Pitch Perfect

     Last week I touched on the subject of using the internet to our advantage. Now I want to elaborate on that; on using it for everything it's worth; on (to the best of our abilities,) sucking it dry for every tidbit of useful information we can get out of it; on (for those of us who are just the slightest bit computer illiterate,) at least giving it our darndest effort before we all at once come to the realization that we actually haven't watched every single video of Idina Menzel performing, and attempt to remedy that fact in one afternoon through the oh so easy to navigate youtube. Jk, not really. In all seriousness though, YouTube truly is a magical land where one can become the king or queen anything he dreams of simply by possessing the will to... along with bowing down to the power of Wi-Fi and typing in 8 little letters: t-u-t-o-r-i-a-l.

    Today I just want to focus on the voice in particular, mainly because if I start going into all the interesting tutorials I've come across on YouTube this blog will go on for days... and may or may not include the word mascara 4,000 times. Give or take a few. Which ya kno honestly I would not be opposed to writing if not for my adversity to typing on my mobile device for any longer than absolutely necessary, 4 1/4" screen though it may have. No need to panic though, I will blog about mascara one of these days.

     Alright so let's get down to the nitty gritty (please read that a la nacho libre. If you haven't seen it you should probably stop reading this and go watch it. Priorities. If you've seen it and don't like it I'm not sure this relationship can continue.) Anyway, the voice is just wondrous. It can do an infinite amount of things, and sometimes finding our own personal "thing," can be sort of daunting and pressured. Don't let it be. Many people will say not to imitate artists. I disagree 100% Now don't misunderstand me, I don't think imitation is the way to go when actually out there performing, (unless of course it's part of the act,) but in order to explore your own voice, to find and bring out the best of what's inside of you, you need to do exactly that: explore. Explore so that you can come to truly know your own voice. Explore and your own voice will emerge. You have a relationship with your own voice that no one else can ever have, not your audience, not your vocal coach, not anyone. That's not to say no one can help you, it's just saying that their advice ends at observation. At the end of the day no out of body body can feel what's happening when you sing. In my experience the most effective way of coming to know my own voice is mimicking every brilliant artist, male and female, and figuring out what it is that makes them sound the way they do, aside from the natural voice; mimicking the shape of their mouths, playing with tones and vibrato and the list goes on. Chances are you won't sound exactly like them and that's ok, that's not the point. The point is that you've discovered something new about your own instrument. Dabble in other genres and techniques and always remember that any form of singing and expanding your abilities in "foreign" styles, and genres WILL carry over and will improve your singing in your preferred style. Never cut yourself off at the knees. Never think that just because you prefer one thing, you shouldn't practice and excell at everything else. That, my friends is a dangerous mindset in any facet of life.   

     Now that being said, always remember that as much as you want to discover new things and have a blast doing it, safety always comes first. Learn the fundamentals and the correct way of doing things because believe it or not just one technically bad note can make its mark and injure you. Yes, more often than not damage more gradually happens from developing bad habits, but you need to always be on guard and never sing "incorrectly." The voice is just like any other muscle, it is fragile and needs to be built the right way, and if it becomes stressed or tired or injured, it needs to be properly taken care of and nursed back to health just like any other muscle. Another problem many people get into is nestling. Finding a comfortable place where you think you sound good and almost washing your hands of it; believing that you've made it to a good place, (especially when you have people telling you how talented you are,) and that's it. You're good now. Ta-da. Please don't do that. Just don't. Its annoying. Don't settle into your voice and neglect it's need to work and stretch in order to grow. Our vocal journey is never over. We as artists are always striving to reach a higher peak. Even the greatest singers in the world will talk about the importance of "the little things" like practicing and warming up. I think it's safe to say that everyone kinda hates warming up. Or even if you don't hate it, you hate the time it takes (that's me.) The feeling after warm ups is fabulous, and the difference in the voice after warm ups is fabulous, but warm ups as a general statement are not always very fabulous.

     There is one particular vocal coach on YouTube though whom I just love, and he has a wonderful series of warm ups. The fun thing about him is his energy, his explanations, and the fact that he shares specific targets for specific warm ups. For example if I want to work on attaining a clearer tone, there is a warm up that targets particularly that. He has SO many videos with SO much helpful information, lessons, and tips. And if you so wish, he has an entire program you can purchase, which I most likely will be. His name is Eric Arceneaux of the AAproach and I would highly recommend checking him out. There are plenty of other good coaches out there on the internet too with good information and lessons, and I watch alot of them too. Eric Arceneaux is just a standout to me. Venture out, look around, and find a good fit for you. We live in this amazing day when we no longer have to drive miles and miles and spend a fortune on a good vocal coach. Ahhh, accessibility. Makes excuses really difficult to come up with, _____. Yes I'm talking to you, you know who you are.

     Learn new techniques. Expand your "style." Branch out. Have fun. Imitate. Explore. Come to truly know your voice. And always always ALWAYS...
sing as if no one is listening.

My Guilty Pleasure;)

Okay, so I have a confession to make, I have a little guilty pleasure....it's "Dance Moms"! We all love that show, (even the boys secretly love it.) It is the only show we watch every week. I count the days till Tuesday haha:)

My favorite thing about the show is watching them dance. Those girls are such amazing dancers, I can't look away once a song starts. And they are not just dancers, they are performers! So many emotions come out through their faces and movements, it is beautiful to watch. 

