akintsucrooner

Yep. You read that right. Freaking old Macdonald; that tractor-toting troll. He set me up to be greatly scrutinized by future opera coaches. Sureeee, it was great fun to sing that catchy tune in ye ole 1970’s nursery school class. But unbeknownst to moi, I would soon be a world of pronunciation pain.

Go ahead, say it: e i e i o

Now say it slowly: eeee iiiii eeeee iiiii ooooo

Did you hear that insidious Y creep into the oh after saying the i???

Yep. So, my vocal coach in his vintage vocal surgeon manner, aptly pointed out today something that blew my mind.

I, like my fellow countrymen, add a Y between the “ay” and “oh” vowel sounds.

I am quite curious how many of these little language gremlins are imbedded into my speech patterns. How much of my Bel Canto and legato challenges is due to my Midwest ‘Murica accent? (eg back vowels/consonants, chewed rs and ls, triphthongs etc.)

It is wild to start actually realizing WHY I face certain linguistic challenges as I work to sing natively in languages other than my own.

#akintsucrooner

I definitely have a hybrid teaching style. I continue to expand and incorporate modern approaches but I also still use music books every so often which I know many of my peers have found success without. The kids always do a great job learning this “Hello” song. Even since I started at Judd in 2005, our student body is far more diverse. Today the 3rd grade students shared their different cultures. One class of 23 kids represented 5 different continents (and much diversity within.) There were perhaps only 4 at the most who were from the exact same background. This is so unlike my upbringing and shows how far we’ve come since the 1970s. #wearenorthbrunswick

A Chicago accent and child of the 80s does not always a tongue for languages make. I grew up in a near west suburb of Chicago. I was in junior high, high school, and college from 1980-1990. My DA BEARS accent has been imbedded into my cellular vernacular.

As a result of where I’m from, my city of big shoulders accent often comes out when I sing in other languages. My Midwest upbringing has riddled me an obstinate flat, nasal accent that isn’t always easy to navigate in the foreign language singing world.

The Devil is in the details. I continue to work hard on finding the most organic singing pronunciation in languages that I don’t speak. That shadowy underworld joker has had a hay day interfering with my languages throughout the years.

I am grateful for a thorough, patient, and forgiving opera coach who guides me through language pot holes.

So with that, I give you the vocal serpents of my Midwest singing garden.

1. And on the first day, the Devil invented the L. What do you mean I have to pronounce that L bugger on my teeth in front? ALL-LUH…EL-LE….say what? I LIKE meandering in the back of my throat with a bit of a grovel, thank you very little.

2. On the 2nd day, the devil invented Midwest vowels. They love to bask in murky “uh” sounds. What is this foreword placement madness you speak of? My vowels are QUITE comfy behind their dark curtain. Don’t let in the light in, it burns!

3. On the 3rd day, the big D brought in Laffy Taffy Italian vowels; so chewy and delectable. Look at me pronouncing all those blasted vowels, guru opera coach Giovanni Longo! Yeah, yeah, maybe my embouchure resembles a PUPPET’S mouth. OK, I could perhaps gather my mouth and bring the vowels closer together. How about giving this a soprano sister a break?

4. And on day 4, the MALEVOLENT created singer musical notation that looks like a great place to take a quick coffee break. Why don’t you take a rest here, legato can wait, the devil whispers gingerly…..

5. On the 5th day, the devil released into the universe QUICK SAND phrases. These are measures that seem so easy. However, don’t be fooled. Tread lightly. Your footing may be in jeopardy. Rs, Ls, double consonants, and triphongs often dwell in this dark land.

6. The devil created commitment phobic vowels on day 6. My ‘Murica EZ PASS to pure vowels doesn’t always register. I may not have time to travel in my throat but the detours sure are fun.

7. And on the 7th day, the devil RESTED way too long. Phrases lost their purpose. What do you mean I can’t plod heavily through a sea of notes without intended breath and text?

Yes, singing has its challenges but I’d never trade it. Being able to share my spirit through music has been an incredible blessing and I am blessed to have worked with talented teachers and coaches.

