Author: akintsucrooner

December, a lovely time but also not a time of the year for the faint hearted. Tis a month that is easily triggered with some anger issues; looking forward to Monday @ 1:30pm 😀

Memories of this week:

1. We got through the snowsquall and kids did a great job on their winter concerts.

2. Heavenly flannel sheets were highly appreciated.

3. Was awesome to witness kids rocking a paper plate routine to nutcracker trepak. Rebecca Lin Wen.

4. Getting a not great blood report is a grand motivator to start watching what I eat much more.

5. It’s fun to watch elementary aged Rizzos and Frenchys really getting into their stage personas.

6. I am the proud owner of festive and matching holiday jewelry.

7. Our bird has begun to sleep in her new Christmas basket from Grandma Janet Perryman.

Teacher Friday nights in December are no joke. When I got home at 6pm last night, I sat glassy eyed watching lifetime after a week of 15 hour days. This morning at 9:15am, I slowly rolled my half +1 century back side out of my flannel sheeted bed. I began to get presentable for a special voice lesson. My voice student asked for an extra lesson. She is preparing a video to send in for graduate voice music school pre-screening. I offered to warm her up and video for her. She was bringing her accompanist to play. My solid elementary music piano chops don’t quite cut it with orchestral art song. Making sure my socks were the same color and the hair cowlick on the crown of my head wasn’t sticking up, I welcomed them in and we proceeded to get her voice in a good groove and record. I’m nice enough to her pianist and compliment him on his artistic playing. All that to say, I come to find out, her pianist was the kid keyboard player in “School of Rock.” What the. Of course the fan girl in me says, do you know Jack Black? He says “yes, everyone asks that.” Made for an interesting morning. #whoknew #schoolofrock #keyboardplayer #jackblack

My solo last night with the cathedral choir along with Theodore Chletsos. Singing the English verse especially hit me emotionally as it’s been a frenetic December trying to keep my head above water. Yesterday was one of those days where I struggled to rise above. It took intestinal fortitude to brush off a difficult day and share my muse. “Truly he taught us to love one another, his law, his love, and his gospel is peace.” Great sentiment. Not always an easy feat; a life long charge. #grateful

Nope. I am not going to fight about politics and religion, that’s just tribal blood sport imo. HOWEVER…here’s a battle I’m willing to duke out. Singing and architecture are very similar. There I said it. For realz though. The 2 keys in the picture seem so close right; e minor and d minor? Nope. Especially for the elementary throat, tis oceans apart. And the difference between phrase 1/2 verses 3/4 are continents apart. You may hear someone sing and quickly toss off an irreverent Simon cowell “they can’t sing.” But given the right melodic line and key, many people have the ability to sing at least certain pieces. With specific attention to design and structure, many of us will be set for singing success. Although we may want to, not everyone can sing like Underwood or Corelli, but given the right conditions, there is a song in most of us.

#akintsucrooner

“AIR TO SPARE”

(Title astutely quoted by Ruth Sytsma)

With good fortune, helpful connections, and a thorough musical background, this spring I will be an adjunct voice faculty at Wagner college. Even though I loved teaching at the collegiate level voice as a graduate teaching assistant in my masters and dma work, I love the little folk and didn’t know if I would find my way back to teaching at this level.

Tonight I had an early opportunity to work with a gifted Wagner voice student. All the feels I get when I enter the Cracker Barrel store were felt. There were many exciting vocal tchotchkes to begin exploring; vowels, air flow, inhibition, position….where to start with a talented and receptive singer. We dug in and had a productive hour. As we found more ease and release, the student remarked about her air to spare with challenging phrases. It’s amazing how much we armor ourselves to protect and eclipse freer sounds. So much of singing is finding ease in the midst of technique implementation. The voice is transit fueled by life force. What is especially challenging is that singers don’t always find themselves in the same place every day. The good news is that adapted high fiber vocal workouts help sustain a technique that you can rely on even on murky days.

