Emile

Showing Tag: "improv" (Show all posts)

DailySing - 207 (8.28.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, August 29, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I tried singing without relying on the BP I usually use as rhythmic accompaniment and felt hamstrung the whole time. 

It was fun to give validity and gravitas to whatever came out of my mouth without my built in backbeat. The different sections within the jam were more varied as I looked for ways to fill out the bottom. I explored a rhythmically based variation on the melody, I changed the rhythm almost as often as I changed musical sections. Of course, there was no other choice but to explore...
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DailySing - 184 (8.2.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, August 3, 2012,
During tonight's DailySing, I reached new depths in "allowing" while remaining alert. 

I was literally trying to BE the music, BE the improv, BE the VP rhythms. 

Allowing myself to see the music from the inside as I sing it and bring it into reality was an exercise in duality.

I lost track of time and sang for 16mns.

To listen to DailySing - 184, click here.

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DailySing - 182 (7.31.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
In order to change a result, you have to do things differently. To get a different result when doing vocal improv, one needs to set up parameters, or a structure before proceeding.

Tonight, I decided, no rhythmic component, which meant no VP, and no BP. I may have slipped once or twice and put some stank on it, but just for a couple of seconds. The whole thing sounded like a ballad, but with no swelling violins in the background.

It worked! The end result was much different from what I usually ...

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DailySing - 170 (7.19.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, July 20, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
In keeping with last night's discoveries around keeping happy thoughts while singing, I did just that and am a little surprised at how obvious it is. My joyous mood is affecting the music I chanel,  which leads me to tonight's discovery.

The most effective way to be creative in the moment with vocal improv, is to not rely on our brains, but to allow it to step aside while other senses take over. Just a light touch is all that's needed.

To listen to DailySing - 170, click here. 


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DailySing - 169 (7.18.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, July 19, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Not only do our thoughts create our own reality, but they color and influence everything we feel and do.

Tonight, I stayed focused on very happy thoughts and positive feelings while doing my exploratory singing. While I didn't find a direction influenced by my mood, I did find a distinct flavor to my musical choices.

I also found that thus occupied, my mind wasn't looking for ideas to come up with. It was all right there at my fingertips, as long as I didn't push too hard to lead and be in char...

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DailySing - 141 (6.20.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, June 21, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing started with confusion. My friend Will talks about a "sit up" place, which I think I've discovered quite by accident. As I understand it, it's a musical transitional moment of discomfort or "turbulence" , when we don't feel as confident. Maybe our voice wavers, we feel vulnerable, we back off instead of singing with confidence.

This is the place where the real work needs to be done. This is the place that calls for courage, the courage to feel the discomfort, the constricti...
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DailySing - 140 (6.19.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, June 20, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight I had odd meters on the brain before I started singing, so I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise when that's what came out of my mouth. The tempo was rapid and had a little swing to it. I didn't know if I could maintain. It wasn't a problem.

I skipped around between meters, like 5s, 7s and 9s, mostly because I really have to concentrate when I deal with odd meters, and I felt like I was on a runaway train that I had to hang on to for dear life.

I decided to give the VP free reign at...
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DailySing - 137 (6.16.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, June 17, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Still high from our performance at the L.A. Mixed Roots Festival and I wondered what would come of tonight's DailySing. I was not dissapointed at the results. The main theme took a few seconds to firm up once it was established, but after that is a rather extensive study of what to do if you're going to sing a long improv all by yourself.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, as all the ideas coming out of me seemed to flow effortlessly into one another. I found dfferent ways to depart from the main th...
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DailySing - 136 (6.15.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, June 16, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I felt like Reggae tonight, but what came out, while funky, was a far cry from Reggae. The accented beat was all wrong for Reggae, but it was danceable and had a good breat.

I went through a few different ways to approach soloing, but what really stood out was the vocal percussion or VP! What started out as just a section in the improv, turned into a full scale study of how I make the various sounds, how they can be modified, how different time signatures can all hang on the same tempo.