But besides the entertainment factor this show can also teach us a few things. Like the importance of competition. Each girl is not only competing against other dance companies each week they are also competing with each other. Doing that forces them to work harder and strive to be the best. Now, that doesn't always work. In this case because a lot of the time no matter how hard some of them work (everyone except Maddie that is) they're hard pressed to hear Abby give a compliment. 

Which brings me to another lesson learned...putting up with Abby. I'm sure everyone has come across an Abby Lee Miller in their lives (although I don't know how many can actually match her caliber of crazy ---haha) and her dancers are pretty good examples of how to deal with people like her. Most importantly they don't take everything she says to heart, while still listening to her criticisms. It's a good skill to be able to apply the corrections needed without letting the negatives crush you. If Abby's girls took her words too personally they would all dig themselves a hole and live in it, thinking they suck....except Maddie, of course. (For those of you who don't watch the show, Maddie is Abby's all-time favorite. She can do no wrong.) 

So along with all of the pros there are also cons to the show. Like the fighting between Abby and all of the moms. I know a lot of it must be put on or exaggerated for ratings but it gets excessive; it is hard to tell when enough is enough. It's good because all of these girls are earning money and opportunities and I'm sure because of the show they are better dancers than they would've been without it. But they are also exposed to all kinds of fighting and screaming amongst their mothers and they get screamed at themselves, too. It makes it that much worse when they are giving so much to this person that almost never acknowledges it, and when the person yelling at them is someone that they have grown up with and been taught so much by, that she is like their second mother. 

When is it time to leave? To stop putting up with all of it? I don't know. I can't truly judge by what we are shown on tv, who knows what really happens. But I do know from my own experience that it is hard when you love something so much that you are willing to do anything and put up with anything to get it. But you can't compromise yourself. You can't let anything get in the way of the person you are meant to be. Not the people you are with, the way they are treating you, or the things that you want to do.  I don't think any of them are at that point yet, but there is a good chance it will come. 

Meanwhile, I just can't wait for next week's episode! =D

5 Characteristics of a Successful Person

    To describe only five characteristics of a successful person may be difficult. Successful people could display similar characteristics, but could just as easily portray very different traits. This could depend on the field in which the person is successful or even the definition of success according to that individual. In an attempt to define success by common standards, I see the following characteristics to be necessarily present:

 

1. Faith: One must have faith in himself, in what he is trying to attain, and in his ability to know that his best will be enough. Without faith in knowing one's 'all' is enough, success will never be imminent.

 

2.Confidence: The most successful people are often the most confident. How good one thinks he is may be even more important than how good one actually is.

 

3.Passion: A burning desire eats at the heart of the champion to be the absolute best. Every minute of every day it is there. He does not try to suppress it; he only kindles it.

 

4.Delusion: The belief that reality does not apply to oneself; especially apparent in great athletes, it is also there in all highly successful people. Even when one is failing miserably, he still believes he is one step away from his greatest success. It is the lost trait in a society where one in taught to be practical and sensible.

 

5.Happiness: The successful person is not ever content, yet can never imagine another way of life, for his is the best!

Burrrrr... It's Cold In Here!

    I decided to do something a little different and fun today! Here is an anagram for your enjoyment. With us being in a "polar vortex" and all, I am presenting to you words pertaining to the unbearable temperatures and frozen ground. I used obscure words that you___ may not have ever heard just for fun...Enjoy!__________________

 ***********************************************************************************

 

                                                                    We are in a............................................................................

 

 *********************hyPothermic  ********************
 ***************glacial epOch **************************
 ******************hiemaL ****************************
 ***********************Algid *************************
 **********************bRumal ************************

 *********************shiVery**************************
 *****************hyperbOrean*************************
 ********************** fRidgerific**********************
 **************** congelaTion**************************
 **********************gElid***************************
 ***********************Xenogenous*********************

BECOMING A LEGEND

Eh..

Bleh…

Meh…

Sooo cat video?…

     Some days we’re not motivated. Plain and simple. It happens to the best of us, I think we can all agree on that. The difference between the champions and the rest of us shows itself in the ability to power through and make it out, rather than accepting the excuses that let us settle comfortably into our slump.

     There are so many distractions and “good reasons” in our world to temporarily pull attention from the goal, including everything from youtube to Netflix to “needing/deserving a break.” These distractions alone manage to seep through the cracks in our lives and reach us, trying tirelessly to break down our work ethic, no matter how tightly our doors are pulled shut. Now add our personal lives to the mix. There, my friends is a recipe for disaster. We have people who distract us when they’re there and possibly even more when they’re not. We have tasks and obligations that steal our energy away from our true purpose and make it difficult to refocus and get back in the groove. We have events such as vacations that can occupy our attention with excitement or anticipation before they even happen. We have doubts and fears, often completely unrelated to our goals, that nevertheless trick us into losing sight of the importance of achieving our dreams. The list is monumentally longer to begin with, and with each day that is added to any individual’s life that list grows and grows and becomes harder and harder to fight.

