May the Force Be With You

What can Star Wars possibly have to do with singing? Actually, quite a lot. Am I out of my mind? Possibly. Well. . . probably, but bear with me, and hopefully this will all make sense.

One of my favorite things to say to students is: "There is no try, young Jedi, there is only do." Which is a misquote, I know, but it gets the idea across.
What do I mean by this? It's both very simple and very difficult. It means exactly what Yoda was trying to explain to Luke. There are times when trying just won't hack it. You can try all you want, but eventually, you just have to throw yourself into it and DO it. I tell young actors this a lot. If you are worried about looking like an idiot, then you probably will. If you put everything you've got into your role, and go over-the-top, then, yes, people might laugh (in fact, hopefully they will, if you're trying to be funny) but you won't look like an idiot. Sometimes, we need to set our fears aside, and give ourselves completely to whatever it is we're doing. And that includes singing. 

Yoda may not have been speaking directly to singers, but I think the message is clear. You've been trying that new concept in technique, and it's almost there, but somehow you just can't quite break through. Your voice still sounds like it's behind the curtain. Or that high note is still a little strained. Well, it is just possible that you are too busy trying to actually do anything! (See, very simple and amazingly difficult at the same time! Yoda would be proud!)


(Listen to the above sound bite. There will be a test later.) I know that anger is one of the paths to the Dark Side, but as a singer, I think we can use our anger. Sometimes, I find that channeling the anger, and frustration that we often feel into my singing, does give me more power and more raw emotion. This is not always a good thing. Singing a lullaby and channeling anger into it would be wrong. But pouring anger into the final phrases of "Vissi d'arte" as Tosca is asking God why he is allowing these things to happen to her, seems quite appropriate. 

Obi-Wan gave Luke a quick introduction into the ways of the Force, in what I still refer to as "the first movie". I know, I know, it's "The New Hope", but, I'm getting old and set in my ways. (And I don't like to admit that Episode One, whatever it's name is, even exists.)  This was followed up in "The Empire Strikes Back" by a more in-depth explanation by Yoda. What possible bearing can the Force have on singing? Well, way, way back in my second blog: Element 1: Good Posture, I gave an exercise. Reprinted here for the first time! Stand in the proper position and close your eyes. Imagine that there are roots growing out the soles of your feet. (We are leaving science far, far behind. Try not to let that bother you.) These roots reach through the floor and into the warm soil. (No, I don't care that there's snow on the ground! We are leaving reality behind, too.) These roots go all the way to the center of the earth, where, for our purpose, there is a huge pocket of warm air. The air comes back up to you through the roots. Your body is now supported by this column of warm air. It fills you. Standing is now effortless, and there is more than enough air to support the longest phrases. Does any of this sound even vaguely like Yoda's explanation of the Force? Singing should involve your entire body. It should encompass your chi, your core, your soul, however you want to put it. 

Perhaps Chewie said it best: 

You Want Me to Perform, Too?

Why do we do all of the hours, months, years of vocal studies? Do we do it for the sheer fun of the struggle? Because it is a struggle. Everyone has something that is hard for them. It might be breathing properly. It might be standing up straight. It might be raising the soft palate. It might be something as seemingly simple and yet hard to explain as finding the right note. Why do we do it? So that we can sing for other people and they won't run screaming from the room. We do it so we can perform. Don't misunderstand: I think the struggle is fun. I enjoy it. But, if I don't perform, I allow myself to get lazy. There really is a lot of work that goes into this, and without an ultimate reason for it, it is very easy to slack off.

Performing. There is nothing more frightening, or more fulfilling that I can think of. Well, OK, raising children was kind of frightening, and very fulfilling, so besides that. . . OK, yeah, being married to the Nameless Cynic for 24 years can also be frightening and . . . you get the idea. But performing ranks right up there! And performing is more in the moment. Let me try to explain - 

Sometimes when I am singing I realize that the audience and I are both existing strictly in the moment. Nothing else matters but the current note. The past is done and gone. The future will come on its own. Outside events, worries, joys, whatever, are outside and don't matter. The only thing that matters is the note that is currently being sung. It's an amazing feeling. Most of our lives are spent worrying about the future or regretting the past, to let all of that go and exist in the moment is an almost unbearable gift.

