Today I won't get too much music done at all. But I have historic news too.
I had the wash to do, needed to go to the store and buy some ingredients for the food at tomorrow's Christmas party, and needed to make "Jansons Frestelse" and Potato Casserole for tomorrow's Christmas party. I am going to sing at that party the song Mary Did You Know.
Music
As I do my chores, I'm busy practicing the song Mary Did You Know by Lamont Savory / Buddy Greene / Mark Lowry / Courick Clarke / William Barclay / Wayne Buchanan © Capitol Christian Music Group
Here is the famous video of when the group Penatonix nails it completely!
Here are the lyrics:
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you
Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God?Mary did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know
The blind will see, the deaf will hear and the dead will live again
The lame will leap, the dumb will speak, the praises of the lamb
Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I am
Mary did you know, Mary did you know, Mary did you know"
For me to sing this solo at a Christmas party requires some practice. I will never sound as good as the video, but there are some things that make me do it better.
Music tips when learning how to sing a new song:
1. Memorize it. Both the lyrics and how to play it.
2. When I do a new song I print it and break it down into phonetics. I practice forming my mouth to the correct vowels needed to keep my mouth open and my projection correct. With this song, I need to learn the words and chords in one day as well.
Creating a "phonetic" version according to me is changing the words something like this. Here is an example from the first line of the song:
"Mehreh deh(d) yuh noh eht yuh behbeh boheh wuhwuhndeh wah(k) ahn wahteh"
I try to reduce the konsonants and create an openness in the vowels. Then I mark where the breathing is to take place.
This helps me sing well.
If you 'd like to know how to attack songs in this way, I can recommend Felicia Ricci's tutorials on how to sing various pop songs. Here is an example.
3. I always do warmups. Felicia Ricci is great on these too. But there are many on Youtube that can help you out for free. Just type "vocal warm up" in the YouTube search box. Here's a good one.
4. I make sure that I have over-practiced the song - with the phonetic in mind- so that I can sing it in my sleep before the gig. Sometimes I use mental clues or pictures to remember the order of the song.
5. The day I am going to sing I hum all day and drink lots of water.
6. I pray....good against stage fright
7. Then I just do it. (if I haven't been able to memorize it I have the words printed out on paper.)
Wish me luck!
Back to making the food and doing the wash. That's life.
HISTORIC MOMENT: I just got my letter of admission to STIM. Yay! And CCLI contacted me. The ball is rolling....
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An Indie Musician's Diary VOL. 1
Non-FictionThis is how I go forward with my music - the real story from November 2017 and towards the album release but it took Volume 2 to get the whole way there. Creating, editing and mixing music is a complicated effort but loads of fun. For all you who wa...
