Acapella Groups

In today's dance lesson we were split of into 2 groups. I am in the lowest group. I found it a lot easier to pick up choreography and it was probably the fastest I have picked up a dance routine at college so far. This may be due to the fact that we were able to learn the routine at a slower pace. However, it is a very fast-paced routine and so, often my timing was off. To correct this, I have practised the routine at home in front of a mirror (to polish each movement) twice and then twice again with music (for the correct timing). I will do this as often as I can, so that I am ready for the next half of the dance.

In today's singing lesson, we had to get into our acapella groups. My group split in half and so we are now singing 'Iris (I just want you to know who I am)' by The Goo Goo Dolls. 

Our task was to choose a group that we thought our voices would blend well in. I find this to be a difficult task as my voice and singing style is very different to anyone's in the class. I went into the original group because I was asked to join them and when we split, I looked to others to tell me what group I was in. I need to pull myself together and make these kind of decisions on my own, with confidence. Even if my voice is different to others', I should choose the group that I am most vocally similar to and not just go the group that is nearest to. Therefore, if we are ever told to choose a group that best suits us again. I am setting myself the task of making the decision confidently on my own.

Below is an image of me dancing with my dance group. This dance move would probably look better if I kept my chin up.

Duets

As homework, we were asked to prepare a duet with another person in the group. I was paired with Megan. We decide to sing 'There Are Worst Things I Could Do' from Grease. We prepared for our performance by singing it again and again. Rehearsals went well, as I played around with the notes in the song and sang loudly. However, as always, I struggled with concentrating on my own singing, when I sung with someone else. I am therefore setting myself the task of singing with other people whenever possible, while concentrating on my own voice.

During the actual performance, although I made a conscious effort to appear less nervous than usual, I sang the song completely differently, than the way in which I had practised during rehearsals. I was flat all the way through the song. I have concluded that, when I'm nervous, I just can't seem to reach the higher notes. I automatically sing really low. This is likely to be because my whole body is tense. The best way to solve this is by stretching, doing breathing exercises and shaking my whole body out. I also sang more quietly than usual, which is something that tends to happen when I'm not singing solo. I should sing at the same volume whether I sing solo, in a duet or in a group. I am also setting myself a goal to sing higher, to not sing flat and to play around with notes more next time I am asked to sing solo/ in a duet. On a positive note, I do feel more confident singing in class, now that I've sung with someone else.

Emotional Connection To Songs

During today's dance lesson, we worked on improving our contractions. Contractions begin from the pelvis and travel up the spine, lengthening the space between each vertebra, up to the neck and head, which remain in line with the spine. Each contraction is accompanied with an exhalation of breath. Then we practised lifts and counterbalancing (one or more dancers combing their weight in stillness or in motion to achieve a movement or design that is interdependent) in pairs. My partner and I managed to execute our lifts successfully and to incorporated transitions (the way in which you move in and out of a movements, phrases or sections of the dance). Afterwards we had to get into groups of two or three, in which we had to choreograph short routines of eight counts. The routine was to be part of the introduction to 'When I Grow Up' and so it had to be childlike. I was in a group of two. Our first attempt at choreographing for the dance needed to be a lot more child-like, so we adapted it by swapping the splits with a backwards roley-poly and by swinging our arms etc.

During our singing lesson we were asked to listen to a few emotionally charged songs and then we had to pick a song that we felt most connected to. I couldn't pick the song that I felt most emotionally connected with because I knew that I wouldn't be able to perform it. I chose 'As Long As Your Mine' from Wicked, as it is more to do with the situation I was in during time that I first heard it, rather than the actual lyrics. When I was practising singing it alone, I sang it exactly how I wanted it to be sang. However when performing to the class I purposely thought of the sad situation and I let my emotions and nerves get the better of me and I could not perform it all the way through without getting emotional and singing flat. I need to remember to keep control of my emotions and nerves when performing such songs. I also need to make sure that I don't always 'look out' when singing, but instead I need to make eye contact with the audience so that they don't loose connection. This is a bad habit I've picked up from years of performing in children's plays when your told to 'look up and not at the audience'. I need to break out of this habit, so that the audience doesn't loose interest. Therefore, for my next performance (singing, acting or dancing), I am setting myself the target of making sure that I look at the audience.

This image shows that I remembered to look at the audience and that I demonstrated a happy emotional connection to the song.