For exa...
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DailySing - 130 (6.9.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, June 10, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I was inspired... again... by my Improv Family. I was listening to what we did last night, and a piece of a riff stuck with me and when I opened my mouth to sing, it was there, with a little variation on the second measure, no less.

I didn't think that I'd have the breath to maintain that fast paced rhythm throughout, but I did.

I tried everything from switching rhythms to crooning over a bridge, from changing instruments and timbre to singing as purely as possible.

To listen to DailySing - 130,...
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DailySing - 129 (6.8.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, June 9, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I lost track of time again, and I was so into it!

Tonight's DailySing was inspired by my Improv Family, which consists of people who have taken any of Rhiannon's advanced workshops. It's a pleasure to sing with them, to connect different musical sensibilities and styles into a cohesive whole. So far we've done different permutations of Orchestra and Mystery Band.

DailySing - 129 is inspired by the session I just came from with my Improv Family. I explore the crafting of different sections tonig...
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DailySing - 128 (6.7.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, June 8, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I got lost in the improv and didn't realize that time was up for an extra 38 seconds.

It started as a slow, lazy riff and meandered through various musical landscapes before picking up speed at the bridge and becoming a raucous island jam for a few measures, before dropping back down into the funk of the slow, lazy riff.

I even went for lyrics and they weren't half bad, if I do say so myself.
 
There was a moment where I inserted VP into the melody, which led to focus on the rhythm section, which...
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DailySing - 127 (6.6.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, June 7, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I started tonight with the idea of using unique, new, and different sounds for my vocal palette.

The exploration also delved into juxtaposing various time signatures and rhythms within the same musical context.

Soloing was different because even if I went to a default melodic place, I still did it in this new way with a unique, new and different sound vocabulary. I explored lead guitar improvisational lines and it wasn't easy at all. I rediscovered that an instruments dictates the development o...
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DailySing - 115 (5.25.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, May 26, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing had humor in it. While listening to the playback, I was pleased with the way I was building the jam around the main melody, then breaking everything up with two vp interludes followed by a solo exploration, into a rhythmic approach to the next solo exploration. And that's just the first third of the whole improv.

I seem to be breaking the longer jams into sections in my mind. This one started with a theme that I kept throughout the singing. It essentially has a beginning mi...
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DailySing - 111 (5.21.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
What struck me first about tonight's DailySing was the smoothness of the transitions from one idea to another. I always expect them to be tight, but tonight they felt inspired.

The second thing that struck about tonight's session was the arc of the improv. There was a beginning, middle, and end with several bridges and side trips into various modes of improvisation.

The rhythmic application of non percussive vocal sounds, the beat established by the use of my hands drumming on my chest even whi...
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DailySing 107 (5.17.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, May 18, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing was weird to say the least. I did improvise, but in a slightly different way.

I've lately been fascinated by all things Kurt Elling and recently fell in love with the song Samurai Cowboy. I decided to see if I could sing this piece in any way shape or form, possibly interprete it a la Emile, and finally to find out what improvisations could come from this. 

This was one of those nights where no matter what you did, it sucked! I learned a lot though. Musically, Kurt Elling is...
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DailySing - 106 (5.16.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, May 17, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
When I opened my mouth tonight, rhythms came out, and I went with it. I tried layering different parts until I couldn't handle singing so many parts at once. I came back to a simple groove.

The next phase was adding a bass line to the groove along with some body percussion. From there, it was time to add a little solo in my upper range, boucing back and forth between that and the bass line.

After exploring various permutations of the groove line, I went into Nantucket Sleighride by the band Mou...
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DailySing - 105 (5.15.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I was proud of the way I started tonight. As I got ready to sing, my mind was racing with ideas and possibilities, so much so that I wished for some quiet... just so that could feel "the opening". I found it at the last possible nanosecond. My mouth was open and so many ideas were clamoring to be heard that I literally closed my eyes and some totally unknown music came out of my mouth. It was sweet!