     Maybe we don’t always have to fight it. Anything done with passion will be infinitely more powerful than anything done without passion. In other words, use those emotions. Channel them and infuse them into your work, into everything you do. Use them to make yourself stronger and make your work stronger. Of course there are certain times when we don’t really have that option, when 2+2=4 no matter how we feel about it. It’s these times, times when your mind is relying on you, or times when we’ve simply become too caught up, times when stress has found refuge in apathy, that we put our inner champion to the test. It's times like these when we need to "just do it." And it’s times like these when we mustn’t underestimate the power of motivational speakers. Sometimes those same things that at one moment are our worst enemy, the ultimate distraction, the next moment may become a great asset. The world wide web, the very same that has brought you to many a cat video, and has also brought you to me today, allows us access to an overabundance of tools. Use them. There is one excellent motivational speaker who we came across a little while ago, (in fact Jorne used a quote of his just yesterday,) who just gets me going and stirs me up every time I hear him. I’ll post the video of this particular speech at the end here. Surround yourself with inspiring mantras and quotes, hang them on your walls, write them on your mirrors, I love to write them on my hand so it stays with me until I wash it off and write a new one. Ink poisoning? pfft. Doesn’t scare me. Sometimes we just need to put things not perspective: ink poisoning > failure. I’ll take my chances. 

     There are times though, when all of these wonderful and powerful people and speeches and sayings just don’t invoke the fire. Or they do but it’s temporary, fading fast. I personally am in a foreign place right now that I've never been to before, and honesty I just don't know how to be here. Imagine being in a maze that you can't make a home in but you can't find the way out. These are the times when we identify our outlets and find that release. Certain individuals are lucky enough that an outlet and facets of their work are concurrent, but even if they aren't believe that it's not a waste of time to take the time to work on finding peace. Don't be afraid of owning all of those parts of yourself, because if you aren't fully being everything you are, there is no way you can devote yourself the way you should to your life. After you've turned down the noise inside and really gotten some work done, turn it back up on high, let it speak to you, feel those feelings physically and mentally and let it drive you. The most universal release is of course music, but beyond that find what liberates those emotions. For me it's writing, drawing, dancing. For some it's more aggressive physicality such as running, kickboxing, etc. For some it's more energy centralized, executed through activities like yoga or breathing. For some it's problem solving like puzzles of all sorts, giving that definitive satisfaction. Whatever it is, find it. Use it. 

    

      "Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing." -Abraham Lincoln 

     This is one of my favorite quotes. Success does not mean how much you've acquired in your life or the things you've accomplished. At the end of each day ask yourself three questions: 1) Who am I? 2) Who do I tell myself I am? 3) Who do I want to be? When the answer to these three questions is one in the same, we will know we have achieved success. That isn't to to say we aren't always striving to be better tomorrow, but rather it's finding contentment in the fact that we've truly and honestly done all we can for today, and solace in the resolution that tomorrow we will be better. We need to understand on such a deeper level than I see myself capable of understanding anywhere in near future, that when all is said and done there is only you to contribute to your own success or failure. All the "constants," the people, the things, the surroundings, are in fact not constant at all. All the good things in life may come and may go. All the bad things in life may come and may go. Until the day you die the only true constants are you and God.

 So quick recap: 

*Don't let outside sourced and completely irrelevant distractions in. 

*Listen to motivational speakers and surround yourself with motivation. 

*Let your passion drive your work. 

*In situations where you can't directly use that passion, save it and release it full throttle later. 

*Never lose sight of your own success. 

If you're anything like me, now that your head believes all this, the real task begins: convincing the heart. I wish you the best of luck. Go be great.

"IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME"

Hello world!

    Here we are again on another great Thursday morning, afternoon or night. Today I want to write about a project we have started in the last few weeks. I know we have really busy lives with a lot of stuff to do but my thoughts are that when you want success as badly as you want to breathe then you will  have it. 

    All of these projects we start are just little steps to wanting success that bad and if we can get to that point then we can reach the stars no matter how far away they are. 

This goes the same for all of you too. If you want something as bad as life itself you will be surprised how far just your plain power of will can take you. 

    Anyway, today I’m going to talk about the workshop we just started doing about 5 weeks ago…… now thinking about it that was actually a while ago now hmmm how time fly’s when your doing what you love, right? 

    What we do at our workshop is work on three things: acting, singing and dancing. The three parts of becoming the star of Broadway or any other stage… or just to learn more about the fundamentals of theater. We started two different classes one on Saturdays - this is a 10 week program. This is our larger class so we can work not just individually but also with a group of people so its like the best of both worlds. We also have a Wednesday  class for 8 weeks. This is a smaller class so we can work mostly with each person separately with just a little bit of group work. The difference between the two classes is small but can make a big difference to the actor or actress taking the class . 

Lets get to acting! What we will do is have a few weeks devoted to acting and what this entails is really quite interesting. We do improv games to help keep the actors on their toes. Improv is a very vital part to being a great performer in general. 

    We will also have the students do cold reads. This means to give them a monologue and without any practice read and act it in front of the other students. This will help students get an idea of what professional auditions will be like - if that is the chosen career path. 

The next facet of our workshop is singing. Most think singing is just hitting the note - and I can’t say that you’re wrong — you just only have half the answer to being great. What we will do is have participants use many different styles and tones of their voice to help them hear what they are singing and to give them a wider knowledge of all the intricacies of every different style to help them make their favorite style the best it can be.

     Dancing:: This is a huge huge part of getting to be accomplished as an actor. Think about it this way - if half the roles in the world need a dancer and you can’t dance - well your kinda sunk because of the 50% parts left you can try out for (dividing men’s and women’s roles) you’ll only fit in half of them. This reduces your chances of getting one of these roles, so….not being able to dance means you will most of the time end up not getting the parts you want and failing as a musical actor. Ok so that was a little harsh -  but  if you don’t shock the world with what you say you're tuned out just like anything else people don’t want to hear! 