But, performing has it's downside, too. Stage fright, jitters, butterflies in the tummy, whatever you want to call it, it can be scary standing up in front of a group of people and singing. I've played in piano recitals, and that's scary. I've played in guitar recitals, and that's scary, too. But singing is in a whole category by itself. When you're playing another instrument, if you mess up, you can lay part of the blame on the instrument. "I'd never played that piano before; the action was too stiff, and it threw me!" "My guitar string broke in the middle of the performance, it almost hit me in the eye!" That kind of thing. When you mess up while singing; it's all you. It's hard to get more personal than singing. And, It's hard to find something scarier than singing in front of a group of people. (OK, maybe bungie jumping off the Empire State Building, but that's another blog.)

How do we do it? There are a lot of ways, tricks, if you will.

1) Know your music. Do not neglect practice time because you think it's not cool, or not professional. It may seem like the pros don't practice all the time, but we do. And we've worked very hard to get to the level where it seems fast and easy. Hours and hours should go into whatever you are singing. The better prepared you are, the less reason you'll have to be nervous.

2) Keep in mind that chances are no one in the audience has your music. If you flub a word here or there or sing a note that isn't quite the right length, no one out there will have a clue. So long as you don't let them know! This means no grimacing, no head shakes, no frowns, nothing to let them know that you sang the wrong word. 

This one backfired on me once, though. I hadn't sung in public for a few years, and was singing in a huge church choir in Sacramento. It was Christmas Eve, I had a solo in the oratorio. There were about 150 people in the choir, plus a 50 piece orchestra. Several of the choir members were lead singers with the Sacramento opera. As an aside, I was 7 months pregnant. (This becomes important later.) I was a nervous wreck. I knew my solo quite well, but, I was still a mess. I tried to tell myself that the congregation didn't have my music, and that was true. But the choir did. And they were the ones I wanted desperately to impress. It ended up being a good thing I was so pregnant, because the only way I could see my music clearly was to balance the folder on my preggo belly. My hands were shaking so badly, I couldn't hold it still! (The solo went just fine, and everyone loved it, but I was asked not to come back until after the baby was born. I was so big they were afraid I'd give birth right there in the choir loft!)

3) If you wear glasses - try singing without them. When I was younger I'd take my glasses off. I could still see my music, and still see the people, but they were fuzzy. It's hard to be scared of people who are fuzzy. This is a variation of the "imagine everyone is sitting in their underwear" ploy. That one never worked for me. It was just too silly and distracting. Nowadays, if you see me performing without my glasses, it's for one of several reasons: they don't fit the character; they're annoying me; or I'd like to see the music. Often I keep them on so I CAN see the audience. It is easier to connect with people when you can see them.

4) Visualize your performance. Don't dwell on the possible negatives, focus your mind on the best performance you can possibly give. This one needs to be done well in advance of the performance itself. Pick a quiet spot and close your eyes. Imagine every aspect of the performance; what the venue is like, how your voice sounds in the space. See the audience smiling, settling in to hear your song. Imagine singing the song, flawlessly. Hear how effortless the top note is, it's clear and ringing. Feel the energy flowing through your body as you sing the final note. There is a moment of silence. No one wants to disturb the shared experience, but then everyone bursts into applause. 

But - also visualize things going wrong, here's the important part - see yourself dealing with it in a positive, creative, and fun way. Don't let the many things that can and do go wrong throw you for a loop. See them simply becoming another aspect of the overall performance.

Not long ago, in a performance of La Traviata, one of the party guests in the first act dropped a glass and it broke. There was now glass all over a part of the stage. My son, Chris, in the role of the butler, calmly went off stage, got a broom and dustpan, and swept up the mess, while the scene continued around him. They could have ignored the glass, but then there was a risk of someone getting cut. Some people in the audience thought that this was a planned part of the action. He didn't let this accident become a problem, he dealt with it in a very practical and creative way.

This type of visualization training is widely used in sports. Many highly successful business people use visualization on a daily basis. Listen to Dr. JoAnn Dahlkoetter talk about sports visualization. 