Being Put On The Spot

Today, during our dance lesson, we participated in ,corner work,, in which we had to spin from one side of the room to the other. I remembered to spot and I remembered the short routine, which is a small improvement from the last time we did 'corner work'. We had to get into groups of 6 and perform 3 balancing acts, in which 2 of us were not allowed to touch the ground in each balancing act. We also had to make transitions from one lift to another by dancing, spinning, jumping, etc. into the next position . I struggled to get into the second balance, in which I was not allowed to touch the floor. I also thought my first transition could have been a lot sharper, but most of my transitions were quite smooth and I remembered to keep my body tense. Here is a link to a video recording of the exercises:
https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/574232582612318/666201870082055/?notif_t=group_activity

Then we had to make up our own choreography for a dance routine of 8 counts, inspired by a show that we had recently seen. I chose West Side Story- as demonstrated by the clicking that I added to my routine. I repeated my dance moves over and over again, so that I would remember them. Afterwards, we had to get into groups and learn eachothers' routines so that we could merge them together. From watching the above video, I am quite pleased with my choreography, as choreographing is not something I have had a lot of practise doing. We then had to perform this merged routine to the rest of the class. I forgot the moves at times, went out of time and I felt that I could have put a lot more energy into it.

Later we had to listen to 3 tracks and identify the instruments. Each time, I could only identify the drums, which means that I need to improve on my instrument knowledge. We then had to choose a chorus or verse, from either the song 'Royals' by Lorde or 'Crazy In Love' by Beyonce and add our own creative twist to it. I chose to sing the chorus of 'Crazy In Love' as I am more familiar with the song. When I had to perform, I calmed my nerves by doing quiet breathing exercises and not stressing about it too much. However, I was still really nervous, which affected my vocals. I was out of tune, sang it much to quickly and forgot to breathe . I also think that I could of been more creative with putting my own twist on the song. I have found that, at times, my nerves do not affect me at all when I have to sing solo. These are usually the times when I have practised singing in front of people a lot. Therefore, I am setting myself the task of singing in front of other people more often, in order to help to build my confidence when singing.

  

Dancng And Singng 3

Today, during our dance lesson, we covered basic dance technique. We started with 'corner work', which I struggled with. However, I found that I could more easily pick up the simpler routines, than in previous lessons. We were reminded of the positions in ballet and we took part in ballet exercises. From this, I have learnt that I struggle a lot with my balance. I can improve this by spending some of my free time balancing on one leg, while engaging the stomach muscles and focusing on a point in the room. Here is a video of the positions in ballet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6W6h6uNM1os

Later we had a singing lesson. I found that Today's warm up went the smoothest, since the beginning of this year. I found it easier to hit the higher notes without 'cracking'. I also remembered that the more I project, the better control I have over my voice. We also sung 'At The End Of The Day' from Les Miserables The Musical. We were asked to 'perform'  the song, but I found that not knowing the words hindered my performance, and I felt that I should have moved around a lot more. Therefore I am setting myself the task of moving around in character more when singing a song that requires characterisation.

The Voice- How It Works

During last weeks lesson, we were given handouts to read, in which I underlined words that I didn't fully understand, or felt that I needed to define. Here are the handouts:

• The Trachea- A thin-walled, cartilaginous tube descending from the larynx to the bronchi and carrying air to the lungs. (Also known as The Wind Pipe).
• The Vocal Folds- Folds of membranous tissue which project inwards from the sides of the larynx to form a slit across the glottis in the throat, and whose edges vibrate in the airstream to produce the voice. (Also known as The Vocal Cords)
• The Vocal Tract- The air passages above the glottis (including the pharynx, oral and nasal cavities, and the paranasal sinuses) that contribute to the quality of the voice.
• The Larynx- The hollow muscular organ forming an air passage to the lungs and holding the vocal cords; the voice box
• The Pharynx- The membrane-lined cavity behind the nose and mouth, connecting them to the oesophagus.
• The Pharyngeal Cavity- The cavity of the pharynx that consists of a part continuous anteriorly with the nasal cavity by way of the nasopharynx, a part opening into the oral cavity by way of the isthmus of the fauces, and a part continuous posteriorly with the esophagus and opening into the larynx by way of the epiglottis.
• Thoracic- Relating to the thorax/ something near the thorax.
• Succession- The act or process of following in order or sequence.

How Music is Made

Here is the link to the web page, what we were asked to read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_musical_symbols

Here is a youtube video, which tells you a bit about music theory:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ0UEKWjuZs&list=PL2D7634DD8835136B

The black keys on a piano are sharps and flats. They make it easier to play scales in different keys and to identify the white notes.

