The perfect name

I found the perfect name for my dog. I found a bunch of good ones, actually, but one stood out. I can't wait to tell you, and I can't wait to use it, because it's a word that I always LOVE hearing you say out loud.

"Reef"

I was going to send you the book for Christmas, and it would have made a very good Christmas present, but 這 是 一 個 什 麼 都 來 不 及 的 世 界。 希 望 你 喜 歡 這 一 份 禮 物。 不 單 是 我 的 情 意, 亦 間 接 反 映 了 我 們 之 間 許 多 難 以 言 喻 的 默 契, 我 們 倆 相 處 的 一 些 慣 例。

Illusions

A Light

要 燃 亮 自 己﹐ 照 亮 別 人 -- 梅 艷 芳

Tongue

Recent breakthrough -- all of a sudden while I was driving in my car, I finally figured out what my teacher Dave Britton was trying to teach me all along when he said to get my tongue out of the way when I'm vocalizing.

If you try to be too self-conscious about it, it doesn't work (and that's true of most any technique in singing), but once I figured out how to place my tongue properly, all that is left is a rounded and open space in my mouth to create a free and open sound. And it's not just about creating space -- when your tongue is in the right place, it also helps you to "place" your projection forward.

The result? (1) A more forward and pointed sound; (2) A warmer sound because of the extra space inside your mouth; (3) easier access up and down your range, because now your breath can truly travel freely and you have less muscle getting involved and getting in the way. I can honestly say singing has just gotten 50% easier than ever before, but with 150% better production in terms of resonance and volume.

The last time I got such a breakthrough was when I figured out how to narrow my voice through the passaggio.

The Best Thing

最好的事 - 林憶蓮

作詞：李宗盛　作曲：黃韻仁

天陰有雨　我在想你

這一年裡　有苦有甜蜜

那無心的言語　掛慮猜疑　只是小插曲

都變成勇氣　讓我們守在一起

眼看那時間咻的一下子過去 到了冬季

在過去的日子裡你的怪脾氣　我會把它忘記

這三百六十五天所有的回憶　我能想起

最好的事　那就是愛著你

最好的事　那就是愛著　愛著你

不是運氣　好多的努力

愛不容易　如果不願意

從陌生相遇　如今熟悉　

喜歡我和你之間的關係　是愛人也是知己

眼看那時間咻的一下子過去　到了冬季

在過去的日子裡你的好脾氣　我會好好珍惜

這三百六十五天所有的回憶　我能想起

最好的事　那就是愛著你

最好的事　那就是愛著　愛著你

Rejuvenation

Somehow, after every episode of the flu, throat infection, or other such ailments, and the accompanying month or two months of vocal debilitation, my voice comes back stronger and better. Or could it be just the fact that I am getting older?

Even as late as mid-August, when I was back in California with plenty of sleep and rest, my singing voice was thin, hoarse, and without resonance. Almost as soon as I returned to Virginia, I was able to sing like I used to before. Humidity was a theory I considered, but if that had an effect, I would have heard much better singing from myself during the time I was in DC.

The only explanation I have is that I am now back to a regular singing schedule, as opposed to the summer when I barely had 5 minutes to sing every day. I have also become much more conscious about not dropping my breath support as I sustain my notes. When I am cognizant of having to keep my breath streaming, the results are far more consistent and reliable than I have known before. It all goes back to fundamentals of voice training.

Getting Back

Voice is almost back to full strength. Every such illness usually sidetracks me for 1 - 2 months, which is frustrating. Coupled with the lack of practice time, my voice is now coarse even in the places just slightly above my mid-range. Must get back to vocalizes soon.

Life

誰 自 願 獨 立 於 天 地, 痛 了 也 讓 人 看?
你 我 卻 須 要在 人 前 被 仰 望!
連 造 夢 亦 未 敢 想 像 我 會 這 樣 硬 朗
但 是 又 怎 可 使 你 或 我 失 望

看 著 眼 前 人 睡 了, 和 幸 福 多 接 近!
等 了 多 年 這 角 色, 做 你 的 女 人
我 沒 有 權 來 令 你 承 受 太 多 的 情 感
但 我 始 終 不 過 是 個 人!