Now, visualization will not take the place of practicing! The only thing that will take the place of practicing is MORE practicing! But, visualization helps athletes perform at a higher level. Why not use it to help you perform your song at a higher level? Are you getting the idea that singing and sports have a lot in common? Good!

5) Practice the whole performance, not just your song. Just before a performance or audition, I lead my students through what they'll be saying, and doing, even to leaving their seat and walking to the stage area. This is related to visualization, but is more physical. Anything you can do to make this process more familiar is probably a good idea.

6) Breathe! Dr. Dahlkoetter talks about it in the video, too. When you are standing in front of your audience, take a slow, deep breath, and let it settle. Don't hold your breath, just let it rest for a moment. I've talked about this before. It helps to calm you by breaking the cycle of shallow breathing that accompanies nervousness. It tells your body that you are taking control of this automatic function. And, it tells your audience that you have something worth listening to.

7) Smile! Everyone likes to see a smile. It makes us want to smile in return. But a smile can also reduce stress. When we smile the brain releases endorphins, natural pain killers, that help to slow you heart rate and make the tummy butterflies go away.

8) Embrace your fear. "What? Are you crazy?" I can hear you shouting. But, it's true. Stage fright isn't always a bad thing. A little bit of nervousness, a little bit of excitement, that can be what takes a performance to the next level. If you were completely comfortable, you wouldn't necessarily care if you were any good or not. How boring that would be to watch. But, a little fear keeps us all on our toes. 

9) Know that if you do flub up, it's not the end of the world. Ralph Terry, a former major league baseball pitcher, and then professional golfer (See, more sports!) said this: "When you go out on the mound today, kid, just remember one thing. No matter what happens, win or lose, five hundred million Chinese don't care." (Expletive deleted.) Perhaps a tad brutal, but nonetheless true. 

10) And finally, the best cure for stage fright is do get up and do it again, and again, and again. The more you perform, the easier it becomes. With more experience, comes more poise and confidence.

So, to all of my students performing next Sunday - have fun, practice, and breathe!

Huh?

So, Minnich Music is having an open house/recital  on the 19th, (1-4, if you're in the neighborhood) and I foolishly decided to finish/refinish some furniture for this event. (I must be an idiot!) When I began this process, I thought I'd have lots of help. Sigh. My daughter has opted out. My older son is still a Marine in Hawaii. My husband has work from the office that must get finished - I understand that. He gets paid for this work to be done. My younger son, who I thought would be a great help, is still recovering from pneumonia and is of little use. My soon-to-be daughter-in-law is busy working the night shift. So, the score currently stand at: 2 end tables - one sanded, painted - done; one sanded stained and coated with polyurethane - done. One stool - sanded, stained and coated with polyurethane - done. One chair - painstakingly stripped, sanded painted (2 coats), and reupholstered - done. One breakfast nook - table, supports, two benches with backs, one bench without a back, and one corner unit - stripped. Still to be done - breakfast nook, scraping, sanding, staining, and coated with 3 layers of rub-on polyurethane. Tomorrow. We won't even talk about the reupholstering. . . 


I have the beginnings of a blog on performing. But it will have to wait till next week. 


In the meantime; please watch and listen to this video of Placido Domingo, Anna Nebrebko, and Rolando Villazon singing Dein is mein ganzes Herz from Franz Lehar's Das Land des Laechelns (The Land of Smiles). Normally this is a solo, but this was filmed in a trio recital, so they did it as a trio. Why not?

See you next week!

Vocal Myth Busting

Earlier this week, I had a question from a confused student. She wanted to know that since it was bad to sing in the morning, why was her school having her sing from 9 in the morning till noon? I was curious where she'd heard that it was bad to sing before noon. Turns out that a previous teacher had told her that it was bad to try and sing before you'd been awake for 4 hours, as the voice needed that time to warm up.

It's always hard to know what to do when confronted with that kind of statement. Do I laugh? Get angry? Tell her that her last teacher was an ignorant idiot with no idea of what they were doing? What I ended up doing was telling her that I'd never heard that one before, but I personally had experience that proved it false. For over 10 years, I had church services that began at 8:00 on Sunday mornings. I had to be there at 7:15. I'd get up at 6:00, rush around getting ready, and be singing by 7:30. I never had any problems, other than being sleepy. My voice, in fact, was far more awake than I was. It's just a matter of what you are used to. 


