Tag Archives: singing

A re-post from 2009

 

1st Posted on 25 Apr 2009 | Tagged as: blog

 April 25, 2009

Last year in July, I started on the karaoke available here on My Space.
I did the ten free songs. One I re-did.  I’ve gotten some nice compliments and some more critical too. But as I wrote on July 11, 08, this is for fun not to try to impress anyone. I’ll probably pay for a year when I can afford to and try some more.
And singing can be fun.
The computer I now have actually plays the recordings so I can listen to other great singers and even some not so great. But like I said then if you’ve got the guts to try, that says a lot.
I hate auditions. Let me explain. Once I did an audition for a college group. I passed the first one and then for the second one I changed songs. A mistake I’m sure. I didn’t really like the rules of the group.  And even though the group represented the university, students were the judges. They were kind but the audience, mostly the girls would have stoned me I’m sure had rocks been available. I didn’t get in but lost no tears over it.
Still I dislike auditions as generally the director of, say a play, picks who he or she wants or thinks will fit the part. I know this having been a director myself..
At another college audition, a non-singer got a singing part because the director had promised him a part. The funny thing about that was that at the performance time many of the fine singers had the flu and sounded worse than the non-singer did. But the play’s several showings went well anyway inspite of some less than perfect warbling.
Fast forward to 2009, I was very impressed with Susan Boyle and Paul Potts on Britains’s Got Talent. They both proved what I’ve always said: “Many of the best singers, male and female, and actors and actresses will never get the chance to be known by the world.” Its great that they got their chance.
Also on that series, a trio of young girls (Soul something or other) started but were stopped by the judges who exclaimed that they were very bad. And they did this in a less than kind fashion. The one girl admitted that they were perhaps bad but that their rude handling by the judges was not right. I agree. I think that it would take a lot of courage to go onto a TV broadcast and before an audience of 4000.  This should have at least brought an acknowledgement of their bravery if nothing else.
The girl had another good point, Wouldn’t it be great if the judges there or in any such thing, performed something to show that they had a right to judge?
I’ve been to karaoke nights where when things are slow or not very good, the DJ will do a song or two to demonstrate how it can be done. They are always very good but of course they do have an advantage having heard the arrangement and practiced before showing up that night, where the audience members have no clue what is even available before that evening.
A member of the Master Singers, a male chorus I belong to, and his wife stopped me at the Boy Scout Expo this morning to ask why I was missing practices. I’ve been busy with Lincoln Shows and my own storytelling-singing shows. Sunday we are to sing in a Church service. Not having practiced, I’ll not go.
I have been invited to join the Southern Utah Heritage Choir by two of its members. That’s twice in a week. They go to Singapore in October to sing. It would be fun. But what with dues, travel costs and lost wages,etc.(I can sing in the church choir for free).

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Singing changes the brain in positive ways

Through a Twitter connection, I came in contact with a fine video by an
Australian soprano who teaches about singing in a video.
Listen to her.

How singing together changes the brain: Tania de Jong AM at TEDxMelbourne

“My life’s passion, joy, and inspiration.

Tania de Jong AM makes the case that people singing together can change the brain. Pushing the idea that creativity is the strategic tool of the 21st century, she says how our voices have been silenced and that it’s not doing us any good. She explains how singing is a survival mechanism, how it makes our hearts beat together and can help heal strokes and depression.

With singing, and the potential she believes it has, Tania dedicates herself to enhancing and promoting ingenuity and founded Creativity Australia and Creative Universe to do so. As a leading Australian soprano and through ‘With One Voice’, Tania works with disadvantaged communities. In 2008 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the arts and for the establishment and development of arts enrichment programs for schools and communities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_HOBr8H9EM

“My life’s passion, joy, and inspiration.”-Tania de Jong

Singing makes her happy and can make you and me happy too.

Until next time, keep singing.

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Does singing help one through hard times?

Today someone used a search engine term to get to a post: Over come pain with singing.

