Singing Joni Mitchell’s “River” with one of Nando Michelin’s Fall 2010 small jazz ensembles (based off of Herbie Hancock’s take with Corinne Bailey Rae). The Players: Nando Michelin on keys, Alex Goodhouse on saxophone, Stevie B. Wolf on guitar, Max Feit on bass and Andrew Meleney on drums. (Yes, I was the sole female of the ensemble!) Cal Shapiro isn’t on this track, but he was the other vocalist for the ensemble, and people need to check him and his band Timeflies out because he is good.
It was the frustration I experienced from listening to this track and the recording for the other song I performed with the ensemble - “Double Rainbow” - that inspired my recent facebook status:
I’ve a few things that I really need to work on:
- Enunciation: I see why I’ve been told I just sound like slur my way through a song. There’s definitely truth in that!
- Breathing/Supporting, especially when it comes to high notes: there’s a point when I shy away from a high note and don’t quite hit it right; I also have quite a few flat points throughout, singing just under the right notes. Bad habits.
- Ends of phrases: when I get nervous and stop using my brain, I don’t cut off phrases. At all. Seriously. I drag them all out until I run out of breath, which is hardly artistic.
- Energizing long notes: I have lots of white notes in this recording - notes that I’m singing like they’re devoid of purpose and not really going anywhere.
- (of course) Wierd wobble: I get nervous, I don’t breath/support, I get weird fake pseudo-vibrato that makes me sound like I’m wailing/trembling/crying. I hate it. It’s ugly. Arrrgghhhh.
Really, really need voice lessons. And to perform more, so I don’t get so nervous all the time…
4 Notes/ Hide
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widdy liked this
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charissaisyourfriend reblogged this from limmy-log and added:
I’ve been a fan...River for a while now, so hearing
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limmy-log posted this
