The Birth of the Billy Goat

My long-time readers(all three) will have noticed some changes to my blog, including the address.  I got a little bored with the same look and name.  I decided to rename it “Life as a Billy Goat”, as a take on my nickname.  My favorite nickname at that.  This blog post is the story of my nickname(and an explanation of why I’m always writing ‘Mehhhh’ on FaceBook).

My dear Tishmeister and I had just begun our journey of wasting each others time on a regular basis(Augustish), and I mentioned that I had begun to notice some vibrato in my singing.  Our family and vibrato have a complicated relationship.

My mother is picky about the singers she listens to.  She likes small-range, minimum vibrato.   I grew up w ith the mindset that vibrato is something to be feared.  Vibrato is what society considers opera singers different from “normal” singers.  This is not true, but still contains some truth.  Opera singers have vibrato.  It is natural.  Unfortunately, it can sometimes border on a “wobble”.  Wobbles are bad.  No one wants to listen to a wobble.  I have a deathly fear of wobbles.

So, here I am, barely 14 and hearing vibrato.  This vibrato actually turned out to be something else, but that is immaterial in this story.

I mention to Tishmeister this vibrato, and the fear of becoming a becoming a “billy goat” singer.  She apparently thought this was hilarious and a great blog nickname that she’d been looking for.  Thus, Billy Goat was born. 

I do have vibrato now, but it is healthy and natural.  I still love being called Billy Goat. 

Mehhhhh. 

Comic Operas

"The Barber of Seville" is one of the more well-known operas in the general public, like "La Boheme" or "Porgy and Bess"(technically an operetta, but it still counts).  "Barber" is a comic opera written by Rossini.  Its technical term is "opera buffo".  That was free. 

I thought maybe I was just being an uncultured snob at the time, but I did not like "Barber".  Not at all.  Recently, I added "La Cenerentola" (Cinderella) to the Netflix  queue.  It is also an opera buffo written  by Rossini.

The first time I watched it, I disliked it, but not terribly.  This was the night before the ACT, so obviously, I was too preoccupied to make an accurate judgement.  I watched it again, this time finding it amusing and fun to listen to.  The rapid-fire diction is insane.  The story is basically that of Cinderella, sans the godmotherfairypersonthing.  But it still lacked any depth.

The reason I love opera is its passion.  Its pure, unabated passion.  The characters pouring their hearts out through song.  I would rather cry than laugh with an opera.

I would listen to "La  Cenerentola" again, but it did not move me.  I love operas like "La Boheme", "Tosca", and "Aida"; the ones with heartbreak, death, lust, love, and patriotism.  Passion.  I have no objection to laughing(who wouldn't at least smile at Musetta's Waltz or Tosca's wild suspicions?) but I would rather be moved than entertained.

There lies the primary difference between buffo and non-buffo(technical, huh?) operas.  Passion.

Singers(most musicians, for that matter) are either crazy or passionate.  Why else would we spend hours to produce a sound?  Think about it.  We spend time making noise.  Noise that doesn't make substantial amount of money.   That we might even lose money on.  And yet, we keep on doing it, because we love it.  This love is undefinable, but is either craziness or passion.  Maye both.

I would watch another opera buffo, but I need my deeper Puccini and Verdi to really keep me going.

Addiction and the "In-Crowd"

Some of this, I have probably revealed in my previous blogs about the ACT.  Fret not.

Today, I took my fifth ACT.  I thought it went very well- I need a 30.  We shall see.  I like standardized tests.  I guess it's because it is cold,  hard numbers.  It's the one thing in my life that no one has an opinion in.  I think I aced the Reading and English(as usual, Grammar Nazi had no problems with it) and I think Math and Science went better than ever before.  ACT has become an addiction; it's something I almost(almost, not quite) look forward to.

Also, since the last time I blogged, I have joined another choir.  Dr.  SAL said that I was good  enough to join.  It's a local women's group.  Cool .  :)  Its blog name is the "In-Crowd".  Makes me smile.  I really, really enjoy it.  It's challenging me; especially the stuff with swing.  I sing like a white girl, and count like one too.

I also get to accompany one piece.  This is an awesome opportunity, considering I will one day probably make the majority of my money accompanying.  Singing makes little to no money- coaching, and accompanying, on the other hand, is significantly more stable. 

Anyway, I'm really liking accompanying.  Really liking it.  :)

And that is an update on my life.  :)

Shoes

I am not a shoe-freak.  In fact, I had two pairs of wearable shoes for wintertime.  Two.  Tennis-shoes and black dress shoes.  In the summer, I have a lot; my winter wardrobe is limited.

To be fair, I have several high heels that I could theoretically wear to church.  The only problem is that they were probably more in style in the 1980s than now. 

I've been wearing my black flats to church every week.  It does not bother me.  Nor does the fact that I wear the same shoes to the "big city"  for lessons and such every.  single.  week.

Mom must have gotten tired of it, because she went out and bought me three pairs of shoes.  One are the exact black pair I own and love(she was afraid I'd wear them out), one were some knock-off tom type things(which I dislike, and younger sister is probably getting), and some OH SO CUTE black and white flats.  She also bought me some nice sweater tops.  I tell you, that woman is good at shopping for me.

I now own more than two pair of shoes for winter.  I own four(so what if one is a duplicate).  Be proud. 

Give Me Some Horns

Yesterday, I looked in the mirror.  I thought my butt had gotten smaller, when I realized that my thighs had just gotten bigger.  Dang.

I'm currently 121.5  pounds.  This is down from a few days ago.  However, it is still six pounds heavier than at the beginning of December.  I want to get down to 115 again.  I did not grow two feet in December.