I referred it to Bee Armstrong:

By jaybeachamGOLD

Thank you.
Drayton L’s formula to Over come #pain with #singing?
http://singingasong.net/?p=549
Jay

CajunQueenBee

By CajunQueenBeeSNAP-STAR

OH WOW….I BELIEVE IT! I KNOW IT HELPED ME THROUGH A VERY DARK TIME IN MY LIFE. HAD I NOT HAD SING SNAP AND MY FRIENDS HERE, I KNOW I WOULD HAVE LOST IT….IT HAS HELPED ME THRU MANY DISTURBING ISSUES IN MY LIFE….I SURE DO THANK YOU JAY! FOR EVERYTHING!

jaybeacham

By jaybeachamGOLD

Me too.
May I quote you?
Jay

CajunQueenBee

By CajunQueenBeeSNAP-STAR

SURE! THANKS JAY!

How has singing helped you?

Email comment to beachamj82@yahoo.com

Until next time, keep singing.

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My fun Singing Story

 

My Song Story

My Song Story

Brendon Burchard, the Experts Academy guy says that a person’s story is very important in creating trust.

Okay, so then here is my singing story.

I was born in Santa Clara, Utah in 1950.
My parents both sang.
My father would soothe the cows temperament so that he could milk them.
(the cows took exception to my singing attempts while milking.)
My mother sang to entertain herself while working.
I Listened and learned.
We had an RCA Victrola in the living room with 78 and 45 rpm records and a radio.
I used it a lot and listened to the radio too.
The town I lived in had elementary school 1 through 6 grades.
With three teachers, 1 & 2, 3 & 4, and 5&6.
The 5th and 6th teacher was a man and the principle.
When I got to those grades it was taught by Arlo Hafen.
He said what one lacked in ability, one could compensate for with volume and gusto.
Everyone seemed to be musical.
His wife Ramona was my piano teacher.
We learned songs and sang for every occasion.
Church was one ward of the LDS faith.
We sang in Primary, Sunday School, Sacrament meeting, and other meetings.
Wednesday night was Mutual Improvement and the opening exercises always included song and song instruction and
plays with song were presented.
Every class group sang at Christmas, Easter, and on other occasions.
As a teenager, I even did a solo one evening of “Brother Can You Spare a Dime.”

I was a boy soprano.
And very good I think because people would turn around in church to listen to me and then tell me I was.
Once in a boys chorus, one of Arlo’s nephews (from a very musical family) said I was the best in the group.
He had a brother who had made a record with a group he was in.
And another brother with Downs Syndrome
He is the reason I don’t lead or direct music.
At 12, I was asked to direct the song in a meeting. Afterwards, this brother
informed me that I couldn’t lead. He was right. I couldn’t stay on the beat.
This boy was no dunce when it came to music.
Later in his life he attended the state school for the mentally challenged. While there he started a band.
He taught the other students to play the instruments and he lead them in some wonderful performances.

When I was 12 or 13, I was involved in a stake (a church term for a group of several wards-local units).
We were to perform in the St. George Pioneer Tabernacle at a stake conference.
(The Tabernacle had hosted the first Catholic Mass in St. George sung by the LDS ward choir under the direction of John Menzies MacFarlane, author of Far, Far Away On Judea’s Plains.)
Boys and girls from all the wards in the stake participated.
The director was a lady from the Gunlock Ward.
We had sung the song we were to perform through once and the director said someone sounded off.
We would sing it through again and she would listen and determine who was off.
We sang it again.
When done, all the boys around me pointed to me and said, “It’s Him! He’s off!”
The director said, “No, Jay was right on just two octaves below everybody else.”

And I had become a bass forever more.

St. George Tabernacle in the 1950s -1960s

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Feeling blue?

A friend from North Carolina just buried his 52 year old sister last week.

Today he emailed me:

Feeling blue….but sometimes we have to.