Day and Night

朝 朝 暮 暮
我 說 冷 風 無 力 令 老 樹 搖 動
你 說 雪 花 飄 忽 灰 色 天 地 中
厚 厚 信 紙 卻 不 可 以 抱 擁
只 有 透 著 紙 背 塑 造 你 面 容 . . .

我 說 氣 溫 前 夜 令 我 著 涼 後
你 說 最 好 多 飲 溫 馨 的 熱 酒
我 卻 已 經 再 不 需 要 處 方
早 已 過 時 的 語 句 如 何 問 候?

我 沒 法 再 知 現 在 現 在 你 哭 或 笑
說 了 吃 了 多 少 怎 會 不 重 要?
這 道 理 我 懂, 然 而 事 實 並 沒 法 相 信
情 若 真 的 久 遠 不 在 乎 平 常 分 秒!

如 何 明 白 凌 晨 在 你 是 黎 明
你 我 那 可 分 享 偏 差 的 繁 星
我 看 我 的 信 紙 堆 滿 卻 無 聲
彷 似 你 在 觀 看 雨 或 雪, 但 誰 能 做 證?

Experimenting with Space

Recently, I started to experiment with creating a more "rounded" space in my mouth when I vocalize. The theory behind this trial is to create more space for resonance, and also to prompt myself to get my consonants out of the way more swiftly (you cannot emphasize consonants too deliberately when you are trying to keep that "O" shape in your cavity). Of course, I have also had to remind myself to keep my tongue placement correct.

Early results have been encouraging -- the resonance is fuller, and the sound is warmer to my ear. However, I have no way of telling what it sounds like from beyond three feet (which is the more important consideration). I am also trying to determine whether this technique introduces unnecessary tension elsewhere. Of course, this technique may not be very applicable to my passagio at all, and may cause me to neglect narrowing my notes and vowels in preparation for the necessary transitions to my head voice.

Quite a bit to think about, but connecting myself back to these vocal challenges is giving me tremendous satisfaction and a greater sense of purpose.

WWYD?

I just saw a news video about a golden adopting six kittens, on top of her own six puppies.

What would you do if your Tsu decided to do the same thing? I think it will drive you crazy. I will watch with quiet amusement before stepping in to help you out. A little bit of karmic justice for the bad things you say about cats :-)

Professor Earl C. Dudley, Jr.

When I look back upon my time at the law school, I will remember, with fondness and gratitude, Professor Earl C. Dudley, Jr.. The first time I met this distinguished gentleman was during my first semester here. I went up to the faculty offices, and was trying to find a professor when Professor Dudley, seeing my look of confusion and query, kindly asked whether he could help point me in the right direction. It was a very brief moment, but his kindness came across clearly.

I didn't have a chance to interact with him again until my team was preparing for the Sutherland Constitutional Moot Court Competition. We desperately needed a good coach, especially one who was well-versed in 4th Amendment issues. Upon the shortest notice, we (sheepishly) asked for Professor Dudley's help. Without even a moment's hesitation, he agreed to coach us. Two hours of instruction from him were worth more than any practice we could have done on our own. I really shouldn't be surprised, as he was the Editor-in-Chief of the law review when he was a student here, clerked for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and litigated for many years at one of the most respected law firms in the nation. If anybody knew how to argue a case, it was him.

My admiration for Professor Dudley grew immensely when I had the good fortune to take his Evidence class. It wasn't just about his excellent teaching; he is truly a learned gentleman in the best sense of the word, a man who exhibits wisdom, class, and decency at every turn. It's hard to pinpoint anything in particular, but anyone who listens to his stories about the choices he made, and how he handled different situations, would come to the same conclusion. This is a person who has always been at the pinnacle of his profession, and yet he never fails to demonstrate kindness and understanding to the people around him.