    So we make it our job to teach everyone that takes our class how to dance with the best of em. Its is not as easy as it sounds. So many people come in to our class saying I’m the worst dancer you will  ever meet, but we all never let that stop us from pushing you to be the best you can be and even beyond that. Every day we will stretch and do a short combination to loosen everybody up and work on everyone's flexibility and ability to pick up on choreography. What this will do is: first, it's always better to be more flexible and the faster you can pick up on whatever you are being taught the more likely you are to be picked for a part because if there is one thing I know  it is that directors like people who can learn quickly and remember what they learn!

    On the last week of our workshop we will have all of the parents come in and do a showcase to show off what the participants have learned and how far they have come in just a few weeks!!

    This is just another little insight into our lives with $wag bag thur$days. Hope you all enjoy and please comment anything you would like especially if there is anything you would like me to talk about next week. I’m open for most anything. 

Peace out everybody ..enjoy life ..it only happens once!!! 

#GOLD

Hi! So how many of you have been watching the Olympics?! I know I have!

   My absolute favorite event is ice skating but I've been getting into more of the snow boarding and skiing events too! 
   I've always loved ice skating.  I love the beauty of it and the way each skate tells a story.  If for some reason I couldn't be the kind of performer I am now, ice skating would have been one of the next best options! 

   The ice dancing this past week was just stunning! Especially our gold medalist couple, Meryl Davis and Charlie White. The way they were so perfectly in sync with each other was amazing to watch. While watching I couldn't help but feel like that is the kind of connection I want to have with the audience every time I'm on stage. I want them to feel what I'm feeling and really be with me for every step. And I want to be able to tell a story purely through emotion. Watching them gives me something new to strive for:)
   
   I also watched the men's freeski slopestyle competition. That was so much more exciting than I would've thought! haha! And the fact that the USA swept the podium was awesome! I love the spirit and fire they all have. I feel like the skiers and snowboarders are the happiest people I've seen. They never look nervous or anything, they just seem to be having the time of their lives. 

   Watching the Olympics in general is so inspiring. Seeing all of these athletes, the best in their fields from around the world, is really motivating. All of these people work so hard to get to that point; they work towards their goal with every fiber of their being....and they get there. 

   And they don't give up.
   
There are so many athletes that this is like their 4th Olympics , and some of them have gotten a medal but alot of them haven't. We were watching snowboard cross yesterday and one of our guys, Nate Holland, has competed in the last 3 Olympics and still hasn't placed because something always goes wrong. He is always on top of his game coming into it but he gets there and never fulfills his expectations. I think it is really sad and I felt so bad for him when they were interviewing him after his race, but he was really gracious about the whole thing and when his teammate won bronze he ran out and tackled him and was genuinely happy! That's an attitude we should all try to emulate in everyday life. 

   There was a commercial on that I thought made a really good point, it said: "Olympians get their chance to shine every four years, we have the chance everyday." We all need to strive to shine everyday. We need to work hard everyday to achieve our goals and not give up till we have. Olympic athletes have something that they know happens at a set time and they prepare for it tirelessly; our time might be tomorrow and we have to be prepared for it.


Live like an Olympian!

No Genre-Be Undefinable

Whew, I am beat from all this snow we are getting in eastern P.A.! I absolutely love the snow but not shoveling. I've been helping my uncle at his car lot and I think I've pushed more cars out of snowbanks this weekend than ever.!
As we write our original musical the same problem we have always had arises........our genre. One good thing is that doing it in a musical format does is make it easier and take some of the weight off your decision because it is in the context of the show and you may not sing it for the rest of your life. Still the songs are being written to perform outside of the show so there is still considerable pressure.
Opposite of any producer, my opinion is to ignore the boundaries of musical classifications and just write. The artist who inspired me the most on this subject is B.o.B(Nothin On You, Airplanes) who consistently defies the rules of the hip-hop and pop world. He even has a mixtape titled No Genre. He goes from singing alternative (think Jason Mraz) to Soul, to Southern Rap, to Bangerz, to Caribbean, to Gangsta Rap, to almost Poetry, to Funk, to Punk, to Pop, to Rock. Yet the entire time with a particular flair style and lyric that makes each song distinguishable as Bobby Ray. No, although he had multiple 4x platinum hits, he doesn't sell the albums or have as large a following as his more conventional counterparts. But that is proof that money isn't why he is in it. It is about the MUSIC. I want to be like this.
I love the best of ALL kinds of music...honestly. So I have a hard time because it is like I want to shove it all into one. Musically though I know more of what I want. Very pure and string heavy while having those beautifully powerful piano chords and melodies. To contrast this, percussion strong and often tribal sounding (think Imagine Dragons and F.u.n). That would be the more constant. Song by song may be more guitar heavy, I love the harp and definitely a lot of woodwinds, brass, and reeds.
The singing and style is harder. Here is my long list of influences:


Frank Sinatra                    Chubby Checker                                                                                               Nat King Cole                   The Temptations
Perry Como                       The Foundations
Sammy Davis Jr.                Ronettes
Johnny Mathis                    Supremes
Dion and the Belmonts       Little Richard
Andrew Sisters                   James Brown
Bing Crosby




Jackson 5                         Grandmaster Flash
Bootsy                              Krs-one
Earth wind and Fire         Run DMC
Osmonds                          New Edition
Queen                               Seal( Kiss From a Rose specifically)
Journey                             Oasis
                                          R. Kelly

We the Kings                    Vivaldi
Train                                  Owl City
Christina Perri                    F.U.N
Alicia Keys                        One Republic
Creed                                  Eminem
Lupe Fiasco                       Imagine Dragons
Passenger                           Coldplay
Jonas Brothers                    B.o.B
Second Hand Serenade       Sondheim
  Bac                                   Nat King Cole

Okay so that was off the top of my head I probably missed alot especially in the 80's but these are some artists who I take something from stylistically in their voice or music. Right now I am trying to let out what is most natural to me. What do you guys think? Can I sing like a crooner then spit lyics like a poet to music melodies you may hear at a symphony... but with a booming bass and tribal beats?

