Love, Music, and Harmony

'Housewives' premiere party

noreply@blogger.com (Masura Daichi) — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:29:00 +0000

R: Sheree Whitfield, NeNe Leakes, Kim Zolciak, Lisa Wu Hartwell, Kandi Burruss. Photo credit: Brian Hah/www.tinyurl.com/Yogurberry Attention is like oxygen for "The Real Housewives of Atlanta." If a red carpet isn't there, do you even exist? Fortunately for the five women from the Bravo show, last night's premiere party at the W Hotel in Buckhead ...

Click here for the full story

The Keyshia Cole Rant

noreply@blogger.com (Masura Daichi) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 11:14:00 +0000

Keisha cole needs to make up her damn mind, either keep the gap or close your fucking mouth, and what's with the crayola 48 ccolor hair dos? Bitch you look like bozo the clown and ronald mcdonald had a bastard child and called it Keyshia. And you sound like a wolf giving birth. Please stop singing now because you have pretty much ruined the hearing of every idiot who continued to listen to that retarded babbling you call singing. Who the hell you think you are huh? Yea bitch I SHOULD'VE Cheated but you were yelling at the top of your two note range so long that I couldn't muster the strength to open the door and leave. And Frankie, hoe ass Frankie, wanna get preggo at 50, BITCH SIT DOWN, how the hell you convince yo crack pimp to bone you? Nigga dat desperate huh? What he thought you was gon cut him a deal and get you to trick Keyshia to buy you ANOTHA house?? HA! You know damn well yo ass was raped hoe so don't even front. Snaggle toof ass wit that tired ass wolverine pussy. Need to get cho ass a plastic surgeon to tighten that shit back up. As many times as you've been fist fucked in prison and giving birth to Keyshia and Nefes fat ass shoulda did it buuut noooooooooo 400 hundred years lata and you wanna have anotha abomination? Bitch please anything that comes out or in that pussy is cursed for life, I mean shit look at Nefe o.O
So Keyshia wanna try and outsing the Queen Bee herself Monica? Haha, hoe idk what the hell you THOUGHT you doing but it sure as hell was NOT singing. I mean Monica to yo ass up! And Brandy got her on range and technique, the ho couldn't even do a Mary J Blige song justice. Bitch you're pathetic. Baby you should really practice what you preach and shoula let it go cause you got stone cold UPSTAGED. And who's this little dikey nike bitch you tryna promote? Mina? You mean Mina the Coochie Cleana? That gay ass hoe. You know damn well she had to lick yo twat just to get in the video, the chic is TALENTLESS. SHIT Jerry Springer has a betta chance at a rap career than this dried up lookin crack hoe. And what's wit ya girl Nefe? The bitch look half past 300, she ugly as hell girl and you tellin me you actually related? Keyshia I give it to ya you fine, but yo people look like gorillas, somethin ain't right? And bitch can you pleeeease find yo daddy? Ain't no tellin how many niggas Frankie done let taste dat twat befo she realized she was pregnant. That drunk bitch didn't even know if the nigga was the fatha, found some random as dude and told him that her daughter was Keyshia Cole, want some money nigga? Tell her you her daddy. XDDDDDD Dead@yo drunk ass actin like the nigga was legit. Bitch you don't know just give it up xDDDDD. Keyshia you got a betta chance of findin the nigga on google xDDDDD

To be cont....

California Here I Come!: A Message From California

noreply@blogger.com (Masura Daichi) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 05:31:00 +0000

California Here I Come!: A Message From California

The Brett Manning Singing Success

noreply@blogger.com (Masura Daichi) — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:39:00 +0000

In my recent years, I had come across a voice training program that literally changed my life. See I am a singer and I have always admired vocalists such as Brian McKnight, India.Arie, Stevie Wonder, Luther Vandross and the like who were able to just utilize their voices in the most flawless ways. I was struggling to do runs, licks, trills the whole bit. Thing is I have a lovely voice but I wanted more. I wanted embellishments. So I searched countless times over the web for vocal tips, and I only got minute satisfaction. I had voice teachers, but they could only teach me so much. I needed something, someone, to teach me to sing the way that I want to sing. Soulfully.

