Emile

Showing Tag: "sing" (Show all posts)

DailySing - 211 (9.5.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, September 6, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
At some point in this process of singing every day, you hit a wall. A great wall as thick as anything you can imagine. It takes a tremendous act of will to break the lethargy and inertia.

The rolling funky fun fresh beat of tonight's jam is rhythmically varied and often interspersed with VP (vocal percussion) interludes. From a rhythmic standpoint, this sounds like a lot of fun.

I feel that my choices for solo voice in my upper range always sound the same. I'll see what I can do to break it up ...
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DailySing - 208 (8.29.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, August 30, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I've had a wondrous day, full of wondrous experiences, from the tastes, scents, and sensually rich sounds to the sobering daily reminders of my mortality. Ok, maybe not wondrous, but still a damn good day rooted as it was, in the appreciation of the mundane.

The vitality I felt was transfered to the music I sang. With gusto and fervor didst I enter the funky realm of VP (Vocal Percussion), bass grooves and syncopation!

I felt tonight's division of time was in 2 eight minute segments instead of ...
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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 - 206 (8.27.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, August 28, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Today I had the luxury of beng home and I took advantage by singing on the balcony during this most beautiful afternoon.

This tune came out that comes around accasionally, and instead of trying to go somewhere new and different, I stuck with it and discovered different and new ways to playwith, stretch, invert, modulate and dance around the main melodic idea.It was quite the learning experience, and I felt re-energized!

I had a good time, and I can hear it in the playback. 

To listen to DailySin...
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DailySing - 205 (8.26.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, August 27, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I sang outside several times during the day today. It was sublime. The ideas wouldn't stop coming and they were as varied as they were exciting! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to use these opportunities to do my DailySing.

Now, at the end of the day when I have the time, the energy, drive, creativity and will are fading fast. I think about my BFF at times like these and try to forge on.

This singing session felt like I was just going through the motions, although when I feel like this, just singi...
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DailySing - 204 (8.23.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, August 24, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Free fall...! That's what tonight's session felt like

Once I had a theme, or recurring melodic pattern, it was off to the races. I spent all of my singing time playing with variations on the main theme, as well as ideas of a less traditional nature. 

Rhythm played a huge part in my creative process for this session. I used radically opposing rhythms to define different musical sections, as well as to change the mood and atmosphere of the ongoing jam.

Do yourself a favor, and listen to DailySing ...
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DailySing - 203 (8.22.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, August 23, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight, I sat in contemplation before beginning to sing. I was contemplating the source or root of the sounds that come through me, and how my emotions have a decided effect on what comes out of me.

I read the account of a young woman at VixCamp, a bass and nature camp, who was recounting her inner journey as her body was walking through the woods, blindfolded, homing in on the sound of a distant drumbeat By the time she was close to the drum and felt a hand on her arm to help her sit in a ci...
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DailySing - 194 (8.12.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, August 13, 2012,
I'm just back from an event called Family Camp in the Santa Cruz mountains... where I led about 120 people singing sacred chants, exploring beatboxing, vocal percussion, and vocal improv among the redwoods. It was AWESOME!!! My heart is sooooo full!

...So why am I having discontent and resentment around continuing my DailySing practice? Why do I get this feeling, after a long day that I couldn't be bothered? This is my thing, right? It's what I do, so what's the problem?

I am looking at this th...
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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 - 183 (8.1.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, August 2, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I thought I'd try something different tonight and actually sing while playing another instrument, other than my body.
I used a flower pot or planter with a hole smaller than the body for the tabla-like sound. My mind wandered while I did this and I thought of a duet between voice and bass.

I also soloed and used long drawn out notes over highly rhythmic percussion. At other times, using my voice, I played rhythmic counterpoint to the fake tabla.

My explorations were often in an entirely differen...
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DailySing - 180 (7.29.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, July 30, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
There's an up energy that I have around my music lately. I can hear it in the choices I made in tonight's DailySing, in the choices I make when I randomly pick a sound pattern from a crowded room or the street and riff on it.

I haven't been too worried about going to my defaults lately, but have been working them in new ways and from more of an architectural perspective. Crafting a sonic piece from a perspective other than that of a singer or even of an instrumentalist, but the perspective of ...
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DailySing - 178 (7.27.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, July 28, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
A bright exhuberant DailySing with plenty of explorations and sections of effusive rhythms and joyfully sung melodies. 

I feel full of effervescent life energy and it's coming out in hearfelt musicality. 
I suggest that anyone reading my words try this.

Focus on a positive or happy thought or feeling. Let it build and swell until it's in your heart/gut... then open your mouth to sing. Don't anticipate, don't think... remain blank in your mind, while allowing your heart/gut to run riot.
What comes...
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DailySing - 176 (7.25.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, July 26, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I have to say that the timbre of the last two DailySings has been joyful and bright.

Today, I sang as soon as I came home out on the balcony. I did attract a little attention from a few passersby, but it didn't matter. The music was exhuberant and energized. One of these days, I'll do it in the park.