He retired as of last week. I had the pleasure of having lunch with him today, received more advice from him about my career, and most importantly, got to thank him for teaching me, by his example, some important lessons that go well beyond the law. This sounds like such a cliche, but I hope that by the time I retire, I will have replicated at least some of the good things that Professor Dudley did for his friends, colleagues, and students. He will remain a great role model for all of us.

Leonbergers

This is the second kind of dog I'd like to have. I came across this breed, for the first time, one night when I was leaving the law school at 9. I was tired, even a little bit cranky, but my irritableness was swept away as I crossed the parking lot and saw these two ENORMOUS dogs! I picked up my pace, and as I approached, the dogs kept on turning back to look at me - sufficient invitation from my point of view! The owner, Jim, was kind enough to stop for me, and introduced me to Cass and May, who were just so enthusiastic to come greet me. Cass, in particular, kept on wanting to jump up on me with his paws on my shoulder. May, being the lady, was a bit more reserved, but very welcoming regardless. Having my (empty) lunch box with me may have had something to do with it, but they were the sweetest and friendliest canines. A bit of research afterwards told me that leos are known to be friendly and very good with people (including kids) in general.

Note to G: I wonder if my leo(s) will get along with your golden. Tsu might get a little bit freaked out, but I'll make sure my dogs behave. :-) But first, you have to go get Tsu.

We have to go to a dog show together.

La Divina

I have been listening to quite a bit of Callas lately. Over the years, volumes have been written about her artistic merit - saying the subject is controversial would be an understatement. My opinion is that most of her detractors are looking for a "soothing" and "pretty" voice, which completely misses the point. There are plenty of "pretty" voices around, but good storytellers are hard to find. She was one of the best. It is no wonder that people credit her for single-handedly putting drama (in the best sense) back into the art of singing.

Here is a clip of hers from the 70's - when she was nearing the end of her life, and was far from the peak of her powers. True, she had to push a lot to get to the high notes, and her breath slipped in a few places, but listen to how she sustained the core of her sound -- that's all breath support and she's still got most of it. More importantly, she still told one heck of a story like no one else could.

After you listen to the Callas clip, contrast that with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's version. Technically, the Dame was just incredible. She showed off her trademark warm timbre, and her resonance could knock anybody off their feet. It's not hard to discern why she's regarded as one of the best lyric sopranos to have graced the stage. But the story was conspicuously missing -- what happened to "Babbo, pieta! Pieta!"? Lauretta was aching! She was tortured! She wanted to throw herself into the Arno and die! Dame Te Kanawa made it sound like she was having tea with the ladies and just discovered how divine chocolates with raspberry centers can be.

Sometimes it's not just about singing "pretty."

A Simple Culinary Rule

It's Alumni Weekend, and the school arranged for a caterer to feed its loyal supporters, in the hopes that satiated appetites lead to open wallets. (Note: I don't know how much alcohol is involved as part of the inducement).

The caterers set up a staging area in the foyer outside of my journal's office, where I was studying, so I had a chance to observe, and to chat with the staff. One lady said, "We welcome volunteers!" Now, I don't know whether they would ever allow an outsider to touch the food, but many cooks will tell you that, up to a certain extent, observation can be as valuable as practice. As a cook, one of the most important things to acquire is that culinary sixth sense of what goes with what, and how far you can stretch the possibilities. Watching always helps. If I get to do any mise en place, I will count that as a bonus.

The company is called 20 South. I immediately took a liking to the tone of their menus. Their stuff is down-to-earth, but they manage to put in various touches here and there to keep it creative and classy. The way I see it, these chefs understand the principle that it's not always about going WAY out to be creative and fancy, especially when you don't want to be upstaging the event for which you are catering (not to mention that they are somewhat hampered by the narrow spectrum of ingredients available in Central Virginia - more on this subject later).

