if anybody else would attend or not, 5 minutes or so for each time. During then, I was just alone with the body. When I was a child, I was scared of dead bodies terribly. I hated ghosts stories, haunted houses at amusement parks, being alone in my room at dark.... This time, to my surprise, I was not scared at all, rather I felt peaceful. He was there still. He didn't move, looked like just sleeping. I thought he might have awake soon after taking a nap or so. I felt calm.
At 11:00, we started the service by just two of us. We stand beside the coffin. Ieva started to read the funeral prayer from the Hymn book. We sang a Hymn "Be Still My Soul" together. Ieva stared to read another prayer. I noticed her voice was changing little by little to nasal tone, and weakened. Then I knew she was crying. She couldn't finish the prayer so I read the last line and we said "Amen" at the end together.
I remember Ieva once told me that she can't cry before people. It was just before she got officially retired from the job this June. At that time, as we were walking along the hallway, lots of staff and residents came up to her and gave her sweet comments and hugged her tightly. I was impressed to see the beautiful scenes. And I'm sure she was impressed by everybody's sweet comment, too. Ieva told me that she felt like crying, even got choked up, but no tear comes out. I know you could get rid of a choke-up by crying. Tears wash away your chock-up somehow, even partly. I understood her mind and felt sorry for her.
So I was a bit surprised to sense her crying during the funeral service, at the same time, I was somehow glad with it. I don't know why. Maybe I thought that she could cry before me because we built up our good friendship. I might be wrong but I felt so and somehow glad with it.
Then I sang a Hymn "O Jesus, I Have Promised" solo just for the dead resident. I chose it and practiced it at home the previous night, remembering his smile. As I was singing, I hoped his peaceful life without any pain in the heaven with God.
I felt warm although the body was real cold when I touched him at the end of the service.
We had a good time with him. I thank him to let us have a good peaceful time altogether.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
the-end-of-summer weekend!
I had a wonderful time on Labor Day weekend.
On Sunday, I went to the beach with my friends. It was my first time to go to the beach in the past 15 years or so. The weather was perfect. The dark blue Atlantic Ocean and the bright blue sky welcomed us as well as seaguls!
And then we drove to the Howard Beach, where we found an Italian retaurant for dinner. I had calamari pasta with hot sauce. I loved it! We were already full when the dessert was served. I can't believe it but we bobbled it up!!
On Saturday, I saw the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn! It was fabulous! I'll show you some of the photos here and if you like, you can visit my flickr page where you can see more photos!
I saw San. Chuck Schumer there!
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