3 Reasons Why You Should Think Before You Speak

     Well its Monday again.. The BEST day of the week! Why follow the crowd and dread Mondays? Turn today around.. Make it the best Monday you'll ever have..turn it into the best day of the week! Start your day off thinking of all the things you can accomplish today. We are only here on earth for a short time, why turn one day of each week into a burden? Keep in mind, if Mondays didn't exist we'd all be saying that we hated Tuesdays. I know it's a bit late in the day but remember that for next Monday!

    Now.. On to today's blog post..

     Have you ever been in public, with friends, with strangers, with family, etc. and really embarrassed yourself? Done something or said something that just made everyone look at you and laugh or give you a quizzical look or a look that suggests they are judging you hard core? I'm sure all of us have at one time or another but I'm sure not as many have done it as much as I have. I'm that person that just lets words fly out of her mouth before she thinks about what she's saying. As many times as I remind myself to think before I speak, I just don't always remember and it's usually too late by the time I realize what I said. So in this post I'd like to discuss with you the importance of thinking before you speak. I know it seems silly and I'm sure your parents have told you over and over again to do this but I want you to know that they are right! I know from personal experience that not having diarrhea of the mouth is the best way to not say something you'll regret later. Nobody wants to go home at the end of the night feeling like they wish they could turn back time and unsay what they said. Here are a few reasons why thinking before you speak can be a benefit to you other than the obvious reasons.

1. It can allow you to receive your desired response.

  Often times in conversation whether it be in an argument, if you're asking for something, asking someone on a date, etc. you are looking for a particular response. And most of the time the way in which you present yourself or portray your point can be the deal breaker in whether it goes your way or not. So thinking about how to present your point before you present it, taking into consideration who you are talking to, can help you to achieve your goals.
   We have so many materials and such donated for our productions so this technique comes in handy quite often.

2. It prevents over explanations

   I know that sometimes I'll pass a comment or something like that that will be taken completely wrong and I will have to explain myself. If I would've thought about what I actually meant and said it in such a way that it could only be taken the way I meant it then I wouldn't have needed to waste so many words explaining something to the point where the other person just stopped listening.

And finally..

3. It prevents you from further sticking your foot in your mouth.

   In explaining myself sometimes I tend to ramble and then say another thing that I have to explain and so on and so forth. By the time in finished I've lost everyone's attention and they all don't know what to think of me.

     So in conclusion, it is very important to think about what you're going to say and how you're going to say it and if it's exactly what you mean. You never know who you're going to be talking to. Saying the wrong thing to the person who can further your career or something just as important would be terrible. You don't wanna be kicking yourself for that one for the rest of your life!

See you next week!
Taryn :-)
 

Saturday Night in the City: My Forever Ties

My Forever Ties:

What to what to write about. I'm feeling a sentimental quality as I sit here at Joe's Shanghai Restaurant on 56th street around a table with beautiful people and beautiful artists, and I'm on my phone typing but cannot get enough of how lucky I am to be around these people.

All your life, you come across a plethora of people. Artists, guardians, collaborators, party freaks, carers, whatever! And I think not enough people keep in mind that every single person they come across is of IMMENSE importance to their lives.

I never thought I'd make friends so young that I expect to stay with for the rest of my life. Granted, I can't tell the future, but I can still be sure. In my mind, every time I meet a new artist I'm fond of, they're in the books of who I want to work with again.

All of it comes from meeting such genuine people that care and aid you in some way. Perhaps I'm repeating myself, but I'm so amazed and blessed that I have met so many of those genuine people.

First, we have le Gilbert family, who, y'all know we got a lot to spend the future on - I'm sticking around ;)

Friends from high school, in which I've spent this Valentine's weekend with, I would have never thought I'd still be seeing as frequently as I do! And I am so grateful. It can be true that friends come and go, but it's rare that people like this care enough to always stay.

My best friend from elementary school and I have this unspoken relationship yet. We haven't spoken spoken for so long, and yet I really care about his wellbeing through our only contact: social media.

GOD BLESS THE FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.

Time flies, and the smallest effort to make communication can mean a lot. Maybe it's just me, but I know schedule's are rough and time is limited, but all I need to maintain a relationship sometimes is a "hey, thinking about you" or a silly Snapchat or phone call for a minute.

I guess what I'm trying to say, after all this rambling as we're paying our bill at Joe's Shanghai, is that every relationship you build when your young is significant to your future. You never know who's going to be that one person to lift you up when you're down or save you when you're lost, so take care of your friends now. The good in the world should be flourished, and we do that through nurturing the good people we have in our lives now. We make new friends, and we can keep the old. And what I've learned through life in theatre and life in general is that old and new friends, being genuinely good people, are the best people to mix up and see what happens.

