And Tonight We're Back!

Hey all!

I know it's been a while, but don't worry I've been working a ton. Tonight I'm singing at Martuni's again! Holy moly right? It's been 3 months since that awful last time (lobster claws + muscle paralysis = awesome night). Tonight we try this again.

The 4 songs I'm singing are (in order):

* When You Say Nothing At All - Alison Krauss
* Skyscraper - Demi Lovato
* Te Lo Dije (I Told You So) - Carrie Underwood
* Who You Are - Jessie J

Should be a fun 4.. a nice ramp up from a calm, sweet song to a more emotional and dramatic song, to more power ballads. 

The only issue with tonight is that I have an awful throat pain and fever, so I'll be EXTRA raspy tonight - we'll see how this goes. 

Updates and pictures soon! Wish me luck!

Best,

Missy

I Told You So X FACTOR!

Hey yall!

Working away lately.. 

I had a rough lesson with my voice teacher last week.  It seems that learning to sing with my larynx lowered took the last 6 months to figure out and NOW, I'm learning how to do that while also singing with my vocal chords together.  #NOTEASY.  I'm really hard on myself and I got really frustrated when my teacher picked me apart on a fave Kelly song when we tried applying the above technique. I'll obviously not figure this out overnight - but I still get SO discouraged when I'm not getting it. Over the weekend in the car I tried jammin to my Kelly.. and trying to sing allll of those songs that I used to hit so well with my Larynx DOWN is NOT EASY and personally, I think I sound like crap. #lifesucks.  Had another panic attack after that happened - while driving. Awesome.

X FACTOR started last week, and HECK YES I'm watching that shiz.  I get both inspired and discouraged when watching it. It makes me wonder, is that person actually good or would my voice teacher say it was terrible? I feel like my judgement on others' singing is so all over the place now.  I watch and listen to these contestants who sing pretty decently, but are THEY singing with their vocal chords together and their larynx down? NOOOO.  And they're getting all this drooling praise from the X Factor judges.. wtf, yo?  I dont know.. Could I have gotten praise like that without the crazy money i'm spending on lessons now? Who knows :(

I've been working with my family in Colombia on a Spanish translation of the Randy Travis / Carrie Underwood song "I Told You So". Now Missy-fied into "Te Lo Dije." Looks like we've finally nailed down the lyrics, and now I've FINALLY fit it to the melody.  Next steps are singing it over and over and over and OVER again till it's in my body like muscle memory.  Voice Teacher wants me to learn this, nail it, and then record it and RELEASE IT! - Cray Cray I knowowww.  We'll see if I crash and burn with this or not.  I'm trying and practicing a ton.

Technically next Wednesday,  Sept. 25th is another Group Performance night (eeeeeeeeeek!) and I have NO idea what I'm singing.

Also, Martuni's is supposed to be that following Monday, Sept. 30th OR Monday, Oct. 7th. My voice teacher wants me to perform and I'm horribly terrified. I REALLY don't want what happened in July to happen again. I've been having more and more of those stage fright panic catatonic episodes. They're happening more frequently, which is NOT good.  I really can't seem to get this under control. 

I also have NO idea what on earth I'd sing at Martuni's! I'm all over the place.. maybe.. 

* When You Say Nothing At All (sang it at group but not at Martuni's yet)
* Who You Are (have NEVER performed this one - scary?)
* Te Lo Dije (too soon?)
* Happy? (Leona Lewis - not sure about this one)
* Stay? (Rihanna, meh.. not crazy about it)
* Almost is Never Enough (Ariana Grande - people around me hate it but I really like it.. meh we'll see)

Thoughts anyone?  Please send any thoughts or ideas!

This Saturday, Sept 21st I have an extra long lesson with voice teacher.  He had brought up recording another song this time (yay!!!!).. He originally thought ADDICTED would be a good one.. but after he picked me apart on it in our last lesson, I may not go with that one.  Perhaps IMPOSSIBLE? People seem to really dig that one when I sing it.. or WHO YOU ARE? Obviouslyyyy music videos would need to be shot alongside the new recording that we pick. 

Anyway.. just getting some updates and progress down on this bad bloggy. 

It's way too late, I have an early art meeting.

Gnite yall ;)

Missy

 

New Music Goodies!

What upppppp y'all!

