Clarity Upgraded and Reloaded

Alright, finally did it!



Above is the link to my updated video for Clarity.  This time with significantly BETTER audio and an updated video.  Recorded this during my voice lesson with my  voice coach into an actual recording mic.

Now the video isn't 1000% in line with my singing because free video editing software sucks and it was super tricky aligning anything but we did our best! :)


Anyway, hope you like it!

If the above link didn't work, you can also find the video link here: http://youtu.be/PfSUuDfvGQ0

Clarity

Hey all!

It's been a while - sorry about that. Been traveling a little bit and working a ton.  

I HAVE been practicing singing AND guitar so no worries, just haven't actually blogged about it.

I did a take of Clarity again but this time in a more professional audio engineering sense - thank you epic voice coach.

Check it out here:  



If the above link didn't work, try here: http://snd.sc/13Dtsvf

Let me know your thoughts! I'm noticing my coach but a slight reverb in there that I'm hearing occasionally throughout the song.  


Anyyyyway,
In the meantime, I'm working on defining a 6 song set for a restaurant / lounge performance coming up - any thoughts you have based on the songs I've sung, please let me know! 

Also, if you have recommendations of songs I should practice and try and cover - please please comment about them and let me know! 

I'm thinking about trying Taylor Swift's RED. I really like the song and it's really current right now. I'm also toying with the idea of trying Sara Bareilles' song BRAVE. I love the message in that one - even though her songs aren't normally my style.

Anyway, until later! Let me know your thoughts on this clip of Clarity! 
I'll be uploading it to YouTube with a NEWER video - since this is a better representation of my voice than the one that's currently on YouTube - that one is me SUPER nervous and it shows.

I've also FINALLY ordered a nice pretty mic that's attached to a semi professional sound booth - so my covers will sound a million times better the more I use it. It's the Editors Keys sl300 Studio Mic Set.  

Next steps are figuring out what software to learn and use :)


Until later :)

Missy

Crap - I did it. #PanicSettingIn

Hey all,

Well.. I FINALLY did it.  I was given a deadline that I had to publish something to the web.  I did what I could and made due with my current set-up (which I can't quite figure out because I'm a ding-dong, so for all you audio engineers that wouldn't mind helping - I'm in desperate need!)

And yes, I'm 1 billion% terrified that I've actually put myself out there. But I guess it's something I need to start getting used to. For cereal, yo.

I downloaded the instrumental track to Clarity and tried singing alongside it.  The track isn't 100% correct, it's missing a measure at the end of the 2nd verse - but whatever, I made due and skipped over it.

I tried messing around with Ableton Live Lite and it was a nightmare - can't figure it out. Might be switching to Pro Tools 10.

Anyway, here's my first try and trying to sing alongside the track as practice for this week:

Can see the video here:  http://youtu.be/d26PjppbzIY

Going to try and embed the video here:




I have another session with my voice coach tomorrow to really practice for my performance on Wednesday.  From there, one more lesson on Sunday morning before my 4 song set performance at the bar on Monday, July 1st - EEEEEEEK! #I'mgonnadie.


This time - I'll FOR SURE be taking a drink BEFORE to calm the nerves.  We'll see if I can make my way through them this time.  Here's hoping!

Anyway, I hope you all like the video. Again, it's just practice, I can do a lot better but I figured I was WAY overdue for posting me ACTUALLY singing.


See ya!

Missy

Not A Happy Camper

Well.. It's been a day since last night's  performance. As this post title clearly says.. I'm not a happy camper. I'm really unhappy with myself and how I performed. 

Was I nervous and anxious? Yes. More so than last Wednesday's performance? No. One could argue less than last Wednesday. However as soon as I walked up to the mic after my name was announced, my nerves got so out of control that they triggered tears (not visible to the audience) and completely choked me up. My nerves totes bitch slapped me in the face. 

I thought starting with Clarity would be smart since it's the song I've rehearsed the most - should be easier for me to open up with that song, right? Negative. FIRST of all : the Rockstar Broadway Musical Princess of the production group ended up going first, right before me. #Awesome. Not. She was absolutely amazing, incredible, takes your breath away, as usual. Which SUCKS for me since I'm following her. She's been taking voice for decades but still - why can't I be that amazing????? :(

Anyway, back to when it was my turn. My voice is so broken and shaky when I talk that I can barely say a solid word without breaking (and that's just during my self intro). So as Clarity starts to be played.. (And yes, the correct version and melody of the song), I open my mouth to start. I'm trembling and cracking so much that I barelyyyyy croak out the first line-completely falling apart the entire first line. Like I said, my nerves totes bitch slapped me.

EUGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! (Picture Tasmanian Devil here).

The next song was I Told You So - which I think I handled slightly better than Clarity since I was a bit more comfortable at this point. I don't think I hit it quite as good as I have before but still better than how I performed Clarity. 

Next was Impossible. Still trembling at this point but the feedback I got was that I hit this one on the head. Another song that I love but was SUPER nervous to sing since since it was one that my coach and I had only minimally rehearsed. This MAY be the only one that gets uploaded to YouTube, however I still need to watch the playback :)

And finally, the last and 4th song was I Knew You Were Trouble. The one my coach and I hadn't rehearsed.. AT ALL.  I felt like I was okay on this one UNTIL i got to the bridge. My coach had added an extra measure of music and left us on 2 different points of the song - #awkward.

So we had to stop and then pick it back up. Hate that.

All in all was it horrid? Probably not. Was it perfect? Did I knock them dead? Unfortunately no. Makes me wonder if I even have what it takes to do this at all. Am I wasting my time and money??

A big thank you to all my friends that came out to support me last night :) I'm sorry for the parts where I sucked :-/.

I promise I CAN do SOOO much better. I think that's my biggest issue, is that i KNOW i can do better. I'm the one getting in my own way and it sucks.

Here's a pic from last night: 

On the bright side, the owner of the bar seemed to take to me and really encouraged me to come back to the bar's standard open mic nights and that I should work with their HOUSE pianist. He even chased me outside as I was getting in the car to introduce me to their pianist for Open Mic Night. I'm thinkin of going weekly so I can get over this annoyingly large ELEPHANT sized stage fright.

Anyway, we'll see what my voice coach says at tomorrow's group class and ad Saturday's 1:1 lesson. Hopefully he'll be gentle.

Gnite all,

Missy

2 Hours of Singing Later

Whew. Exhausted. But the good kind of exhausted. The kind of exhausted you feel when you just did good.

I just spent 2 hours singing the same 8 songs over and over again out loud. I think I'm leaning towards adding in Shontelle - Impossible, but a more slowed down acoustic version. I'm also really liking Carrie Underwood's I Told You So. My boyfriend Alex hadn't heard it and he really liked it after i sang it (which hardly happens, believe me). 

I'm hacking and coughing up a storm but this was a night well spent. 

Night darlings,

Missy

What's this shiz about?

Yooo world!

(I promise this will hopefully be the only time I write this long of a post!)

So - adjusting the direction (and attention) to this blog a bit.

Originally this was going to document my efforts to get back into dance - we're shaking things up a bit.

While dance is something I've always adored since I was young, I've decided to put my funds and efforts into trying to make it in the music industry.

There have always been 3 hobbies I've split up my attention to since I was a small chik-a-dee:

• DANCE
• SINGING
• ART / PAINTING

While art / painting is something I've always wanted to improve in, it's always taken a back seat to my first 2 loves: Dancing and Singing.  I feel like I've somewhat satisfied my art itch by always working in the art world.

That leaves me with Dance and Singing - Dance I prioritized in age 3 - 22. NOW it is time to focus on music.

Not gonna lie to you - I've always kept it in the back of my mind because it's something I'm TERRIFIED of pursuing.  I'm terrified of someone telling me I suck.  My knee-jerk reaction would be "Crap, if I suck why did I even try this, what am I even doing - I'm THAT PERSON who thinks they can sing but really can't carry a tune".  

#EMBARRASSING.  #HUMILIATING.  #MYWORLDisOVER. #CRYINGaRIVERinMyPILLOW.

But I decided you know what? I need to stop living in so much fear.  If I suck, then I suck - at least I tried.  Singing is SO personal to me - and being great at it means EVERYTHING.  

So.. I enrolled in voice lessons with a rock star voice coach who is PUSHING ME to do performances.  This blog will document all of my ups and downs in that journey as well as asking for help on song choices / photos / looks etc etc - all that fun pizzazz.


SOOOOOOO...

My first performances are as follows:

• Wednesday, 5/29 @ GROUP VOICE CLASS
• (eeeek. I want to die. so scary.)
• Monday, 6/3 @ MARTUNI's PIANO BAR (San Francisco, CA)
• (above eeeek x 1 million)

Right now the song set is the following:

* I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor Swift)
* Clarity (Acoustic - Zedd ft. Foxes)

Possibly:
* Because of You (Kelly Clarkson)
* I Told You So (Carrie Underwood)
* Todo Cambio (Camila)
* Impossible (Shontelle)

Still working with my voice coach on which 4 will be the best choices.

Thoughts anyone? Updates coming to you on Wednesday from group class day ;)

Yours,

Missy