Category Archives: sing

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Voiceworks!

This is the last day of Centrum’s Voiceworks. I am vacationing at home except that it feels like I’ve been transported to a land of song and music, for a whole week.

I don’t want it to end.

This is Dawn Pemberton, a British Columbia singer and choral director and teacher. Her classes have been on soul and an acapella chorus. From the Voiceworks pamphlet: “SheΒ  can be found tearing it up as vocalist, teacher, adjudicator and choir director.” She directs the Roots ‘n’ Wings Women’s Choir and teaches all over Canada.

Her classes have been an absolute joy and inspiration. Soul, acapella and yesterday a body rhythm and stomp class. I could do the body rhythm but when I started listening to it I was so mesmerized that I lost my place. Found it again, but I couldn’t do it and listen.

I ask Dawn if she plays near here, but she says it is very difficult to come in to the US from Canada to perform: borders again. I am very sad about that. I’ll have to go to Vancouver, BC to hear her and her chorus!

And here she is singing Say Something. And her choirs.

Thanks and shout out to Centrum and to all of the teachers and other students, about 170 people coming together for joyous noise!

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veil

Happy things from A to Z: the letter v. V for veil and vulnerable and vamp.

While we were in Hawaii, there was a rain squall that blew up. We went back to the car and as you can see, the other photographer crashed. Really really asleep, veiled by a towel.

We are vulnerable when we are asleep. Relaxed. Out. The rain was ferocious. I felt protective while he slept. I also felt protected by the car…

And then vamp! Our noon Rotary held a fundraiser to update the kitchen of the Boiler Room. We dressed up, went to dinner and contributed money. The Boiler Room is a drug and alcohol free welcoming space in Port Townsend that has given out tons of free meals and soup and employs people as well. We are from the Sunrise Rotary. All the groups help each other. The theme was something about the old west and they had teens from the Interact Club to take pictures with our cell phones:

vamp2

We were being serious for a moment. I could definitely make up a story about the picture!

And vamp it up! I was trying red lipstick for the concert on Saturday. I am in a small group called the Starlets and we sang Andrews Sisters songs. Red, red, red!

vamp

V

Blogging from A to Z, the letter v.

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Under us

I am thinking about Earth Day today, because on Earth Day I was singing in two concerts.

My theme is happy things: under, us, universe.

Under us
earth
over us
universe

One attendee at the concert said that we added to the joy in the universe.

Happy Earth Day.

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U

Blogging from A to Z.

 

 

 

 

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rainshadow

Blogging from A to Z, the letter R for rainshadow, rehearsal, raise your voice! Only I did R yesterday and should be on the letter S! Sing, shout and shadow…there, whew!

My father and seven other people started Rainshadow Chorale in 1997. I joined when I moved here. He died in 2013, but we are still singing. Two concerts today and one tomorrow, and by yesterday they were nearly sold out. All three.

We had a dress rehearsal last night, with Rebecca Rottsolk, our brilliant director, doing the final touches. It’s the first time that we rehearsed in the space that we will sing in, so we pay close attention to how we sound there.

And raise your voice in song and praise! We walked this morning and traded songs with the birds: song sparrows, red wing blackbirds and quieter birds…the above photo of the bird slipping quietly through the ripples. Here is another view:

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I think that this is a Hooded Merganser, here. Hooray for happy things and the letter r. And the letter s too!

R

S

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music

Blogging from A to Z, happy things. M for music, music, music!

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My father and sister and I had a chance to record some of the family songs. This one is called Down by the Sally Gardens. My parents used to sing the duet.

May you have a joyous Monday!

 

M

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jump, jive, joy

Blogging from A to Z, my theme is happy things. The letter J for jump, jive, joy!

And jitterbug! I am a jitterbug dancer, east coast swing or 6 count swing, and lindyhop, and west coast swing. Salsa, merengue, cajun dance, two step, oh and a few clogging steps, about 6 total. I love to dance and I love the Jump Blues!

I took the photograph this morning: of an old t-shirt. We went to as many dance camps of The Savoy Swings Again as we could. There were two bands and lessons all day and I would have to increase my salt intake to keep my muscles from cramping. Deanna Bogart is still playing. And the Washington Swing Dance Committee still has a page devoted to dance!

On my last trip to the Washington DC area, my daughter said, “Let’s go dancing.” We found the DCdancenet site. We found a contra dance at the Spanish Ballroom, at Glen Echo Park. My son, his girlfriend, my daughter and I all went to the dance. The Spanish Ballroom is where I met their father and living on the west coast, I had not been back for years!

Jump, jive, joy and jitterbug! I am glad that dance is still going on, teaching, live bands and all the joy it brings!

J

And check this out: the same t-shirt shows up in this video of the Jiving Lindy Hoppers!