They had a nice quote on their Web site to explain this philosophy: "You can’t put foie gras and caviar in front of 100 guests—10 of them will love you, and the other 90 will be left hungry." Well put, I say. It also aligns with the observation that the more people cook, the more they trend towards the basics, because ultimately - simple works.

I think I can learn some good stuff from these people, so we'll see if I can fit that into my schedule next year.

* Pictured (Top): 20 South's "Mini-BLTs" - diced apple bacon, roma tomatoes, and lettuce tossed in a basil mayonnaise, and served on a miniature buttered toast cup. (Bottom) Not sure, but I think those are seared scallops.

Priceless

A Tribute

「都是應該的」

-- 向「茁壯行動」發起人梅艷芳小姐致敬 -- 茁壯行動委員會

【明報專訊】因為你的善心，因為你的策動和全情投入，5年來許多莘莘學子得以繼續學業茁壯成長，全因你的發起，影響了多少條生命！

雖然你人不在，你的精神從來沒有離開過，我們秉承你的愛心，5年來努力盡責管理善款工作，作為我們對你的由衷致敬及深深的懷念。

不用謝，都是應該的。

Who Will Arrive First?

My dog? Or your dog?

You: "What are you doing now?"

Me: "Nothing in particular."

"Can you come over?"

"Why? What's up?"

"Just come over." [Woof!]

"She's here!! She's here!!!!"

[Slam down the phone, rush out the door, drive hazardously, park haphazardly, run up to the door . . . .]

Happily ever after.

OK, so I guess your dog will come first.

Shaping Up

When the only opportunities for you to sing are in the car or at home for limited periods of time, it's very easy to get complacent with your technique, especially since you have the benefits of echoes in an enclosed space. But the simplest vocalizes will expose you. When I tried to sustain a mezzo-piano the other day, it became readily apparent that (a) I have no control; (b) I'm still getting too much of my larynx involved; and (c) I really need to get back to the basics again.

The thought of practicing mono-syllabic staccati depresses me somewhat, but you do what you gotta do.

It's funny to think that the first person who ever taught me anything about singing was Paul's ex-wife Michelle (who I had a chance to see recently). I remember she said, "If you can sustain a very light breath and keep it steady, that's when you know you're good." I never really understood it until I started to take lessons, and then I realized that she was, in essence, talking about the elusive sustained piano / pianissimo. We haven't even started talking about doing that above my passagio yet. Years away, my friend.

Time to shape up before it all slips away.

Encouragement

「當 你 面 前 有 一 個 困 難 時 ， 千 萬 不 要 將 它 看 成 是 一 面 牆 。 因 為 它 其 實 只 是 一 幕 窗 簾 ， 只 要 走 過 去 用 手 去 撥 一 下 ， 就 可 以 撥 開 來 。」

-- 梅 艷 芳﹐ 2002 明 報 周 刊 訪 問

Wisdom

I like this quote:

人善人欺天不欺 人惡人怕天不怕.

Oh, a translation would be helpful, wouldn't it? Roughly:

Some people may tread upon the kind ones, but the heavens will not;
Some people may shrink from the cruel ones, but the heavens will not.

Spot On

Here's a mini "treatise" on some characteristics that make great singing (and why American Idol, which forces people into one narrow mould, rewards unnecessary vocal pyrotechnics and embellishments, and induces contestants to put WAY too much weight on their vocal cords, is completely off the mark).

By music critic Gene Lees, in his sleeve note to Perry Como's 1968 album "Look To Your Heart":

Despite his immense popularity, Como is rarely given credit for what, once you stop and think of it, he so clearly is: one of the great singers and one of the great artists of our time. Perhaps the reason people rarely talk about his formidable attributes as a singer is that he makes so little fuss about them. That celebrated ease of his has been too little understood. Ease in any art is the result of mastery over the details of the craft . . . . Como got them together so completely that the muscles don’t even show. It seems effortless, but a good deal of effort has gone into making it seem so . . . .