Of course, I then had to develop whatever this was becoming and mine the possibilities for all ...
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DailySing - 102 (5.12.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, May 13, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight was fun! I still feel the effects from our Improv Family session last night. One of the people there has a unique interpretation of rhythm. She is steeped in West African music and I find myself not simply drawn to her rhythmic expression, but entranced by it. Her phrasing is also very West African. I find strips of Wolloff, Serere and Bambara rhythms in her choices. Singing with her is deeply satisfying... like comfort food. Melodically, her sense of phrasing is unique... very Africa...
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DailySing - 101 (5.11.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, May 12, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I've been enjoying these last few DailySings because of the dynamic quality that's come through each session. Tonight was no different, but the cause was unique.

Tonight was the first meeting of what I like to call Improv Family. Several of us got together and improvised in different configurations. I then left and got dinner out in downtown Culver City. By the time I was ready to do my DailySing, I had the richness of this entire evening to draw upon.

Towards the end, I even tried to sing word...
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DailySing - 99 (5.9.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, May 10, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Dynamic...! That's the best way to describe today's DailySing. I've been listening to Carlinhos Brown and Kurt Elling lately and I could feel the bits and pieces I've been picking up, start to gel and make sense inside me.

I started with a rhythm which I then layered (a la Carlinhos Brown) into polyrhythms using my hands and mouth. I then added my actual voice, played with made up language, and rhythmic counterpoint. Later on in the improv, I explore how I use my voice to solo with my falsetto...
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DailySing - 98 (5.8.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I was proud of the way I started tonight. I had had several very cool ideas and improvs throughout the day, but by the time I was to sing, I had a particular idea I wanted to revisit. I caught myself, and when I opened my mouth, I allowed anything to come through. I was rewarded with a direction I had not considered.

I was a little dissapointed about the fact that I fell asleep 3 separate times during my improv. Last duty after an unusually long day. Whatcha gonna do?

To listen to DailySing - 9...
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DailySing - 90 (4.30.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, May 1, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Singing felt like slogging through molasses tonight. Every foray into solo exploration was a chore. I wasn't inspired and kept finding myself sliding into default mode. I had to force myself to break whatever pattern I was slipping into, with each exploratory foray.

I tried improvising with words, with cuica sounds, with different rhythms, and with singing this piece as a ballad. Breaking it down into separate categories helps my brain monitor what I have and haven't worked on.

Still, I feel th...
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DailySing - 87 (4.27.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, April 28, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
It's good to be back and able to sing.

Tonight's DailySing felt effortless after being away from the singing universe for a few days. I did find myself drifting into patterns that seem to be my default. I was able to switch my mind and play with my defaults midstream.

At one point in the improv, I tried going into a Grateful Dead style jam which led me into deeper exploration. Toward the end, I even went into some spoken word.

It's easier to divide the 15 mns into three 5 mn sections, because ea...
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DailySing - 84 (4.24.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, April 25, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Well, this DailySing was as different from last night's session as can be. The "IT" that I discovered last night was a wavelength of energy. It's that same energy that "pops" during a screen test or that is referred to as "Pop"by many in the industry. When I listened today, I was reminded of how I let go when I sing in the car. I apparently got so carried away with creating sounds and patterns that I rarely use, that I woke up my wife last night.

Well tonight was much quieter, although just as...
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DailySing - 83 (4.23.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, April 24, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing was explosively original. 

I found IT! I can't describe IT except to say that IT's a certain concentration of energy focused outward. 

I let go of the reins of my mind, and felt as imagine it would feel like to be a berzerker of ancient Germania. The combination of raw power and freedom expressed in the explosive series of violent clashes is what I am experiencing at this point in my improvisation.

To listen to DailySing - 83, click here.


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DailySing - 79 (4.19.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, April 20, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing felt like it was all over the place. My improv wasn't exciting to me because I felt out of sorts. I felt out of sorts because I tried to record several times earlier in the day, but couldn't because of technical difficulties. I felt inspired then, but by the time I got it fixed, I wasn't in the mood to sing anything at all.