#grateful

#akintsucrooner

Me and Mikey like it, indeed. It sure was fun singing through act 1 of walkyrie, 1.5 times today. It felt fun and easy and it sat where I like to lounge. Sieglinde is like me and enjoys loitering around the lower middle and popping up high randomly, wheeee!!! I’m the ultimate late bloomer. I am glad that I haven’t thrown in the Bel Canto towel for my voice which has needed some specialized TLC through the years. Looking forward to the reading with Green Mountain Mahler Festival in November. http://www.vtmahler.org/

#findingmynotetribe #johnnybravofitbefore50 #bigthroattortoise #bathinginlowBs #mezzoishsoprano #sopranoishmezzo #nonbinarysinger #fachneutral #hashtagobsessed

Almost 50 shopping/consumer experience:

(Iced soda and fan in hand)

1. Not cotton? Nope.

2 Needs ironing? Pass.

3. No coupon or sale? Nay

4. Wife Elizabeth says, you’re stressed? Go do some retail therapy.

5. Fits well? What other colors do have this in?

6. Zipper dress or a pull on number? Pull, baby.

7. Top that goes with fave pants and shoes? Yes!

8. Will add bulk to winter coat? Negative.

9. Busy stores or less populated haunts? Elbow room please.

10. Tag or material with itch potential? Hades, no!

11. Trendy acomfy shoes or sensible cloud ones? Cloud pour moi.

12. Narrow hammertoe friendly slides or aerosoles? Gimme the air.

13. Life carrying handbag or crossbody “pocketbook?” Sling me.

14. Haircut with barrett potential? Essential.

13.Makes me feel sasstastic? Oh, yeah.

#akintsucrooner

So yes, my Italian Canadian opera coach has strong feelings and isn’t afraid to express them.

But ya know, my fellow Americans, he has a point. I am NO drinker of the anti US koolaid that is so prevalent these days. I am a proud moderate and I love my country. I think it is a sad day when adults have to play “who’s the number one country” game. It is such a childlike discourse and a waste of time, imo. We have our major issues like all countries do. And as a history buff, I see great trends of behavior over the centuries and always, hindsight is a moral 2020 lens that carries a big stick. I happen to think it is a little too en vogue, low hanging fruit to grab, when such terrible things are said about the states and restricted to online fights and not action. Call us out sure but half the time other countries are not being acknowledged for their similar wrongdoings.

BUT, (here’s the big but,) this below is pretty obscene use of capital and shows such a lopsided allotment of wealth.

My hope is that she has SO much money, that unbeknownst to society, she does give back to others. It just isn’t right that the majority of us deal with money woes, worry about retirement and being laid off, when celebrities, only known by personality and not quantative talent, can make these ethically questionable purchases.

#akintsucrooner

By E. Perryman

8.18.18

My mom took a look out of our picture window as my Dad’s car drove out of driveway. She had thought of calling him but she would see him later she thought. She had made him a bag lunch and put it on the counter. They hadn’t said goodbye or hugged each other that October morning. Perhaps both of them were crabby or tired from a full weekend of bridge, voice lessons, choir, and church. They had been bickering before he left to practice the organ.

My dad didn’t come back. My mom didn’t get to say goodbye or talk to him again. Forty five minutes later that morning, a police car, not my Dad’s red Grand Prix that he loved so much, pulled up our driveway with news that changed our lives forever.

Even 17 years later, the loss of my father has never been healed. It is a known loss but nothing that we will ever recover from.

His robust voice was silenced at 63. No sickness had preceded his death. His was a sudden death that morning while he was practicing the organ at the church of the ascension.

I have often tried to “reason” with my mom in the hopes of making her feel better; how could she have ever said goodbye? What are the right words to say to someone who has been your partner and great love for 39 years?

Tonight, I thought of my parents unfortunate last moment together as I performed in an opera. My character, who is a mother, begs to say goodbye and kiss her son before her death. Her pleas do work perhaps with a high C to help her cause.

My mom can never change the last moments with my dad and just hopes that he knows how much she loved him. If I am sure of anything, this I know is true. He knew.

It’s taken me a long time to show emotion over his death. Streams of tears didn’t come for a long time. Music brought it out of me months later but it’s been a slow, fragile road.

Only in the past couple years have I been able to much more emotionally inhabit my singing and overcome my habit of singing safe.

So tonight, I poured all of my emotion into this opera aria “Morro.” I sang from my guilt and grief over the sudden death of my Dad. It was scary. I’m sure my legato waned in sections. But it was worth it. I was overwhelmed by the warm response of the audience. And I am eternally grateful to have had this moment.

#akintsucrooner

Fact. I am usually asleep during world calamities or unfashionably late to the new technology party. I am a reluctant Susan to new fangled inventions. I even gave the side eye to the original iPod. However, I usually will begrudgingly try new items and voila, soon I can’t live without them.

I will honestly admit that there have truly been some great inventions since my material girl youth. This of course doesn’t mean that I won’t talk crap about the next new invention that perhaps wipes my tuchus automatically. Pun intended.