The traffic and other ambient sounds provided a nice backdrop or pad for my improv. I found a melody and was able to come back to it with no problem. I was also able to stick to the same groove wit...
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DailySing - 175 (7.24.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, July 25, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Wide ranging... That's what I call tonight's DailySing. I started in one rhythm and feel, and abruptly changed to something rhythmically different, while keeping the melody or a variation thereof.

I began with a laid back 4/4 , then went into a 4/4 rock steady feel. Later on, I was basically switching between a rolling 6/8 feel and the 4/4 rock steady beat. Those were my two interpretations of the melody I set up. I had a lot of fun jumping back and forth between the melody and my various solo...
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DailySing - 173 (7.22.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, July 23, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I feel joy and elation, coupled with some playful energy as a direct result of my earlier singing experience today.

The studies that measure brain health are pretty straightforward in their findings of a corrolation between singing and increased brain plasticity and function. Fascinating stuff.

 I did a good job starting with a theme and coming back to it successfully, time after time.

To listen to DailySing - 173, click here.

 

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DailySing - 172 (7.21.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, July 23, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
There are times when the musical landscape that I traverse is irksome to me, bleak and scarred and deserted.

That's how singing feels tonight... Just so empty.
I can find nothing that points to my present feelings. I'm just devoid of all creativity, curiosity and will.

I'm sure that this too shall pass. I am hesitant to download the recording that resulted from these feelings.
I'll decide in the next few days.

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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 - 168 (7.17.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, July 18, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
My thoughts were lyrical in nature and tonight's DailySing reflects that.

A friend and fellow drummer and singer turned me onto Symphonicities, an album with Sting backed up by a classical orchestra. I was able to listen to a song called I Burn For You, in which the orchestration was simultaneously rich and sparse to great effect.

I imagined my musical co-conspirator and I exchanging patterns, riffs, and ideas ad infinitum, with vocal variations on the main melody and rhythmic textures to excit...
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DailySing - 165 (7.14.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, July 15, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Being true to my current emotional state, and bringing it through my singing.

Emotional expression both literal and abstract was the theme tonight.

I explored leaving the melody for parts unknown and coming back to it without needing to come up with a variation. Yea, my memory is improving!

Scating was another feature of this jam, as was the percussion section, and the lyrics that poured out of my heart.

To listen to DailySing - 165, click here.

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DailySing - 164 (7.13.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, July 14, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
The theme for tonight... Staying Fresh!

What does that mean?
Staying fresh means not falling into known patterns, or staying away from comfortable "default settings."

From bass solos to vocal modal explorations to percussive interludes... It's all gottta be F-R-E-S-H...!!! Unused, untried, and strangely enough... innocent

I'm gonna sing now, and see if any of this applies.

Of course it was entirely not what I expected. I knew enough to keep singing, which brought me to a place of acceptance for my...
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DailySing - 162 (7.11.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, July 12, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I wanted to reach into a person's mind and know that they hear my bass line.

I want them to sing and feel the bass line, so that when I depart from it, they still hear it, psychologically.

I did this all throughout tonight's DailySing.

To listen to DailySing - 162, click here.
 

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DailySing - 159 (7.8.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, July 9, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Memories are an excellent conduit for creativity, whether it be for actors, scuptors, or musicians.

In the same way that an actor accesses his or her emotions through memory, so too can a singer bring forth rich material as inspiration, as subject matter, as an entry to places where we can transport a listener or an entire audience.

Tonight, I revisited places, emotions and states of mind from this past week, from the bitttersweet to the sublime. 
The trick is to not let oneself get distracted f...
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DailySing - 158 (7.7.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, July 7, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Early morning sing to greet the day.

Just open yourself up to the day, the sun, the breeze, the rising heat, the dappled shadows cast by the trees, the bird song.

Open yourself up to every detail you become aware of as you sit in nature in the early morning, then sing each one.

Lift your voice to the heat of the sun, let your melody follow the feel of the wind, and any other early morning inspiration.

Finally, notice how it makes you feel inside your body, your mind and about the day.

To listen to...
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DailySing - 157 (7.6.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, July 6, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Sweet to sing in the early morning sunshine!

I was stuck trying desperately not to replicate Bobby's Sweet In The Morning, so I let myself drift from idea to idea, exploring each one, but never really gelling with anything until that funky beat that pulled WORDS out of me.

It Feels So Good In The Morning Time
It Feels So Good In The Morning Time
Life Feels Fine.
The Sunshine Feels Fine.
I Feel Fine.
 


To Listen to DailySing - 157, click here... after 7/9/2012

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DailySing - 156 (7.5.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, July 6, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Riding the wave of the now... That's how I tried to approach this sing. It was after a long day, and I could hear how tired I was when I began to sing. I didn't mind falling into old patterns or defaults. In fact, I explored them in greater depth than I have in a long time.

That was liberating in its own way, because I wasn't monitoring myself and allowing for the discovery of unknown territory within my strengths.

As I said earlier, it was the end of a long day, and I fell asleep...several tim...
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DailySing - 155 (7.4.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, July 5, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Intervals are tonight's byword. The second part of the main melodic phrase was a decrescendo with odd intervals which gives the funky groove added validity and weight.

All explorations away from the main melody were different from one another which was an achievement.

I did get lost and drift off, even singing for an extra 18 mns. 