I had to chuckle because I got an unexpected ride on the golf cart to the music building from a grounds employee which is straight out of Janet Perryman’s play book. She would have made this happen. And as luck would have it, my student has lovely red hair which my dad, grandma, and cousins have. My dad always wanted to teach at the college level. Perhaps he had a part as well in this new opportunity.

Looking forward to sharing and growing in this new chapter.

#akintsucrooner

By E. Perryman

12.4.19

Blog: akintsucrooner.wordpress.com

Welcome to a new edition of Social Media Overshare. It’s ABC time aka time for an “ass-bag confessional.” This is my latest edition in “I need to get a grip and get over myself.”

I shall start In defense of my ass-baggery. I was standing in a self serve line at a store. I had been holding on the phone with Bank of America for 90 minutes. They didn’t give me the cool call back option and I couldn’t do anything online. I tried but was denied. I was waiting to transfer direct deposits to my new account. I recently dealt with check fraud. There have been many tasks to take care since my old account closed and bills don’t wait. All I could see was late fees and mortgages on my park place and boardwalk hotels. You get the picture.

Anywho, I was minding my own business and quietly bemoaning my scenario in my comfy black cloud. All I wanted to do was to leisurely sulk in my own personal self serve checkout. Wait, I’m not the center of the universe? Shocking. 😉

Alas, 2 people came right up behind me with energy that I read as “move your slow ass.” I huffed a bit and quietly muttered to myself “there are other lanes.” At the time, I didn’t get a look at the two people. I finished and moved to the other side to organize my groceries. I looked at the people. I noticed an older and very thin lady buying a can of soup and what looked like a jar of seasoning. There was a gentleman with her. He had a cane and seemed to be helping her.

Yep, that’s all they were buying. It wouldn’t have killed me to notice them at first and PERHAPS let them jump ahead of me???

I sheepishly waited for them to leave before me and escorted my sorry self to my nice, warm car. No school wide paw pass for me. Lol.

Nope, if you are still with me on this one, I am not looking for absolution. I’m just sharing my trifling tale in the hopes that if you have a similar encounter and are on the receiving end, that person says they are sorry. I am grateful for the needed snow globe shake up.

#akintsucrooner

FLY ON THE WALL

By E. Perryman 12.3.19

Blog: akintsucrooner.wordpress.com

FLY ON THE WALL

By E. Perryman 12.3.19

Blog: akintsucrooner.wordpress.com

Hey fellow voice teachers (curious who has done this exercise with their student)…..

Wanna shake things up with a long time voice student? Are you curious to find out what students are doing vocally outside the safety of your lesson? Begin your lesson by having the student show you how they warm up on their own, without your guidance. Then go directly into repertoire following their own vocalises; not the ones you devise and edit for them. Give feedback and circle back to your own exercises and implement into their repertoire. It is a fascinating exercise. In my experience, it is deeply eye opening. From pushing to lack of support, the habits that creep back in are surprising. Left to their own devices, the students aren’t always on the same page. So much of what we do beyond technique is to guide students to uncover and craft their actual voice; not the one they wish to have. I believe a voice teacher’s job is as much metaphysical as it is physiological. You can preach breath flow, high position, and vowel clarity consistently but at the end of the day, you have only so much impact on your student. No matter how much you harvest in your lessons together, a student produces their voice on their own. You can only hope that your work together developing reliable semantics and reproducible sensations is efficient and autonomous. The more you can have a student lead the process (along with your acute ears and gentle navigation,) the more the pasta will stick. And as technique becomes more sealed, you’re left to deal with the annoying comment “singing is so easy for you.” It is an enduring life long feat to internally translate Italian theatrical singing. We are our instrument and we must contend with many variables when we sing. Ours is a worthy, humbling, and noble journey.

#flyonthewall #techniquetelephone #singerpsyche #becomingus #workfornatural

DAY ONE FIFTY ONE

E. Perryman

11.27.19

630AM-Gotta pee. Wait. It’s already 6:30? Nooooooo. So sleepy.

