Nooming has been a breath of fresh air for this 4 decade serial dieter. In the past 2 months I have noticed the following:
WEIGH INS: Weighing daily has been an integral part of my lifestyle since I started exploring noom. 2 months ago I started doing it somewhat begrudgingly as a result of less than positive blood tests. Now I just do it. It is much less of a big deal now that I weigh myself every day verses when I used to do it sporadically.
THE SCALE IS BUT A TOOL: Early last week, I was down 25 lbs since my pandemic shut down highest. I continued to do my caloric log, drink water, move more, read the articles. Then the last 6 days I started fluctuating 2-3 lbs higher. In the past this would have flummoxed me. This morning the scale went down easily 3 more pounds. In the end the scale is just a tool. Scales can be sus. 😁
DIGGING DEEP: I appreciate how Noom reinforces that there are many rewards outside of the scale; eg. I feel so much better than I did in January from the way my shoes fit to my lowered pulse. All this to say thank you to Noom for the comprehensive and thoughtful program.
“Elizabeth” said my college freshman voice teacher, “just pull yourself up by the bootstraps. Let’s get that breath control working!“
She was very well intentioned. But my breath flow bootstraps were not to be usable for years to come no matter how much I pushed and pulled. It took a team of teachers and a community that believed in my “diamond in the rough” dramatic soprano throat to become a reality. I didn’t earn my privileges. They were given.
I share this 37 year old story as a result of a thoughtful sermon today by Pastor Steele. I am grateful for his relatable, poignant, and thought provoking ministerial style. He unpacked the non biblical phrase “God helps those who help themself”. We took a deeper gander into this colloquial bootstrap business; the phrase that seems to shame people into achieving the impossible on their own.
The phrase originated shortly before the turn of the 20th century. It’s attributed to a late-1800s physics schoolbook that contained the example question “Why can not a man lift himself by pulling up on his bootstraps?” It was meant to be sarcastic, or to suggest that it was an impossible accomplishment.
Biblically, the phrase should read “God helps the helpless.” We aren’t deserving of good or bad experiences. Advantages come in all shapes and sizes; from the tangible to the intangible. My advantages in life are not a result of being deserving. Someone who has suffered far more than me didn’t get what they deserved.
As Pastor Steele shared “Lending a hand is the work that matters. People lended an unconditional hand to help me grow as an artist. Ultimately no solo heroine bootstraps were needed.
Today after a 9 hour hibernation following a highly spirited week at school; I arose on Saturday March 19th refreshed and ready to teach 2 voice students.
I very much enjoyed guiding my analytical and left brain inclined baritone into the world of of singing that is a civilized scream. Thanks Dr. Anderson! It is not a tool for everyone but for this lad after his laughter ceased, it helped him access breath engaged registers and overall release. He also enjoyed meeting Harold the skull (thank you Ruth Falcon) when we worked on unlearning “drop the jaw”; well intentioned advice of the past not helpful for the big picture.
My other student had her first lesson. Her love and ease for singing was so evident. It was inspiring. Outside of introductory vowel work and vocabulary connections, we explored some of the “right tight” ways she’s been taught. Since I worked with performance craft master Patricia O’Neill at LSU, my teaching is more of an inside out approach. The student is the muse who discovers by proprioception, balanced sound on the breath. I’m the handyman ready to provide the tools as we evolve. Tears came from us both as we connected about sharing our music because of the need to say something and not out of fear.
I do love teaching one on one but I don’t extend myself too thin with too many students because at the end of the day, voice lessons involve so much. It’s all about individual and evolving technical application, peeling back of protective bandaids, unlearning misguided absolutes, and a whole lot of inside discovery.
The positive side of social media has been the access to connections from the past that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. FB has helped me reconnect with the exuberant and candid spirit who is Jerome Parker Cronin. We knew each other through church and Tower Hill summer camp. We share many memories of our families who have now passed on. I am inspired by his artist soul.
Jerry’s sister, Patti M. Cronin, passed away this past week. When I was in grade school, Patti and I would play together while waiting for our parents who had bell choir rehearsal on Sunday afternoons. We both had strong personalities and often clashed. Patti and I also went to Tower Hill Church Camp. Next to my theater tribe, church camp was the one place I was accepted socially. Unfortunately Patti was not. I remember being invited to hang with the “cool” kids under one condition; Patti wasn’t included. I chose to stay with Patti. I was sad about the choice but it felt like the right thing to do. I remember distinctly that Patti was not appreciative of my “sacrifice” and we clashed even worse than usual.
Patti and I lost touch but also reconnected on FB for a short while until she picked a major fight with a sweet friend of mine. I made the mistake of messaging her and asking her to take it down a notch. I was swiftly unfriended and blocked. Note to self, messaging concerns rarely works.
Last week, Patti was having trouble breathing, went to lay down, and didn’t wake up. I saw that she wrote the following under her public profile yesterday.
This made me really think about some of the concepts I have learned from the behaviorists at my school (the people who need the most love, often ask for it in the most unloving ways & be kind, you never know what someone is going through.)
While these words are helpful, my human doesn’t always comply. No Dead Man Walking Sister Helen PreJean here seeing the face of God in the troubled….I’m just a bozo on the bus trying to do life…..
Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.
This is how I’ve been feeling in particular the last 9 days. As a history buff I’ve learned of the various horrors through the centuries but even explicit documentaries didn’t prepare me for seeing pathological human greed and amorality live in action on my home TV. My mind is not able to fully process what I see in real time happening during a war. The instantaneousness of 2022 is a brand new lens. I hope it will continue to galvanize the world. This is good verses evil now. The devil came down to Russia. It’s time for fiddle solo 2.