To listen to DailySing - 155, wait until after 7/9/2012, and click here

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DailySing - 154 (7.3.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, July 4, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Here it is...

The funky beat that keeps bubbling under the surface of my spirit. I decided to let it burst forth, so to speak.

It feels good to let myself be carried along. It makes me wonder if I shouldn't explore singing and scatting very rhythmically oriented material that people want to move and groove to.

I explored a little soloing in my upper register, jumping back and forth between it and the main melody.

To listen to DailySing - 154, click here after 7/9/2012.

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DailySing - 152 (7.1.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, July 2, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Percussion is a part of the array of rhythmic sounds that we relegate to instruments, yet these sounds can be imitated and new ones created as part of a larger vocal vocabulary.

Instead of using vocal percussion to merely keep the beat imitating a drummer, this vocal array of percussive sounds can be incorporated with tonal sounds to enrich a solo, bass line, or main melody.

To listen to DailySing - 152, wait until after 7/9/2012, then click here.

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DailySing - 151 (6.30.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, July 1, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Another road trip for tonight's DailySing...

As varied as these different themes were, they felt like defaults that I always fall back on.

Playback was a little frustrating. At least now I know what to change n the furture.

To listen to DailySing - 151, click here.

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DailySing - 150 (6.29.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, June 30, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Listening to tonight's DailySing, I am surprised at how dynamic it sounds.

 I definitely took myself, as audience, on a true musical journey, not just through changes in rhythm, tempo, or melodic content, but in mood, and atmosphere, along with perceptions altered by musical choices.


 There's an emotional component to the very production of sound, to every facet and aspect of music.


 It felt like I was taping into a wide variety of choices, and a deep rich pool of musical possibilities.


To listen...
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DailySing - 149 (6.28.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, June 29, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I tripped and fell into tonight's groove. It's one that bounces around inside my psyche and comes to the surface from time to time.

The cool thing about it coming up when I started to sing was that, with a semi-known groove, I had more freedom to experiment and play with the tempo, the rhythms, harmonies, and even some counterpoint.

Sudden departures from a theme can be attributed to my use of free will. I'm so used to feeling where the song wants to go that I rarely use my will to control outc...
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DailySing - 148 (6.27.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, June 28, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
What started as a fun island sounding groove morphed into something a little funkier and even more fun!

This didn't last all that long. The funky island fun groove became an exercise in staying awake, then when I did doze, it became about singing for the full 15 mns. Forget modalities, scales and musical theory. This was about something primal like survival. Like keeping my promise to myself! By the end it just involved making sound... producing sound... For 15 mns...!

To listen to DailySing - ...
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DailySing - 146 (6.25.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing finds me experimenting... as usual!

I started with a drone which slowly resolved into something with an inherent structure. I then added a beat on mychest, which further defined the structure and allowed for the creation of a melody.

I soloed over this creation and went off on tangents with different rhythms, and time signatures, berfore coming back to the main jam time and again. After a bit, the main jam morphed into a variation, but then went further and redefined itself....
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DailySing - 144 (6.23.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, June 24, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight, I experienced a true journey through my musical landscape. A part of me was the detached observer, yet I was still able to focus completely on what I was doing.

It was thrilling to watch ideas morph and grow through repetition. Each time through, the part I was singing would change in service to the song, sometimes getting more complex, but most often getting simpler and clearer.

There was a VP (vocal percussion) section where I was able to visit 4/4, 6/8, and jump from beatboxing to V...

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DailySing - 143 (6.22.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, June 23, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I kept falling asleep in the middle of singing various idea, during tonight's DailySing. Being up since 5 AM is no excuse.

I started tonight with a jaunty little African steeped motor to get the ball rolling. It was lively and made you tap your foot. 

After some vocal exploration, I heard the music stop.... I abruptly started up in a totally different genre. This new groove lasted for a little while.... silence... A different genre again, and so on and so forth.

To listen to DailySing - 143, cli...

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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 - 138 (6.17.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, June 18, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I started tonight's DailySing with a blank slate, so that I could be true to whatever was coming through me.

While the BP helped ground the music with a mean backbeat, I left it out for long periods of time to explore my voice qualities when I solo, without the distraction of a groove. I never thought I'd ever say THAT!

Other times, I changed the beat from a straight 4/4 to a 6/8 feel to see where the different peception would take me. It made for a varied and entertaining creation.

To listen to...
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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 - 134 (6.13.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, June 14, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I did it again. Just as I was sitting down to sing, I had all of these musical ideas come into my head. It took a conscious will to ignore them and just open my mouth while keeping a blank mind.

The intros are rough with this method, because I'm trying to fit what I'm hearing into a pattern for something already established, yet I'm trying to do just that very thing while establishing a rhythm.

The solo exploration was revealing as usual, about where I put my voice in my throat and chest along ...
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DailySing - 132 (6.11.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, June 12, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
It took a little effort to find "it" tonight. I had different riffs in mind before I even started, and wanted to remain open with no preconceived ideas. At first, I changed ideas every time something came out of my mouth, until I settled on something that was in the moment.

Once I found a groove, Itried to stay fresh by changing rhythms, having multiple solos each based on differing parameters, a couple of vocal percussion moments and I was down to 3 minutes.

