Music Nazi's

We all know one... and we all have been/are one. Music Nazi's. They are the people that we all love and hate, the perfectionists of the musical world. Recently, I discovered that I'm going through a phase of being a music nazi. Here is a guide for all the things that could define if you or someone you know is music nazi.
1.The person knows exactly where middle C is... at all times. If someone says sing a C... they will be the first to sing it. Preceding finding the note and being correct, they will give themselves a high five and explain just how awesome they are.
2. The person always knows when people are flat/sharp. The person will cringe and beg you to stop until it is fixed. This will include lots of squirming and awkward faces.
3. The person always will know when you are not singing the right note. This includes singular notes or if you are changing key. They will not be afraid to inform you that you are in fact wrong.
4. The nazi will not tolerate anybody who believes that they have musical talent but really don't. Again, they will not be afraid to call you out on it.
5. They are constantly talking about how awesome there voice is.
6. They will continue to talk about how awesome they are.
7. They wont shut up about how awesome they are.
8. You want to punch them because they are so awesome.
9. They are always willing to talk about there accomplishments in music.
10. The person will know every ones part in a choir/ band. In fact, they can sing/ play everyones part. And if you aren't doing it right, they will correct you.
11. The nazi will claim to have good ears. They will make a point of saying how great there pitch and orientation is.
12. They are not afraid to point out who is wrong. The nazi will also never admit that they are the wrong ones. They will put blame on everyone else before even considering it is them.

Alright.... confession time. Those all apply to me. Sigh. I apologize. I'm just going to embrace it. :P

Case Closed.

Love,
Courtney

The Life of a Performer

There are many ways to understand what a performer is and what they believe in.
One, all performers have guts. Every stinking one of them. We, as humans, deal strongly with the fact that we want everyone to believe and like us. As performers, you learn real quick that not everyone is going to like you and not everyone will believe in you. This takes a lot of courage to admit to yourself. Taking yourself out of the equation sometimes makes everything easier. Performers believe that at least one person will like them; and they perform for that person.
Second, as a performer, you are never going to get everything you want. I know that all performers go through ha time in there life when all that happens to them is rejection. Do you give up? Never. It's what you love to do. Word of advice: Don't ever give up something because of rejection. Ever. It always breaks my heart to see someone quit when they had so much potential. The people that quick aren't thinking about future, they think about here and now. You have to be always thinking that there are better opportunities in the future.
Third, as a performer, you must have fun. Performing is just another word for entertainer. To entertain, you must be entertaining yourself first. That is a law among performers.
Believe in yourselves guys... It gets better I'm told.

Case Closed.

Love,
Courtney

Sopranos to Tenors; Altos to Basses

This blog is basically only for women who sing. So if you are neither of these demographics, you may not understand the entirety of this blog and be confused, so you are excused from reading this blog.

Okay Ladies! We all know that when we walk into our choir classes, we are immediately attracted to one part that the guys sing. Whether you are a tenor lover, or a bass enthusiast, here is where we can talk. 

The part that I love most is hands down the bass section. Why? Well I'll explain later... but before I fell in love with the bass section, I hate to admit that I did indeed love tenors.

Tenors are attractive like sopranos are attractive. When they hit the big high notes at the end of songs, it is impressive. Along with that, the tenors are almost always the stereotypical skinny attractive and handsome male. Tenors tend to be more confident as well. When a boy finds out that his range is good enough to sing tenor, they feel more confident. Not many boys get to sing tenor, its harder on the vocal chords and harder to be a true tenor. That might be part of why everyone freaks out about tenors. I believe that all sopranos are attracted to tenors more so then basses. How do I know this? Personal experience. I did at one point in my life sing soprano, and thats when I loved tenors. I felt like we really connected because we both were the higher end parts in the pieces we sang. Shortly after switching to an alto, I realized how much I believed that the bass section holds the choir together.

BASSES. So attractive! Why? They are the basis... they hold the choir together. Also, I believe that the "sopranos only are attracted to tenors" effect is true to the altos and basses. I think girls that sing alto, like to hear the richness that we give to the choir and the depth that we give as well. So Basses and Altos automatically connect at that level. We as altos also love to sing as low as we can. When a soprano freaks out about singing a high B flat, you have to understand the altos are the same way when we see a low G or F. So, when basses hit low notes at the end of pieces... it give all of us altos chills. Plus altos believe that basses are more manly. 

In conclusion, Sopranos: you can keep your tenors. Altos: Have at the basses! 

Stick to the status quo... Like High School Musical taught you. 

Case Closed.

Love, 

Courtney

P.S. Soon to come! Why Tenors love sopranos and Basses love altos. (:

Classical vs. Pop Rant.

