TWEAK LIFE
E. Perryman 8.27.24

Last year was an emotional chapter 11 for me. An overbooked schedule, life changes, minimal decompression, impending unknown, turning double nickels, and family health concerns brought me to a crossroad. I shuffled on down to the oh so familiar calorically deviant land of food numbing. Despite Noom still being a part of my life, my logged colors were a steady flow of dense yellow/orange foods. I felt especially unhealthy when we went to northern Arizona in early August with my Fitbit cardio health now poor to fair. My pulse didn’t adjust well to the high altitude. It became clear to me all I have taken for granted when I’m healthier: easy breathing, no snoring, shoe fit, energy, stairs, indigestion, booth sizes……SO, the impact of the flight from NJ to AZ motivated me to begin tweaking my lifestyle. The past 2 weeks, I have been more intentional with calories and have worked out at least 10 minutes a day. These changes made traveling home from AZ much easier. My cardio fitness estimate is now fair to average and my pulse has dropped significantly. All of this to say, small changes do make a difference and change does indeed often follow chaos. #shadowbite #chapter11 #livingoutloud #noom

John McCain Quote:
“I believe in evolution. But I also believe, when I hike the Grand Canyon and see it at sunset, that the hand of God is there also.” #grandcanyon

It dawned on me this week how much I love moving to my extra last century power pop aerobics. I miss this part of my identity. Some of you know I was a certified aerobic instructor starting at 19; friends called it lizrobics, lizzercize etc. My 55 year old aerobic impact is currently low but after I did two 10min YouTube workouts today and yesterday I felt so much more like myself. SO, I’m going to do my own 10 minute video featuring some fabulous abba tunes on my YouTube channel. I hope to get my first one uploaded by the weekend. Anywho, check it out if you’re interested. My channel: https://youtube.com/@elizabethperryman2171?si=qws76MQu_QAhZooq #thankyouten #lowimpact #miniworkouts #abba #ateens @4everrayray

The day we got our shiny new piano pal…

1. It was a Herculean task to get ready to make the switch for pack rat perryman.
2. Gotta love the crunch of the vacuum Rhonda Short Hackworth Matt Hackworth.
3. Our fabulous movers shared that they were trombone and saxophone players and played all state level in North Carolina.
4. The piano box was epic. All I could think was it would be great for a school play stage set or a cat heaven.

Program: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14FI6hMwzyqQHln6CsB9kFnNytexKJxAxbtzVzV2IVzA/edit

Pics:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NFaCp9xMc3HfZOYntsMLKn6qIUZXA0Et

For two Sundays in a row, I’ve had the privilege to be an audience member for tremendous musical productions comprised of über talented young folk from Parade to Prom. Today I watched Grace Katheryn Herrick give a tour de force performance as Dee Dee Allen in Prom. She has an admirable vocal, dramatic, and theatrical command of this delightful role. In a word, Grace slayed. The whole production was very well done. I enjoyed the clever set, magical costumes, effective staging, rocking choreography, thoughtful casting, Perryman guffaw inducing humor, and overall turbo energy of the whole cast. I mean there was even ribbon wands, a bedazzled pink soprano recorder, and ribbon wands. Gay approved. And wowsa, those young whippersnappers can really shake a tail feather these days;-) Villagers Theatre Teensvill 2024 production of Prom was epic. In the lyrics of this poignant story that made yours truly (aka Lizzy the Lesbian who grew up in the gen x dark ages,) push back tears more than a few times this afternoon, “tonight belongs to you,” “it’s time to dance” and these talented Gen Z kids are “changing lives” indeed. Bravi tutti!

#prom #villagetheater #teensvill #NJ

Today while figuring out in earnest Dennis A. Oliveira❤️ how not to move for 15 minutes at my Brunnhilde ring of fire end scene, I was reminded of a student named Delilah from my days of teaching on the south side of Chicago in the 1990s. A special teaching memory includes when my 4-8th grade chorus was chosen sing as the chorus with Donny Osmond in Joseph for 4 months at the Chicago theater. It was from October 1993-January 1994. The kids did 4 shows a week for 4 months and received an honorarium. During Donny’s “close every door” solo as Lionel Downer may recall, the kids weren’t allowed to move. I remember Delilah exclaiming to me each time “Ms Perryman; it’s killing me!” We’d laugh and persevere. Delilah, now I really get it. You weren’t wrong. ❤️ 🎭

FIRST VOICE LESSON 7.23.2024
By Elizabeth Perryman

Tonight was a first voice lesson with a new student. As we began, they handed me a prepared laundry list of their vocal abilities and pedagogy requests. This was a delightful first which made yours truly quite giddy as a list loving, office supply fan of organization. I was inspired to read that the student wanted to work on finding their authentic voice and accessing body freedom. Other requests included the wish to avoid reaching for notes, imitating others, connecting to the text, acknowledging the challenge of singing, and not singing with discomfort. Twas Perryman catnip indeed.

Initial vocal sessions are an intriguing and enigmatic puzzle. It’s day one of vocal portfolio construction. My primary goal as a voice teacher is to gather baseline information about their vocal journey to date and begin assessing how I can guide their pedagogical needs. In general, people study voice to strengthen their voice, connect with diaphragmatic breathing, build a reliable technique, access blended registers, expand their range, prepare repertoire, and sometimes repair weak musculature.

In order to meet the student where they need, I find that it is essential to address vocabulary, personality, and learning style. Because singers coexist with their instrument, our emotional inner world will cast a shadow on our technical progress if not addressed. As a student I tend to try to please, apologize too much, and protect.

Teachers like Patricia O’Neill gave me the safe space to bring out my inner lion and shed my vocal shackles. When I have the privilege to teach my talented wife Elizabeth Honer she is focused, quick, and receptive in a linear way but bravely willing to face some of the emotional landmines that emerge when the free voice is exposed.

Some of my students have a voracious appetite to find all relevant intel on their voice type (tenor anyone?;-) Other students have an amazing ability to use humor as they take me down to kiwi singing town.

Teaching voice is a wild ride not dissimilar to having talk therapy ala bel canto. I am grateful that I personally had to get rid of much suck in my singing in the 1990s which left me with a diverse tool kit to help others now. Giddy up.

Education consists mainly of what we have unlearned.” — Mark Twain