I let go even further and lost trac...
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DailySing - 131 (6.10.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, June 11, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
The first 10 mns of tonight's DailySing just flew by. All of a sudden, there were only 5 mns left to go.

I was able to come back to the main melody time after time this evening with no trouble.

 The explorations involved switching rhythm and tempo, spoken word, sung lyrics, solo tone work, along with body and vocal percussion.


To liten to DailySing - 131, click here.

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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 126 - (6.5.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, June 6, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing was about holding on, for me. After establishing an island sounding riff, I gave myself over to an exploration of solos.

I wonder, how does your instrument affect how you interprete a piece of music? 

As a guitarist, I'll listen for melodic and rhythmic cues to follow.

As a percussionist, I'll listen for a pattern between the rhythms and the melody.
As a vocalist, I listen to the silence in between the notes, and try to taylor my musical ideas to fit.
As a pianist I listen to t...
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DailySing - 123 (6.2.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, June 3, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I went about singing tonight with the same "nose to the grindstone" attitude that I had last night. This slogging through my own barriers and obstacles feels like a phase in the learning, and it doesn't feel like it'll end soon. 

I ranged far and wide in my vocal explorations tonight. To keep going in my upper register, several solos were based on the electric guitar with wah-wah pedal. 

There was a smidgeon of spoken word and some rhythmic play and some ballad-like passages.
I am very blessed t...
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DailySing - 122 (6.1.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, June 2, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight I just put my head down and worked it out. I tried some spoken word right away and that felt semi-ok.

Afterwards, I explored jumping from the groove to a solo and back again.

Toward the end of the session I wanted to go back to the original melody, but couldn't remember it. Exploration outside the box began at that point. Changing rhythms, no rhythm, plenty of soaring long tones for my solo search, etc...

To listen to DailySing - 122, click here.

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DailySing - 121 (5.31.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, June 1, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight was special!
 
I let go of whatever tension/stress/angst I've been holding inside myself. It was therapeutic! I sang with no filter and was rewarded with an interesting and varied DailySing.

I gave myself permission to make sounds that are considered un-musical, and mashed them up with riffs that I was spittin' earlier.

I took radically juxtaposed rhythms and fitted them into something altogether different. Right here in my own living room, I felt the same freedom as I feel when singing i...
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DailySing - 119 (5.29.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I decided to shake things up a little tonight. After establishing a groove, the first solo exploration I went into was about flowing some lyrics on the fly. Although I still suck at it, I can see a definite improvement in my delivery and word choices.

That was exciting, but I followed that phase with an exploration of my upper register as I became a guitar, horn section, bass, and finally a whole drum set. In between each foray into town... I had fun!

To listen to DailySing - 119, click here.

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DailySing - 116 (5.26.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, May 27, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
This session had a playful quality for me. After establishing the melodic phrase, for my first exploration, I went all VP on it.

My second exploration centered around the upper range of my voice, the precision and clarity of my tone when I jump from one octave to another.

My third exploration used lyrics on the fly, which wasn't as difficult as I expected, but I kept it short anyway. I then followed that up with different forays into the extremes of my range. Jumping from a bass groove to the s...
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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 - 114 (5.24.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, May 25, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Distant... is how I felt while singing tonight's DailySing. I was in a standard jazz headspace for the longest time, and explored all kinds of permutations for solos. 

I then felt the need to change everything and got into a quick highlife beat which devolved into a funk default that I often use. I followed that with a reggae groove which slid into a ballad-like solo. I wound up at another funky default that uses some vocal percussion then back to ballad-like solo, to funky groove, to Afro fun...
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DailySing - 113 (5.23.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, May 24, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I was struck by the disparity between what we "perform" and what we glean from the playback.

While I was singing, I felt on top of the world. When I listened to the playback, my perceptions were different and I could hear the flaws that had not been evident until after the adrenaline wore off. 

Many brilliant ideas remain, and when I started tonight's DailySing, I was inpired.
There are rhythmic grooves, long strains of solo voice, vocal percussion and a lot more in this session.

To listen to Dai...
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DailySing - 112 (5.22.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing felt like one long jam! It was fun from beginning to end! Even when I transitioned to different tempi, feel, or genre of music, I held it together.

I went to some "outside" places for tonight's session. I literally just held on for the ride. The all vocal percussion section near the ballad section, near the jazz section, etc...

To listen to DailySing - 112, click here.

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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 - 110 (5.20.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, May 21, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I took it old school tonight, and literally didn't sensor any thought as it came to mind. When an idea was fully explored, I felt perfectly fine with changing melodies or grooves immediately, and launching into a new world of exploration.

At one point, it was all about the rhythms I was playing and singing out about. It felt very avant-garde and experimental, and yet familiar at the same time. I played percussion on my chest while doing VP and really enjoyed the richness of the textures out he...
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DailySing - 109 (5.19.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, May 20, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing was the expression of a satiated spirit, slow, loose, easy and relaxed. Maybe a little too relaxed as I dozed off five times.

