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

 

When You Say Nothing At All - Live Cover

Hey all!

I finally got the full song uploaded from last week's performance.  As I've mentioned before, every last Wednesday of the month is a Performance Day. This last performance, my voice teacher and I decided to go with something a bit sweeter... It was OKAY. I was a ding dong and did NOT warm up before singing so it's not by best but hey.. it's alright for a tiny performance day. 

Check it out here: http://youtu.be/iiWhVtEUFK0


And here:




I'll upload the sound clip to Sound Cloud if it doesn't sound horrible.. that room has a solid echo..

I'm currently working on a spanish version of Carrie Underwood's "I Told You So".. my voice teacher wants me to perform that at Martuni's in a few weeks and then he wants to record it and release it! EEEEEK! We'll see how I do :)

Let me know what you think!

Missy

Mini Performance Night - When You Say Nothing At All

Heyyyyyyyyyy!

Tonight was the group performance class and my awesome Tio Jorge was able to come! You'll see a full video soon but below is a link to the clip he caught after I FINISHED the song. It's me going over this one lyric that my voice teacher asked that I do with more emotion..

Check it out :)

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

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

New Loves and New Experiences

Alright.. first and foremost - I have a new love.  She has a beautiful head, neck, and body.. 

hahaha - and she's my spankin new guitar!!!! LOOOOVE her! I traded in my super nice keyboard for a guitar (for tons of reasons, ask me about it later).

She's so beautiful. I'm starting to do lessons online and practicing everyday on top of my regular voice lesson practice. I'm SOOOO excited to learn! I want to be able to play any song that I want to sing, control the accompaniment myself AND me mobile to bring it around and sing wherever I want... Plus, after all that - I'm hoping i'll be able to write my own music.. we shall see :) In the meantime.. double duty practicing for now.. voice + guitar.

Secondly.. I'll finally talk about what I've been up to in the last week.  So I got a PHONE CALL from AMERICAN IDOL. Asking me to come in and audition under a separate group (I was recommended).. I'd get to skip the line and get priority in the audition process - it was also being held at AT&T Park which is a quick walk from my house.. I guess I have no excuse now right?

I decided fine, I'll go - no expectations.. just with the idea of singing at AT&T park.. I've never really had an interest in auditioning in these shows but hey.. if I'm getting a call, get to skip the line, and it's right next to my apartment? OKAY then. 

Had a great session with my amazing voice coach who prepared me for anything and everything. Said he'd be SHOCKED if I didn't make it through to live shows.. but whatever.. I'm not sure that I even really want to do American Idol, it'd be good audition experience regardless. Got there, my name was under the list for Interscope Records.. (umm.. awesome!).. got to sit in the stadium with Ryan Seacrest a few feet away.. he's all hyping the crowd, encouraging us to chase our dreams and that THIS WAS IT.  My anxiety started happening right around there but I had a few people near me that were pretty outgoing and funny, they distracted me and took my mind off of the pressure.   


They called us 8-10 at a time, brought us in front of the first tent where the executive producers sat and waited.  It wasn't a one by one thing, it was a line up of 10 of us in a row.. each of us singing one after the other while staying in line.. and then producers pointing down the row saying "yes, no, no, no, no, yes, no"... CRAZY.

Anyway..long story short.. I did a decent job.. I'd say I did 85% of what I know I can do.. ran out of breath a couple times but hit the big notes without a problem.. they ended up not letting me past the last round because they want to go into a more country angle. No biggie.. it was an amazing experience.

Now back to practicing for Martuni's in a couple weeks! Coach is letting me repeat any song I wan (which will be ALL) and my sole and only focus is to have FUN with the crowd and perform for the AUDIENCE - to not even WORRY about my voice at all.

We'll see how that goes :) 

In the meantime.. voice + guitar time every night..

For Martuni's I'm thinking of doing:

* Clarity
* Impossible
* The Climb? Distance? (haven't decided which)
* Addicted


Thoughts anybody?

Thanks!

Missy