How Not to Sing Wrong Notes
SIGN UP TO SING!
Registration for Libby's and my spring harmony workshops so far is not, shall we say, robust? You might like to know that we really don't do it for the money (or we'd charge a lot more than $75 to split between the two of us). We offer these workshops because we both love singing, and in our hearts we believe you will, too. With two of us teaching, we can demonstrate our tricks for learning so you can see and hear how to do it. The people who have taken our workshops have really liked them--and have told us so. Then why are potential students not signing up? Probably, when it comes to singing, they're just SCARED.
The voice is a deeply personal thing! If you ever received a negative comment-- from the mean uncle who told you bluntly your singing stinks, or the teacher who tried "kindly" to suggest you sing more quietly--it can be DEEPLY wounding, because a thing about you that you cannot change has been criticized, a thing about who you are deemed insufficient. Many people have told us that they think harmony is beyond their reach; they just weren't born with that ability, and they're scared to try, even when they'd like to be able to sing with their friends.
Singing, holding a pencil to write, learning to walk--all are things that require practice - lots of it. Libby and I both know that you have to bravely step off the curb and walk to cross a street. If you don't take that first step and try the walking thing, you just stay exactly where you are! Pete Seeger is quoted as saying, "The easiest way to avoid wrong notes is to never open your mouth and sing. What a mistake THAT would be!" I hope you'll consider trying this, and take one of our workshops. Email me if you need to know more about which of the three we offer is best for you, or you can also go to https://celiaramsay.com/carmony/.
THE ALL-STAR CAST OF MANY - YOUR FOOL
IT'S DONE! The artwork is finished. I've opened a new project account with Discmakers, the company that will produce the CDs. I've sent the title track to the distributor to pre-release to Spotify, et al, and now I'm contemplating how to celebrate the accomplishment! Typically, an artist might host a release concert, and I've done this in the past for my first three albums. But in all three cases, the players involved were a lovely handful, numbers-wise. Your Fool poses a problem--trying to get everyone in one place for a performance! Asking professionals to show up for the ONE song they recorded is just not kind, so . . . I'm thinking instead of just having a big ole party, playing the album and having a less stressful celebration than a big-deal performance. More on that topic as soon as I figure it all out. Meanwhile, I'd like to say something about all the folks who helped me make this possible. It's quite a cast and, in no particular order, they are: Libby McLaren, Dave Rokeach, Derek Bianchi, Tony Marcus, Joe McKinley, Ben Schreiber, Jeff Sanford, Charlie Hancock, Shira Kammen, Calvaleigh Rasmussen, Kevin Hughes, Steve Baughman, David Morris, Pete Grant, Richard Mandel, Autumn Rhodes, and Sarah Cline! Stay tuned for more information on getting a copy!
You might like to listen to a fun interview I had with Lyons Filmer on KWMR!