I did do some experimenting with whistling. I whistled the main melody I was working with, then added my voice at the same time. I sound like a "musical...
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DailySing - 77 (4.7.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, April 18, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
You'd think that I'd try to sing at different times during the day, but it's not been working out that way. However, I have discovered singing in the Element. In the car I have more freedom to let loose and sing big... It's fun!

Tonight's DailySing went places I hadn't expected to go. I was inspired earlier this evening by two events. First, by a friend who's working with autistic kids, using horses to calm, ground and reconnect them. The second, by two of my teachers who have received Sri Chi...
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DailySing - 76 (4.16.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Feeling run down and not like singing at all, but it' s turned out to be invigorating!

I do remember that at one point I fell asleep, but that comes later in the playback. So far I sound inspired. I'd listen to this if it were on a CD. That should be my project, to create a CD from all improvized pieces, then go back, overdub and flesh them all out. 

The way I'm singing tonight, it could work... Inspired creativity in the moment. I start with a riff and explore it, move away from it, come back ...
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DailySing - 71 (4.11.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, April 12, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I really enjoy my beginnings, the starting points in my improvisations. That moment when my mouth is open and I've initiated sound, yet it hasn't broken through to be heard, is the spark. Once that door has been opened, once that key has been turned, there's no going back. Once I hear the note, I try to feel it as I follow it to the place where it's going, and beyond to the next note and the next note and then I jump on the wave just below the threshold of the notes. That's the ride, that's t...
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DailySing - 68 (4.8.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, April 9, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Wow, my first DailySing in a couple of days! I'm still shaky but over whatever it was, for the most part.

Tonight, I went on a travelog to stretch a little, switching from blues to jazz to Afro-Cuban to spoken word, and finally to vocal percussion. My wife listened to me and suggested that I sing standing up instead of sitting at a desk or on the couch. The dynamics would be different, she says. She's right. In fact, I should try doing my DailySing practice at different times of the day, to ri...
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DailySing - 62 (4.2.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, April 3, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I survived April Fool's Day. Actually it was a great day! I learned Vinx's Tell My Feet, and Maggie and I taught it to the choir. We all had a blast!!!

Tonight, when I did my DailySing I found myself enjoying a free form improv, when about halfway through I started noodling with Tell My Feet, which I then improvised around. My inner musical landscape was very happy and positive as I explored making it my own for our upcoming concert. I suspect that these positive feelings are in part an extens...
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DailySing - 59 (3.30.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, March 31, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Today, I learned of the death of dear friend, beloved singer and fellow improviser Anne Potter. I will miss her sharp wit, quick mind and wicked sense of humour. When we improvised together, I always felt like we went to similar creative places for our inspiration, and I thought of her as my "creatin' cousin". I love her a lot and was thrown for a loop as the news of her death trickled through my body. I remembered an unflinching explorer pushing me to stay outside my comfort zone, who stayed...
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DailySing - 56 (3.27.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, March 28, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight I decided to try something different. Instead of just improvising, I sang Roberta Flack's well known ballad, The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face. I've never sung that song before and didn't now how to approach it, so I paired everything down to the bare essentials. I could hear wavering, and sliding and catching in my voice as I got acclimated to the song.

I used my daughter's Echo-Mic, and it's sound qualities to play different rhythms while I sang. It added another dimension for me a...
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DailySing - 55 (3.26.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, March 27, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's vocal exploration felt like a journey along a linear path... Kind of like a Grateful Dead jam, you know... Lots and LOTS of improvisation, for long periods of time!!!

I find myself stretching my capacity to sing octaves, to jump back and forth and land squarely on the note. A little like life.I am stretching my capacity to ask for what I want, for what I am worth and for what I deserve. I am expanding myself enough to see a glimpse of my core and that place that recognizes my self wo...
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DailySing - 54 (3.25.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, March 26, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I decided to start with a slow ballad-like melody to push my voice a little, to listen to my tone, to test my vocal control. I dipped, dove, soared, tumbled and spun with my voice. It was like an aerial display for my voice. Like last night's DailySing, I was trying to keep it together at the extremes of my range, by jumping back forth between the melody, the bass and solo motifs.