Now I could sing soulfully somewhat, I've always had soul but I needed to improve my tone which was just too thick and cumbersome. I was born with a gift that needed honing. Eventually one day I come across a man by the name of Brett Manning. Brett Manning is a vocal coach that has quite a track record. He has been responsible for the broadening of many famous artists ranges as well as regular people. A roster of some of the artists he's helped to improve are Miley Cyrus, Keith Urban, Taylor Swift, Hayley Williams and many more. Now these are all country singers, but regardless his methods are flawless.

He uses the technique referred to as "Speech Level Singing". Speech Level Singing is a method created by Seth Riggs. Seth Riggs is responsible for the vocal prowess of artists such as George Benson, Ray Charles, Ben Vereen (Usher's daddy), Prince, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, and Michael Jackson (R.I.P.).

The SLS (Speech Level Singing Method) is as follows:

Basically, if the larynx stays down and the vocal cords stay together from the very bottom of the vocal range to the very top everything is fine. This also applies to all vowel and consonant combinations through out any phrase. If at any point the larynx jumps up or down or the tone becomes breathy then there is something wrong with the vocal process.

The larynx is the big bump in the middle of the neck just below the chin. This houses the vocal cords and controls the process of swallowing. When the larynx moves up, the muscles around the cords act as a sphincter and closes so as to prevent swallowing down the windpipe and into the lungs. This is a very important process when you need to swallow, but it is a very poor process when you are trying to sing. If you place your hand on your larynx and yawn, you will find that you can bring your larynx down as well. This is a good way to learn what it feels like to have the larynx stay down. The end goal here is to be able to keep the larynx from moving down as well as up. It should stay completely still as you ascend and descend.

The vocal cords, also known as vocal folds, are a pair of soft tissue cords that are joined at the front of the larynx and extend back. When they close, the back end of the cords come together (adduct), and the flow of air is temporarily stopped. When the pressure of air from the diaphragm overcomes the pressure of the muscles holding the cords together, they are blown apart and sound is made when they close again due to the resonation created. Then once again the air pressure overcomes the muscle pressure and the process begins again. If a singer is singing an A above middle C, this process happens 440 times every second. The pitch A above middle C vibrates 440 times per second. That is very fast and it is somewhat difficult to see this process happen even if you can see down the singer’s throat. Since the invention of the strobescopy it has become easier to view the vocal cord resonation process. If the vocal cords begin to come apart, the tone becomes breathy and the muscles around the outside of the larynx begin to tense. This becomes what is called a constricted phonation and is quite harmful for the voice.

This is a very brief and condensed version of what happens when you sing, there is obviously a lot more going on. But, to give you an idea of what is correct, take these two ideas and while you are singing, monitor them. See if you can keep your larynx still and your cords together. You will probably find that there is a certain area of your voice that is easy for you to accomplish this and certain points of your voice that are more difficult. These harder areas are called bridges, The key to Speech Level Singing is in understanding the bridges and the mix. Bridges in the voice are passage areas from one part of our vocal range to another. In Italian, they're called passagi - or maybe you've heard the term passagio. These passage areas are a result of vocal cord adjustments that must take place in order for us to sing high and low in our range. These vocal cord adjustments produce resonance shifts in our body.

Our first shift in resonance, or our first bridge, is our most crucial, because this is where our outer muscles are most likely to enter the picture. If they do, they tighten around the larynx in an effort to stretch the cords for the desired pitch.

Now this is what Brett Manning mainly focuses on.

And I have used this technique on and off for almost 2 and a half years now and I am proud to say that i have achieved a 4 octave range with with some change haha. That is from G2 to G5 and a C6. But I can be better. I have a nice middle range which is what I have always been striving to perfect. I realized that working the top and bottom registers would fill out the middle. I am able to do all the fancy stuff I've always wanted and I am satisfied. And I didn't even have to use my credit card, shhh!!!

For links to Brett Manning's Singing Success site click here/

For Seth Rigg's site click here

What is Neo Soul?

noreply@blogger.com (Masura Daichi) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:38:00 +0000

Neo Soul is merely a renaissance of the R&B movement. For those of you that are confused there is a reason - you're the reason that a renaissance was needed.