I started in a slow ballad mode, and during the playback, I can hear myself sounding more and more tired, and less and less coherent musically. I was very content with what I was experiencing and stopped mid-phrase. A few seconds of dead air, then I come back in as if nothing had ever happened.

I even added some syncopation to the melody in lieu of a ...
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DailySing - 108 (5.18.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, May 19, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Surreal is how tonigh's DailySing felt. I came home at 11:30 pm and didn't have any time to waste, so I went down to the car. Sitting in a dark parking garage with only the glow of my iPod on the dashboard to see by. This time, none of my neighbors walked by the car while I was clapping, making weird percussive noises, and singing at the top my lungs.

I didn't sensor myself and allowed whatever came through, to come through unchecked. I explored the upper register of my voice while soloing, an...
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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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Dailying - 104 (5.14.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DalySing started as a fast jazz oriented walking bass line which quickly morphed into something a little funkier, and after several permutations , my solo voice sang sotto voce and building to a bluesy passage.

I sang in the living room while my wife sat by and spun yarn. I wasn't embarrassed nor was I using her as an audience to work that energy up in myself. However, I think her presence affected my performance in some subtle way.

I played with rhythm a lot, yet, I was able to balan...
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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 - 100 (5.10.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, May 11, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I was tired and sleepy when I started tonight's DailySing. As groggy and grumpy as I was, I've now been energized!

I began with an exploration of my voice in its middle range, then ventured into falsetto solo territory. I explored different avenues, but eventually found myself playing with a riff from Deep Purple's Sweet Child In Time. This allowed me to play with various rhythms on my chest while exploring how to sing best with fists and hands slapping my sternum.

Vocal percussion came to the ...
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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 - 97 (5.7.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I feel totally uninspired and mechanical. However, when I listen to the playback, it doesn't sound half bad and I wonder at the role of perception in my life. We (humans) alter our appearance, what we say, and even what we think in order to be perceived a certain way.

I had fun exploring my upper register again, but a harder time returning to the melody... and it changed all throught the 15 minutes. 

To listen to DailySing - 97, click here.

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DailySing - 96 (5.6.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, May 8, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Well... it didn't happen. I was so exhausted I fell asleep after putting my daughter to bed, and woke up at 12:30 AM.
I had been meaning to sing all day, but never got around to it. Always, later later later...

Well, the best thing to do after you fall off your horse, is to get right back on.

I'll sing and blog tomorrow!

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DailySing - 95 (5.5.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, May 6, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I literally started this DailySing with 14 minutes left in the day. I explored that jumping back and forth  between holding down the groove then singing in my extreme upper range, as I imitate different solo instruments, guitar, piano, trumpet...

After a while it's no longer about the kind of instrument or the different melodic choices made because of the nature of the instrument, but the examination of my extreme upper range and that dead space that comes after my highest note.

When that's ove...

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DailySing - 94 (5.4.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, May 5, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Jumped at the chance to sing in the car again. It was late and I was burnt out after a long day.

Even though I started out calmly, the more I sang, the more exhuberant I got, the more chances I took, and the more boundaries I pushed. I thoroughly explored the high end of my range tonight.

I had fun jumping from holding down the backbeat with bass and VP, to flying high in a solo at the apex of my range, and back again.

To listen to more of DailySing - 94, click here.

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DailySing - 93 (5.3.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, May 4, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing felt like a jumping marathon. I jumped from one idea to the next to the next to the next to the next... without fleshing any of these brilliant ideas out.

Abandonning the rhythmic component while I explored spoken word and vocal soloing was exhilarating. The lack of rhythm gives me more freedom, but less structure. Musicality is maintained by occasional references to the melody. A little rhythm and no melody works well for spoken word also.

To listen to DailySing - 93, click...
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DailySing - 92 (5.2.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, May 3, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing came on the heels of the one that got away. I was so tired last night, that I fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 12:45 AM.

I let the spirit guide me tonight and it felt like having to readjust to a feeling of familiarity.
It didn't feel like me singing, and I didn't like it.

I am tired. Maybe things will make more sense in the morning.

To listen to DailySing - 92, click here.

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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 - 89 (4.29.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, April 30, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing was a surprise. It started a little raggedly but tightened up as I went along.
I found that I had to push the energy a bit because I am so relaxed. The Golden Bridge Community Choir Concert was today, and after the show and excitement of this long day, the adrenalin has evaporated... I could sleep for a week. 

My explorations kept coming back to variations on the same melody. I've been working on making the jump to falsetto solos from holding the bass. The idea is to hold do...
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DailySing - 88 (4.28.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, April 29, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
This DailySing felt weird because of several reasons tonight.

First, I started what I thought was going to be a dynamite jam... I must've hit something because the recording "paused", and I only got 3 mns and 55 seconds of what I thought was some outstanding material. I AM BUMMED1!!!

So... I re-recorded, on a totally different theme. The problem was that I could'nt remember what I had just created, which was frustrating, but I had to let it go.

What I recreated was and is valid and has a certain...
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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 -82 (4.22.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, April 23, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
One of those days...

I was so exhausted that I fell asleep thrice during my DailySing session. Each time that I was conscious of having fallen asleep, I tried to pull myself together but the need for sleep superseeded all!

