I need a kick ass camera because my current one SUCKS. I officially HATE point-and-shoots. -_____-;
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Ramblings on cameras
I need a kick ass camera because my current one SUCKS. I officially HATE point-and-shoots. -_____-;
Friday, June 25, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Ramblings on Learning an Opera Role - Part I
One thing that I'm realizing again and again as I learn my first role is this: there's a huge difference between the theoretical and the practical. I've read the books, the interviews, the blogs etc. so I knew before taking on this task that learning a role and creating a character would be both a challenge and a joy. My role isn't a huge one: she's the maid Clarina in Rossini's first opera La Cambiale di Matrimonio. She probably gets about fifteen minutes max of stage time. But my expectations of what would be difficult and what would be easy were a bit off.
Contrary to by expectations, the technical side seems to be the most difficult. The entire role sits uncomfortably on my passaggio. The 'eh' vowel of 'contento' on a G5 is pretty much murdering me right now. Also, keeping the legato line throughout this area is very difficult; therefore, focusing my sound for accurate placement isn't all the way there. And, of course, it's Rossini so there are loads of fast, tongue-twistery words that must be learned correctly the first time. This means repetition repetition repetition! Slow and meticulous learning. Undoing things that you've learned incorrectly is much more tedious that this so I have to take it slow.
Memorization, something I thought I'd have trouble with, is not a problem at all. I suppose knowing the language is helping. Thank God I invested those two years in high school learning Italian. I'm not fluent (yet!) but just knowing the basics helps a lot with memory. This skill proved crucial since most of my character's scenes are in ensembles. Meaning that I need to not only memorize what I'm saying but what everyone else on stage is saying. Knowledge of everyone else's lines is important because without it, there is so realistic reaction. Part of making a situation and character believable on stage is your reaction. In real life, people listen then react. To do this effectively, preparation is necessary. Of course after the preparation, the trick is to not anticipate on stage and make everything seem like it's happening for the first time.
Characterization was another aspect I thought I'd have more trouble with. After reading the libretto and analyzing it, I found Clarina a relatable character. She funny, sarcastic, smart, and loving. Throughout the opera, she speaks to everyone formally expect the head man servant, Norton. Funny, in'nt? She always uses the 'tu' form with him and her speech seems very comfortable around him. There's a bit of history between them. And from her aria, I think it quite possible that she's in love with him. However, nothing is ever said out-right, almost like she's expecting him to make the first move. The hints are there. Either Norton picks them up or he doesn't. And if he doesn't, Clarina's not going to lose too much sleep over it. Or maybe... maybe they had sparks fly in the past but things never worked out-- perhaps that's the reason for her ambiguity. Either way, she's a woman. I can relate to that.
And of course, my biggest hurdle: procrastination. I'm notorious for this. But I know myself. I'm pushing myself to do a little everyday because too much will cause a burn out. A couple of measures, a few lines a day keeps be both productive and even motivated to do more. Research shows that learning something bit by bit helps with long-term memory! I also know that I can't learn anything in a week so pacing myself and learning in advance is a must.
That's it for now. I'm considering this a series of blog entries. I'll post more when more revelations have occurred. Hah! I meant, thoughts. ;)
/rambling ^_^
Contrary to by expectations, the technical side seems to be the most difficult. The entire role sits uncomfortably on my passaggio. The 'eh' vowel of 'contento' on a G5 is pretty much murdering me right now. Also, keeping the legato line throughout this area is very difficult; therefore, focusing my sound for accurate placement isn't all the way there. And, of course, it's Rossini so there are loads of fast, tongue-twistery words that must be learned correctly the first time. This means repetition repetition repetition! Slow and meticulous learning. Undoing things that you've learned incorrectly is much more tedious that this so I have to take it slow.