Here we go again. Maybe this is therapeutic, I have no idea but today's rant topic is when people think classical music is LAME. It is most definitely not lame. Why? Background time! I am a music theory student right now (Awesome, right?). I tend to carry my music theory/chorale music/ piano music/ vocal music everywhere. Being in this field of study, people automatically categorize you as the type that is obsessive over Beethoven, Mozart, Bach and Haydn. Thats true in some cases and in mine it totally is. I LOVE the classics but every spectator  or categorizer asks the same question: Why do you like Classical music and not Pop music? Here is a history lesson to you my friend.
Back in the late 1700's, a man by the name of Mozart walked the Earth. He was a genius and produced so many classics that not a single person on this planet doesn't know who he is (and if you don't know him, I feel very sorry for you... think, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.. does that ring any bells?). Anyways, back then, what Mozart was writing was considered pop music. It was the music that the kings, queens, dukes and duchesses would listen to. It was the music that everyone would sing walking around the house. His music touched the lives of everyone that came into his presence. So to ask why I like classical music and not pop music is one of the questions I never understand. Isn't it all "Pop"ular music? Well it was at one time wasn't it? So doesn't that make it Pop music?
Also, I like todays Pop music too... So thats usually what I lead with when getting into this discussion. I know lots of musicians feel like todays hit music is a cheap way into the music industry (Ironically) but it is still music in someones book. You can't diss on someones music... unless its country, then you can. Just kidding... country has its nice aspects and I guess its just a personal preference that I don't listen to country... its all about appreciating everyones music.
Back to the actual discussion here... after explaining to them that Mozart, Beethoven, Bach and Haydn WERE in fact, pop musicians, you have GOT to ask the question: Why don't YOU like pop music?

That will just stump them completely and you will never have to talk to people like that again.... :) You are welcome!

Case closed.
Love,
Courtney

Welcome- Why Sopranos and Directors Bother Me Sometimes

Hey. I guess if you are here, you care about my life in some aspect. If not, well then... you MUST be a sketchy person. I apologize for saying this but seriously: get a life, bro. Thats a super welcoming welcome, huh? :P
The name is Courtney. I am a singer. I am an actor. I am an aspiring Music major. I think that is all of the exciting things about me.

I suppose the next step is to tell you what's up. Why the flip is Courtney bored enough to write a blog? First off, I actually throughly enjoy writing and in all honesty, this is distracting me from my other duties as a student; homework. Just don't tell my mom. Second, I'm not bored, I'm frustrated.
I used to be such an open person and some ways I still am but its totally different now. I used to just speak my mind and whoever would listen to me, I would share my life story. I didn't stop being that person, I stopped having friends that I could talk openly to and that cared to hear every little detail of my life. Here is where my blog comes in. I am so sick of holding in all of these feelings and all of these things I can't say anymore. So WELCOME!
I am just going to take a long shot guess that this will probably be my rant blog. And today, has been a day worthy of ranting.
Singers. /sg;o wt;iuyw t/outw. Those are my feelings.... Or what my forehead felt like saying... Take your pick. I am so frustrated with singers. To be more specific, I'm frustrated about a certain singer. SOPRANOS. Today set me on the edge. I'm one of the fortunate people on this world that knows how my voice works and how to work all parts of my voice (my soprano voice, alto voice and even my tenor voice. I was blessed with the gift of having a 4 and a half octave range). So this leaves me in the awkward position of when a director asks for a group of people to split into parts to sing, I ask what part needs me. This usually means I get shoved to the alto section. For some reason, every choir always needs more altos. One time, I was in a group and I asked what part they needed me to sing and there were literally 3 sopranos to 12 altos and I still sang alto. Despite asking what part needs me, I always wish that maybe the 1st Sopranos need me. But never failing, I am shoved to a supporting part. No matter how much I try to prove to my directors that I am capable of the high range, they all use the same excuse, "We need strong singers down on the lower lines." BULL. I know girls that are much stronger then me in there voices. And they get sent to the top. I'm flattered that you think I'm such a "strong singer" but in all honesty, if the people you put as Sopranos are stronger singers, why don't they ever sing the bottom lines? Give some of us aspiring musicians the chance to sing out. Maybe its just me but I am so fed up with hearing the "Strong singer" gig. Its like the cliches of a breakup: "It's not you, its me." "I think we need to talk." Blah blah blah. I have had the strong singer thing pulled so many times that I can just guess what a director will say to me when he walks over and says, "Hey Courtney, could I talk to you?"
Also, I just have one question for you sopranos, SINCE WHEN CAN YOU NOT SING AN A BELOW MIDDLE C?! I just don't understand how in warm-ups you can sing all the way down there and then pull the "I can't sing anything below a middle C." WHATEVER! If you can't you drive me insane. At least try for pete sakes! There are very few people in this world that can't sing below a middle C and to you I apologize. But to the rest of you who think you can't, I'm watching you. To you, Did you know people tend to talk on a pitch range from A3 to C4? Ya... I don't understand you.
So I guess with this blog, people will say that I am just a jealous Alto... and I totally am. I think every alto has a little jealously towards sopranos... and if you don't, its towards tenors.
Case Closed.
Love,
Courtney