In the 80s and 90s record companies sought to dilute Black music to control the increase of white kids that were listening to it, rather than sticking to rock, pop etc. They first began to move R&B and Hip-Hop records to awkward places in the store. When that didn't work they put those records behind the counter, and required you to ask for them. When that didn't work, they took R&B records and charted them on Pop charts and then MOVED those records to the pop section. Artists seeing the trend, ammended their content accordingly so they too could get some of that "mainstream money" (read: white kids money). Along the way, white record executives encouraged artists (they don't really make art by the way) to focus on "sure fire topics" - and thus lyrical content and variety and creativity died quickly.

In the mid and late 90s artists convinced that lyrical integrity and musical skill were prerequisites to real music launched Neo Soul as a reply to the industry's desire to dilute R&B to meet the needs of white kids that wanted "a little soul, but not too much" (you see by now all the white kids were listening to it, but most were fronting because they didn't really like it in its full form).

Ironically enough the same "dilute it for the white kids" mentality threatens the Neo Soul movement as well, prompting some artists (who really make art) to say "yo b, don't call me neo soul - soul never left" - to avoid pressure to become ambiguously soulful or as we say around my way "chart topping garbage".

The same policy in politics applies in music - the vast masses have no idea what constitutes "good" and they can lead anywhere by anything that the Pied Piper puts in front of them. Which makes them occasionally reflect "hey does anyone know what this is?" - hence the question "what is Neo Soul?"

A question that a real lover of soul, someone raised on it, livin' it and breathin' would never ask. Because once you hear it - you know exactly what it is and isn't. Its traditional Black music with contemporary adjustments.

I sing too!

noreply@blogger.com (Masura Daichi) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:10:00 +0000

This is a video of me singing Long Goodbye by who else? That's right. You guessed it. India.Arie

Enjoy!

It brought us closer...

noreply@blogger.com (Masura Daichi) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:07:00 +0000

You know, I always loved listening to India.Arie. Her music has such an esoteric taste. See, it speaks to my soul and the funny thing is, that sometimes the songs are uncannily relevant to something going on in my life at any given time. My relationships, how I feel about myself, dealing with other people's judgment, etc.

In most recent cases it has spoken on my current relationship experiences. And I find that really interesting and profound.

India.Arie has transcended the level of normal consciousness and broken through the barrier of adversity.

I know that in my life I have had many broken roads and I have achieved many new levels of wisdom and insight. I have come from a harsh environment and struggled to stay on my feet; though I was knocked down, I stood back up.

India.Arie has been an inspiration for me in so many ways on so many levels; she provides my soul with soulful licks and runs, a smooth, creamy earth mama sound that makes my skin trickle, lyrics that are so mesmerizing that I find myself in an abyss of elevated awareness.

Maybe I should change the title of this blog to India.Arie fans STAND UP! But no, there are other topics that I like to discuss and India just so happens to be the bulk of it all, lol.

The Renovations!

noreply@blogger.com (Masura Daichi) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 07:42:00 +0000

The site has been newly renovated!

A new look and feel so that now you'll actually be interested in the bloggering, lol.

I have many gadgets here to spice things up but never too much never too much never too much, thanks Luther.

Oh and India.Arie is a goddess.

Peace!

Love Instructors

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Love instructors...

IN music we have had many different artists whom I would call "love instructors".

What they did was tell you in their songs HOW to love and go about your relationships and how you were to treat your lover. They laid it out for you with each lyric; it was conversational.

Some love instructors I know of have been artists like Jill Scott, India.Arie, Al Green, Stevie Wonder (in some instances), Aretha Franklin, and that's all I can think of at the moment.

Now I will post lyrics from a song that India.Arie and Blu Miller wrote entitled 'Ready For Love'

I am ready for love.
Why are you hiding from me?
I'd quickly give my freedom to be held in your captivity.

I am ready for love.
All of the joy and the pain.
And all the time that it takes just to stay in your good grace.

Lately I've been thinking maybe you're not ready for me.
Maybe you think I need to learn maturity.
They say, "Watch what you ask for, cause you might receive."
But if you ask me tomorrow, I'll say the same thing.

I am ready for love.
Would you please lend me your ear?
I promise I won't complain.
I just need you to acknowledge I am here.

If you give me half a chance
I'll prove this to you.
I will be patient, kind, faithful and true
to a man who loves music
a man who loves art
respects the spirit world and thinks with his heart.

I am ready for love
If you'll take me in your hands.
I will learn what you teach
and do the best that I can.

I am ready for love
Here with an offering of my voice
my eyes, my soul, my mind
tell me what is enough
to prove I am ready for love.