730AM-Feeling that familiar late november hit by a bus feeling as I leave for school.

830-It’s really special to teach at an elementary school on your birthday. Feeling fortunate to get so many sweet birthday greetings and serenades.

850AM-Random thought. I don’t get in to Phoenix until 1230 mountain time tonight. Holy long day, Batman.

9AM-Ok, chorus made me work for it but they sang well; we are in decent shape for our winter concert. Hopefully I won’t have concert anxiety dreams this weekend.

930 AM-Um. I gave the wrong routing number to my school for my new checking account. I won’t get my paycheck now for a week after rent is due. Shit.

10AM-Wow, payroll is really nice. They are going to cut me a one time hard copy check.

1130AM-That sponge bob pillow from Ashley Abigail sure would make a nice little nap pillow.

12PM-Sarku chicken teriyaki is a le tasty meal on my birth date.

1230-Demonstrating the turkey tango has increased my steps by quite a clip this week.

1PM-Crap. The kid who was doing so well is crying cuz he got 2nd in the rhythm game.

140PM-Duty is done! Bye Felicia!

2PM-Just got off a trying phone call. Trying to help adults with decisions is very challenging. Kids are much more open.

3PM-Humid. Sweating. Seem to be running in circles. Much to do before we fly. I hope I don’t forget anything.

4PM-Stomach chakra ain’t happy right now. Time to tune out and veg. Very grateful for wife who will drive to airport.

830PM-Not sure why but we hit a sweet spot at the philly airport. Coasted thru security, mellow energy, enjoyed saladworks, sitting on a half empty plane.

9:00PM-On my way to coach, I passed a guy in first class close to my age with a Karate Kid Cobra Kai haircut. He was dressed in a well preserved 1987 half turtle neck sweater, light blue faded wide leg jeans, and brown loafers. Wow.

9:10PM-Admittedly, it wasn’t like Vegas last year. Alas, not a banner day on my 51st but glad to be above ground living with love and opportunities. Here’s to another year of minimizing my ass hattery.

#akintsucrooner

By E. Perryman

#akintsucrooner

11.26.19

(I’m almost 51)

My choral ear has been baptized in the nectar of springy, round, forward, and bright during the past 6 years with the cathedral choir. Whoa nelly. For my big girl Bessie throat britches, this hasn’t been a walk in the park. I can earnestly say I have come a long way from my pre Y2K murky, over-vibrated choral singing. Tonight, as the cathedral choir fine tuned crunchy Whitaker, I could see how the quest for choral finesse however noble is never finished. It could quite possibly lead someone to the choir singer funny farm. Work is never done for those who seek perfectly blended and dulcet tones. I am no longer a rocky horror newbie. My innocence is no longer. #senzavibratoislikeveggies #feelingmyforeheadvibrateisfun

2009

1. Fortunate.

2. 40 years old until 11.27.09.

3. Loving Elizabeth.

4. Lost 50 lbs/eating my way back

5. Not medicated/panic issues.

6. Spontaneous.

7. Wacky.

8. Somewhat closeted.

9. Music maker.

10. Live audience stage animal.

11. Anxious.

12. Slightly ocd.

13. Less aware of life’s brevity.

14. Intense.

15. Don’t express /write feelings.

16. Working on boundaries.

17. Growing into my power.

18. Generally happy.

19. Enjoying rain bonnets.

20. Less vulnerable.

2019

1. Fortunate.

2. 50 years old until 11.27.19.

3. Loving Elizabeth.

4. Start around the same weight.

5. Medicated/less panic issues.

6. Spontaneous.

7. Wackier.

8. Closet free.

9. Music maker.

10. Live audience stage animal.

11. Anxious when tank is low.

12. Less ocd.

13. Somber about life’s brevity.

14. Intense.

15. Able to write/express feelings.

16. Better with boundaries.

17. More in my power.

18. Generally happy.

19. Love me my rain bonnet.

20. More vulnerable.