To listen to DailySing 82, 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 - 78 (4.18.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, April 19, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Today is my birthday and I find myself waiting to be picked up to go on a birthday adventure. Since my ride is late, I wander over to the little park on the corner to wait and after reading a while, decide to do my DailySing.

The city sounds of traffic, of a nearby construction site, of birds in the park, all create a sonic wall in the background.
The sun on my face warms me and puts me in a grateful place, allowing me to bring my inner landscape to the fore. This means that I gave voice and so...
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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 - 75 (4.15.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, April 16, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I found tonight that one of the reasons I like doing the DailySing in the car is that I can really let go. Maybe one of these days I'll explore c-r-a-z-y and "go off", encased in my relatively soundproof silver box on wheels.

Again, I started with one basic riff, stayed with it, played with it, went away on multiple solos and came back to it each time, explored inserting vocal percussion into the melody and other parts of the jam. At one point, I adapted the Happy Birthday song to it and sang ...
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DailySing - 74 (4.14.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, April 15, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I feel that I am at a crossroads and facing some tough decisions. I am also reclaiming a fundamental part of myself, and while that part feels unclear and amorphous, I know that I can't live without it...

... Which led to tonight's DailySing of a familiar melody that's kept bouncing around in my consciousness for several years. This melody has always spoken of new vistas of undiscovered life and experiences to me. It just welled up in me as I opened my mouth, and I just rode the wave through s...
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DailySing - 73 (4.13.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, April 14, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing started off big and brassy and ended sweetly and quietly.
 
 The opening feels big brassy because of where I was putting my voice. I started by thinking of horns, how they sound, how melodic choices are made on a horn, and how their sound complements other instruments.

From there, I let my voice lead my choices. Sometimes high, sometimes rich, sometimes soft, sometimes loud, sometimes full voice, sometimes falsetto, my voice took me on a journey and I was happy to follow it i...
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DailySing - 72 (4.12.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, April 13, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
If I were in New York, I'd climb out onto the roof or the fire escape to do today's DailySing. But since I'm in LA, I climb into our Honda Element and rock out!

Basically, it's a funky repetitive groove that I can come back to after many a varied foray into solo-land. I begin boldly, probably because the car is a little chilly and I need to generate some heat. After playin' around a bit, I wind up with the f.r.g. (funky repetitive groove).

I'm shifting around and seeing where I can go when I st...
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DailySing - 70 (4.10.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, April 11, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I felt full, content and sleepy after a fine dinner and bedtime story with my daughter. The last thing I wanted to do was sing, but that's what I did. It's amazing how much rejuvenation occurs when you are following your passion. I feel totally energized while listening to the playback.

I started a motif and stayed with it through all of its permutations and variations, dipping into several bridges, skirting various choruses and was rather playful the whole 15 minutes.

 This felt like building ...

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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 - 65 (4.5.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, April 6, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
What an interesting journey this DailySing was...
 
Once again, I finished the day's duties around 11: 30 pm, and got to "sangin'"! When I was finally able to express/channel/flow it felt like a dam springing a leak, which slowly built until the pool of creative ideas broke free and I went from some funky little ditties to the land of jazz by way of Jethro Tull's Cross Eyed Mary through speed Ska around Island riffs over Nigerian rhythms which powered my  stream of consciousness soundings. Ther...
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DailySing - 64 (4.4.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, April 5, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I kept the DailySing recording that I did tonight, even though it was mostly dead air.

I fell asleep twice right in the middle of singing.

I must figure out how to make this the cornerstone of my day, maybe by singing earlier in the evening...
Something...! 

To listen to DailySing - 64, click here.

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DailySing - 63 (4.3.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, April 4, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
By this time, Will said that his practice was becoming the center or cornerstone of his day, that his day revolved around his singing time, that his schedule somehow magically made room for the singing... Good for him!

I'm not having that experience. I go about my day, then come home and do the family thing, then the daddy thing where I put baby girl to bed and read her a story, then start working on music for the choir. By now, I'm exhausted and all I want to do is go to bed, but then I remem...
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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 - 61 (4.1.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, April 2, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Gratitude, gratitude and more gratitude... is what I've been feeling all day today and yesterday. I thought that it could be a reaction to my friend Anne's death, but realize it doesn't matter how I come to appreciate my riches... Just that I appreciate them! 

I've really been enjoying being a dad lately. It's not necessarily been easy, but it is worth it. Witnessing my child's growth and development is like being part of an action adventure/drama/comedy/documentary/reality epic. Parenting imm...
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DailySing - 60 (3.31.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, April 1, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Anne is still with me, so tonight, I open the windows to the rain and the night air, turn off all of the lights, light a candle and some incense and sing with Anne. I imagine our lengthy and playful duet and find myself tranced out at the end of my singing time. Crazy!!!

My explorations sound purposeful yet feel full of abandon. I am inspired as I travel through my inner soundscape. The outside air invigorates me, and I feel full.. Full of joy, full of light, full of laughing... OMG, full of A...
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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 - 58 (3.29.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, March 30, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
While I feel like every 15 mn session teaches me much and allows me to go deeper into my vocal exploration, I still don't feel like my day revolves around this practice yet. It's usually tagged on as a last task of the day, even when I think of doing it earlier in the day, it still gets relegated to the last thing I gotta do today.