The song he sang and shared expressing his feelings is “GOOD MORNING HEARTACHE” 

http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/r/b99d78353

I wrote back and referred a song or two that I’d made recordings of and referred him here to this site.

“It’s hard to stay down when one sings even a sad song.
http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/r/c6987d2c6
and like Neil Diamond’s song Song Sung Blue puts it:
http://www.singsnap.com/karaoke/r/be9ad1dcc
Singing is therapeutic.
http://singingasong.net/ check the blog posts
http://singingasong.net/?s=therapeutic )
Hope all is well with you.
It’s good to grieve and get out of your system early on.
Have a good week.”

Singing is good for the soul.

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Singing is calming to Animals

 

Singing is calming to Animals

This man puts puppies to sleep singing “Good Night Sweetheart, Good Night”

https://youtu.be/gNxRoJSwWZU

Just like a baby’s lullaby.

These French cows listen attentively to this jazz classic “When the Saints Come Marching in” and to Bill Bailey  https://youtu.be/lXKDu6cdXLI

A friend of mine used to own a dairy in Idaho and he tells that his cows gave more milk when jazz was played during milking time and would sway along in time to the music.

A Mariachi band have an attentive listener bowing when they finish:

https://youtu.be/ZS_6-IwMPjM

From these videos one can link to other videos of animals that like our music.

I discussed this in greater detail at:

http://jaybeacham.com/2010/12/03/the-cows-taste-in-music/

Catch you later,

Jay

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Benefits of singing

In the July 2015 issue of the SingSnap magazine is an article about the benefits of singing as a family or group that you may find of interest.

http://newsletter.singsnap.com/books/hxnj/?utm_source=OCS&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=JulyMagEmail#p=30

be sure to click the forward arrow on the right of the page in order to turn to page 2.

Keep singing.

 

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“Music Heals My Soul”

“Music Heals My Soul”

1/25/2015

Today I listened to Lynn sing a song recording because she had listened and commented on a song recording that Les Thompson had made with me of Waltzing Matilda(Jan 26th is Australia Day commenorating the arrival of the Bristish fleet in Australia in 1788).  Well to pay her back for listening and commenting.

In reading her profile I learned she’s been ill and music, especially singing, has been of benifit to her.   So I asked her the following:

Lynn,
I read your profile and this: “Music heals our souls I truly believe that .”
I am wondering if you would mind explaining that for my readers on
http://singingasong.net/ 
If you agree to help, just message me here with what you’d like to say and I’ll incorporate it into the site.
Recently, a man who stutters wrote that I’d helpped him with a video I’d done about speaking and that was a good feeling.
I think singing does help our souls, our emotional and physical health.
I hope to help people with this site.
I know one SingSnapper who can hardly talk let alone sing and that because of a disability, but when he sings, which he enjoys, one can feel his spirit and to listen is enjoyable even though he’d be booed off of a talent show.
Thanks for considering this,
Jay

She replied:

SugarBears

By SugarBearsGOLD 

Jay
thank you for inviting me to your site …so many are here on sing snap are disabled in one way or another ….I am not good at typing as my hands are crippled but I will explain a little more about my self and why I use singing for pain therapy as I do not take opiates or any addictive drugs these doctors so easily hand out to so many disabled

I have a disease that mimics MS altho the mylon sheath is destroyed around all the nerves this disease cripples the body just like MS does …the disease is fairly new so tthey have no name for it just idiopathic and it mimics MS and there are others I have found that have it

I came down in 2006 with Diabetis II which my nurologist did not catch in time or inform me of so I lost my first leg in 2006 and begged to have my second one removed in 2007 because I had so much infection in my body

I could never use prostetics as everyone one asks me because my hands are to crippled to get them on the two legs I lost …so I live very independently in a power chair and I also drive what is called an enter van as I have a lock box which locks my power chair into the driveres side and my van and my power chair have become my life

