What is this thread all about?
Just a place for general discussion. A place to unload whats on your mind and talk about anything - personal, health, help needed, achievements, daily highs and daily lows, theories, predictions and what have you.
Does not need to be Q related.
Starting vocal lessons again today. Took some a couple of years ago and was making progress, but things got in the way soon after and I stopped altogether. I want to sharpen my creative side a bit more, lord knows my analytical/logical side has been on overdrive, and being able to jam out and have fun is climbing up on my list of priorities. I do miss me some karaoke that sounds and feels decent :P
Also want to start doing some boxing / kickboxing training again. I stopped that a while ago as well and it's important to keep in shape and be able to kick some ass.
Object in motion stays in motion, static object is hard to move. I hope each of you has a ball they're rolling or looking to start rolling. If you don't, start pushing! It's easy to get caught up in incessant research, rabbit holes, doom, etc. But don't forget to do things for yourself, too.
Lift some stuff, start building some furniture, drawing, painting, carving, or fiddling away at that guitar you bought but never got around to anything more than a few open chords.
You can go on takelessons.com to get some ideas on something to learn and then either find a teacher there, or just scour the internet for some tutorials and self teach if that's more your style.
I've gotten to interact with a lot of you on here over time, we're on this journey together. I would love to see some of the creative side of people here, if you do play an instrument, I'd love to hear a jam or a piece you've been working on. If you draw or paint, I'd love to check out some of your work. If it's anything like the memes on here, it's worth checking out 😆
Find yourself a nice classical choir, it really helps making progress whilst not being too frustrated with your own voice as the eventual fluctuations will be absorbed by the overall sound.
That's some solid advice. I'll have to keep that in mind, I'd imagine that it's difficult to find something like that. Do you have any background in singing?
Yes, first in punk rock bands, then in solo projects, then in a Church choir followed by a semi pro project choir, now just alone with a piano or a guitar.
Singing in groups is also really good for the peace of mind.
The highlight of my « career » was being bass in the « Piccolo Coro » of a « Carmina Burana » ensemble
It's crazy how appreciation for musical style evolves with you, isn't it? Lately I'm big into grunge, and Chris Cornell (RIP, you angel) being the inspiration to pull me out of my lol and feeling inspired again. I'll look into joining a choir, it can be that nudge to get me into going to church again :)
I'm a Christian by faith, but raised a Catholic and jaded with churches in general for the better part of 10 years.
I started learning to play trumpet a few years ago; incredibly hard instrument! I've reached a point where I need to take lessons because I don't know if my practices are as effective as they should be. I also have been trying to do some weight workouts (light weights along with pushups and chin-ups). I've always had a goal of being able to do 15 chin-ups in a row. About 20 years ago I got up to 12. It then dropped down to 4 or 5 and I got up to 9 before I got covid in November. I'm now back to 10 and hope I can get to 15 by the end of the year. I hit 65 this year, so I guess I'm better than average for my age :)
Hell yeah! It's tough looking at a past version of yourself that had more success. When I was in peak physical shape, I had no problem busting 20 pull ups. I remember my brother and parking in the local park during festivals, getting toasty, and challenging each other to do all sorts of feats of strength like we were out of a chapter of Homer's The Odyssey.
With age comes the superpower of lower metabolism and ease of growing a gut xD. I also, poor eating habits and N inclination towards the drink (which takes a lot of to get me going) certainly haven't helped!
But progress is being made on my end, too. As it's easier to gain back muscle/strength, than it is to gain it off the bat.
You're killing it out there, PhD. You may be double my age, but you also seem to have double the willpower and wisdom. I'm going to humblebrag about you to my dad who while he is in good shape, told me that once 50 hits you take a huge drop-off, and how it's impossible to even hang on with your bodyweight.
I know it's BS because when we go kayaking, he is able to go fast and keep the same pace for 2 hours easily while my endurance is trash in comparison.