That being said, I had a great time singing tonight, because I let it come through me without controling it which I haven't done in a while. No agenda of trying to ...
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DailySing - 57 (3.28.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, March 29, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
As I observe large swaths of emptiness in my inner landscape, I am also aware of a feeling of hope emerging. This feeling had me thinking thinking about and missing my son Chance. This hopeful feeling started inside me as a question, "Where are you now?"... And came out of my mouth sounding like "wee yoo - wee yoo - oo-ooaah".

I persevered with the idea of jumping from a bass line to a melody, to a harmony, then to some solo motifs, and back again. I started with a simple syncopated little rif...
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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 - 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 - 52 (3.23.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, March 24, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
What a journey tonight's DailySing turned out to be. I just dove in with both feet so to speak, and found myself warming up my groovebox, then jumping into sung words, over to the land of polyrhythms (sung consecutively), into a rendition of Jobim's The Waters Of March, more grooveboxing, and finally a funky little rendition of Sweet Jane. It lasted over 17 minutes. I am happy and sleepy all at once.

To listen to DailySing - 52, click here.

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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 - 48 (3.19.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, March 20, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Fell asleep during tonight's DailySing, 3 times. I felt lke I was rambling in sections, while in others, the theme was well in hand.

To listen to DailySing - 48, click here. 
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DailySing - 44 (3.15.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, March 16, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight''s DailySing was about the unmitigated joy of unapologetic exploration! There are some really juicy moments and some good idea development going on. I picked up the shakers and started using them, and pretty soon it became a game of "how far can I keep going?". 

The first part was mostly setting up a melodic pattern, then I added shakers and slowly slipped into riffs I grew up with, from Pink Floyd and Grand Funk Railroad. I kept jumping back and forth between a 6/8 feel and a square r...
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DailySing - 43 (3.14.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, March 15, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
What a gift we humans have in our capacity for creativity and imagination. I've been listening to tonight's playback and feel humbled and amazed at the continuous flow. A balance was struck tonight, as far as keeping a listener's ear is concerned. In spite of a few rough spots, where I started to think too much and was immediately rewarded with pitch issues, my attention never wandered  and I found myself engaged "as listener" for the entire 15 mns. This means, I'M NOT BORING!!!

There's a cert...
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DailySing - 42 (3.13.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, March 14, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
My iPod has rebooted and all is now well. I sang to celebrate, after an exceedingly long day and found myself drifting off as I was singing. I didn't find any gaps in the playback, but my focus was elsewhere at the time I was singing.
I found myself juxtaposing disparate elements like a jazz rhythm and melody in a chorus while the the verses have more of a blues feel, and the bridge sounds African. 
And I seem to be casting my net far and wide this evening, as I listen to the playback. I go fro...
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DailySing - 41 (3.13.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Tuesday, March 13, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
My iPod is frozen, locked up, won't respond!!! This has colored my emotional landscape (see yesterday's blog) for the singing tonight. I came home from men's group, spiritually sated, emotionally full, mentally fatigued, and rather happy. I sat down to sing and realized that my iPod was frozen, but I had to sing anyway, so I did. I sang:
Ali maye, saya na nyine
Ali maye, saya na nyine... Fama 'ala
A song from the Gambia for my friend Kumani's play, started me out, and then I went into vocal expl...
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DailySing - 40 (3.11.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, March 12, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Our emotional landscape directly affects the content of the music, the method of performance, and the energy invested. Seems rather obvious, but the visceral experience is noteworthy. 
I had quite a good day, first breakfast with my daughter India, followed by teaching at choir, India's friend Philina's birthday party, where one of the other parents played piano while I jammed with my voice and beatbox rhythms, pick up my wife Billie from a workshop that she loved, then home for pizza from Mam...
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DailySing - 38 (3.9.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, March 10, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I really need to look at my microphone. Parts of the playback are hard to hear because of it. Also, at this point in time, I am doing myself a disservice by singing late at night, at the end of my day. I find myself in a twilight between sleep and wakefulness where I am only aware of what I am singing by listening to the recording. I will focus on singing in the morning for now...!

To listen to DailySing - 38, click here.

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DailySing - 37 (3.8.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, March 9, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Sometimes, like tonight, I wonder what I am doing with this singing thing, I try to remember why this is so important and realize that I and this pact are still getting used to one another. It's early,and I want to catch up on some badly needed sleep, but NOOOO.... I gotta do todays' DailySing... And I feel annoyed... annoyed at this thing I love, annoyed at myself for putting us (me, myself and I) in this position. The lofty goals of learning about myself and attaining some deeper understand...
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DailySing - 36 (3.7.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, March 8, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's DailySing was really different from yesterday's singing session. Whereas yesterday was about exploring what I could do with established songs, tonight's journey is about staying present while opening up to channel whatever sounds come through. While rhythm seems to remain almost constant in my creations, it too is taken around the percussive block for a different perspective.
 
