I am a novice at blogging. But in the spirit of being a lifelong learner, I thought today I would break the ice. You see, when I was a kid I was very precocious, engaging, and delightful - or so I am told. People always commented to my family that I was older than my years. I loved talking to adults even loved talking with them about what they should do. I learned how to read Doctor Seuss before I went to school, even memorizing many of his stories. I loved dancing, making plays and starring in them. I would daydream for hours about stories that I had read or movies that I had seen and imagine that I was the ingénue. I began listening to classical music and began improvising and composing my own musical compositions in elementary school in that style. And I can still hear in my head, my favorite song called "Stop, get off, go right ahead" - with an Alberti bass. It was dedicated to my dog, Herman the Munster, Herman for short. What a creative way to spend the days and nights of my youth - free to compose, to hum, to sing, to play and to create. And more importantly I found that classical music was way cool to me. It felt very natural to me and it was a place that I found the greatest gift and freedom ... my own voice. So I became a classical singer...
Speed forward to graduate school and my degree in vocal music. I meet this terrific guy. He is slight, but his personality is large, he is exuberant, sharp tongued, witty and fun. He a gifted pianist along with a troupe of American singers, who are living abroad in Europe are presenting a master class. They discuss life abroad: the challenges, the benefits, their experiences. I decided on that day, this man, David Chapman has the keys to unleashing another level of creativity. That was more than 24 years ago.
David balances the spirit, the intellect, the body and the voice. For many years, instructors taught me one or more parts of the vocal process. But I was so confused and I was lost trying to make sense of their instruction and how could that instruction become the basis of a career. I had a teacher talk about the fluffy clouds; another about squatting to push out high notes; another said to raise my eye brows and I could sing in tune and hit all of the high notes; and yet another said that she felt my body, soul and spirit and sensed this weird energy and colors emanating. Yeah - I know and I paid dearly for those weekly lessons. And I really did not know what I was doing in the practice room. There were vocal exercises, that I repeated, but I could not correct the inaccuracies. I did not know how to free the body from the contradicting vocal techniques, breathing exercises, and concepts. I was lost in a land of quasi-vocal technique.
David Chapman, who has been my instructor on life and singing, has taught me to see, my music as an extension of myself - more integrated. David balances the spirit, the intellect, the body and the voice. As I have grown to understand myself, I have also grown to understand my instrument. All those beginning years of study lost to a practice room of isolation. David has taught me how to directly address the problems.
One day, more than 10 years ago, he said to me, "this is so simple. I don't understand why you are not getting this?" I remember, I went into his bathroom, closed the door, sat on the toilet and cried for nearly a half hour. Every time I tried to steely myself, I would break down. David did not knock on the door. He gave me my personal space. Finally I got up the courage, walked into his music room, gathered my coat and my music books and left. Over that next week, I sat at the piano with my head bent over the keyboard - thinking and humming. No singing, no vocal technique, no breathing exercises and no learning music. Just me - thinking about all that he had been telling me over the last few years. I knew what he was telling me was sound; I had seen it work with so many others. Why could I not make those concepts my own? Then by the end of the week, I realized that it was not that I did not understand. But rather it was that I was too attached and too afraid to let go of the faux technique. I recalled his last words to me at that lesson. And I knew it was fear that kept me from hearing and receiving his instruction. That was why, I could not understand him. And I said to myself that day, "this is so simple". When I returned the next week for my voice lesson, although I had not practiced a single note of my music, I sang better. I had found my voice, again.
That was the beginning and that was the return of my youthful freedoms. David Chapman gave me my old friends - selfless abandoned humming, singing, playing and creating. Although I do not perform for a living anymore, I still know how to summon the voice and bring forth an engaging performance - or so I am told. For that reason, I am eternally grateful to David.
He is a joy. He is an amazing friend.
Speed forward to graduate school and my degree in vocal music. I meet this terrific guy. He is slight, but his personality is large, he is exuberant, sharp tongued, witty and fun. He a gifted pianist along with a troupe of American singers, who are living abroad in Europe are presenting a master class. They discuss life abroad: the challenges, the benefits, their experiences. I decided on that day, this man, David Chapman has the keys to unleashing another level of creativity. That was more than 24 years ago.
David balances the spirit, the intellect, the body and the voice. For many years, instructors taught me one or more parts of the vocal process. But I was so confused and I was lost trying to make sense of their instruction and how could that instruction become the basis of a career. I had a teacher talk about the fluffy clouds; another about squatting to push out high notes; another said to raise my eye brows and I could sing in tune and hit all of the high notes; and yet another said that she felt my body, soul and spirit and sensed this weird energy and colors emanating. Yeah - I know and I paid dearly for those weekly lessons. And I really did not know what I was doing in the practice room. There were vocal exercises, that I repeated, but I could not correct the inaccuracies. I did not know how to free the body from the contradicting vocal techniques, breathing exercises, and concepts. I was lost in a land of quasi-vocal technique.
David Chapman, who has been my instructor on life and singing, has taught me to see, my music as an extension of myself - more integrated. David balances the spirit, the intellect, the body and the voice. As I have grown to understand myself, I have also grown to understand my instrument. All those beginning years of study lost to a practice room of isolation. David has taught me how to directly address the problems.
One day, more than 10 years ago, he said to me, "this is so simple. I don't understand why you are not getting this?" I remember, I went into his bathroom, closed the door, sat on the toilet and cried for nearly a half hour. Every time I tried to steely myself, I would break down. David did not knock on the door. He gave me my personal space. Finally I got up the courage, walked into his music room, gathered my coat and my music books and left. Over that next week, I sat at the piano with my head bent over the keyboard - thinking and humming. No singing, no vocal technique, no breathing exercises and no learning music. Just me - thinking about all that he had been telling me over the last few years. I knew what he was telling me was sound; I had seen it work with so many others. Why could I not make those concepts my own? Then by the end of the week, I realized that it was not that I did not understand. But rather it was that I was too attached and too afraid to let go of the faux technique. I recalled his last words to me at that lesson. And I knew it was fear that kept me from hearing and receiving his instruction. That was why, I could not understand him. And I said to myself that day, "this is so simple". When I returned the next week for my voice lesson, although I had not practiced a single note of my music, I sang better. I had found my voice, again.
That was the beginning and that was the return of my youthful freedoms. David Chapman gave me my old friends - selfless abandoned humming, singing, playing and creating. Although I do not perform for a living anymore, I still know how to summon the voice and bring forth an engaging performance - or so I am told. For that reason, I am eternally grateful to David.
He is a joy. He is an amazing friend.