bring it on 2012! enter the dragon. :)

have a happy year ahead!

don’t just sing it. mean it.

as some of you may already know, i’ve been singing for quite some time now and i really enjoy it whenever we play on stage (despite pre-performance jitters and all that). it gives me a sense of accomplishment whenever people come up and say we did a good job on our performance. though i know that i am not THAT good in performing and singing, for that matter, i do have an idea on quite a few things about stage etiquette (if ever there is such a thing). i can be OC when it comes to singing myself so i think that’s why i have certain, well, rules is not really a proper word for it since in music there are no rules because what matters is how you express yourself sincerely when you’re on stage, but for me there should be some guidelines on how to properly execute a performance. of course all instruments are integral parts of the whole because all instruments of the band should have harmony. as a vocalist, there are certain things that i want to point out that are important when it comes to performances because you are the front man/woman and you are in the middle of it all. all, well almost all eyes are on you so you still have to think about what you have to do while your other band mates are working their ass off on their instruments. so here are some of the things that i want to point out:

1. confidence

as what i have mentioned, the vocalist is in the middle of it all. and when i say middle, i mean literally in the middle. in a way you are the “star.” all eyes are on you so you really have to be conscious on what you are doing. for me it is really difficult since i was always the shy type (eww) and i have trouble in expressing myself in front of a lot of people. but as i have always told myself, they don’t know anything about what you are thinking. so whether you are shy or you’re having stage fright, they don’t know that. i’ve always called it a “false sense of confidence”  in which you exude confidence but you’re really panicking inside. but i also tell myself that i am not the only one. there are other three or four guys who i know are also feeling the same way so i guess it’s okay. and as we are talking about stage presence, confidence is the key. whether that may be fake or not, other people doesn’t have to know about it.

2. know, understand, FEEL

skill is important in every performance since you, of course, have got to have the talent. but i do believe that it is still important that you can reach out to your audience. so if you are playing your rendition of a song, better make it believable. PLAY AND SING IT LIKE THE SONG IS YOURS. how can you make the audience believe you when you don’t feel the song yourself? a good band is good only if the audience can feel the sincerity through the songs that they play. i mean, we get it that the song your playing is not your original work but, that is not an excuse for you to mess it up. i mean what would you feel if a certain band covers an original song of yours and they don’t play it well?

3. memorization

as we are talking about sincerity, as a vocalist i really hate it when other vocalists go on stage with their lyrics on hand. YOU ARE ALREADY ON STAGE. you have had your time for memorizing. THROW. IT. AWAY. (or keep it, you know. whatever.) eye contact is crucial. you’re not really required to look them straight in the eye but at least look at their faces. how can you connect with your audience if you can’t even face them? i know it’s not that easy to memorize that’s why you have to feel the song. if you feel it, you’ll find that it’s not really that hard.

4. identity

as what is already mentioned, the vocalist is the front man/woman, the person in the middle of it all. a vocalist’s identity is crucial since he/she is the embodiment (or whatever) of the whole band because he/she is the most visible. now don’t get me wrong but i did learn this the hard way. if you are a vocalist, as much as possible, try not to be the vocalist for more than two bands. i think it’s unnecessary. since you are the most visible member, seeing you in a lot of bands would confuse the audience (unless you have a different position in the other band/s). building an identity is not really difficult if the audience can identify you from the genre that you play. most of the time, your first gigs are playing for people who does not have an idea on who you are so in order for them to get to know you, you must have to build that identity first.

5. stage presence

for me this is the most difficult. as what i have mentioned, i am really really shy (believe it or not). but singing is something that i really like doing and i wouldn’t be able to do that if i continue being shy. exuding confidence is one thing. bringing your presence to the stage is another. confidence isn’t confidence if the audience can’t feel that you are comfortable on stage. so you have to talk to them. that does not mean that you have to tell them stories or tell them what you’ve had for lunch/dinner. no. that’s too much information. just thank the people who are responsible for that gig, introduce your band mates, introduce the song, that kind of stuff. what i mean is just make them feel that their presence is acknowledged and you’re not just there to break loose.

there. i’m not really asking you to follow all of these. except for numbers two and three, i think those are the most important. music is all about expression and you are free to do whatever you like. but if your expression falls short, then maybe there is something missing.the photos here are photos of one of my favorite front men of all time. Freddie Mercury. for me he is one of THE best. his vocal prowess, his confidence, and his stage presence are god-like (if there is a god). makes me want to believe that he sprung from the head of Zeus. so if you’re going to sing, sing it with all you’ve got. don’t just sing it. mean it.

a really, really short wishlist

just like everybody else, i, too have some things that i would want to have. be it something that i really need, or just some thing that i just want to have just because it would give me a sense of pleasure to have it. i also saw a blog post of a friend (imiggy) about the things that he wants, and i think it’s a good idea. so i listed down the things that i need (and want), for now. i also think it’s a good idea since it can serve as a checklist for me on which things that i already have in the future. so here goes.

1. usb negative scanner

i’m not really particular about brands so the picture is just really to show what a negative scanner looks like. though i prefer the spool-type scanner so that i don’t need to cut the negatives anymore. i need this since i still use film cameras and it would be a great money-saver if i can just process my own negatives at home. with a negative scanner i can choose which picture to print or upload without the bulk of printed photos. plus you just insert it on a usb port, install it, and voila!

2. Infernal Devices book one: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

i’ve been wanting this book ever since it came out of the market. i’m into stories/themes like this for a while now. it is about Tessa Gray who is in search of her brother and along the way meets creatures from London’s Downworld (vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk, you name it). unfortunately, it is still out of stock at national bookstore in calamba and it was the only mall we went to this year for christmas shopping (that was as far as my dad wants so drive). anyway, i really want this book. book 2 is already in the market and i have to get my hands on this one first.

