Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Msg #10 Poems Of Disillusion: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

There is a list of useful links at the base of this email.

Personal Learning Notes

I've been going to as many run-throughs as I can locally - lucky to have so many. Making some good improvements, and also really enjoying hearing other people's improvements over time.

I finally started Vict'ry Road this weekend.  It sounded simple to learn, then it wasn't, then it was simple again.  I'm currently back in the "it's hard" phase again. :-)  As a bass, let me tell you: miss one breath and you are toast.  Get all the breaths right, and it's really fun to sing.

Slowing Down Tracks

I'd posted this in a separate email - but if you want to make a slow version of a learning track, it's easy with Audacity.
  1. Download the free software and install.
  2. Open the original file with Audacity.
  3. Select the entire song (Ctrl-a).
  4. From the top menu choose Effects->Slow tempo.
  5. Enter -20 for the percentage and select High Quality.
  6. Press the button to start the process.
  7. When done use File/Export and save as a WAV file under a new name.

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Dwight), what can we say about him? A Commander of the Order of the British Empire (an award of a non-hereditary Knighthood shortened to OBE), he has released more successful music than almost anyone in our time.  From his first Grammy Award nominations in 1971, through his first Brit Award nomination in 1977 (for the Album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road) to having 3 Academy Award nominations for best song in the same year (all from The Lion King) he's been a tour de force.

 He has (let's count them): 1 Academy Award (and 2 nominations), 5 Brit Awards including a person Brit Icon (and 10 nominations), 6 Grammy Awards (and 25 nominations), 1 Tony Award (and 3 nominations).  Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Songwriters Hall of Fame. And many more, plus the Knighthood.  Young Reggie done all right for himself. :-)  And, of course, he has reaped great financial rewards for his success.  One of the first major celebrities to come out, back in the 80s, he is married and has two children.

 His musical partner Bernie Taupin tends to write lyrics, send them to Elton who separately writes the music.  This song was written and released in 1973, It was an instant hint and is arguably their most successful collaboration.  Biographies online says that Taupin's first movie viewing experience was The Wizard Of Oz, and it has been a strong influence on him.  It may be no coincidence that he was raised on a farm.

 The Wizard Of Oz is, as everyone knows, a traveling bildungsroman. :-)  The youthful girl goes on a voyage of self discovery to the magical city, making friends on the way.  The discovery at the end is that there is no magic city, no powerful wizard - but that each character has always had within them that which they most desired.  The path they took, the metaphor for the road to power and magic, is the Yellow Brick Road.

 In our song, the anonymous character has also traveled his own virtual yellow brick road - becoming a boy-toy to an anonymous wealthy person of unknown gender.  He is at a moment of self-discovery, and it's time for a change. He chased a dream, but ended up a pampered pretty little pet, and he's tired of it. And a bit angry: his ex-lover is a bit of a tidbit that a mongrel like him searches out. The good-times illusion is over and it's time to go back to the farm and reality.  All of this set to a relentlessly happy-sounding up tune. [Updated thanks to Bruce Pacht]

 This song is so cheery and melodious, it's hard to sing it with the direct anger that the lyrics contain. Perhaps sing it un-ironically - letting the lyrics tell the tale themselves.

 Oh, and here's a Texas Horny Toad, in case you were wondering.   

Video Links


Useful Links

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Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Bonus Thoughts: Tips for Your Competition Quartet at the Rally

Here is the third of the three documents I have written on quartet singing tips.

 You don't need this one now, so I may repost it just before the rally - it's about your pickup competition quartet.

         What these are: tools for better NEHB preparation.
         What these are not: the be-all and end-all for quartet singing.

 Please consider printing these documents and carrying them in your NEHB books.

I want to thank Daniel Schwartz, who helped with editing and content, and Robert Hollingshead who first made the suggestion.  Don't blame them for my mistakes, please.

Feedback on improvements and errors, please send directly to me.  I plan to keep these documents alive and constantly improving.  I did place a copyright reservation on the documents - I plan to be generous with sharing permissions, but please ask before doing so.  All Harmony Brigades and Platoons already have permission. 

The First Document is here.
Here is the second
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Thursday, June 21, 2018

Bonus Thoughts: Quartet Singing Document 2 of 3

Here is the second of the three documents I have written on quartet singing tips.

         What these are: tools for better NEHB preparation.
         What these are not: the be-all and end-all for quartet singing.
Please consider printing these documents and carrying them in your NEHB books.

I want to thank Daniel Schwartz, who helped with editing and content, and Robert Hollingshead who first made the suggestion.  Don't blame them for my mistakes, please.

 Feedback on improvements and errors, please send directly to me.  I plan to keep these documents alive and constantly improving.  I did place a copyright reservation on the documents - I plan to be generous with sharing permissions, but please ask before doing so.  All Harmony Brigades and Platoons already have permission. 

 The First Document is here.
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Msg #9: Another "cheeky" preparedness note

Errata

"Blackbird" has a known error in the tenor part, downbeat of measure 39, the written B should be a G#. The tracks are correct.  (Reported by Brandon Rauch)

REMINDER: The Tracks are considered our standard for singing and learning.  (In this case, the tracks are correct and the music needs correction.)