Live your life. Aye


One is silver and the other's gold,
Tristan J. Shuler

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

 

                                                                        You Are

You are everything,
Everything at it's crown,
Crest of taste, touch, sight, sound.

You are euphoria captured,
Suffocating despair,
No other lifts a spirit so high in the air.

And never does it plummet
As when released by you.
Lies masquerade, but you are the truth.

No wisdom so unwise,
No storyteller besides,
No ruthless adversary, no greater friend and guide.

You lead followers to hope's doorstep
Then near impenetrable you make the locks
And the only unhinging is that of the mind with every desperate knock.

Baring your identity
You taught my soul to sing
I just couldn't hear how loud 'til silence swallowed everything

Then ticking clock deceived my thoughts,
But only 'til the hand came back around
Fine is a hotel, not a house, sooner or later the heart checks out.

Fear then writes an ivitation
Come, stay a while
Fear that a seed nipped in the bud might have bloomed divine


Fear that it wouldn't have
Fear it never will
Fear of the power it holds that eyes can't see the end of still.

Tears of uncertainty
The unrelivable kiss
Don't mistake, I know I've already won, but nature still begs this:

Ghosts of thouhts relinquished
Before granted freedom of life
Then resurrected the night you lent your heart, might still share your sky.

Dreams are only feathers,
And ink is all but words
Until beyond the tongue they slip and soar becoming birds.

Cost, the offender
Worth, unconquerable defense
Gracious to honesty who won't forget what I'd spend again.

You are for the truly daring
Yet none are safer than when wrapped in you
You are relentless, you are gentle, you are reason for all we do.

You are courage
You are fear
You are laughter, you are tears

You are glass,
Shatterable, fragile,
But will bend not by strength nor years.

Words are futile,
So feeble, so small
When charged with conveying all that is all

But we never stop trying
For while you exist
We owe this frail effort in exchange for your gift.

You are forever seeked
Created far above
Who are you? You are Love.

     So that was me dabbling in poetry for Valentine's Day. Just as in a song my greatest reward would be that as you read, my words morph to become your own; that these words can go beyond words and mean something to you. Well, that and the hope that you made it to the end.

     Have a love filled day, today and every day.

CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, AND MORE CHOCOLATE!!!

   

     Back again with Swag Bag Thursdays! Today I want to write about something that is extremely important to me, and that is music. I am a part of Easton High School's orchestra. I have been playing since 3rd grade so I've been playing now for 8 years and I'm about half way through my 9th. Without the impact of this music program I don't know how different I would be. I feel that I am a much better person because of it. I have never wished that I didn't play and that I didn't spend many nights practicing so I could be first chair, I'm glad I did because it taught me a lot about the value of working hard for something you want. This fire that was born in me from music is something I will never lose. If anyone out there reading this post is thinking about playing an instrument, you should definitely start. You are never too old or too young. You don't need a teacher, teach yourself, the only thing that can hold you back from being a musician is you.
     Our orchestra takes a trip every two years and these trips are like a reward for all the hard work you have put in over the years but with a trip like this you have to fundraise right. So just so all of you know I am selling Gertrude Hawk chocolate bars!!!!!!!! WOOOO!!! YUMMY!!! They are only $1 each and they are ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!! They come in many diferent flavors including Toffee Almond, Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Coconut Cream, Rasberry Cream, and Crispie Chocolate. Gertrude Hawk is the BEST kind of chocolate because it melts in your mouth and tastes like heaven. It's perfect with a cup of coffee or tea or hot chocolate and a good book. Just think about that perfect scenario! Especially on a snow day like this one. Who doesn't want to sit by the fire or heater with chocolate?! THAT is the epitome of relaxation! If you want one just email us at Gibs7usa@msn.com or give us call at 610-417-2189 and we will send them to you. So if you're ever in the mood for chocolate you know who to call!!
     At Easton High we have a symphony orchestra which means that the very best band members audition to be a part of the orchestra. It is a great honor to make the orchestra and this is a very important part of the reason Easton is seen as a musical juggernaut throughout the Valley. I would like to wish everyone a happy snow day!  I literally can't see outside my house right now but its really nice and I love the snow and shoveling people's driveways is a great way to make bank so enjoy the snow, buy our chocolate, and enjoy music!

Everyone have a nice day off!!

PRACTICE....-_-

Hello World!

On Friday we have a Valentine's Day show (it's the one Jorne wrote about a couple blogs ago.) It's two shows, one that is 2 hours and one that is 3! So we decided to learn some new songs. I am going to take you through the process of how we learn songs. Yesterday we did "That's Life" so I will start with that one.
First off we find a version that we like, in this case it was obviously Frank Sinatra, and listen to it over and over. While we listen we come up with the format for the song. For this we decided it would be all five of us, Jewel is singing the first verse, I've got the second, he and I do the kind of chorus part in harmony, then Teara comes in with the 3rd verse, Jorne takes off with the 2nd "a puppet, a pauper, a pirate, a poet" part , and Taryn comes in with the big finish. And we all dance and sing background when we aren't leading. The words weren't that hard for this one, and its pretty repetitive so we tried to get the easy part done with fast... but everything always takes longer than it should :/
When that part was done we started the choreography. Its like Fosse jazz type, but more so movements than full-fledged dancing. That part took a while.... nobody really focuses all at the same time, there is always someone *cough,cough* Jewel ( most of the time haha) that either just refuses to learn it, which is what happened today; or fools around and distracts the rest of us and then goes to sleep (Jewel later in the day when we tried to do it again. But don't worry we still love him...for the most part;))
Now, none of us really like to practice.... like at all. Its pretty sad actually, I mean there's no way to be good at something unless you practice it; but, alas, that fact does not make me dislike it any less. But you just gotta buckle down and do it!
After the choreography was learned we figured out the background, well some of us did, and then tried to put it all together with the karaoke track. It turned out pretty good and it has the potential to be awesome as long as we all work hard. Hopefully today Jewel will be in a more focused mood (he had a good reason yesterday for being preoccupied, I'll give him that).... however, even if he is, someone else will no doubt be havin' an issue... But what are you gonna do? there are alot of us!
Here are some of the other songs we are learning and some that we've done before but that need alot of work..... before Friday ....

