Atton Rand & miscellaneous names (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
suitably_heroic) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2024-03-06 08:58 am
suitably_heroic) wrote in fandomhigh2024-03-06 08:58 am
Entry tags:
Music, Wednesday
Atton had somehow found himself a small stool, and he was sitting on it in front of the class. This was his topic, so he figured he’d take a little of the pressure off of Lana. For now, anyway.
“Singing,” he said, “Tends to be something people think they either have a talent for, or they don’t. That’s poodoo. Even I’ve had to grudgingly admit that technique and soft squishy ‘reach within yourself’ kind of crap has got something to do with doing it well.”
He tapped his chair with both hands. “Now there’s not just one way to sing,” he said. “Most music genres, in fact, have their own quirks, whether we’re talking about loud, dramatic operatic singing, loud, dramatic metal grunting, or… well, all of the soft stuff in between. We don’t have the time to focus on teaching you the intricacies of any of them, but we do have the time to get you started on the basics. Which mostly means breathing.”
He pushed up out of his chair. “Breathing and singing are linked. I mean, the noise we make when we open our mouths is basically our body manipulating our breath on the way out, right? When we sing, we mostly use our diaphragm, a muscle right underneath our lungs.” He patted it over his chest. “It, not our lungs, is really the key to breath control,” he said. “As I understand it, anyway.”
He glanced at the class.
“I want you all to stand up and put your hands right here.” He patted his chest again. “Then, without squaring your shoulders or making a big deal about it, inhale. Let your breath move that part of your chest, and nothing else.”
A breath.
“...and release,” he said. “There. Now you know the basic, very first, for-beginners breathing technique for singing. We’re going to practice a few more today.” Beat. “And then? You’re all doing karaoke.”
He looked towards Lana. “Including you.”
Lana raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't argue. "Whether any of us can carry a tune is apparently a question for another day." She didn't think she was terrible, but she wouldn't be quitting her day job. "If you've ever done meditation," she told the class, "the breath is a similar technique. The idea is that you want it to expand your diaphragm, which fills more of your lungs than just the top, which is what happens when you breathe shallowly."
She demonstrated that, too. "So, as Atton said, keep your attention here," she gestured, "and breathe deeply."
And hope you could remember the tune to something Earthly in your vocal range.
“Singing,” he said, “Tends to be something people think they either have a talent for, or they don’t. That’s poodoo. Even I’ve had to grudgingly admit that technique and soft squishy ‘reach within yourself’ kind of crap has got something to do with doing it well.”
He tapped his chair with both hands. “Now there’s not just one way to sing,” he said. “Most music genres, in fact, have their own quirks, whether we’re talking about loud, dramatic operatic singing, loud, dramatic metal grunting, or… well, all of the soft stuff in between. We don’t have the time to focus on teaching you the intricacies of any of them, but we do have the time to get you started on the basics. Which mostly means breathing.”
He pushed up out of his chair. “Breathing and singing are linked. I mean, the noise we make when we open our mouths is basically our body manipulating our breath on the way out, right? When we sing, we mostly use our diaphragm, a muscle right underneath our lungs.” He patted it over his chest. “It, not our lungs, is really the key to breath control,” he said. “As I understand it, anyway.”
He glanced at the class.
“I want you all to stand up and put your hands right here.” He patted his chest again. “Then, without squaring your shoulders or making a big deal about it, inhale. Let your breath move that part of your chest, and nothing else.”
A breath.
“...and release,” he said. “There. Now you know the basic, very first, for-beginners breathing technique for singing. We’re going to practice a few more today.” Beat. “And then? You’re all doing karaoke.”
He looked towards Lana. “Including you.”
Lana raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't argue. "Whether any of us can carry a tune is apparently a question for another day." She didn't think she was terrible, but she wouldn't be quitting her day job. "If you've ever done meditation," she told the class, "the breath is a similar technique. The idea is that you want it to expand your diaphragm, which fills more of your lungs than just the top, which is what happens when you breathe shallowly."
She demonstrated that, too. "So, as Atton said, keep your attention here," she gestured, "and breathe deeply."
And hope you could remember the tune to something Earthly in your vocal range.
Sign In!
Practice Your Breathing
Will you ever be able to stop hyperfocusing on your breathing again? Time to find out.
Karaoke!
Look, if everyone has to do it, does anyone genuinely look bad doing it?
Talk to the Teachers
OOC
Re: Karaoke!
"I can touch the planets through the roof of my car
You're reaching for the Heavens, only bark at the stars
Now all your hundred thousands best remember my name
I'd sucker punch an army if they got in my way..."
It was even a sort of radio friendly choice! Though, of course, he'd been doing this - and training his voice - for a while now, and it was easy to tell. So maybe it wasn't completely fair.
Re: Talk to the Teachers
He'd have liked more time at home these past few days.
Re: Karaoke!
I'm a bitch, I'm a lover
I'm a child, I'm a mother
I'm a sinner, I'm a saint
I do not feel ashamed
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
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Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
"Well, it's my birthday next week," he said. Casually, like he hadn't avoided giving that info out for decades at this point. "So I feel ancient."
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Sign In!
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Practice Your Breathing
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
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Re: Karaoke!
The veld is burning in the African sun
Black blood flows from the white man's gun
Locked in a jail for twenty-five years
Held like a lion in a cage of tears
Mandela will be free
Mandela, Nelson Mandela
Mandela will be free
Mandela, Nelson Mandela
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Sign In!
Re: Karaoke!
Oh, the loneliest girl in town
Is bought for pennies a price
We dress her up in lovely gowns
She's easy on the eyes
Her soul is black and it's a fact
That her sneer will eat you alive
And the buyer always brings her back
Because all she does is cry
So take what you want, take what you can
Take what you please, don't give a damn
Ask for forgiveness, never permission
Take what you want, take what you can
Take what you please, don't givе a damn
It's in the blood and this is tradition
Ooh-ooh
She definitely vibed with parts of this song though.
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Then, finally: "…Shut up."
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Not that she would use it if Atton objected, since this was hardly an emergency. But she was never above threats.
Re: Talk to the Teachers
(It was kind of touching that there were at least two people who cared. He was still going to grumble.)
"I don't know," he added, a moment later. "Maybe this weekend, I'll tell the roommate. But only to steal that bullet out of your arsenal."
Really!
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Or could she? Hmmm.
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
Re: Talk to the Teachers
"I'm going to be forty," he said. "It's all downhill from there. And I didn't exactly get far uphill."
Re: Talk to the Teachers
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Re: Talk to the Teachers