3. Kate Daniels book 2: Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

i bought the first book (Magic Bites) in book sale and i enjoyed reading it. upon finishing the book, that was the only time that i learned that i had unknowingly read the first book of a series.  so i have to have this. the series is an urban fantasy about a mercenary in an apocalyptic world where magic feeds on technology. vampires & shape-changers are among the characters in the series. i don’t know. i liked it. no sparkling vampires though.

4. an ordinary point and shoot camera

the above picture is a Canon PowerShot A75. it was the first digital camera that i have used. it lasted for five years or more, i think. it was my sister’s before she gave it to me. i miss using this camera because of it’s wonderful features. until it broke. the screen won’t turn on anymore, the shutter won’t close, the picture looked pink (a fine effect actually during it’s last photo-capturing moments). although i prefer analog cameras, a digital camera can come in handy for everyday use. just turn it on and you can click away.

5. The Tiny Book of Tiny Stories volume 1 by hitRECord & Joseph Gordon-Levitt

i’ve been a member of the forum for years now and i have been a fan of JGL since The Juror where he played Demi Moore’s son. i’ve seen the artwork of this book and it reminds me of The Little Prince. truth be told, i am intrigued by the contents of this book. though it still isn’t available here, but i hope i can get my hands on one when it does become available.

6. Wicked: The Life & Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gergory Maguire

i like parallel stories. it shows us the point of view of the antagonist and makes us understand them a little bit more. much like Neil Gaiman’s short story, Snow, Glass, Apples. the first of four books (i think). i’ve been wanting this for the longest time. it is a parallel novel which centers on Elphaba, a misunderstood girl who grows up to be the Wicked Witch of the West.

so far. these are the only things in my mind. i’m not really into techie stuff so android phones, laptops, ipod, ipad, and the likes are not on the list. tickets to new york perhaps? or a trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter? why not. but i don’t want this list to be too long. maybe next year. XD

last minute penguins

we did our last minute shopping today hoping to complete our list of gifts to give (which we did). i also finally got my first bass guitar which is a Fernando MM2 jazz bass (finally!!!).

before we arrived at sm we endured a two hour traffic jam from pansol to halang. GRABBBBEEEEE! it’s like we travelled from san pablo to alabang. we didn’t expect it since it was thursday and it wasn’t rush hour. but boy were we wrong. same thing happened on the way home. >.< good thing we saw something amusing along the way. we passed by a group of inflatable penguins (with two dolphins and a loch ness monster perhaps?) waddling along the highway. yes! they waddle! we got a chance to take a picture before another jeepney blocked our view. whoever made that, we will never know. but to whoever that is, thank you!

outburst no. 1

i’m really getting irritated of people using the word “gay” as an excuse to insult others. it’s annoying. why can’t you just use a more appropriate word? like stupid, or baduy, or ugly, or whatever you have to. but using “gay?” sometimes i think that people just use the word to describe anything they don’t like. well wake up people! you are using it wrong! you use it like “gay” is one of the worst things to describe someone or something. it’s ridiculous! calling someone gay just because you don’t like what he’s wearing? calling someone gay just because you don’t like what they do? is that really the best you can do? gay? or are you just running out of insults? REALLY PEOPLE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH BEING GAY???!!? unless you mean “carefree” or “happy.” but why would you use a word as an insult if your context of it is not negative?

 

or maybe i just care too much.

if i have a soundtrack, this would be it

lately i’ve been wanting to go to New York City. yup, that’s right, the big apple. i really don’t know why or when it started but if you have visited my tumblr lately, you can see that some of the pictures are taken in New York or if not, reminds me of New York.

also i have just recently learned about 8tracks which is a site for people who know and like music. it enables you to listen to other people’s playlist as well as make your own. i’ve made three playlists already which includes some of my favorite songs for certain situations but my favorite by far is this one i compiled titled New York Sunsets. i’m not really sure why i’ve made this particular playlist and named it as such. but as what the description of the playlist says:

“it’s amazing how a film (or two) can inspire you. and somewhere along the way, you’d wish to be in a specific time and a specific place with a specific someone with that particular story in mind. naturally, it comes with a soundtrack. and if i have mine, this would be it.”

maybe because i’ve always wanted to be in a story ala Before Sunrise/Sunset and that may have inspired me to make this. i also want to commend Jack Conte whose two songs i included in the playlist since from my point of view, those two songs (or even more but 8tracks only allows two songs per artist/band per playlist) accurately expresses the theme of the playlist.

if you haven’t seen Before Sunrise/Sunset yet, i suggest you see it. if you’re a romantic, you’ll like it. so if you have time, please listen. and i hope you’ll also feel what i feel when listening to these songs.

New York Sunsets

it’s that time of the year

it’s December once again and it is the time for that something that i really suck at doing: buying gifts. i really don’t know why but i consider it a big problem on choosing what gifts to buy. it’s really not difficult if i really know the person since i would most probably know what to give him/her. but when it comes to relatives, it’s been a bit of a problem and i always end up asking my sister for gift ideas for them.

i know it may doesn’t matter what you give someone but i become OC when it comes to certain things. i hate the feeling when you give someone something and they don’t enjoy it that much. parang nagsayang ka lang ng pera so to speak. but asking them what they want is just giving it away. mas maganda kung surprise.

anyway, i hope i get the hang of this choosing which gifts to give thing. it’s really difficult considering the number of relatives that you want to give something to. add to that other gift-giving days of the year (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.). but i think sister dear won’t run out of ideas yet. i can always ask her anyway. XD