This got me thinking: what other vocal myths are there out there? I've run into many of them through the years. Perhaps I can dispel some of them. Some of them might even be true! But in the end: Who you gonna call?


(By the way, according to legend, Ray Parker Jr. did not like the song "Ghostbusters" even though it became his biggest hit. He had the word "Ghostbusters" shouted because he didn't want to sing it!)


I've been visiting a lot of the "vocal myths" sites to research this blog. Many of them are trying to sell you something; usually their book or dvd of vocal instruction. A surprising number of them are very poorly written. And none of them were directed at what I'm going to write about. Of course, you are allowed to dismiss what I'm writing, the same way that I dismissed them. (But, the difference is that I'm right, and they aren't. So there!)


Myth 1) Standing up on tiptoe will help you hit the high notes. This one is false. Actually, standing flatfooted is the bast way to get the proper support for singing those pesky high notes. Men have something of an advantage over women on this one. Fashion does not currently dictate that men wear high heels. Standing on tippee-toes only succeeds in making you easier to tip over. Myth: False.

This is surprised for a Vulcan

Myth 2) Raising your eyebrows will help you hit the high notes. Not really. For the most part, all that raising your eyebrows will accomplish is making you look surprised. Sometimes, it goes hand in hand with trying to squeeze the notes out - very bad. But, sometimes it can be used as a way to trick singers into better placement, if it can encourage raising the soft palate. Myth: Barely Plausible.


Myth 3) Cold air is bad for your throat, and to protect against this you must wear scarves at all times. Yes, cold air is not good for the voice. It tightens up the vocal cords and throat muscles. Even more important, cold dry air can be worse, as it dries up the moisture in the throat. And, yes, in the winter, scarves are a great way of protecting your throat. But not all the time. I've known several tenors (it's always the tenors!) who wouldn't go outside without a scarf even when the temperature was above 90°! Myth: (which was about wearing scarves all the time) Busted. 

Myth 4) You should never drink liquid that's too hot or too cold. The thinking is that the cold liquids may shock the vocal folds, or freeze them. Personally, I drink ice water and ice tea all the time, and all it does is quench my thirst. Hot liquids, like hot tea, help to sooth my throat and relax it when I've been working too long. But, I know people that swear either one will damage their singing. I guess that this is one you have to figure out for yourself. Myth: Plausible.


Myth 5) You should never drink anything with caffeine or alcohol. The thinking with caffeine is that it is a diuretic, and will strip moisture from your throat and the vocal folds. Once again, I've never found that to be a problem. Even a little lemon doesn't seem to be a problem, and I've read that anything acidic should also be avoided. But, notice that I said "a little lemon". I have noticed that too much lemon can leave my throat feeling dry. Too much caffeine, and my stomach gets upset with me. Too much alcohol and, well, you probably know what will happen if you drink too much booze. So, I'm coming back to "too much" of anything is bad. Which, hopefully, you already knew. Oh, and never, never perform when you've had too much alcohol. This has nothing to do with what it'll do to your voice, but what it'll do to your ability to control yourself in any way. It'd just be nasty. Myth: Busted.

Myth 6) You should avoid dairy products on days when you will be singing. This one I've told many a student. The idea on this one is that the dairy products cause the body to create more phlegm. That part is not true. What milk and other dairy products do is to make the existing phlegm thicker. This thicker phlegm stays on the vocal folds, and makes it difficult to sing clearly. While I still try and limit my dairy on days that I'll be singing, I know a bass who can eat anything and still sing beautifully. So, I've been experimenting, and a little bit doesn't seem to bother me. Once again, it's all about moderation! But, I'll still say: Myth: True.