Memorization, something I thought I'd have trouble with, is not a problem at all. I suppose knowing the language is helping. Thank God I invested those two years in high school learning Italian. I'm not fluent (yet!) but just knowing the basics helps a lot with memory. This skill proved crucial since most of my character's scenes are in ensembles. Meaning that I need to not only memorize what I'm saying but what everyone else on stage is saying. Knowledge of everyone else's lines is important because without it, there is so realistic reaction. Part of making a situation and character believable on stage is your reaction. In real life, people listen then react. To do this effectively, preparation is necessary. Of course after the preparation, the trick is to not anticipate on stage and make everything seem like it's happening for the first time.
Characterization was another aspect I thought I'd have more trouble with. After reading the libretto and analyzing it, I found Clarina a relatable character. She funny, sarcastic, smart, and loving. Throughout the opera, she speaks to everyone formally expect the head man servant, Norton. Funny, in'nt? She always uses the 'tu' form with him and her speech seems very comfortable around him. There's a bit of history between them. And from her aria, I think it quite possible that she's in love with him. However, nothing is ever said out-right, almost like she's expecting him to make the first move. The hints are there. Either Norton picks them up or he doesn't. And if he doesn't, Clarina's not going to lose too much sleep over it. Or maybe... maybe they had sparks fly in the past but things never worked out-- perhaps that's the reason for her ambiguity. Either way, she's a woman. I can relate to that.
And of course, my biggest hurdle: procrastination. I'm notorious for this. But I know myself. I'm pushing myself to do a little everyday because too much will cause a burn out. A couple of measures, a few lines a day keeps be both productive and even motivated to do more. Research shows that learning something bit by bit helps with long-term memory! I also know that I can't learn anything in a week so pacing myself and learning in advance is a must.
That's it for now. I'm considering this a series of blog entries. I'll post more when more revelations have occurred. Hah! I meant, thoughts. ;)
/rambling ^_^
Monday, June 7, 2010
Ramblings on tonight's episode of Lie to Me
As you may already know, I'm a huge fan of the FOX TV series Lie to Me. The writing's decent, the science is always compelling (though sometimes, poetic license is taken for dramatic effect. It's all good), the acting is fantastic and so are the characters. So, when the first episode of Lie to Me in almost six months came along tonight, needless to say, I was overjoyed! And it was worth the wait. Tonight's episode definitely delivered.
First, something brief about the science.
During the lecture scene, Martin was right: defense doesn't necessarily mean deception. Nixon was under a lot of stress during that press conference-- the whole purpose of which was to defend himself. Martin's observation about looking for signs to prove deception instead of the other way around is also true. It happens to most of us (hell, I don't think "all of us" would be too big of a stretch) and it's a very dangerous problem when trying to detect deception. When you don't like someone, even with the benefit of the doubt, you have a hard time expecting the best out of them. That's why good first impressions and reputations are such powerful things. It just may be that we're watching that clip of Nixon and thinking "He's a liar. He lied about Watergate and he's lying about it right now." without objectively looking at the clues. This is all very much human and why this technique isn't foolproof. However, if I hadn't known the history, I think that there are enough clues that point towards deception in that clip to make me confident that Nixon was lying. That glance downward wasn't for his notes. No way. It wasn't a glance downward; that was a nod when he said he's not a crook. The hesitation is another sigh and the head shake when he said he's earned everything he has is a obvious gestural slip. Oh, and something I just noticed: he sets his jaw after he finishes the sentence. He's hiding something. I'm glad they addressed this issue. No one can be completely objective. The show sometimes forgets this and occasionally makes the science out to be cut and dry, flawless. But it isn't. It's a damn good tool, that's all it is.
Now...
"Beat the Devil" set up a lot of things, touching on them just enough to create a basis for many possible plot arcs. There was the issues of Lightman's gambling issue. How many times during the episode did he "bet" against people? He bet Martin during the lecture scene. That was a more physical bet. He literally threw down $200. He then "bet" agent Reynolds that Martin would leave with a girl from the restaurant in ten minutes. He does it again in Martin's mum's house. It was established earlier in the second season that Cal has a gambling problem. I have a sick feeling that problem just might come out of the woodwork.