The hidden work makes him look like Mr. Casual, and too many people are taken in by it — but happily so. I have of necessity given a good deal of thought and study to the art of singing, and Como's work consistently astonishes me. He is a fantastic technician. Listen in this album to the perfection of his intonation, the beauty of the sound he produces, the constant comfortable breath control. And take notice of his high notes. Laymen are often impressed by the high note you can hear for five blocks. Professionals know that it is far more difficult to hit a high note quietly. Como lights on a C or D at the top of a tune as softly as a bird on a branch, not even shaking it. And then there's his phrasing. A number of our best singers phrase well. The usual technique is to rethink the lyrics of a song to see how they would come out if you were saying them, and then approximate in singing the normal speech inflections and rhythms. This often involves altering the melody, but it is a legitimate practice and when done well can be quite striking.

But Como is beyond that. He apparently does not find it necessary to change the melodic line in order to infuse a song with emotion. A great jazz trumpeter once told me, "After fifteen years of playing, I’ve come to the conclusion that the hardest thing to do is to play melody, play it straight and get feeling into it." Como has been doing this from the beginning. Stylistically, he comes out of the Bing Crosby-Russ Colombo school. That was all a long time ago. Como has been his own man for many years now. He sounds like nobody else. And nobody sounds like him, either.

***He is hard to imitate precisely because his work is so free of tricks and gimmicks. There are no mannerisms for another singer to pick up from him. All one can do is try to sing as well and as honestly as Como, and any singer who does that will end up sounding like himself, not Como.***

Singing, allegedly

OK, so I was going to write some long diatribe about this, and I will probably still do that, but take a look at this article first and you will get a quick survey of everything that is wrong with singing today - or at least when people pretend / attempt / struggle to sing today.

http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/listoftheday/17793/the-ten-most-annoying-singers

When I read the entry on Michael Bolton, it was like, "Amen!" I am not alone.

Choice quote (again, about Bolton): "Who else can take a love song and turn it into a hernia? When a man loves a woman he doesn't do so by screaming in her ear--so why should it be acceptable for a man to sing a sensitive love song as if he's directing traffic for the hearing impaired?"

One of my future pets

My four favorite breeds are goldens, samoyeds, burnese mountain dogs, and leonbergers. Below is a picture of a golden I would love to call my own. I'll find representative pics of the others and post them up later.

Esq. v. (Future) Esq.

We argue over the silliest things, counselor. And I enjoy every minute of it, because they form part of the contours of our relationship.

Quintessential Anita

Watch the fluidity of her movements and her overall body language. She barely had to move her feet - she conveyed everything with her arms, the slightest shifts in her upper body, her eyes, and her hands (in particular, pay attention to how she uses her fingers to great effect). There are just some things you can't pre-arrange or choreograph. Another person can do the same exact motions but still come out looking like an idiot.

It came out later that the choreographer had budgeted eight hours to show her everything, and thought filming might have to stretch into a second day, but she learned the entire sequence in two hours, and wrapped up all filming on the same night, within eight hours total.

Best birthday present

From my twin brother who remembered how much I like Totoro

Anita Mui - Heart Sutra

This is one of my favorites. In 1995, a bunch of singers banded together to put out a fund-raising CD to benefit a local Buddhist temple. They chose a famous prayer (I guess a "sutra"), set it to a tune, and produced 15 different arrangements, each to be interpreted by one singer or more. The results were, well . . . ahem . . . mixed. The words mean something, but many of the less gifted singers were so preoccupied with showing off their "personalities" and "style" (neither of which they truly possessed) that they completely neglected to express the meaning of the prayer. (I will discuss this general idea in a later post).

One commentator remarked, "The best was Anita Mui's version - you do get a sense of epiphany and understanding after listening to her. Prudence Lau made it sound like she was singing something about a one night stand; the Grasshoppers made it sound like a dance party." You get the idea.

So listen to how she made it her own, without sacrificing the purpose and meaning of the song.