I am ready.

Michael Jackson's Memorial Service Pt 1

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:04:00 +0000

I'm watching the memorial service right now on E!

It's very sad... and it's kinda cool how each brother is wearing a glove.

Mariah sounded a mess too, maybe she was just so torn up about MJ.

Let me know you guys thoughts and feelings about the service so far.

Watch it here

Disappointment

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 05:50:00 +0000

I thought that the silent treatment would suffice. I began to lose interest after a while. No more visits, no more late night chill sessions. Nada. I thought that maybe she was too busy so I gave her that space that people tend to need when they're transitioning in life. No calls. No texts. Nada. So I feel neglected yet I keep my composure, I never mentioned my feelings deep within. I know when I'm being ignored. I know that now after my prior experiences with past relationships. I nudge her with a text. And I get no response. She calls a day later asking about what the deal was, I clear up the haze and try to make her understand my position in open line communication-based relationships, see I've dealt with that before and I made sure that the next time I wouldn't make the same mistake. So we talk. I really didn't have anything to say to her. I was still upset and losing interest long before the talk. She speaks and I make my comments, looking for acknowledgment of the little funnies every now and then, but there was nothing. Nada. I could only stand silence on the other end while I hear music in the background and random nothings about this and that.

I get restless. I start trying to make her laugh but it turned out that she thought I was becoming weird to her. That shit turned me OFF. Yet on the line I stayed for I knew that I needed to keep my cool. I'm not the type to argue if there's nothing to argue about especially if she's not being disagreeable. I tell her that I am getting tired and that I would talk to her later and she said okay. I hung up. I felt gratified. I had officially stopped caring.

See this is the thing... I was feeling like she was purposefully being distant from me because she wanted the feelings that she had caught to dissipate. I can't blame her. One night she called me telling me about some issue that went down where some guy jumped stupid about her seeing another dude. Her whole night the night she called me was just a mess. Terrible. And that experience made her want to be by herself and not worry about ANY other person. She does not want a relationship. She doesn't want to be with anyone. She doesn't want me. And I had hopes of being a good friend, but she made it painfully clear to me that she didn't want that, so I backed off, that shit turned me off. We had plans to see a movie that Sunday but when I asked her what she was doing after work, she told me that she was going to church. And left it at that. And the way she said it, oooooh, it was like a "I'm going to church, and...?" As if we didn't make plans to hang out once again. I was turned off, I was hurt. But I didn't say a word to show my feelings at that moment. She said that when she got off, we'd go, but nope, she's going to church and shit apparently she forgot about little ol' me.

What I didn't mention earlier, is that during the phone call that she made to me in regards to my text message, I asked her what she was doing the next day. She tells me, and I quote, "I'm going to work and I'm going home." I was yet again, TURNED THE FUCK OFF. I had completely lost interest at this point and wanted nothing to do with her, this is when I decided to get off the phone.

Now see, I didn't call her back. No text messages. Nada. I cut all lines of communication for three days. I see her at work on the 6th of July, oh and we're coworkers, and I didn't even as much LOOK at her. I didn't say a WORD the ENTIRE day, I only worked for 4 hours, but I'm sure she felt me. I never ignored someone that much in my life. It was pretty damn crucial. I talked to EVERYONE else BUT her. And once she caught wind of it, oh yeah, she knew I was pretty serious. No phone calls or text messages for three days and I don't even say as much as "hello".

Hmph, and after work, I'm standing in the front of the store waiting for my ride. One of my front end managers, whom she is friends with, another co-worker, who's bougey and stuck up to no end, and the security is there. Oh and not to mention the one this blog post is about. I stand there and I remember saying something to the stuck up chic and she didn't say anything back to me, now if I speak to you and you just blatantly IGNORE me, then like me, and if you know me you know what I'm about to say, FUCK YOU, anyway I stay quiet and play on my phone. Chic comes from the back and up to the front of the store and I still do not acknowledge her existence, she stands next to her friend, the manager, and all three of them start talking, and I'm off to the side minding my own business. Eventually the front end manager, whom I'm pretty cool with, asks me to join the conversation, and I didn't hear anything but apparently, ol' girl was telling him no, not to ask me, or not to talk to me or whatever I don't even know what she told him but he was like, "oh well I guess not". I knew there was a discrepancy right then and there. So I stood there, not giving a royal FUCK about anyone. It did not phase me one bit. My ride comes and the front end manager says, "Rodgerick, front and center" and I look up outside and see my ride waiting. I tell everyone that I'd see them later, bougey stuck up girl had already left, and there was no reply. I left.