Cal's kidnapping and torture was also intriguing. He's tough. Makes me wonder what his days in MI6 were like.
There was also the increased tension between Cal and Gillian, most obvious in the final scene between them. It looks like Gil's heeding Helen's advice to keep her distance from Cal which would have to mean that there's something to step away from. I think Gill feels Cal's pull and she's pushing him away. I find it an interesting directorial choice for her to retreat behind her desk after Cal asked her to dinner. Hrm... Oh and, Cal gets kidnapped, tortured and almost murdered and all Gill says to him is "I'm glad you're okay." That's not bad writing, people. That was done intentionally. Emotional distance. Not to say that she doesn't feel true relief; she's choosing not to show all of it. But anyways, I can't blame the girl. Cal's a handful... and then some. She just got out of a marriage that had huge communication problems so she knows how hurtful that can be. And we all know that Cal is the king of communication problems. Honestly, I don't know if I like these two as a couple. I know! Don't kill me! Haha! I feel like their friendship is too great for me to see romance in there. They've always been touchy-feely and always very intimate so it's hard for me to read into things without that small voice in my head going "They're just friends...." Needless to say, a relationship would be very interesting.
I must mention this: Tim Roth's acting = consistently amazing. I love that guy-- cockney accent, bad posture, weird swagger and all!
Loker/Torres. Need I say more? What is going on between these two??? Lie to Me plants body language clues. This is a known fact. As an audience member, we're left to decide what is planted and what isn't. I have a hard time believing that the ones in the final scene between Loker and Torres in the observation room were simply acting choices. Torres' proximity, her lean, the head tilt, the way she had her hip out, her smile... Come on! I wonder what these two would be like if they did venture off into a relationship. They're such polar opposites, kinda like Cal and Gil. One thing's for certain though: it'd be HOT. A small bit of me wonders where that cute school teacher's gone. Hrm...
Lie to Me is one of the few shows that balance the character aspect and the procedural aspect well. House and Burn Notice are the only other shows that come to mind at the moment. It manages to be profound while being smart and fast-paced; a character study while being scientific and it manages to hold on to its razor-sharp wit through it all (tonight's episode had some great, smart lines. Some of the best dialogue writing I've heard on this show yet). This show explore many themes but irony is the thing that gets me: the one person who sees more than anyone is the one with the biggest communication problem. That, in turn, is just like the science: just because you see the emotions doesn't mean that you know the reasons behind them.
Don't worry, I won't be reviewing every TV show that I watch. Gosh, that would be terrible to read. Thanks for suffering through this one. Haha! There were just too many good points to point out in this episode!
First, something brief about the science.
During the lecture scene, Martin was right: defense doesn't necessarily mean deception. Nixon was under a lot of stress during that press conference-- the whole purpose of which was to defend himself. Martin's observation about looking for signs to prove deception instead of the other way around is also true. It happens to most of us (hell, I don't think "all of us" would be too big of a stretch) and it's a very dangerous problem when trying to detect deception. When you don't like someone, even with the benefit of the doubt, you have a hard time expecting the best out of them. That's why good first impressions and reputations are such powerful things. It just may be that we're watching that clip of Nixon and thinking "He's a liar. He lied about Watergate and he's lying about it right now." without objectively looking at the clues. This is all very much human and why this technique isn't foolproof. However, if I hadn't known the history, I think that there are enough clues that point towards deception in that clip to make me confident that Nixon was lying. That glance downward wasn't for his notes. No way. It wasn't a glance downward; that was a nod when he said he's not a crook. The hesitation is another sigh and the head shake when he said he's earned everything he has is a obvious gestural slip. Oh, and something I just noticed: he sets his jaw after he finishes the sentence. He's hiding something. I'm glad they addressed this issue. No one can be completely objective. The show sometimes forgets this and occasionally makes the science out to be cut and dry, flawless. But it isn't. It's a damn good tool, that's all it is.
Now...