"Let It Go"
"In Summer"
"This=Love"
"The Man Who Can't Be Moved"
"La Vie En Rose"
"Hymns A L'Amour"
"Al Di La"
"Viva La Vida"
"Do You Love Me"

"Clarity/Take It All Away".... and more.

A reminder again our show is at Revolutions in Bethlehem on Friday. There are two seatings , one at 6pm and one at 8pm.I hope some of you can make it!:)

Greatness Won't Compromise

 Next week I WILL write something specifically about music itself or our show. But things keep happening I have to write on so once again I'm pulling my soapbox out of my pocket (yeah it is travel size.)
   Being an entertainer is a huge responsibility. What people see on stage and screen effects them consciously and sub-consciously more than we know. So I have 3 stipulations before doing anything
 1. Will the entire project have a wholesome effect on those in it and especially the audience?
 2. Will my part improve me as a human and positively pull the crowd?
 3. If the project is questionable, but I feel my character is powerfully positive, do I need to play it?

   These are broad and vague so if anyone would like them explained please ask. Realize your power when on 'stage,' performers reach people's deepest emotions without knowing it. THIS IS WHY WHAT YOU DO MATTERS!
     I have had to walk away from 4 big projects I can think of . Each one ,for some reason or another, broke one of my stipulations. I was a little down each time, but truthfully I was and am happy I did it. When you stand by what you believe in it is hard but soooooo liberating when you walk away and trust yourself.
     Now I challenge all of you and myself not to just turn down projects we feel are wrong but to say yes only to those we feel are right, good, and just. I challenge us to be an example in the spotlight. Directors and peers will belittle and denounce us and our beliefs, but I promise you looking back at my 19 years there is NOTHING I'm more proud of.
    Write out your stipulations, believe in something, have strength, you WILL be filled with joy and proudly free!

 

Tips On Directing Your Very Own Production!

    Hello ladies and gentleman! I hope everyone has been enjoying our blog posts! We are having a blast writing them and I hope they are giving you more of an idea of who we are. Today I want to discuss with you an aspect of our shows that's near and dear to my heart, and that would be directing.
     As I told you, I'm the oldest of the family so naturally being in charge and being a leader is in my blood. When we did our first production it was a no brainer and a unanimous decision that I would be director for the first show. I was so excited and although I knew it would be a lot of responsibility I was prepared for it.
     I think what makes me a good director is that I have a very commanding personality, I'm good at telling people what to do, I can be very good at organizing (although I don't always apply that in everyday life haha), I'm very decisive, and I can talk to anyone from little kids to adults on their own level. Of course I could think of just as many things, if not more, that I could improve on to make me a better director but I believe those qualities are what sets me apart from other directors.
     As a director there are so many things you are in charge of and it is definitely overwhelming at first. Its a position that people see as the head honcho, the big kahuna, the one that makes the decisions and..... the one to blame if the production tanks. There are so many things to think about and figure out and work out and it is no tea party. Some of the most important things to remember as a director are as follows:

1. You must be in constant communication with your cast.

   In other productions you'll find that the stage manager is usually the one to send out the cast emails with information about rehearsals, shows, cancellations, changes, etc. But in our productions I like to be the one to do this so the cast feels close to me as the director and we have a direct relationship. I try to contact the cast every day.

2. You have to have a vision of what you want the show to look like.

    Its very important to know what you want the look to be before you attempt to block any scenes or choreograph any dances. I don't mean having every movement of every actor mapped out in your head beforehand, I just mean having a vision in your head of what you want the audience to get out of each scene.

3. You must be patient (especially when working with amateur actors)

   Most of the people we work with are not professional actors. In fact many of them had never done any theater before they were a part of our shows. When you work with people, from kids to adults, you just have to have a certain amount of patience and know how to get what you need out of the people you're working with. Different people respond to different approaches.

4. Be positive!

   Even if your actors aren't exactly where you want them to be it is important to always couple the yelling and corrections and everything with something positive. In my experience I've worked with so many levels and its easy to get frustrated. But I've learned that before I yell at them for not doing what they're supposed to be doing it helps to give them a boost and tell them something that they did well. You really have to feel out your cast and decide what the best way is to handle situations. Every cast is different.

   So those are some tips I have for anybody looking to direct a show in the future. I have had a blast directing. I definitely feel at home in that position and as much as I love being on stage, I love directing just as much. I love the feeling I get when I've finished a production and it goes over really well and the audience loves it! Now of course our shows are truly a family effort and we all put our ideas and thoughts and everything into each show but I feel that when I'm directing everyone falls into their places and we work perfectly as a team. I always have a hard time giving up the position because we take turns directing haha. Maybe its just the oldest child syndrome, loving to be in charge and tell people what to do.. but whatever it is I just love it!