About halfway through, I switched from improvisation to singing Afro Blue. After a few passes I started to stretch...
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DailySing - 53 (3.24.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, March 25, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
When I opened my mouth to sing this evening, an old song just came out, so I went with it. I normally play guitar with this song, and found myself singing the guitar part along with the melody, since it's all a cappella. It's been so long that it was a bit of a rollercoaster ride remembering where the key was, which lyrics were used, how to make the different parts fit together as I bounced back and forth with my voice. I improvised a lot toward the end, as I was exploring untried possibiliti...
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DailySing - 50 (3.21.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, March 22, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing was a straight ahead journey into the unknown. I didn't put any restrictions on myself, or devise a structure upon which to hang the improvisation. It felt like I was gliding from one idea to the next, making the rules up as I went along. It was a freeing experience! I just opened my mouth and got out of the way! I didn't try to guide the improv, or anticipate the improv. I just rode the creative wave and embraced the process of birthing soundscapes while maintaining no at...
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DailySing - 49 (3.20.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, March 21, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
This DailySing was a little more coherent than the last one. I was so sleepy last night that I couldn't string together two simple thoughts, let alone describe what was going on in my inner musical landscape while I was singing.

Tonight, I explore my voice as "jazz singer", as another instrument in the band, as a tonal center. Kurt Elling, Al Jarreau, Frank Sinatra or Harry Conick Jr, all can sing in the same register in which they speak, so I tried it. I attempted to keep my throat and chest ...
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DailySing - 46 (3.17.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, March 18, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I'm proud of myself tonight, and feeling better about my ability to keep a theme going. 
I can depart from the original idea, play around, then come back to the main melodic phrase, then explore some other aspect of this thing called improvisation, and again return to the same main melodic phrase. I often come back to a variation of the main theme because I get so lost in my exploration that I forget what the theme is exactly and can only express an approximation of it.

 Tonight, I struck anoth...

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DailySing - 45 (3.16.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, March 17, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
"Dodging the Judges" should be the title of this blog entry. How to create  beauty yet stay unattached? The line between investing oneself and remaining unattached is undefined for me when I create music in the moment.
 
On the one hand I can stay hyper vigilant, as during a performance where I straddle being in control, yet spontaneous enough to keep the listener engaged. My spontaneous creations demand flexibility and adaptability, yet clarity and pitch can be greatly affected during an impro...
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DailySing - 23 (2.23.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, February 24, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
A friend suggested various interpretations of Happy Birthday for today's DailySing. So, I started several birthday improvs which led to variations of the birthday song I never envisioned. As this is happening at the end of a long day, I am aware of my focus coming and going. Sometimes, I thought I fell asleep, other times, I forgot what I was doing and would vamp until I'd remember that I was doing some guerilla arranging on the fly and add in a happy birthday line or two. I also put the reco...
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DailySing - 22 (2.22.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, February 23, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Wow...! 
Listening is a 7 layer cake that you slowly explore
Listening is a palpably varied and delicate tool
Listening moves me to tears, moves me to ecstacy
listening brings me back to myself
Listening makes me aware of the thick and heavy presence of mastery
Listening brings clarity and light to my inner landscape
Listening helps me guide my mojo (!)
Listening feeds my spirit
I did something different tonight in my singing. I sang a Victor Wooten song that I know, Heaven Is Where The Heart Is, and ...
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DailySing - 14 (2.14.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, February 15, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
One good thing I am doing is staying true to the spirit of improvisation when I do these DailySings. I know this because I am always surprised at where I end up, whether it be on a harmonic tangent, in a percussive interlude, or at the end of the whole piece. I never know where I'm going from one second to the next. Some very happy accidents happen this way. In fact, I'd say that a good portion of new innovative musical ideas are the result of unexpected occurences, "mistakes", my piano teach...
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DailySing - 13 (2.13.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, February 14, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Started out with a plan... First mistake! If you're going to improvise, then improvise, don't plan! Planning is the opposite of improvisation!!!
Thought I'd begin with some vocal percussion (vp), and explore how to develop those ideas for the full 15 minutes... Hah!!!
First of all as soon as I had that great idea, I could no longer come up with any vp parts. My brain shut down and I had already begun the 15 mns of improv. I tried desperately to come up with parts in a vacuum, where there were a...
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DailySing - 8 (2.8.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, February 9, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight was very flat feeling. I fell into my improvisation with the artless slothfullness of a jellied stone. I tried to stay open, but stayed blank instead. In the blankness, snipets of music come, some decent ideas even, but I try not to hold on to them. I'm trying to just be and let it flow through me, whatever form "it" takes... My brain is very busy, as I try to stay blank. Shards of thought debris litter the ground, as I try to navigate through them without touching them. I fail and th...
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If you can talk, you can sing