Myth 7) You should always warm up your voice before singing. For the most part, I am in complete agreement with this. Just as you should warm up your body before doing a work-out, you should warm up the muscles in your throat. Without a good, careful warm up you risk doing damage to your vocal cords. I stress 'good and careful' in that statement. I knew a soprano who would wake up, have a cup of tepid water, and begin to warm up  by screeching out high notes. This inevitably led her to panic that her voice was gone, and she would not be able to sing the performances we had scheduled. (Somehow, she always could.) I led her in a warm up once, and she had no problems gradually reaching the rafters of her voice. Having said all that; if you are singing properly, and singing daily, then the voice never really cools down, and a warm up becomes redundant. But, please note: there are a lot of qualifiers in that statement. "Singing properly," "singing daily." Otherwise: warm up! Myth: True.

So there you have it. I'd hoped to discuss the top 10 myths, but these are the only ones that have come to mind this week. If you have some, let me know.


Aloha!

Tonedeaf?

Another blog without obvious videos. Background music: The Holly and the Ivy by a group called Medieval Baebes. (I know it's not December - just stay with me and it'll make sense. I hope.)

I get asked a lot if I can help someone who is tonedeaf. My answer is always: "Yes, of course. For the most part it's just a matter of learning new ways of listening." I then like to mention the young man that I had as a student for a summer a few years ago. He was attending Lutheran seminary, and needed to learn how to sing. (Lutherans expect their pastors to sing quite a bit) Unfortunately, he had suffered from rather severe hearing loss as a child. We worked very hard. By the time he headed back to seminary, he knew and could sing all three of the service settings that were in use at the time. He was probably never going to be a particularly good singer, but he could, as they say, carry a tune.


I am aware that there are neurological issues that can cause actual tone deafness, known by the scientific name amusia. But the number of people suffering worldwide from this condition are only between 4 and 5%. That's worldwide. So the chances that you know someone with this condition are somewhat slender. For the few amusic people in the world, I honestly don't know if I or anyone else could help them; but since it is related to other speech and reading disorders like dyslexia, and dyslexic people can learn to read, I suppose it is possible. And I would be willing to help them try.


For the most part, though, when thinking about the supposedly "tone deaf", I always go back to the experience of my friend, Melissa. She is my oldest friend. (Not that she is my oldest friend, but the one I've known the longest!) We met when she was in 1st grade, and I was in 3rd. We were both faculty brats. This is similar to being an army brat, except that our fathers instead of being in the army were members of the Davis & Elkins college faculty. This made us stand out from our other classmates in the local schools in Elkins. I also stood out because I could sing rather well. Melissa stood out for the opposite reason.


Central Elementary school was built when the plans for schools and prisons were pretty much the same. Lots of very high ceilings, looming Hitchcockesque shadows, small windows with bars; it was a dark and scary place, so old that the stairs had grooves in them worn down by generations of students. I remember in 4th grade, we were switching classes, just like the big kids. One class had 63 kids, 52 desks and only 45 books to go around. Social studies. There was not much going on in that class except trying to find a place to sit. But I digress.


One thing that Central School did have, was the best theater in town. Also very old, it was huge, and had two balconies. Every year we had a Christmas assembly where each class got up on the stage and sang one or two Christmas carols. (No one worried about non-Christians. The closest synagogue was an hour and a half away. And we won't even discuss a mosque!) That year, my 3rd grade class got up and sang Up on the Housetops. I remember that the 6th grade class sang The Holly and the Ivy. I'd never heard that one, and I really loved it. (See? There's the reason for the background song!) 


The other thing I remember is that when Melissa's 1st grade class got up from their seats, she stayed in her place in the auditorium. 30-40 other kids got up to march onto that immense stage, and she sat, alone. Think about that for just a moment. Everybody else in her class stood up and went onstage, and she sat there, for all the world (or as much of it as mattered at that moment) to see. She had been told that she sang so badly, they couldn't even trust her to go up and mouth the words. God forbid that she embarrass her teacher by singing off pitch. 


As the years passed, Melissa and I spent many an afternoon playing cards, drinking lots of tea, and singing along with our record collections. She sang off pitch a lot, and I never once told her to mouth the words or sing softer. (Of course, I was singing pretty loudly, myself!) And I noticed something; as we sang more and more, she was singing better and better. More of the notes began to be the correct ones. No real lessons, no real work, just a matter of practice.


Eventually, as a theater major at Dartmouth, Melissa had to take group voice class. She passed! She'll probably never be a great singer, but, she passed that class, and still enjoys singing along with her CD collection. 


