This week, I’ve had Regina Spektor’s version of the Beatles’ classic “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” #OnRepeat. It was recorded for the recent stop-motion animation movie, Kubo and the Two Strings.
This song actually gave me an opportunity to become more familiar with Regina Spektor and her music. Spektor is a singer, songwriter, and pianist originally from the Soviet Union, who emigrated with her family to the United States when she was nine years old. She began playing classical piano and writing her own original songs in her teenage years, gaining popularity with songs like “Better,” “Fidelity,””Small Town Moon,” and “You’ve Got Time” (the last of which being used as the theme song for the Netflix original series, Orange is the New Black).
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is a song written by George Harrison–one of the band members from the Beatles, in case you didn’t know–from their 1968 album The Beatles (also called the White Album). The song’s lyrics have themes of relativity, which reflect themes of the storyline of the movie, Kubo and the Two Strings. In the movie, Kubo accidentally summons a vengeful spirit and must then go on a quest (with a monkey and a beetle) to find his father’s armor and save his family, all the while battling monsters with with his magical instrument.
Regina’s interpretation of the words for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” are both haunting and surreal, yet have an element of simplicity and innocence. It’s always interesting to hear new interpretations of classic songs. The addition of Asian instrumentation to this arrangement, although mainly for purposes to relate it more to the movie, makes the song sound brighter and more contemplative. Listen below:
Are there any musicians or groups that you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!
For the longest time, I had difficulty being comfortable enough to belt out. I’d always been told by vocal teachers and spectators that I had a big voice, but I was always too shy to let it “all out,” so to speak. This all changed when I got into the Masters’ program at Cal State Los Angeles, but that’s a story for another day. The point I’m trying to make is it’s always interesting coming from one side of the spectrum (trying to create sound from nowhere because I was too shy to do so from the start) and encountering someone from the other side of the spectrum (trying to reign in an already big, present sound).
I started working with one of these types of students recently. Don’t misunderstand–when I say “rein” in a big voice, I don’t mean changing style or that individual’s unique sound. It is simply a way to help the vocalist add shape, dynamics and/or contour to their vocal performances. Usually the main thing that needs to be corrected is breath control–this can affect, volume, pitch, and the overall timbre of the voice.
One great tool for gaining better control of your instrument os the “steady release” exercise. I’ve mentioned it before in posts, but it really does work wonders. You breathe in for a count of five, hold for a count of five, and exhale, either releasing on a hissing sound or a “shh” sound. As your stamina increases, so will the amount of time that you inhale, hold and release your air. Knowing how to release air at a slow, consistent pace is a vital fundamental of controlled efficient singing. This exercise helps you to become more in tune with your instrument, giving you a better idea of how much air to take in for a phrase or note. Technique always ties into everything. Once your breath control improves, there’s less tension on your vocal chords, less likelihood of pitch issues, etc. Stylistic technique–where to put inflections, melismas, and where to take a breath within a phrase or throughout a song–can also help to make you more aware of your instrument and bring down the volume, if necessary.
I haven’t had the opportunity to work with a student with so much potential before, and, of course, students who take direction well make the whole experience of teaching someone with a big sound easier and more enjoyable. It’s these times that make me love teaching; you get to work with the student, witnessing where they started, and see where they end up. It’s very exciting to know that with just a little bit of work and determination, this individual could achieve great things and I look forward to seeing just how much they improve in the weeks to come.
This week, I’ve had Meghan Trainor’s song, “Me Too,” #OnRepeat. I try to always turn on the radio at least once in a while to expose my ears to any new music that might be on the radio (though I must admit, more often than not, there’s not that much interesting music on the airwaves) and this song immediately made me stop “channel surfing.”
I’ve written about Meghan Trainor before on here, specifically with Postmodern Jukebox’s cover of her hit,”All About That Bass,” but just in case you didn’t catch that, I’ll give you a short introduction. Meghan Trainor is a singer-songwriter from Massachusetts who became well-known with her top 10 hits “All About That Bass,” “Lips Are Moving,” and “Like I’m Gonna Lose You.” Her music is described as retro with influences from music of the 190s and 60s, including Doo-Wop, Rock, R&B, and Soul.