Until next week,
Taryn

Me with some of our youngest cast mates of "Babes In Toyland!" These girls were the best!

Curtain Speech!!!! Love talking to the audience!!!

Here is a copy of my very first "Director's Notes"

Broadway Babble with Josh

        Josh Simpson here, just living life in Philadelphia. I should tell you about my life and such like everyone else, but life makes me the angry person that I am, so my blog entry is going to be about something that makes me happy, Broadway. 

I will be nice enough to tell you some things about me first. I’m 19 and I think I’m a playwright... maybe. Theatre is my life, that’s all I really know for sure. I really don’t do anything else. I hate math, science, sports, people, etc.  Everything that goes into a production is so wonderful, and the fact that it’s not just once and done like a movie, or TV show. The show has to be put on every night, for the entire run, with the same gusto and luster. It’s just so beautiful! 

        Anyway, focusing on me for a moment.... I’m the oldest of 6, 2 from each parent. Being the oldest is taxing, but my siblings are too mean for me to want to swap places. I go to the lovely University of the Arts in Philadelphia. The school is right in the theatre district of Philly. I think the reason I love it here so much is because there are so many other people who have drained there mind until there is nothing left but theatre, it’s spectacular. I get to see a show almost every week, both professionally and through the school, which is all I ever want to do. 

Now that I’ve managed to circle back to theatre, I figure I might as well just stay here. So for this post, I’m going to talk about the love of my life, the only person, other than myself, who gets to be classified as a perfect human being, Sutton Foster. Let's start with Sutton’s Broadway history (in order... from memory): "Les Miserables" Eponine’s understudy, "Grease" as Sandy’s Understudy, "Annie" Star To Be, "The Scarlet Pimpernel" ensemble, "Thoroughly Modern Millie" as Millie Dillmount, "Little Women" as Jo March, "The Drowsy Chaperone" as Janet Van Der Graff, "Young Frankenstein" as Ilga, "Shrek: The Musical" as Fiona, and "Anything Goes" as Reno Sweeny. Soon she will go back to Broadway so that she may continue spreading her perfection in the show "Violet" as Violet. Each performance of hers is so lively and energetic that you can’t help but love every second of it.

Sutton’s perfection, however, goes past her performances. Aside from Sutton’s obvious talent as a dancer, singer, actress, she is just a person who lives life correctly. She is horribly kind, while she is terribly fit, she still likes eating burgers and sundaes, and drinking beer. She is very humble. She is woman of God. She is so devoted to her craft. She is just such a gracious, understanding, giddy, and enthusiastic person. You can’t help but love her... And creepily look up everything about her. Though for her own safety and for my own sanity, I’ve yet to meet her, I have a hard time believing that she will be any less perfect when I do. She represents pure perfection as a performer and a person. Now everyone go watch her be perfect, I approve of 99%of the videos of her available on youtube. Well sadly that is all for this week.

 

Until next time,

Joshuah D. Simpson

 

Don't Skip Leg Days.

     If the world was a perfect place I would be able to just sing all day and all night.
     I'm going to keep this short today, partially because this is a hard topic for me to face and I'd like to suffer through the pain of writing all about it, and emphatically stating how important and true it really is, for as little time as possible.
     Here's the bottom line: when you want something done; when you want to get somewhere, (and we're more specifically talking career goals here,) and you've already accepted the fact that the only way to get it done right is to do it yourself... well then it's time to do it. And that my friend, is where the battle begins.
     Much more often than not the means are just not as fun as the end. In order to get to the part we love, in order to enjoy the whole entire reason we started this journey, in order to reach the fun part, we need to spend endless hours doing leg work. I hate leg work. My contempt towards it is one of my personal biggest hurdles. Actors, athletes, entrepreneurs, this applies to everyone with ambition. By leg work I mean anything from advertising, networking, training to learn a specific skill, making phone calls, stretching daily,learning,writing, and the list is literally endless because it does apply to all fields... so basically by leg work I mean anything that you don't want to do... or anything that when you do it you feel as if you are slowly dying and every ounce of happiness and creativity is being sucked from your very being.
     Here's the tricky part: anyone who is fighting to live out a dream doesn't mind losing night upon night of sleep if the time is spent "working," (in my case that would mean practicing, choreographing, writing, etc.,) but it takes a different, more intense kind of devotion to bring oneself to willingly lose sleep, (or activities, social gatherings, friend time, etc, but mostly sleep,) over doing all the irritating yet absolutely and completely necessary stuff that has to be done before we can even get to the actual "work." All successful dreamers though, have had to do this at one time or other, and honestly most continue even after they are established in their field to a point because - and we're taking for granted here that we're only speaking of tasks that physically can be done by someone else- #1, most people don't keep miniature oompa loompas in their pockets, #2 effective robots aren't available yet, #3 if robots were available most of us would not be able to afford them, and #4 if you did get yourself a talented person (who would work for free,) when all is said and done most of us would actually prefer to do it ourselves anyway because no one else does it right. I mean it's not their fault, they just aren't the visionary so how could they very well be expected to produce our vision.
    In conclusion, to do the things we love we must do the things we hate. End of story. But we do it with the knowledge that every unpleasant step we take is making us better, and is bringing us one step closer to our own little perfect world where we just sing.
    So I have no choice but to ask myself all the time: How badly do you want it?

P.S. I apologize for the severe lack of pink-ness... stupid mobile apps not having all the good parts...smh