the saturday edition. because: good friday.
1. favourite YouTube video: NATS Chat: Teaching Very Young Singers with guest, Shannon Coates
I don’t know who this “Shannon Coates” person is but she seems VERY VERY NICE. And she also seems like someone you might want to listen to if you want a primer on how and why to teach very young children. #justsayin
[GOOD HEAVENS. The adorableness of the ginger kitten. IT RIVALS THAT OF THIS SHANNON COATES PERSON WHO SEEMS TO LIKE TALKING ABOUT HOW TO WORK WITH VERY YOUNG CHILDREN.]
2. favourite podcast episode: Marian Anderson from Stuff You Missed in History Class Classics
So, this is a FASCINATING episode about a fascinating singer. (And if you’re not already listening to this podcast, you may LOVE it if you’re into history, you can stand some pretty intense twang in your hosts’ speaking voices, and you can handle consistent brutalization of “foreign” proper names. I mean, the bruises on my forehead are almost healed from my self-inflicted facepalms during the episode on Giorgio Vasari. (THE “i” IS THERE TO SOFTEN THE “g”. IT DOES NOT PRODUCE A WHOLE OTHER SYLLABLE. STAAAAHP THAT!))
[Luciano will not come when you call him unless you pronounce his name with three syllables, instead of four. (BAHAHAHAH. Who are we kidding? Luciano won’t come no matter what you call him. HE’S A CAT.)]
3. favourite blog post: What Parents Should Say as Their Kids Perform by Tim Elmore
Look, I don’t know Tim Elmore from Adam (which, *I think?* is a way to say that I don’t know him at all. But now that I look at that statement, I’m not so sure … ANYWAY. He has a FREE EBOOK and over 150,000 subscribers (according to the old-timey counter on his website, which couldn’t possibly be manipulated so …), but I pull this blog post out nearly every year around festival and recital time and I email it over to the parents of my younger students to take a look at. It seems to be pretty, danged anecdotal but -WOW- does it EVER ring true for me.
what about me, hooman? do you love to watch me perform? PERFORM MY MAGICAL SLEEPING TRICK FOR TWENTY HOURS OUT OF EVERY TWENTY-FOUR? BECAUSE I AM AWESOME AT THAT AND YOU DON’T TELL ME THAT I AM AWESOME NEARLY ENOUGH. not that i need you to. i am fully aware of how awesome i am. i am a cat.
4. favourite quirky but effective tool with a funny yet weirdly appropriate name: the Pink Trombone
I know this one is kind of old (I think I first saw it starting to bounce around my inbox and social media feeds about eighteen months ago?), but it came up in my feed this week again so I thought I’d share. I especially love how moving the ‘bump’ in the tongue up and down the vocal tract clearly shows vowel differentiation. YAY FOR WEIRD LITTLE TOOLS THAT HELP TO VISUALIZE THE VOCAL INSTRUMENT!
i’m a weird little cat who might help your students to visualize what singing really really high notes might look like on the outside. unlike most of my species, i am a giver and you’re welcome.
5. favourite* article: How to Break Up with Your Phone by Catherine Price
Stupid-dumb jerk of an article about how to not let your phone rule your life.
i am a big, dangerous cat. JUST LIKE YOUR PHONE. or something like that.
Here’s hoping you have a beautiful weekend. And?
You can teach your face off … I can help.
* IF BY “FAVOURITE” YOU MEAN “MOST ANNOYING”
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