So I was left with my thoughts. Was she going to tell him something about me? Was she going to tell him about how it all began? What could she really say to make me look bad, I have been nothing but nice, and a good friend this whole time. I've listened to her problems and she listened to mine. We had a mutual liking of one another and now what? What is it?! Somebody please tell me? I just stopped talking to the chic for a while, spilt milk. Get over it.

I just really want to tell her off. I want to clue her in on how I've been feeling lately. She is ignorant of what's been going on with me. I doubt she even cares, but that's beside the point. This just may be the END of a friendship. The END of it all. I do not expect any calls or texts. For I have begun the new leaf of simply, not giving a fuck. And typically with me, once I say Fuck off, and I'm done, believe me, I'm done.

You wonder why I don't have so called "friends"? Too much disappointment that's why. People... people! Ugh, seems that in the end the only person you can really rely upon is yourself.

And that's the way the cookie crumbles =)

Beyonce or India.Arie?!

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:13:00 +0000

Okay now I know I know you're most probably thinking to yourselves:

Oh Hell nah! Beyonce all the way!

Buuuut consider the following:

India.Arie is simply amazing
and she plays the piano, guitar, and the flute... she's a MUSICIAN

and her voice is so sultry, hmmm

I love altos, and she is the definition of an Earth Momma

Plus India is ALL NATURAL

Beyonce is SYNTHETIC

India wears her hair naturally and does not need LACE FRONT wigs or fake hair

Now I've turned this into an issue of who's keepin it more real, lol

I apologize, this is about musical ability not physical characteristics, (LIE)

So...

Beyonce

or

India

not convinced

okay here

Listen to the vocals and make your decision!

I will concede that Beyonce has a very versatile range but also keep in mind that Bee and India have two different voice types and either one respectively sound good on particular genres and songs, so if Bee sang Brown Skin or India sand Dangerously in Love, there would be some issues, got it? lol

Any Suggestions?

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:28:00 +0000

I'm just starting this blog and I would like some feedback on what you would like for me to talk about here?

Note it has to be related to one of the topics that my title expresses.

LOVE

MUSIC

HARMONY

sounds like the perfect name for an album and song don't it?

When Listening to Music Counts!

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:38:00 +0000

Hi hi again!

I just want to let you all know that I appreciate the love from all of you guys subscribed and not subscribed.

I would like to introduce you to a little website that I would like to call last.fm.

It's a website that allows you to listen to all your favorite artist, not so favorite artists, that records how many times you've played a particular song by a particular artist. Think of it as the listeners competition.

It is imperative that you being a music lover sign up now!

When you do, come find me!

Lover's quote #1

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:21:00 +0000

"You ever love someone so much you wanted them dead?"

My Wife

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:18:00 +0000

This is a lady you may know that we call India.Arie

She is the BEST no doubt.

I love this woman

Letting You Know

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:09:00 +0000

It's been established who my favorite male vocalist is, well of course, Brian McKnight.

I've had many discussions with many other singers and music enthusiasts and many agree that Brian McKnight is a beast.

I have been listening to him since I was about 5, his voice was the first I heard and I knew from then on that he is what I aspired to be in a singer, vocalist, musician, etc.

I have devised a little poll off the right side of the blog. I have come up with about a few good male singers IMO and I would like to see what everyone else thinks.

Don't be shy. I know that I'm in the beginning stages of my blog but with time, my readers and new readers will grow and build a basis on which we can come together and debate, argue, agree, disagree, and kiss and make up.

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (Perfect Harmony) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:57:00 +0000

Well I figured I just get things up off the ground and not beat around the bush, lol.

Here music lovers, lovers and people alike can come and express themselves about their favorite artists, music genres, etc.

Now I must admit that I am a little biased when it comes to music genres.
Typically I prefer RnB, Jazz, Pop, and Gospel. Maybe it's because I'm Black?

But I'm open to trying something new, lol.

At any rate, this first posting will have a video of my all time favorite vocalist and musician of all time, Mr. Brian McKnight. Enjoy =)