The teenage years were hard for me. I found out (years later), that my older brother would leave the house to avoid hearing me practice, because, in his words: I "sucked." I would say that at that point, my ambition had somewhat outstripped my training. 


When I tried to get more training, from someone besides my mother, that person, the sole professor of the college music department, told me that I had no talent and should get out of music. What I had was a big voice that was horribly out of control. (What he had were issues with my father.) Now I know how to deal with that (the vocal problem, not the personal antagonism!) in myself and in my students. 


I have seen vocal ostracism practiced upon others, and been the victim of it myself. It's not fun. It is very hard to separate the instrument from the person. You can criticize a person's piano and they might not take it personally, but criticize a person's voice and you have dissed them in a very personal manner. Hence my contention: no one is helpless. Everyone can learn how to sing. It just takes some work.

Real Job

(Sorry - no videos this week. I will happily provide background music, though. Both are Eileen Farrell. The first is D'amor sull'ali rosee from Verdi's Il Trovatore.The second is Gershwin's But Not for Me from Girl Crazy. Same singer, two very different styles.(That's part of what training can get you!) (And now - this week's blog!)

I had a conversation this past week that made me realize that the person with whom I was speaking had no respect for my time, expertise, or employment. This woman wanted me to teach her daughter, at their home, for far less than my going rates. I did this last year, as a favor to her older daughter, when I had more free time. This year, when she wanted me to come to them again, I suggested that they come to my studio, but for the same rate. She refused, rather rudely, I thought with the words, "I have a job." Implying that I don't.

A few years ago, in the wilds of Cheyenne, Wyoming, I was singing in a women's quintet for a recital. I'd been given the music a week before our first rehearsal. It wasn't particularly difficult music, but I wasn't sure which vocal part the leader wanted me to sing. So, knowing that my "free time" to practice this was limited, (I was the music director for two churches with a total of 4 services, and teaching 38 students each week.) I quickly looked over all 5 parts. None of them were out of my range, so while I suspected that I would be singing the highest part, I didn't want to make any assumptions. All told, I probably spent about an hour and a half of quality rehearsal time on the song.

At the first rehearsal, I arrived 15 minutes early at the home of the group's leader. (I was taught that if rehearsal is scheduled to begin at 2, then you warm-up your voice at home, and plan your trip to arrive at 1:45, so that you will be in place and ready to begin at 2.) Most of the others arrived within the next 15 minutes. These were all the professional musicians. The leader taught choir and band in the local school system, as well as teaching private flute lessons. One of the others was the concert mistress for the local symphony, second chair violin with several area symphonies, and taught private violin lessons. The fourth was the cantor for the Catholic cathedral and taught private violin lessons. (If you're getting the idea here, all four of us had several different jobs, all involving making our living with music, and teaching.) As parts were assigned, (I was given the highest part) we all ruefully admitted that we'd only been able to spend a little bit of time on the song, but thought we knew it reasonably well. After waiting 15 minutes into the rehearsal for our last person, we went ahead and started. We ran through the song a few times, only needing to stop once or twice to work on a difficult section. Things were going quite well, except for the missing part.

She finally showed up 30 minutes late. After a brief "Sorry," she then told us that she'd been busy. We overlooked that breech of manners, and asked her if she'd had a chance to look at the song. "Oh, no. That's what we're here for, right? But, I need to warm up first." I was worried. I led her warm-up and then gave out our starting pitches. (The song was a capella - no accompaniment) and half way through the first phrase it became obvious that we were in trouble. She had no idea where her notes were, or how they fit into the overall scheme of the song. The rehearsal degenerated from working out trouble spots and interpretation to me pounding out her notes on the piano while the rest of us sang our parts.

Almost two hours of our time was lost in teaching her how her part went. (I was also taught that you should multiply the time lost by the number of people involved 2 x 4 = 8 hours of wasted time) At the end of the exhausting rehearsal, she commented on the fact that the rest of us seemed to already know our parts. She was told that the we had each spent time during the week learning the notes and the phrasing. Her response: "Must be nice to have free time like that. I'm a paralegal. I have a REAL job."