“Me Too” is a really catchy, funky song, and if you listen to it one time, you might just think it’s another Pop song with an “electronic” beat. However, listening to it several more times, you can catch the not-so-subtle message of self-love and confidence that comes out in the lyrics. To be honest, the first thing that caught my attention was the beat; but while I was wiggling around in my seat, I noticed the message that was being delivered in the words. I have to say that anyone who can write/arrange/produce a Pop song with a catchy beat and at the same time, slip messages of empowerment within the lyrics is pretty clever creative individual in my book. Not only is she making money, but she is empowering women and people at the same time.
Take a listen below:
I’m interested to see what other kinds of music Trainor can produce and whether or not she can still have this combination in her songwriting and music production. Enjoy!
This week, I’ve had Carlos Varela’s “Una Palabra” #OnRepeat. I was actually watching the movie, Man on Fire, starring Denzel Washington, and the song, which played at the end of the movie, caught my attention.
Man on Fire is about a man who is hired to protect a little girl who lives with her family in Mexico during a time when kidnapping children of prominent families is prevalent in the major cities. The little girl becomes close to the body guard, but is taken and presumed dead. The majority of the film shows the man’s journey to find what happened to the child. This film already has a very shocking and somber premise, but this beautiful song and its words add so much poignancy to the end scene.
Carlos Varela is a singer-songwriter form Havana, Cuba who is relatively unknown outside of the island. Varela has been singing and writing music for nearly three decades. His lyrics are considered part of the Nueva Trova movement, a political musical movement associated with the Cuban Revolution that uses poetry to comment on everyday life and political issues in Cuba. Varela’s open critique of the Cuban government and beautifully written lyrics have garnered attention from celebrities and musicians in the United States and hundreds of people on the island. “Una Palabra” is one of his most well-known songs, however, some of his other recordings include “Todos se Roban” and “Memorias.”
“Una Palabra” is another example of what happens when you mix seemingly simplistic lyrics, a bare melody, and the right arrangement. Varela’s use 0f space in this song adds so much to the overall feeling and sound. I’ve always been a big believer of “less is more;”how can you manipulate silence so that it can be given the same weight as sound, a word or musical note? The lyrics are beautiful too–you get the theme of the song within the first 2 to 3 lines:
The words are so beautiful and so simple that it leaves you wanting to hear more. Varela’s writing combined with his distinct voice has made him the subject of a HBO Latino documentary film titled, The Poet of Havana, airing this October. I look forward to seeing this documentary and hearing more of Carlos Varela’s music.
Are there any singers or groups that you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!
There are great singers that seem to define a musical genre. First of all, let me say that I have an issue with the word, “genre,”because I think this was something originally created as a marketing tool. Music is too dynamic, too fluid for such a confining term. For the purposes of this post, however, we’ll use it as a term that labels a specific type of music that the general public associates with certain performers and musicians. Singers like Whitney Houston, who is commonly associated with Pop and R&B music, or Ella Fitzgerald who is one of the heavies of Jazz, have become household names for these genres and have even contributed defining characteristics to each of these types of musics over the years.
What happens when vocalists branch outside of musics that are within their comfort zone? I thought of this one day while scrolling through a social media site as I came across a song called,”Thy Will,” by Hillary Scott & the Scott Family. Hillary Scott is one of three members (along with Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood) that make up the country group, Lady Antebellum. Although Hillary Scott is known for the group’s country music albums, the song, “Thy Will,” is considered a part of the Christian/Gospel music genre from a collaborative album project that she recorded with her family, titled Love Remains.
Here is a song from Lady Antebellum, called “Need You Now,” so that you can get an idea of what the band sounds like:
Whether for personal or financial reasons, vocalists sometimes branch out and experiment with different types of musics. It’s only natural because vocalists as artists love to try new things or experiment. I, myself, have always been impressed with singers who have amazing fluidity (the ability to adapt to a multitude of musical situations almost seamlessly). There are not very many who can accomplish this successfully. However, Hillary Scott’s song, “Thy Will,” is just one of several great examples of singers who can. Scott’s song references prayer and God throughout, but isn’t preachy or kitschy. The song is written and performed in such a way that is relatable, catchy, and upbeat, even though the theme of the song is very somber. Hillary Scott’s voice also adds hints of edgy Pop influence while still maintaining a certain amount of innocence.