Creating on the spot, while fun, is not as easy as we make it look. The amount of musical sensitivity is pal...
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DailySing - 35 (3.6.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Wednesday, March 7, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight's exploration started with me wanting to sing The Waters of March, by Carlos Antonio Jobim, then seeing where the journey would take me. In listening to the playback, I realize something was very wrong with the microphone, but that didn't hamper my vocal trek. 
 
Singing tonight was about experiencing the act of singing as free and easy, with no constraints or expectations, while maintaining enough focus to explore my vocal qualities several layers beneath the main melody. I also was ab...
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DailySing - 33 (3.4.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, March 5, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I finally did it! I sang outside, on my balcony facing the sunset, suffused with the sounds of the city, and the sounds of life in general. I even had a passing audience at various times on the sidewalk below, as well as perceived movement behind 2 of my neighbor's windows. Being in this soup of living sounds while singing was extremely energizing to me. It influenced some of the melodic interludes I found myself channeling. The sound of a siren fading in the distance, passing conversations c...
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dailySing - 32 (3.3.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Sunday, March 4, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I can't keep doing this. I'm going about my day, then tacking this practice on, at the very end of it. I'm half out of it and singing then becomes this "thing" I MUST complete before I can go to bed. I have to consciously make this the center of my day, and sing earlier in the day. Being tired, I can tell that tonight's singing was better than last nigh's fiasco, but not by much. I did fall asleep tonight, but only once during the singing. My ideas were rehashes of old patterns, and my delive...
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DailySing - 30 (3.1.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, March 2, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Tonight, I was flitting from one idea to the next. I didn't even try for a semblance of continuity. I changed keys, juxtaposed opposing time signatures, put seemingly irrelevant ideas together and the results were rather bland. I expected at least some disharmony, or dissonance, but it was all a little boring. A pity, as I was actually trying to shake things up. I expect to learn from this year long commitment, but I am lost right now. I don't know where I'm going with the DailySing or what n...
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DailySing - 29 (2.29.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Thursday, March 1, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Leap Year Day! This rare and wonderful energy exists on this unique day. It sent me back to basics for my DailySing, I just explored my voice with some simple melodies. I alternated using the echo mic and singing without it. I was more focused when I used it and my concentration drifted when I didn't. The novelty of the new toy is helping me to maintain my focus. When I "drift", I do go into some amazing musical places that I don't want to give up! Tonight's session lasted over 16 mns. I can ...
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DailySing - 26 (2.26.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, February 27, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
OMG!!!!!! 
I had so much fun with tonight's DailySing! I sang through a kids toy called an Echo Mic. I got one for myself and one for my daughter India earlier today. She loves it, and I apologize profusely to my wife Billie for the sounds my daughter insists on sharing, but it's a stellar addition of my arsenal of unique sound toys. It's basically a Lion's Roar but the size of a thick-ish mic, with a curved bowl in the top of the mic to create an echo effect, and a spring in the base to ampli...
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DailySing - 24 (2.24.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, February 25, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I did it again! I closed my eyes and started to sing, and when I opened them it was 17 minutes later. I can't take credit for what I sang as I don't remember doing it. I must've gone away when I sang this. I remember it as I listen, but I don't remember doing it originally. Trippy!!!
I bonded over beers with the guys from work, then came home and sang. It was very late and I didn't want to miss it. I did it, but fell asleep immediately afterwards, and woke up at 2:23 AM to write this blog.
It s...
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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 - 16 (2.16.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Friday, February 17, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I finally did it! I fell asleep whilst singing. I did a good job of floating on the ethereal musical whims of my muse, and jumping in with what I thought of as courage as I leapt from one musical idea to the next, keeping my mind wide open. I realized while listening to what I did that at some of these junctures or focii of change, I am actually falling asleep and singing out loud whatever stream of dream is coming through me at that time. I actually fall asleep for many seconds of agonizing ...
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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 - 10 (2.10.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, February 11, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
Here I am once again at the witching hour feeling both drained and energized. I went away again, but I wasn't all the way gone. There was a thin veil through which I experienced the here and now while I was in the music in some other place. This inner journey that comes about every time I sing in this way is intriguing. I feel the weight of the symbols behind the flashes of imagery and behind the story birthing the melodies that are coming through me. My voice stayed in the lower registers th...
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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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DailySing - 5 (2.5.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Monday, February 6, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I really didn't feel like singing tonight! All I wanted was to sleep, but as I've made a pact with myself, I did my duty. I actually feel better for it. When I keep my attention on the song, I simultaneously take many a journey along my inner landscape. The split that occurs is almost automatic. The secret is to stay in the sweet spot, the groove, the zone with a part of myself singing, thinking, creating, allowing, while my spirit goes to be fed in the different places the music takes me.
The...
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DailySing - 3 (2.3.2012)

Posted by Emile Dyer on Saturday, February 4, 2012, In : Daily Sing 
I left my body... while I was singing! I should say that I became conscious after losing my focus, and was not aware of what I was singing, nor where my place was in the non-existent musical structure that I was trying to map out. It was disconcerting to suddenly wake up singing without knowing what I had been singing while dozing off. I think I sang in the blank spaces, I just can't remember what it was. It'll be interesting to listen to the recording of what I really did sing during the 15 ...
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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.

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"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 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