Travel Assistance

If you are coming from out of town, and would like assistance with getting from an airport to the rally (or home again), please fill out the Ride From The Airport or Ride To The Airport forms.

If you are can offer assistance (because you live here, or are traveling but plan to rent a car), please fill out a Ride Offered Form.

 If you are using other transit and need a ride, please contact me directly.

We cannot guarantee help, but we will do our very best to provide it (both to the rally, and on your way home).

Cheek To Cheek

The movie "Top Hat" was a very big one for Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and composer Irving Berlin.  The film gave us not only "Cheek To Cheek", but "Top Hat, White Tie and Tails".

The film itself is a silly little item - a so-called Screwball Comedy that quietly borrows from half a dozen elements of classic Comedia del Arte.  The infatuation with the ingenue, her initial dislike of the man, mistaken identity, slow seduction, fake weddings, constant misunderstandings - with, at the end, all misunderstandings resolved and the couple firmly in love.

"Cheek To Cheek" is the longest song Berlin ever wrote, and was written and completed in one day.  In the film the purpose of this song was for Astaire's character to finally win over Roger's ingenue. If you watch the film clip, you can see that the lyrics are the appetizer, but that the seduction completes in the choreography - one of several legendary dance scenes with Astaire and Rogers.

The song was wildly popular, and has been recorded over and over again by names both famous, and not.

Irving Berlin, the composer, is widely regarded as one of the best composers of his era.  Born in Russia, of Jewish descent, his career produced over 1,500 songs.  Many of them have made their way into the American songbook and are widely recognized today.  I love the fact that he couldn't read or write music, and was a terrible pianist.  (He wrote everything on the black keys, in F#, and had pianos that could mechanically transpose.)  He also had a number of "musical secretaries" who would write down his riffs and lyrics.

Berlin's romantic life was every bit as extreme as this story.  After his first wife died of typhoid shortly after their marriage, this shy and short Jewish man fell in love with a socially prominent Catholic woman who was heir to a large fortune. Her father sent her to Europe to avoid Berlin, and he wrote letters and songs for her.  The rumors were that they were secretly engaged before she could return home, and they quickly married in a private civil ceremony without her father's knowledge or consent.

They were married for the rest of their lives, and eventually reconciled with her father.

Video links

Useful Links


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Monday, June 18, 2018

Bonus Thoughts - Quartet Technique document 1 of 3


I am linking to the first of three documents that I have written that will be covering quartet singing tips.  The other two will follow a few days apart.  (A giant info-dump won't get read - a page or two at a time, might).

What these are: tools for better NEHB preparation.
What these are not: the be-all and end-all for quartet singing.
I kept things as short as I could, with a focus on what helps people be ready for NEHB. That means many good ideas didn't make the cut.

 I want to thank Daniel Schwartz, who helped with editing and content, and Robert Hollingshead who first made the suggestion.  Don't blame them for my mistakes, please.

 Please consider printing these documents and carrying them in your NEHB books.

 Feedback on improvements and errors, please send directly to me.  I plan to keep these documents alive and constantly improving.  I did place a copyright reservation on the documents - I plan to be generous with sharing permissions, but please ask before doing so.  All Harmony Brigades and Platoons already have permission. 
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Thursday, June 14, 2018

Msg #8 Is it well with your preparation?

Useful Links Are At The Bottom Of This Letter


Coming Soon

Next week I will start collecting travel information (rides needed, rides offered).
Also between now and then, Daniel and I have been working on some tips for better quartet singing that are specifically useful for run-throughs and rally's.  That will be a bonus email later this week.

We Are Nearing The Halfway Point

If you are on track for the "song a week program", you should be at about halfway - meaning that while there are rough spots, you should have the ability to sing through at least songs 1-6, with some exposure to songs 7 and 8.  (Obviously, if you are recently accepted, this doesn't apply to you.)

As with any generalization, some people are far ahead, some are a behind.  The people who are far ahead - I'm not talking to you. :-)  But let me point out that I've been to a lot of run-throughs, and nobody I've heard has been word and note perfect....

If you are having trouble keeping pace, I remind you - you can always ask for help and receive it.  We can help with trouble spots, we can help with finding a nearby aide, your sponsor can help you - we can try and arrange more run-through practices near you.

We want to help - we want to get every person across the finish line, ready and prepared for the rally.  I'm not here to nag - let us help.  If your sponsor can't help (or you still don't have one) - ask me, and I will see about getting you help tailored to your situation.

Your frustration may be at or near it's peak.  But there is plenty of time to be ready - if you let your friends in NEHB help you be ready.

Together we can have a better rally.  We want this rally to be worth your while, so please - grab help now, while there is plenty of time.

I'll Share My Status With You

I'm having a good year - the changes I have made in my personal practice have let me reach "basic singable status" on all 12 songs.  But I have lots of personal growth notes - NONE of my songs are word and note perfect.   Here are my trouble spots for 1-6, just to show you that you are not alone.