Proud of you and pulling for you, Anon. I'll think of you when I want to crap out early in a set next time and the laziness starts to set in. Maybe when you're reaching 10 chin ups and feel the burn, imagine a drunk anon WOOing obnoxiously in the distance 😆
Thanks for your encouragement :) I tell people the only difference between being old and young is, when old, you can do everything you could do when you were young, but you will do it slower, and you will be sore afterwards :) (and you may injure yourself doing it, and instead of getting over the injury in a few days, it will take a few weeks or longer :) ) I remember when I was in my 40's, I thought about how almost all the pro athletes were under 30, except golfers. And when I was in my 50's, only coaches were as old as me (and "senior PGA members"). Now, in my 60's, there's barely even coaches my age, and the only athlete my age still competing with those much younger is the pro golfer Bernard Langer :) I now have arthritis in my right hip, so it just hurts too much to run, so I bought a mountain bike last year and have been trying to do that a few times a week now (just on roads and paved trails; no crazy mountain trails for me)
I have always loved to sing and have had a pretty decent voice. Vocal lessons would be fun! Good luck with it!
Thanks! You can find some good deals online, you may have to sift through some teachers or resumes but it's not out of reach for many and there are many talented people waiting to teach!
I just started with this lady, the site has a promotion on many accounts for 3 30 minute lessons for a total of $30 so you can cover some basics and work towards it. The rates are normally significantly higher but at that price it's easy to dip your toes and see if it's something you want to pursue or get feedback on and take what you learned into your repertoire.
I would love to develop my ear and harmonize. Maybe when I get extra cash I can do it.
Hey, I had to search my inbox for this comment. I got a call from someone on this platform that I had signed up for to find local lessons and got quite a few responses but they all wanted $70 per lesson.
The call came a couple of weeks later. Up until then, I'd just get emails from trainers. The lady was nice and said that she's from further away from my area but can do online and the first lesson on the platform is free.
In that one lesson she did some exercises I struggled with, got a feel for my range and my comfort zone, gave me useful tips that helped make things click.
She knows her stuff. First lesson is free, then she charges $25 per half hour, which is the best rate I've seen thus far on any site and she's knowledgeable.
Why don't you give it a shot at least for the free lesson?
The platform is musika:
https://www.musikalessons.com/
If you'd like I could link you up with the lady directly, or find someone in your area. I didnt even know there was a free lesson. It's a "love your trial or it's free" promotion but she just lead with "I'll give you your first lesson free and if you like it, you can book me through the platform, or I can just tell them you didn't think it was for you and the next lesson we'll do on our own and I'll give you a better rate.
I'm assuming you're in the states so you may find someone on there or I can text/call her and set you guys up. It appears that the expectation is that if you don't love it you don't pay and some instructors may be snobby about it, but this woman appeared in my life like a gift from God, haha. I already set up another lesson with her for next week, she didn't charge me a cent.
For some reason I recall you saying you were from Brazil but it could be another user I'm confusing you with.
As an artist, I am currently working on this. Also on homesteading (beginning anyway)
Kudos on the vocal lessons. I make music (I "rap", but that genre has became so filtered and dumbed down...I don't even like lumping myself in what that word has became) and always wanted to train my voice but never actually took the time to do it. Self-discipline can be life changing if you actually utilize it.
It sure can, and makes it fun to bust jump behind the mic at a party or a bar and just have fun. It's a built in instrument you carry with you and can play at any time. I respect the art of rapping. Timing, flow, word play, and getting across a message with words in a way that is like a verbal painting.
I like Dax a lot, not so much when he does the auto tune parts in some songs, but the man is a lyricist. If you don't listen to him, he showcases his ability to change up tempos and styles in his song "Rap God" where you'll pick up on a new clever line every time you listen to it, but he has a lot of great other songs, too.
Fun fact Dax is my newest favorite. (Before him my goto was Jelly Roll) I was in the hospital because of pancreatitis the week before Easter and heard Dear Alcohol. Listened to that song so many times since then...
I actually was released the day before and showed my Aunt the Dear God music video on Easter.