It's a personal blog after all

Hello my dear readers (hehe). I was giving myself a head ache trying to think of a topic for a new post when I realized i don't need one. Lol. It's a personal blog after all -

My Past Life

So, I'm still in Batangas and do not have a scanner here nor the photos from my past life that I would love to share with you. Yes, my past life - the more exciting one - or rather, the more blog worthy one?

I had the life of a celebrity (lol, not really), or a super hero (is there a difference?) - finishing schoolwork then making a dash and a costume change in a phone booth (or a taxi cab) to make it to the next concert. Voila!
 

While still with the UPCC, I sang "Sana Ngayong Pasko" solo for Mel and Jay's Christmas Special (long before it became Mel and Joey!), I shared the stage with the late Fernando Poe, Jr. when he received his Lifetime Achievement Award at the FAMAS (I have a newspaper clipping to prove it too), shared a song with premier Classical mezzo-soprano Janet Sabas-Aracama and the uber Ms. Nanette Inventor on a concert finale number, I've recorded back-up tracks for a couple of local artists plus one international Pinoy broadway artist, and have sung in numerous company events and high profile weddings. And I was still in the University then!

Oh, and I haven't mentioned the 3 International tours I joined...
Ah! My memories of the UP Concert Chorus Tours have become vague and confusing, but the photos help to clear the cobwebs. I would love to do that here - post a photo and then the story that goes with it. There's always a story behind every photograph, don't you agree? Maybe soon.

Almost Famous

Was it my friend Jan Geronimo who I mentioned it to, as a comment in one of his brilliant posts? I forget.

I said - Managers get 30%. How do I know? Because I almost had one.
It was in 2002 and I was 20 when I was "discovered" by a talent scout and was offered a regular back up singing gig for a former-frontman-of-a-famous-Pinoy-band. He had invited me several times to "jam" with the rest of the band, had already offered to give me solo gigs on top of the regular back-up one, and we had started to discuss the terms - manager gets 30% - that's the industry standard.

It was the scheduling for photo shoots and going to band rehearsals that became a problem - they never happened because I didn't have the time. We were then in the thick of tour preparations with the UPCC, on top of my schoolwork, a major musical play in the works, and a budding romance - I just didn't have the time.

I decided to let it go - my once upon a dream.

But I have no regrets about it really. My decision turned out to be the perfect one for me. Hehe! Sure I wanted to be an artist, but I never wanted to a "struggling" artist. Now that I'm no longer struggling (lol), I can try to bring the artist back again. Why the hell not? :p

How about you? What would you love to do other than what you are doing right now?

Rebellious Voice

It's been ages since I sang "professionally" and I'm afraid my voice is beginning to rebel against me. (Is that even possible?) As I've made a habit of singing in the car on my way back to Manila, I'm starting to notice some bad singing habits I've been developing. Uh oh, my voice teacher would be mad - if I had one. Lol.

[Begin Choir geek speak]
You see, singing while driving means I'm singing with a posture incorrect for proper breathing and support. I usually slouch in my seat while driving, and when I sing my heart out, it strains my vocal chords because I don't give it proper support. Breath is crucial to singing you see - something a lot of amateur singers take for granted.

The first lesson for singers is HOW TO BREATHE PROPERLY. ;)
Want to be a better singer? Try these fun and easy steps:

1. Lie down on a hard surfac (like the floor) and relax.
2. Breathe in slowly through your nose and notice the expansion of your ribcage - outwards and sidewards.
3. I said ribcage not your chest, silly. If you do that then you're not taking in as much air as your body can handle - air that will be essential to your singing.
4. Now try it again standing up with your back against a wall.
5. Notice how your body expands as you breathe in. ;)
6. Now notice how you exhale - make an "O" with your lips and exhale slowly through your mouth.
7. Now instead of an "O" exhale with a hissing sound like a snake.
8. Notice how irregularly your breath comes out? Good singers have very good control over how they let air out - that allows them to sustain long notes.
9. My challenge for you is to try and sustain that hissing sound for as long as you can. Control it using your diaphragm muscles. ;)
10. When you breath runs out, just exhale the remaining air and start again.
11. Do this daily for at least 15 minutes or until you feel lightheaded. Lol.

[End Choir geek speak]

Singing Beyond the Speed Limit 

I crack myself up sometimes. I started this post with nothing on my mind and ended up with a helluva long post about Past lives and Singing Techniques. Whoops, I didn't follow the speed limit (sorry George!).

But enough about me, what's eating you lately?

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