Millennium creations I have especially appreciated in my teaching, road trips, and entertainment enrichment include: Google Drive, Venmo, Scanner Pro, Podcasts, WordPress, Gps, iPads, Smart Phones, Fitbit, YouTube, and Pinterest.

I use many of these tools daily and am grateful for forward thinkers. While new things continue to appear, I’ll remain in my natural archivist state which includes my great love for taking pictures. My photograph habit began in the days when you had to attach the vertical flash bar to your phone.

I wonder what the next essential item will be in the next 10 years should I be granted the time….

By E. Perryman

8.10.18

Learning a new opera isn’t for the faint hearted. As I worked on a new soprano role, (Amelia in Un Ballo In Maschera) these past few months, it was exhilarating, difficult, exciting, challenging, revealing, and rewarding.

As I get older, it definitely takes a little more time to save data on my vintage brain cloud but it is so worth the unplugging and clear/alt/delete needed.

Below are things that I learned about the opera and subsequently what I continue to learn about myself.

The cliff notes of cliff notes opera story synopsis goes something like this:

-There’s a married couple, Amelia and Renato

-Renato doesn’t know that he is a friend of his wife’s crush, Riccardo

-Riccardo digs Amelia a lot and wants her as his own

-Renato finds out that they are into each other and is out for blood

-Oscar, the page, is a masked ball party planner

-Death will happen even at a fancy party

-Opera ends as night of terror

TROUBLED WATERS

Amelia could benefit from some anxiety meds. How do I know this, you ask? She is constantly leading the musical development of the opera.

1. When Oscar dares to sing in a happy key, she changes it to minor.

2. When the tenor, Riccardo, wants her to admit that she loves him, she changes the time signature. The guy is so sweet with whimsical music but he sure does need a lot of reassurance.

3. When the Opera dudes are getting all chummy and/or homicidal with each other, she randomly changes the tune.

4. Even in her own phrases, she is known to shift tonality, even within a measure, depending on her mood. Ole girl is quite a force.

MACHISMO MUSIC

Un Ballo In Maschera could also be called Un Ballo In Testosterone. There’s a whole lotta machismo going on in this opera. Sometimes it feels like Amelia is the only adult in the room. And there’s a lot bromances going on. Yet they just can’t seem to give peace a chance. Come on guys, can’t we all just get along?

ULRICA IN THE HOUSE:

Ulrica, the resident sorceress, deserves more opera air time. Where does she go? Can’t she like have a scene where sings to her hand stitched Renato voodoo doll? Holy obstinance, Batman. Renato does not have much compassion. No wonder Amelia finally tells the tenor Riccardo that she loves him. He’s not an asshat like her old man.

CATHOLIC GUILT

Amelia has got catholic guilt down pat and she knows how to use it. She skillfully employs it with hot head Renato (before she accepts her impending death,) by begging him to let her say a final goodbye to her son. Even an evil bass baritone isn’t that heartless. You go girl.

GOODNIGHT AND GOOD LUCK

Amelia and Riccardo say goodbye a lot. It makes me think or Gilbert and Sullivan’s comical “you don’t go” with the inept police in Pirates of Penzance. Perhaps that is what Gilbert was mocking in his comic operettas. It is pretty goodbye music though. Then Renato gets in on the goodbye action with his great GODFATHER line. Before he stabs the tenor, he says, “here’s MY goodbye!” You know, perhaps Big Daddy R’s line is a little more SCARFACE; closer to the spirit of “say hello to my little friend.”

CONVENT TIME

I just don’t think romantic love is the answer for Amelia. She’s been faithful and not acted on her feelings. She’s tried to push Riccardo away. But still her husband doesn’t believe her. Then Ulrica’s pagan advice doesn’t pan out. Amelia even jeopardizes herself and saves Riccardo from being stabbed in the first half of the opera by showing her masked face. Yet good karma doesn’t come back her way. Riccardo still dies in the end. I think she would have fared better as a nun.

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SLOW DOWN YOU MOVE TOO FAST

Whether I like it or not, singing the Italian which sometimes has 3 or more syllables on short notes makes me slow down. It also highlights when I am not singing smoothly so I have to keep working on my legato. I also realize that I hear less well anymore. I need much illumination so I can read the score. And, I do sometimes zone out and make dumb mistakes like singing “oy vey” instead of “ohime.”

But the good news is that I enjoy the learning process a lot more cuz I know that I am lucky to be doing this as a job. I also have a more reliable vocal technique. And I’m less anxious when I inevitably make a mistake.

So youth may be wasted on the young, but the lessons learned along the way definitely has made the aging process more agreeable.

#akintsucrooner