"Beat the Devil" set up a lot of things, touching on them just enough to create a basis for many possible plot arcs. There was the issues of Lightman's gambling issue. How many times during the episode did he "bet" against people? He bet Martin during the lecture scene. That was a more physical bet. He literally threw down $200. He then "bet" agent Reynolds that Martin would leave with a girl from the restaurant in ten minutes. He does it again in Martin's mum's house. It was established earlier in the second season that Cal has a gambling problem. I have a sick feeling that problem just might come out of the woodwork.
Cal's kidnapping and torture was also intriguing. He's tough. Makes me wonder what his days in MI6 were like.
There was also the increased tension between Cal and Gillian, most obvious in the final scene between them. It looks like Gil's heeding Helen's advice to keep her distance from Cal which would have to mean that there's something to step away from. I think Gill feels Cal's pull and she's pushing him away. I find it an interesting directorial choice for her to retreat behind her desk after Cal asked her to dinner. Hrm... Oh and, Cal gets kidnapped, tortured and almost murdered and all Gill says to him is "I'm glad you're okay." That's not bad writing, people. That was done intentionally. Emotional distance. Not to say that she doesn't feel true relief; she's choosing not to show all of it. But anyways, I can't blame the girl. Cal's a handful... and then some. She just got out of a marriage that had huge communication problems so she knows how hurtful that can be. And we all know that Cal is the king of communication problems. Honestly, I don't know if I like these two as a couple. I know! Don't kill me! Haha! I feel like their friendship is too great for me to see romance in there. They've always been touchy-feely and always very intimate so it's hard for me to read into things without that small voice in my head going "They're just friends...." Needless to say, a relationship would be very interesting.
I must mention this: Tim Roth's acting = consistently amazing. I love that guy-- cockney accent, bad posture, weird swagger and all!
Loker/Torres. Need I say more? What is going on between these two??? Lie to Me plants body language clues. This is a known fact. As an audience member, we're left to decide what is planted and what isn't. I have a hard time believing that the ones in the final scene between Loker and Torres in the observation room were simply acting choices. Torres' proximity, her lean, the head tilt, the way she had her hip out, her smile... Come on! I wonder what these two would be like if they did venture off into a relationship. They're such polar opposites, kinda like Cal and Gil. One thing's for certain though: it'd be HOT. A small bit of me wonders where that cute school teacher's gone. Hrm...
Lie to Me is one of the few shows that balance the character aspect and the procedural aspect well. House and Burn Notice are the only other shows that come to mind at the moment. It manages to be profound while being smart and fast-paced; a character study while being scientific and it manages to hold on to its razor-sharp wit through it all (tonight's episode had some great, smart lines. Some of the best dialogue writing I've heard on this show yet). This show explore many themes but irony is the thing that gets me: the one person who sees more than anyone is the one with the biggest communication problem. That, in turn, is just like the science: just because you see the emotions doesn't mean that you know the reasons behind them.
Don't worry, I won't be reviewing every TV show that I watch. Gosh, that would be terrible to read. Thanks for suffering through this one. Haha! There were just too many good points to point out in this episode!
Introductory Ramblings
Not that anybody is actually following my blog but whatever! Just in case people think I'm absolutely and helplessly insane, this is a bit of an explanation/excuse for my madness.
This blog will be a place for my random thoughts, observations and word-vomitage. Right now, I think it will be mostly made up of music, art, literature, vintage related geek-outs, along with occasional chronicling of the life of an undergrad vocal performance major/aspiring opera singer. And as you know, music majors tend to be a little........ off, if you know what I mean.
Okay so, you are now forewarned of what this place holds. Heh...
Much love,
Rach
This blog will be a place for my random thoughts, observations and word-vomitage. Right now, I think it will be mostly made up of music, art, literature, vintage related geek-outs, along with occasional chronicling of the life of an undergrad vocal performance major/aspiring opera singer. And as you know, music majors tend to be a little........ off, if you know what I mean.
Okay so, you are now forewarned of what this place holds. Heh...
Much love,
Rach
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