Got some new goodies in the mail this week!!  Check it out!: 

A MINI RECORDING STUDIO SET!  Complete with Studio Headphones, Recording Mic, Pop Screen, and Sound Booth :)

Ohhhhhhhhh yeahhhh baybeh bayyyyyybeh!!!!!!!

Now all I need to figure out is how to use editing software. I'm between using Cubase or ProTools.. And I'm also going to do all this on a spankin new Music Only laptop.. Recommendations anybody?? #musicnoob

So excited :) 

So I was SUPPOSED to do another 4 song set at Martuni's on Labor Day but unfortunately I'm flying back in from out of town that day.. So now my voice teacher and I are focusing on 2 things:

1) My voice- now that I've learned how to sing with my larynx down, I now need to try and do that with my vocal chords TOGETHER rather than apart. Umm yeah, NOT EASY. I was kicking myself for not figuring it out on the first go.. This will be a long process..

2) figuring out what my SIX SONG SET will be for the lounge gig in September now! Bahhhhhh! Scary.

Right now we have 2 likely ones to be on it:

* Jessie J - Who You Are

* Alison Krauss - When You Say Nothing At All

That last one: When You Say Nothing At All - this is the one my voice teacher wants me to sing at the monthly Group Performance Class this Wednesday, 8/28.   BAH! I wonder if I'll EVER get over this crazy stage fright.

Anyway,

A few new songs I'm considering to add to my cover list:

* Karmin - Acapella

* Ariana Grande - Almost Is Never Enough

Let me know what you think :)

Later!

Missy

Memorial Day Shopping..

Hey goofballs!

So I did a little damage yesterday.. 

I walked into Guitar Center and bought.. Everything..I think lol. Hahahahah no just kidding, although it did feel like it when I got to my mountain of goodies at the register.  I got the start of what I needed for practicing music at home. What does that mean, you ask?

- a performance microphone

- microphone cables

- microphone boom stand

- piano / keyboard (score!)

- keyboard stand

- chair for playing keyboard

- audio interface (comes with audio software for editing recorded music)

- keyboard/piano pedal

- keyboard cables

- 2 mega awesome speakers (aka monitors)

- 2 books of fun sheet music 

What's left?

I need : 

- a DESK

- a computer that allows all of the above to be RUN

Whew! 2 major questions:

1) HOW on earth do I put this all together and make it work?

2!) WHERE on earth will this fit in my San Francisco apartment??!

A really good first step but I still have a ways to go.. What I was finding is I would make great progress in my lesson but I'd be a sitting duck once I got home. I'd still practice but just to my lessons recorded and just practice my upcoming performance songs acapella. 

I realized I was handicapped. I can't perform live anywhere without being able to play an instrument (seeing as how I obviously have no band) and if I want to take my music to the next level.. Like write my own music or manipulate and change an existing released song - or perform ANY song live without help.. I need to play an instrument! 

Soooooo with that being said, I played the piano a bajillion years ago and have since stopped (and focused on dance instead).. So my job now is to rack my brain and RE-learn how to play the piano. Something that can ONLY help me..

Keep your fingers crossed for me, hopefully it comes back to me SOMEWHAT easily :)

Skip to TODAYYYY, my boo (Alex) and I met my mom in the oh so lovely Vacaville (~1 hour away from San Francisco) so we could 1) hang out and 2) so she could give me my dog back (my fluffy muffin Alfie!!!)

She watches him whenever Alex and I travel.. Which works cuz she begs for him normally :)

Hanging with my mom is my favorite, a little dose of home every time.. We shopped a bit, helped her pick a dress for an upcoming cousin's wedding and then had a little dinner and drinks (or maybe it was just me who drank.. Oh well :-p)

Pics below!

Now to focus on my performance songs this week (Eeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!!):

- Clarity

- I Knew You Were Trouble

- Impossible

- I Told You So

My cousin Kelley (who's in an amazing band called 'Breaking Midway') called me today to tell me there's a song that could fit me really well, and that she thinks I could really rock.. Jessie J's 'Who You Are'... Do y'all know it?! I looked it up today and it's an AMAAAAAZING song! A big song, but amazing. Will be trying to check that one out as well.

Okay Luvs.. This Wednesday is the group class performance day!!! I'll be singing Clarity. A week from tonight is my debut at Martuni's! 

Holy s**t!!!

For me this week : Practice practice practice!

Until later, gnite! :)

- Missy