Written by my friend, colleague, and voice student Genya Muzyczka:
My mother was from Berezyna, Ukraine, and my father was from Markopil, Ukraine. We still have family there, but my brother and I never met them. When my parents died, the connection was lost. After the end of WWII, in December, 1950, my parents and my brother immigrated to the US from Germany (where they had been in forced labor under the Nazi’s). They went directly to the Ukrainian community center on Morton St. in Newark, where they lived with several other families in the basement for several months. My parents eventually found work and learned to speak English. After a few years, when they were more settled, I was born—in Orange, NJ. We had no car, so it was a long walk to church and school—from Irvington to the Vailsburg section of Newark. My father learned to drive when I was 11 years old, and then we finally bought a car.
I have fond memories of my parents and their friends gathering for dinners. They would laugh and drink and sing. That’s what Ukrainians do most—they love to sing. I also loved the Easter season., and I remember walking the mile to St. John’s Church in Newark on Holy Saturday to get our Easter baskets blessed. The basket had some of my favorite foods: kielbasa and babka, as well as decorated hard-boiled eggs, butter, ham, cheese and horseradish. The basket would also have a few pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs), and it was covered with a Ukrainian embroidered towel. The blessed food was our breakfast on Easter morning. My father would peel his hard-boiled egg, cut it in half, shave about a half inch of spicy fresh horseradish onto the top of one half, and pop it into his mouth. The tears would start streaming down his face, and we would all laugh. Fond memories….
“Bozhe Velykyj, Yedynyj” Mykola Lysenko (Prayer for Ukraine) Soprano, Genya Muzyczka Pianist, David Maiullo
Genya Muzyczka: I heard this choral piece sung many times throughout my childhood and youth—it is a part of my very being. I am Ukrainian American, and this song is considered the spiritual anthem of the Ukrainian people. It is a prayer for unity and peace, and it is known and sung by Ukrainians worldwide.
God, the Great, the Almighty, protect our Ukraine; Bless her with the freedom and light of your holy rays. With the light of learning and knowledge enlighten us, your children. In pure love for our country, God, let us grow. We pray, God Almighty, protect our beloved Ukraine; Grant our people all your grace and abundance.
Grant us freedom; grant us good fortune; bless us with a kind world; Bless our people, O God, with happiness forever and ever.
I love the humor and wealth of knowledge of the app and appreciate the practical/non judgemental approach.
I committed to 10 minutes of articles a day and I’ve found myself looking forward to reading them each day. The program is really adaptable to your own personal style.
I’m so grateful to have found different ways to identify growth outside of the inspiration of a steady downward weight loss over the past month. My feet don’t tingle, shoes fit better, I move more easily, I’ve been kind to my inner elephant, I snore much less, and my pulse has significantly gone down.
Im shocked that I don’t mind weighing myself every day. Weight really does fluctuate often through no fault of our own.
I’m a big mealer, anxiety binger, eat my feelings, have underestimated calories in the past, and struggle with food in social situations.
I really like my Noom coach who has a great opera name, Magda. The Noom group is also a really good resource.
Noom quizzes and coins are motivating to me.
The psych tricks and low caloric density approach of this program are very helpful. I’ve been enjoying drinking much more water.
Thank you Blair Cunningham Liz Donald Kellianne Sheridan Rizk and Nurse Judie’s Story Time. Your work with this program has been very motivating.
Truth is, I can be awkward, too intense, socially challenged, and way too sensitive. Butt hurt for 200 please. I love teaching but the miles I’ve walked in teacher growth from 1990 to now has been next level. I owe these growth spurts to mentors like Betzi Beck. I’m never done growing until the dirt nap but I am so very grateful for the many positive influences I’ve had in my teaching life. The world of teaching was a whole other world when I was coming up in the 1970s and 1980s. Grateful for these angels among us. #teachinglife
Bel Canto Turandot Technique With Voice Whisperer Andrea DelGiudice 1.19.2022 (finding my released physical legato/action/embracing round with squillo)
“What the” you may say…
My brain is teeming with golden age bel canto wisdom imparted at my voice lesson yesterday by voice whisperer @delgiudice.andrea Andrea DelGiudice. I’m overwhelmed and humbled.
Math is to me as below may be to some of you reading now. Singing is definitely in the metaphysical realm. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to grow into this exquisite repertoire.
I made a composite of some of the lesson excerpts where I was able to well integrate the vocal technique.
Lesson discoveries:
My singing habit-feeling stuck Remedy-Maintain motion of air/trill (santa laugh)
My singing habit-control sound Remedy-Call on a sweeping breath; acknowledge abdominal lean
My singing habit-compress vowels Remedy-Large space for back of vowel
My singing habit-not breathing Remedy-W on oo between vowels release abdominals
My singing habit-inactive body Remedy-Release abdominals before you start
My singing habit-unstable middle mix Remedy-Vowel is forward action and sound/has sob sigh
My singing habit-using tight jaw to articulate and trap Remedy-Use hard palate/articulators.
My singing habit-driven sound Remedy-Seek hoot action release not result.
Fruits and veggies of legato: Ees ays use Y in between Ohs ahs use W in between
My singing habit- German placed singer in my dna Remedy-Don’t interrupt the circular breath while singing angular phrases
Got spin? Repeat vowels same speed of vibrato
Deadly singing sin: Don’t end any syllable by closing space
My singing habit-Slow Phonator Flip consonants and vowels to find immediac
Got commitment issues? Commit to vowel/find rolled r in active breath
My singing habit-distrust in myself Remedy-Stay open to ask the body for space and release.