I don't usually announce to the world that I'm on a diet; mainly because "diet" in my estimation should be a lifestyle change.  Also, some people are made to be heavier.  I am not one of those people, but I would never want someone with a bigger frame to be hurt.

Yet, there's another part of me that just doesn't care anymore.  Oh dear, just get me some horns and I'll be looking like your stereotypical opera singer.

I'm a little afraid losing 6 pounds will do something to my singing.  My voice has been rather fabulous(for me, anyways) lately.  Dr. SAL once said something about how weight affects your support.  Maybe if I take it slowly enough, I can adjust.  I know six pounds doesn't seem like a lot, but it is.

I also wonder if that's why I've had more vibrato lately.  A woman in our church used to have this SUPER bad wobble.  Her vibrato jumped octaves, and probably cycled about one per second.  It's gotten better since she lost weight.  Not wonderful, but a little better, I think.

Sigh.  Just give me some horns.

I Am a Music Snob

Yes, my dear readers; it is true.  I am a music snob.

I have not always been this way.  Heck- when I was 10 years old, I listened to stuff that was "in".  High School Crap Musical type stuff.  It is true.  Nowadays, I feel that if I give my seal of approval to anything less than Netrebko, I am somehow marring my musical integrity. It makes it hard to enjoy anything.

When you are passionate about a particular activity, you become more sensitive to it in your every day life.  In my case, singing has become something I am constantly judging in the world around me.  While this makes "normal" people singing something to simply be endured, it makes true artistry a rare, but overwhelming treat.

This concept of sensitivity is why I like the occasional football game.  I know nothing about football.  Zip.  Zilch.  Nada.  Nothing.  For that reason, I am never critiquing the performance, and I never feel like I could do that.  I couldn't in a million years. There is nothing to remind me of my own weak areas(because they are all weak and I couldn't care less) and no way for me to see the players' weaknesses.

I am constantly playing the vocal coach for singers I hear in movies, sitcoms, and on the radio.  A few nights ago, I watched the new Disney movie, "Tangled".  I loved it; Disney music is still as wonderful as ever.  It is not classical, and the main character's singer used chest resonance as high as an A above middle C.  That being said, it was tasteful.  Her head resonance had a beautiful tone to it.  I also think that she adjusted her break so that she was not getting an awful Christina Aguilera type sound, but a rather even registers all the way.  I enjoyed it.  She had a nice vibrato, and also used her voice to portray her character. 

I got all this from one song. This is a much more generous and nice commentary than usual. Most people do not make these assessments.  I do; it is a part of me, and always will be. 

I am a music snob.

The Year in Retrospect

2011 brought many changes.  More than any other year before.  From learning how evil adverbs are, to that first "blow-hole" moment, a lot has changed.

In the year 2011, I fell impossibly in love with opera.  I got to be in one, and became obsessed with it.  I started voice lessons, which is definitely in the top three most life-changing thing that has ever happened to me.  I was terrified of trusting someone with my voice, but thankfully, I know I chose the right person.  I feel so grateful to have the kind of instruction I'm getting.  I sometimes feel a bit horrified at the thought that I really didn't think I would like Dr. Singalot.  He's awesome, and not just because he's funny, but because I think he really cares about his students as people.

I know that deep down(or maybe not so deep), if I could do anything with my life, I would pursue a career in vocal performance.  That is something few people are successful in, but that's not going to stop me from trying.  I could be happy as a choir director, or vocal coach, or anything that allowed me my music.  I'm going to shoot for the stars, and hope that I land somewhere above the troposphere(geek moment, sorry).  But I know one thing for certain:  I am never going to stop singing.  It is what I was made to do, and it makes me happy when nothing else does.  It is truly my passion.  Piano is not my passion; I like it, maybe even love it, but it does not have the all-consuming effect on me that singing does.

That's another thing; the piano camp I attended was inspiring, and really added a new depth to piano.  The professors were fabulous, and I look forward to the next one.

I also took a writing class that really gave me what my writing was missing.  I am by no means a talented writer, but I no longer feel embarrassed about writing stories.  Fiction never was my thing, but now I really do enjoy it.  The instructor rocked, and all the participants were wonderful.

As of now, I will probably wind up using my writing skills at the University of SA.  No, not South Africa.  I want to go double major in vocal and piano performance.  After that, who knows?  I like the idea of FSU for maybe a vocal coaching degree, but that's wayyy too far ahead to think about.

Now, for my resolutions.  Ideas come from this:http://www.baldwincountynow.com/articles/2011/12/30/columnists/david_atwood/doc4ef9b5849712b922654229.txt

Five year-  In five years, I would like to be an official diva.

One year- I would really, really, really like to place at this vocal competition that's really, really, really competitive.  Or so I hear.  We shall see.  Also, I'd like to be graduated from high school.  AND, I would like to be more accurate in piano.  Like, the notes.

Day-to-day:  I will stick to a schedule.  Which will include an hour of piano.  Yep.  If it KILLS ME.  Which it might.  Tishmeister, you can have my goat apparel.  Also, I will be blogging. 

Goodbye 2011, hello a new year.  You show promise, and I hope it's real.

At this point, Tishmeister is sighing about the fact that she did not get mentioned.  Tishmeister, I saved the best for last.  She came into my life and made me laugh at myself and gave me my first really meaningful nickname.  She listens to everything, and never logs of of FB to avoid chatting(or so I think).  I love Tishmeister.  I can't believe how long I've "known" her without really knowing her.  She is truly special and my biggest blessing of 2011.