I have loved music since I was very young ..I use to play the piano and celllo and the organ …but since my disease has taken that all away from me …I sing even tho my disease was found in my left vocal chord …I still sing

I have been a fighter all my life fighting my way back out of hospitals and rehabs to get back to my indepent life

I am in constant pain which I call horrific inside sensations AS MY BODY is totally numb on the outside and its constant pain on the inside that there is nothing to subside the pain and I refuse to take opiates or addicting pain killers

What I have realized is when I am here singing …I can put that pain out of my head ……I strongly believe that music and singing have a calming way of healing the soul and always making me wanting to come back and sing …….there is a peaceful healing come over me when I sing …not that singing will ever heal what I have but it purifies my soul and spirit …I truly believe that

Just recently I have returned home after fighting a blood infection after being in the hospital and rehab for three months right thru thanksgiving and Christmas …the ifectious blood infection destroyed my kidneys so I am now on dialisis three days a week ..but this has not stopped me from coming back to where I love the people and the music and love to sing

If you can find a way to keep smiling and fighting and stay strong …..Music is a peaceful calm for everyone out there no matter what you have …if you have music in your heart …..you will always have a smile and a good lookout on life ….

This I hope will help everyone out there who is struggling in life …be strong and keep singing …as well as meeting people who know what you deal with in everyday life …..no one knows or understands disability until they become disabled themselves …and that is why I bond so well with people who understand Pain

Hugs and Love to all the sinsnap members and singers
Lynn 

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Over come #pain with #singing?

Can pain be overcome with singing?

Today a man named Drayton L of British Columbia listened to one of my songs recordings on Singsnap, an online Karaoke site. To pay him back for his kindness, I listened to one of his recordings and then two more.  He sings very well.

I learned that he once made his living singing.   Wouldn’t that be fun to do?

He’d been stopped by a serious surgery and said that singing helped him.

Well, I wrote him and asked if he’d like to contribute to this site and tell his experience with singing since the surgery.

Here is his reply:

“Certainly Jay 
Singing is probably one of the most potent and best medicines for whatever ails you. Twice, singing has brought back from the edge of a precipice.

The trouble started with a major operation on my spine. I was becoming a quadriplegic, and required a massive operation to repair my vertebrates C3-C7. There was a major screw up to the operation that took away my ability to eat and drink orally for two and a half years. I was fed through a tube in my stomach. What’s worse though is that it robbed me of my voice. I was a working singer at that time, working my way up that proverbial very long ladder to success. I had to go to a speech therapist to learn how to talk again, and then, to be able to sing. I’m still working at getting my voice back, but I think that ship has sailed, so I am happy with what I was allowed to have back.
Ever since that operation, I have had three subsequent operations and numbers four and five are being scheduled. I live with pain on a constant basis, and use morphine to try to get some relief. But it’s really not that bad, as I do have a secret weapon, and that is singing!

Why, you ask? Because when I sing, I leave my body and immerse myself into the song, and for a few minutes there is no pain. Only music. I have in fact been able to reduce the amount of morphine used when singing. 
Singing improves my spirits, which improves my outlook, and the first step to positive results is a positive mind. All I can tell you is that it has sure helped me.
Cheers,
Drayton”

Now some science advocates will say that this is not evidence.  Well, their science can’t feel what Drayton feels.  To me his witness will hold up  in any honest court.

I thanked him for sharing and hope that his experience will help others.

Well, until next time, keep singing.

Jay

 

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Looks like a good book

This looks like a good book about singing.

Singing, Acting, And Movement In Opera: A Guide To Singer-getics

Authors: Mark Ross Clark
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Keywords: singergeticsguideoperaactingmovementsinging
Pages: 176
Published: 2002-09-01
Language: English
Category: TheaterPerforming ArtsArts & Photography,
ISBN-10: 0253215323     ISBN-13: 9780253215321
Binding: Paperback
List Price: 22.95 USD

(I am not selling this but thought some of you might like this.)

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