Another example of a vocalist who has attempted to “cross-over” is Selena. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (commonly referred to as Selena) was a Mexican-American singer and songwriter. She was called the Queen of Tejano music, starting her career singing songs in Spanish, including her hit, “Como La Flor.” Listen below:
Later in her career, she would record an album, titled, Dreaming of You; an album that mixed English and Spanish lyrics, elements of Pop, R&B, and Rock music. The album, which was released after her untimely death, would be at the top of the Billboard 200 charts that year. Would she have lived, she would have most likely been a very successful singer and performer. Below is the title track from the album, called “Dreaming of You”:
The other singer that I have to bring up in this discussion is Gregory Porter. Even though some would peg Gregory and his music as simply Jazz, I would argue that he redefines it, blurring the lines between this music and the of Soul, Gospel, R&B and Pop musics. Gregory Porter has taken his talents to other types of music as well, collaborating with Hip-Hop artist, Common, and performing an electronic version of his original song, “Holding On,” with the duo, Disclosure. Below is Gregory Porter’s version of “Skylark,” a Jazz standard with Porter’s own twist:
Below is Gregory Porter and Disclosure’s version of “Holding On.”:
Porter is a modern example of a successful singer and performer who is constantly pushing the boundaries of musical genres, stepping outside of the box by simply bringing his own unique approach to each different musical situation.
Are there any groups or singers that you think have successfully “crossed-over” to other genres or blurred the lines? Leave a comment below!
This past weekend I participated in a performance piece called Out-Let: A Song Circle. The piece featured myself improvising off a set of four poems written by Scott C. Wells, while a musician named Conrad Burnham played sounds both in the background and almost in reaction to what I was doing vocally. It was organized by artist Paul W. Evans and had shirts designed by artist Sophia Allison. The piece was performed on the south side of South Weddington Park in Studio City in front of a bent tree. It was presented by KCHUNG Radio and it was created for CURRENT:LA, Los Angeles’ first public art biennial.
Although I have done something similar to this before (A Sublime Madness of the Soul), it was also very different. I was able to take different parts of each poem–words or phrases that stuck out to me–and sing or speak them in whatever way that I wanted. I was lucky enough to be collaborating with an organizer and writer who gave me the creative freedom to do what I wanted and trusted me to not completely mess up their piece. I was also incredibly lucky to be working with a musician who was intuitive and musical enough to interact with what I was doing and/or independently create his own ideas. Everything flowed surprisingly easy for a collaboration that really came together in only two weeks.
Below is the advertisement for the piece:
The image was created by Sophia Allison and the whole advertisement was put together by the organizer Paul W. Evans. Below is an image from the actual performance:
I hope to be a part of something like this again. The experience was another one of those opportunities that push you out of your comfort zone and test your abilities–the real time where you can truly grow as an artist, musician, and person.
This week, I’ve had Ibrahim Ferrer’s version of “Silencio” #OnRepeat. This version also features Omara Portuondo, another one of my favorite vocalists who is a part of the group, Buena Vista Social Club.
In case I haven’t written about Ibrahim Ferrer before, Ferrer is singer from Cuba who was a part of several different groups, including Afro-Cuban All Stars and, most notably, The Buena Vista Social Club. The group became popular in the 1990s when a documentary film about a club in Cuba under the same name and an album featuring some of Cuba’s older musicians were released. Although Ferrer, along with other members have passed on, their incredible musical contributions live on through recordings such as “Silencio.” Another great song by Ibrahim Ferrer to check out is “Dos Gardenias,” if you haven’t already done so.