The Parts Of The Human Anatomy Which Are Used When We Sing

Today's lesson began with a theory lesson, about the parts of The Human Anatomy which are used when we sing. These parts are split into groups:

• The Generators- The parts of your body that create the sound.

-The Diaphragm (a dome-shaped muscular partition separating the thorax from the abdomen in mammals. It plays a major role in breathing, as its contraction increases the volume of the thorax and so inflates the lungs.)

-The Intercostal Muscles (Intercostal muscles are several groups of muscles that run between the ribs, and help form and move the chest wall. The intercostal muscles are mainly involved in the mechanical aspect of breathing. These muscles help expand and shrink the size of the chest cavity when you breathe.)



- The Lungs (either one of a pair of spongy sack like respiratory organs within the thorax of higher vertebrates, which oxygenate the blood and remove its carbon dioxide)

 

• The sound travels up The Trachea (Wind Pipe)- A thin-walled, cartilaginous tube descending from the larynx to the bronchi and carrying air to the lungs.

 

• The Phonators- Where the sounds come from

-The Larynx/ The Voice Box (the hollow, muscular organ forming an air passage to the lungs and holding the vocal cords)

 

 

 

-The Vocal Cords/ Vocal Folds (folds of membranous tissue which project inwards from the sides of the larynx to form a slit across the glottis in the throat, and whose edges vibrate in the airstream to produce the voice)

 

 

 

• Vocal Resonators- The process by which the basic product of phonation is enhanced in timbre and/or intensity by the air-filled cavities through which it passes on its way to the outside air. The Following web page tells you detailed information about vocal resonance: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocal_resonation

- Head Resonance (It is used primarily for softer singing in either register throughout the range.)

- Mouth Resonance (is used for a conversational vocal colour in singing and, in combination with nasal resonance, it creates forward placement or mask resonance).

- Chest Resonance-  (adds richer, darker, deeper tone colouring for a sense of power, warmth and sensuality. It creates a feeling of depth and drama in the voice.)

- Nasal/ Mask Resonance- (is present at all times in a well-produced tone, except, perhaps, in the instance of the pure head tone or at very soft volume. Nasal resonance is bright and edgy and is used in combination with mouth resonance to create forward placement (mask resonance). In an over-all sense, it adds overtones that give clarity and projection to the voice.)

 

 

- The Sinuses (cavities within a bone or other tissue. Most are commonly found in the bones of the face and connecting with the nasal cavities. Important for voice modulation (most commonly the act or process of changing from one key (tonic, or tonal centre) to another.)

 

-The larynx (Due to its small size, the larynx acts as a resonator only for high frequencies.)
-The Pharynx (The pharynx is the most important resonator by virtue of its position, size, and degree of adjustability. It is the first cavity of any size through which the product of the laryngeal vibrator passes; the other supraglottal cavities have to accept whatever the pharynx passes on to them.)

- The Soft Palate (the fleshy, flexible part towards the back of the roof of the mouth.)
- The Hard Palate (The hard palate is a thin horizontal bony plate of the skull, located in the roof of the mouth.)

 

 

• Vocal Articulators- C

  larity in the production of successive notes.
  

  
  

- The Cheeks

- The Tongue

- The Teeth

- The lips 

 

We also learnt about the things that are harmful to our voices. These include:

• Shouting/ Screaming
• Vocal Trauma: http://www.drugs.com/health-guide/vocal-cord-disorders.html
• Singing Without warming up
• Clearing Your throat

We were asked to make a circle and sing one word of 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' each, keeping in mind the tempo (the rate or speed of motion or activity; pace), the rhythm (a strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound) and pitching (t

he quality of a sound governed by the rate of vibrations producing it; the degree of highness or lowness of a tone). I 

thought that my pitching was more accurate than usual, though strangely, I thought I sang a little too high. I also cracked a few times, which I could of avoided by having better breath support. We then focused on dynamics (refers to the volume of a sound or note, but can also refer to every aspect of the execution of a given piece, either stylistic (staccato, legato etc.) or functional (velocity).) and sang quietly and then loudly.

 

We were then asked to find out the vocal range that we were most comfortable singing in. I knew that I had an Alto singing voice but I though I'd try The Soprano part, just to see how much, if at all, my range has increased. I had no problem hitting the lowest note in The Alto range. I hit higher Soprano notes than I thought that I could, but I am definitely more comfortable singing the Alto parts of a song. Later we sang Matilda The Musical's 'When I Grow Up'. This time we worked out harmonies (the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce a pleasing effect.). I found that the louder I sang the better I could stay on- pitch.