Emile Hassan Dyer I believe that singing is our birthright, and that it is good for our brains, bodies, and spirit. Singing releases oxytocin in the brain, and many studies have shown a correlation of oxytocin with human bonding, increases in trust, feelings of calmness and security, as well as reductions in anxiety. In other words, SINGING IS GOOD FOR YOU! I get high making up music on the spot. I get high(er) when I can do it with several people at once. There's nothing like riding the crest of a creative wave, linked harmonically and rhythmically, supporting, leading, following, creating, coaxing, cajoling, p-l-a-y-i-n-g... THAT'S MY BLISS! Singing for 15 minutes a day means trusting yourself. It means clearing your mind, opening up and discovering what sounds can come out through you, if you allow it. To listen to each of my daily sings, click on the "songs" link on the left in the grey field above the most recent post or on the link at the end of each post.

Categories

My DailySing practice is inspired by Will Hewett's Sing15 practice.

You can learn more about Sing15 at www.willhewett.com.

Tags

"creative wave"percussive lyrical vocal solos melody "richard bona "sing out loud 'vp guy" riffs sounds patterns 4/4 4/4 feel 4/4 time 6/8 6/8 bell 6/8 feel 6/8 time a cappella a cappella thang abandon accented beat accents act of singing actors adaptability addendums aeolian african vocal delivery afro blue afro funk afro-cuban air flow alive ambient apex approach arc arc of the improv architecture arrange arrangements arranging art artless aspect of music atmosphere attacked the singing audience backbeat background hum balance ballad ballad-like bass bass line bass lines bass llne be the sound beat beatbox beatboxing beats berimbaus berzerker bird song birthday birthing the melodies blog blues bluesy body percussion body rhythms bp brain brassy bre bridge bridges burst carlinhos brown catchy tune cd channel chant chants choices choir chops chorus clapping claps clarity classical clave climactic crescendo codification of play cohesion color compose compositions concert conduit conscious will contemplation continuity contrasting rhythms counterpoint courage create creating creation creations creative creative drive creative spirit creative stream creativity crfting crooning crossroads cuica dailysing dailysing-162 dailysings dance danceable decrescendo deep purple delicat depth depth of expression didjeridoos discipline discovering divine play djembe dorian double time download drama drive drone drum drummer drumming duet dynamic dynamic quality dynamics dynamite jam ease of delivery echo chamber echo effect echo mic ecstacy effortless electric guitar embody the sound emotional component emotional expression emotional landscape energetic wave energized energy engaging entertained epiphany evolve exhalation into sound exhuberance exhuberant exploration explore exploring express expression facilitate falsetto falsetto solo territory feel feeling fervor flexibility flow flowin' focus foundation frame drum free fall free form improv freedom freeing freestyle fresh friends frustration fun funk funkier funky funky beat genre genres goals golden bridge community choir good beat grammy awards grateful dead grateful dead jam gratitude gravitas grok groking groove groove thang groovebox grooveboxing grooves groovesrhythms groovin' in the pocket guide guitar guitarist gusto half time hands happy accidents harmonic tangent harmonies harmony head hear highlife horn horn section horns horses hum human voice humor humour i burn for you idea development improv improv family improvisation improvisational improvisational lines improvisations improvise improvised improvised pieces improviser improvising improvs in the music influence inner landscape inner musical landscape inner musical landscapes inner soundscape innovative inspiration inspirations inspired instrument instrumentalist instruments intent