I am not normally a violent person. I wanted to kill her. It needed to involve lots of pain and suffering on her part. I did explain to her, without raising my voice or using foul language, that we also had real jobs, and that we all had at least two of them.

These are not the only times that I've come across this attitude. Sadly, it happens all too often.

A parishioner was preparing for her wedding. She asked me to sing. I told her that I'd be happy to and asked how many songs she wanted. She had three in mind. I knew two of them, but would need music and additional rehearsal time on the third. Making quick calculations, I told her what my fees would be. There was a look of outraged shock on her face. How could I even think of charging her? Anyone can sing! She had a cousin who had "a real pretty voice and would sing for nothing." Trying to keep my temper, I asked if she was going to pay the pianist. "Of course. She had to have lessons to learn how to play!" I didn't sing for her wedding.

On a performance tour, a young woman told me that she didn't understand all the fuss some singers make about training. She'd never taken a single voice lesson. Couldn't even read music, but she could do everything I could. The one thing I couldn't do was help her to understand her error.

Currently, I sing for Opera Unlimited's school outreach program. We tour the state of New Mexico bringing opera into the elementary schools. Opera Unlimited is a non-profit organization, but I am paid. Not as an employee, but as a contractor. I teach at the New Mexico School of Music, once again, not as an employee, but as a contractor. I also teach out of my home, as Minnich Music. I have sung with Opera Southwest, still as a contractor. All of this makes me self-employed. The self-employment tax for 2011 dropped 2%, making it 13.3%
Here are the tax tables for 2011:

• 10% on taxable income from $0 to $8,500
• 15% on taxable income over $8,500 to $34,500
• 25% on taxable income over $34,500 to $83,600
• 28% on taxable income over $83,600 to $174,400
• 33% on taxable income over $174,400 to $379,150
• 35% on taxable income over $379,150.

Last year, I should have paid 10% of my income in taxes. But, because of how convoluted our system is, I paid just over 25%. One year, due to an IRS person inputting the wrong numbers somewhere on my return, they wanted 175% of my income in taxes. (Yup, almost twice what I made that year!)

In Germany, when we lived there (1990 to 1997) anyone involved in the arts only paid taxes on 75% of their income. In Ireland authors get the same break. In those countries, artists and musicians get respect and are encouraged to add to their culture's richness. In this country our contribution is overlooked. Here, American Idol is considered culture.

Music and art are quickly disappearing in our schools. There are some schools that have such horrific budgetary issues that they are even cutting sports; but those are always the last to go. I'm not going to argue the importance of physical education and sports. But I will argue for music and art. OK, especially music, I am slightly prejudiced in this area. Music study enhances cognitive skills, and fine motor control, it teaches creativity and cooperation, empathy, respect for other cultures, the list just keeps on going.

And yet, musicians are not respected or valued in our society. All too often, I am expected to justify why anyone should pay me at all! I have studied most of my life, in a field that I love, in order to acquire a level of skill that not many people attain. I am passionate about music, about singing - you may have noticed. Although I've mentioned money and taxes, that's not what this is really about. I am a professional musician, an opera singer, a vocal instructor. Those ARE real jobs.

Mahna mahna

I noticed that the last few weeks have been pretty much video free. And this past week has been insane. Next week is looking pretty much the same. So, this week, we are doing nothing much but videos. Nameless Cynic, proving what a wonderful husband he is, brought up a video to cheer me up this morning, so I thought I'd share it with you.

But, since I like to give you different versions of the same song, here's the original, from an Italian film called, Sweden: Heaven and Hell. 

There is also a French version, Mais non, mais non, and an Arabic version, Anam, anam. It's been done as thrash metal by Skin. Or pop/disco by Vanilla as No Way, No Way. Strictly instrumental versions abound. And I understand that Benny Hill used the song quite a bit.

But, my favorite has to be the Muppets. Turns out that it was in the first season on Sesame Street in a slightly different version. It then found it's way onto The Ed Sullivan Show, in a form much more like the one at the top of the page. This is the one that was on the very first episode of The Muppet Show.

Although the Asylum Street Spankers do have a wonderful version, too. I tried to find it with the video, but all I could find was the audio. 

So, there you have it. One song, 3 different versions. No real message this week. I'll be back with a bit more depth next week.