“Silencio” is a sad song about someone who doesn’t want the flowers in their garden to know their sorrows because their sorrows might cause their flowers to die. The meaning of the lyrics don’t have the same meaning in English because some words get lost in translation, so please take the above translation with a grain of salt. The song itself is beautifully performed by Ibrahim Ferrer and Omara Portuondo; their voices perfectly reflect the sorrow and the beauty of the flowers that you hear in the lyrics. Ibrahim’s voice is so complex in its simplicity; it is very un-assuming.
Take a listen below:
Are there any songs where you think singers perfectly portray what is written in the lyrics? Leave a comment below!
This week, I’ve had Voctave’s arrangement of “The Great Movie Medley” #OnRepeat. After a pretty rough week, hearing John Williams’ music arranged in a purely a cappella setting, is just the right dose of happy music medicine.
Voctave is an a cappella group from Florida that was founded in 2015 and whose members have performed all over the world. The members of Voctave include Kate Lott, Tiffany Coburn, Ashley Espinoza, Sarah Whittemore, E. J. Cardona, Tony De Rosa, Kurt von Schmittou, Jacob C Fullerton, and Jamey Ray. Several of the members have won several awards, including Barbershop championships.
“The Great Movie Medley” is a tribute the great film composer, John Williams, and includes some of his most well-known film scores like Harry Potter, E.T., Star Wars, Superman, Hook, the Olympics Theme, Home Alone, Jurassic Park, Jaws and Indiana Jones. This beautifully, complex medley was arranged by Jamey Ray and directed by Doug Jackson. The arrangement gives a taste of each film score, while highlighting each singers’ incredible range, breath support and musicality.
Take a listen below:
So what do you guys think? Voctave has plenty of other great clips on YouTube, showcasing their amazing vocal talent and arranging; I just hope they come out with an album soon.
Are there any other vocal groups that you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!
For the past couple months, I’ve been lucky enough to collaborate on a recording project with some great musicians, called “I Won’t Hold My Breath.” Chris Rios played drums and was co-editor in video/audio editing, Romeo Palacios was on guitar, Chucky Kim played bass, I wrote the lyrics, melody and sang; David Castañeda wrote the music for the track and edited audio and the video.
After participating in a project like this, I will say that practicing the track ahead of time definitely would’ve helped in the recording process. The more you practice a song, the less you worry about lyrics and melody, and the more likely you are to try to step out (or in this case, sing out) and bring your own unique interpretation of the song to the recording. Plus, knowing the song makes the difference between two recording takes and, potentially ten takes.
I was extremely impressed with the amount of musicality, taste, and intuition that came from each musician that contributed to this project. When you have great people and musicians to work with, it creates a great, conducive working environment for creating, and it makes you want to create more.
Below is the link to the track on Sound Cloud. Please take a listen and feel free to leave any comments you might have.
Music video for “I Won’t Hold My Breath” should be released within the next couple weeks. For now, I hope you enjoy the track. Please listen and share.
This week, I’ve had Cecile McLorin Salvant’s version of “Wives and Lovers” #OnRepeat. I know I’ve written about Cecile before, but after seeing her perform live at the Playboy Jazz Festival this past Saturday, I just have to mention her again.
To be honest, I’ve been stuck on Cecile McLorin Salvant for awhile because of her incredible voice and ability to manipulate her sound. However, seeing her perform live is a whole other experience in and of itself. She takes full command of the stage and fills the whole theater with her sound and performance style (and I was sitting almost in the “nose-bleed”section of the venue). I highly encourage everyone watch their favorite vocalists or musical groups perform live; live music allows you to see how musicians adapt to real-life, musical situations and how their musical performance style differs from musician to musician.
“Wives and Lovers,” in my opinion, doesn’t deliver the best message to its audience, but the melody is catchy, and the lyrics have the same playfulness as the melody. Cecile really utilizes this playful, flirty ambience in the song, by whispering and using the higher part of her range. At the same time, though, she has such a powerful instrument that demands s0 much attention, it pulls you in.
Take a listen below to Cecile’s performance of “Wives and Lovers” from the 2015 season at the Hollywood Bowl:
Who are some new vocalists or musicians that you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!