interlude intervals invert ionian island jam island music jaco pastorius alley jam jamme jazz jazz phrasings jazzed jellied stone jimi hendrix jobim journey joy judgment juxtapose juxtapositons in rhythm jzzy keys kilmer kurt elling landscapes layers lesson liberating life lion's roar listen listener listening listening abilities little wing locrian long tones lost loud love lower range lullaby lydian lyrical lyrics made up language main jam main melodic groove main melodic groove riff main melody main theme mastery measure melodic melodic choices melodic content melodic jazz bass lines melodic phrases melodically melodies melody memories mic microphone mid middle range mining a musical idea mixolydian modal modalities modes modulate mojo moments of silence mood motif motifs motivation mountain mouth move muse music music is the silence between the notes musical musical choices musical current musical currents musical explorer musical idea musical ideas musical journey musical landscape musical landscapes musical path musical sensibilities musical theory musical thread musicality musicalitymelody musically musicians my art my self mystery band nantucket sleighride nayabengi neutral note notes octave octaves odd meter open channel open conduit orchestra orchestral interaction orchestrate orchestration original out of rhythm out of time overdub pact pad palette passage passion pathos pattern patterns perceptions percussion percussionist percussive percussive interlude perform performance permutations phrase phrasing phrygian pianist piano pink floyd pitch places the music takes me play playback playful playfulness polyrhythmic polyrhythms possibilities power practice precision project psychologically pulse quicas quiet quiet mind range raw reality receptive record recording reggae register rehearsal rejuvenating repetitive rhiannon rhyme rhythm rhythmic rhythmic accompaniment rhythmic application rhythmic exploration rhythmic expression rhythmic groove rhythmic play rhythmic sense rhythmically rhythms richard bona land richness riff riffs ritual rock out rock steady rolling 6/8 romantic root rounds sacred sacred play samurai cowboy sang scale scales scating scatting sculptors senses sensitivity session shakers silence simple sing sing big singer singing singing a pattern singing out loud singing universe singing when asked to singing with no map ska sleep slow lazy riff snare solo soloed soloing solos song song play songs songwriting sonic sonic region sonic vibration sonic wall sotto voce soul song sound sound wavews sounded rough sounding soundings soundproof sounds soundscape soundscapes soup of living sounds source spaces speed spirit spirit of improvisation spiritually sated spoken spoken word spoken wordsung lyrics sting story stream of consciousness string strings style sublime sung sung words surge swat sweet sweet child in time sweet in the morning sweet jane sweet spot swing symphonicities syncopation tabla taught teachers tears technique tell my feet tempi tempo tenor text the groove the opening the sweet spot the voice the waters of march the zone thematic idea theme themes thought debris thoughts throat timbre time time dilation time signature time signatures tonal tonality tone tones training transition transitions tribal trippy true trumpet truths tune turn tv un-musical unique sound toys upbeat upper range upper register val vamp variation variations varied verses vinx violin violins vitality vocal vocal drum vocal drum riffs vocal embellishments vocal exploration vocal improv vocal percussion vocal percussion interlude vocal percussion interludes solo rhythmic approach vocal percussion land vocal range vocal travel log vocal trek vocalist vocalizing voice voice qualities voice-dance voioce vp wah-wah pedal walking walking bass line warm rhythms wave weird percussive noises west african music whistled whistling will witching word words words from the heart zimbabwe