  1. No, No, Nora The bell chords at the end are killing me, and I consistently take one very ill-timed breath that messes things up in the second verse.
  2. Blackbird - I still fail the transition after the second verse, and sing the wrong thing.
  3. The Bare Necessities - This has been chorus rep, but I did find one wrong note, and I keep forgetting my "shout" during the bridge.  "Money, {silence], Power" is not correct.
  4. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring - oh, the many minor tuning mistakes!
  5. I Can't Give You Anything But Love - I still stumble over the "Can't Buy Me Love" part, every time.
  6. Go The Distance - I learned this 2 years ago - incorrectly.  I still mess up the intro, and the newly voiced tag keeps tripping me up.

It Is Well With My Soul


Sometimes a song just captures me, whether it applies to my situation or not.  Not being a religious man, it's still true that a religious song can capture my heart. That's how I felt when I first heard the barbershop version of "It Is Well With My Soul".

 The story of the poem which became a hymn is well known.  Horatio Spafford was a real estate tycoon in Chicago with 5 children and a beloved wife.  Within a few short years, his only son died, he lost his properties in the Great Chicago Fire, and then his remaining daughters all died at sea while on a vacation to Europe.  As he sailed to reunite with his wife, he penned the poem.  Not long after, it was set to music by Phillip Bliss.  (Spafford's life continued to be plagued by problems.  He and his wife had 3 more children, and his second son died in childhood.

 A lifelong devout Christian, his tribulations eventually found him leaving his church and forming his own Messianic sect.  He and his family left America and settled near Jerusalem, where he eventually died and was buried.  Vestiges of the movement they founded (The American Colony) became highly respected in the area, and small portions of their legacy are still active today.

 The barbershop version of this song uses only the first and last verses of what is a five verse poem.


Useful Links

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Thursday, June 7, 2018

Msg #7: Wherein I create the world's smallest controversy

The Useful Links are at the bottom of this letter.

 Useful Observation
I attended the first of Fred Kingsbury's bi-weekly run-throughs last night, and Fred made many smart observations - one of which I want to share with you. (Fred, thanks for hosting.)
Paraphrasing - treat the breaths in songs just like the notes in songs, and learn them with the exact same accuracy.  Don't try to learn them later - and have to unlearn the breaths you have already memorized.

 This observation came about during our singing of "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", but it applies universally.

On a personal note - I often arrive at a run-through confident, find myself questioning everything in the middle, and go home full of renewed desire to succeed. In my opinion, we should do our best to face our imperfections honestly, accept them gracefully, and then beat the snot out of them in home rehearsal. :-)

 Useless Observation
It's too soon to worry a lot about what to wear for the rally, but as you do your shopping over the summer, keep an eye out for a few things on sale (if you don't already have them).

  • If you are going to the Friday performance opportunities, some kind of Hawaiian shirt.
  • For the Saturday night performance, you'll need:
    • white dress shirt
    • black pants, black socks and black shoes
    • Simple is better, avoid complex patterns.
    • Uniforms are uniform. :-)
  • Also for Saturday night, a solid color tie. You don't have to spend a lot on them....
    • I once found solid color ties at Ocean State Job Lot for $5, and bought four. I tend to bring them to rallies to help out guys that forgot.
    • Boring colors are boring. :-)
    • I recently purchased a new Brigade tie for $2 in a used clothing store. (Not boring)
    • I have found excellent ties for as little as $1 at Goodwill-like thrift stores.


 Come Fly With Me
You know how Frank Sinatra had a way of finding and singing all the good songs of his era? Well, this one was his too - because it was written for him.  It was for a concept album of the same name - an “around the world tour” through music. The album was nominated for Album Of The Year at the first ever Grammy Awards.

The song was penned in 1958, and airline travel was a much different and bigger deal than it is now.  This was no “let’s pack up the kids and see Grandma in Sacramento”. Going on a flight to a vacation destination was increasingly popular but still out of reach of most. The press used the term Jet Set - wealthy people for whom luxury was not out of reach, and who used those new jet airplanes to travel to exotic destinations.  A “flying honeymoon” would have been a beautiful luxury.
This song has been covered and covered again, with minor lyrical changes over and over.  OC Times (whose version we are using) made some minor changes to the lyrics and timing as well - even if you know this barbershop version, look for the changes. (Yeah, I got caught on the changes.)

And now for some NEHB barbershop controversy. I know that OC Times (and Michael Buble) pronounce the word "llama" as "Lame-muh". I will climb my soapbox and say "that's wrong". :-) Consult any dictionary, and the proper pronunciation is "Lah-muh". BUT the rules of New England Harmony Brigade are that the learning track is in control, so let's all sing "Lame-muh". Especially when you sing with OC Times at the rally. (You want to).

A poem by Ogden Nash

The one-l lama, He's a priest. 
The two-l llama, He's a beast.  
And I will bet a silk pajama 
There isn't any Three-l lllama.*
  *The author's attention has been called to a type of conflagration known as a three-alarmer. Pooh.

Useful Links

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