LaVon Hardison
voiceover | video | actor | singer
Lin who?
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Who’s Lin?
That’s what I asked my husband when he mentioned reading about the new media darling or should I say dude-ling Jeremy Lin. I am not a basketball fan, but it didn’t take long to get caught up on his stats. Basically, 23 year old Lin had been warming the bench of the New York Knickerbockers. In early Febuary he got some court time and rose above and beyond expectations becoming the first NBA player to score at least 20 points and have seven assists in each of his first five starts. Warning, that is as much basketball lingo as you are going to get from me on this post. And just for the record that was stolen from Wikapedia. Couple that with a rocky and serendipitous road to New York this humble ex bench warmer is improving with every game and playing like a superstar.
There are many folks who are really freaked out that he is an Asian-Americanand *gasp* playing basketball! But then, again, there are people who are having a hard time wrapping their head around the fact that Obama is president and well, Vanilla Ice has a TV show. Take away all the media hype and the terrible puns on his name, the fact is that by authentically expressing himself he is part of a force that is working to expand our collective view of where ability, talent, and contribution can be found. As a culture we are ready for that expansion and as a world we are ready long overdue for it.
Funny we have to be reminded over and over again that each us has a gift and a mission and God/ Universe ( your name of Deity here) picks the messenger and we just gotta deal with it. Yep, I like that.
Happy President’s Day and have a great week!
Keeping the right focus
0I have been on the road a lot lately. I’m currently visiting schools with two other actors in Book it All Over’s touring production of Wilma Unlimited. We have been taking the story of human being extraordinaire and pioneering athlete Wilma Rudolph. We have performed in front of hundreds of sleepy, squirrelly, entranced, delighted and indifferent, kids ages 6 and up. If you don’t know about about this amazing woman, check her out, her life is the picture of perseverance and determination.
Today, while I was driving, I glanced at my rear view mirror and noticed that the car behind me was riding on my bumper. I realized after looking at my rear view mirror several times and mentally griping about how this ( fill in the blanks) driver was surely out to get me, after a moment, I had to giggle because I was so fixated on what was going on behind me, that I was not paying attention to what was literally right in front of me. Hello LaVon, there are cars right in front of me that I need to pay attention to. Duh!
You know those ordinary moments that become marvelous teachers, Well, that driving moment, was a good a reminder to not hold on to the past too tightly, otherwise, there is the potential to get tangled up in the present rather than enjoy it. When I think about Wilma Rudolph and how she overcame so many obstacles of health, racism and poverty, I realize that there was no way that she could have overcome if she was fixated on the past. She had to use the past events as positive fuel and move forward gracefully.
It’s a fine art to know how much and what part of our past experience to hold on to; and still keep your eyes front and alert to current gifts. It may look like I am just driving in my car all over tarnation, but honestly, some good thinking happen there too. Hope your commute offers you good fruit.
Beautiful Fool-MLK Day
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As Martin Luther King Day comes to a snowy end, I came across a speech he gave several weeks before his assassination:
It is not enough for me to stand before you tonight and condemn riots. It would be morally irresponsible for me to do that without, at the same time, condemning the contingent, intolerable conditions that exist in our society. These conditions are the things that cause individuals to feel that they have no other alternative than to engage in violent rebellions to get attention. And I must say tonight that a riot is the language of the unheard.
I was surprised by the amen truth of that last statement, ” …a riot is the language of the unheard”. The Occupy Movement continues to simmer in various parts of country, and there is a rumble of discontent as the economic gap widens and politicians loose sight of their true calling as servants of all people. Peaceful demonstrations and protest have the potential to bring clarity to the bargaining table. The slippery language of soul poor politicians is momentarily trapped and they and their kin are forced to truly listen to those who have been shouting for a long time or do not have a voice. It is in the demonstrations led and inspired by King which spoke strongly the words, “stop”, “no”, “enough” or ” I choose a different paradigm-I choose love”. King’s battle was for racial and economic equality, and those protests that he ignited was part of the necessary fuel that challenged many in America to shift or get off the pot!
Thank you Dr King, for being a beautiful fool…
Happy trails Steve…
0Last week I went to a life celebration of Steve Munger. A talented and kind cornerstone of the Olympia jazz music community. I never had a chance to share the stage with him but what interaction that I did have, I found him gracious, and a depth of creative imagination.
His memorial service was followed several days later by a more public musical celebration of his life at The Royal in downtown Olympia. The evening ebbed and flow with Steve’s personal and musical friends performing in his honor. Many of Olympia’s jazz royalty and up and coming musicians shared the stage to play Steve’s compositions. The place was packed, such support made the heart buoyant.
I mentioned this because once and while I am reminded that there is a wonderful musical community in Olympia and I figured that sometimes, it needs to be said out loud.
Happy trails Steve, may the gigs be good.
Sing a Song Part 2
0So in the last post, I talked a little about asking yourself the right question when looking for a voice teacher Click here to see that post. As I mentioned, any good teacher can teach you the basic mechanics of singing. Here are a few that are on the top of my list:
- Singing needs air in order to do it. Learning how to breath well is one of the foundation of singing. Find someone who will teach you to breath naturally and with ease; in a way that will permit you to have good tone and pitch.
- Good pitch, in my book is not optional. You may have pipes like Aretha, Beyonce and J-lo all wrapped into one, but if you cannot sing on pitch consistently Streisand, you got a problem! A good teacher will notice any pitch issues and help you find ways to correct them.
I want to digress from my list for a moment and add that If you are in search for a voice teacher ( or any teacher for that matter), I am assuming that you want to improve some aspect of your current skills, i.e you are looking for an outside opinion. They will help you stretch and build on your talents; but it is not their job to just tell you how great you are. A good teacher/consultant is delighted with all progress that you make, but they do not stop there, they will keep you accountable to the goals that you have chosen for yourself. Ok, that said, on to…
- Rhythm, as in, I got rhythm, I got music. A great sense of rhythm is a lovely and necessary talent to expand. Learn how to count properly and steadily. Does that mean that you have to sing everything straight and boring? No, it means that if you are going to mess with the rhythm of a song, you know what you are doing and can make intentional choices.
- Diction- I’m not talking, “the rain in Spain stays mainly on the plains” diction with the rolling “r’s” and such, I am talking about learning how to enunciate the words while you are singing. Trust me, it is better for your audience to concentrate on your stunning performance rather than straining to understand what the heck you just said!
This is a very short list and there are certainly more “basic singing skills” that could be added, but this should help you get started in your search for the right teacher. Good luck!
So I wanna sing…Part 1
0Although I am not currently teaching voice, I occasionally get inquiries about voice lessons. I thought that I would take a minute to share some thoughts about how to find the right teacher for you. First, why do you want to take voice lessons? Is your inner critic beating the snot out you and preventing you from enjoying singing? Are you already confident in your skills and just want to clean up some bad habits? Is there a specific problem that you have when sing or perform in front of others that you want to overcome?
Get specific. Get it on paper. Make a list of what you want to improve or the problems that you want to solve through lessons. Take the time to do this , it will keep you focused while you interview teachers and keep you on task.
If your brand spanking new to singing any good teacher can give you the basic about the mechanics of singing, What are basic mechanics?
More, next post…
What was that crash? It’s just fall
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Does anyone else share my shock that it’s October? I have nothing personal against October mind you, although I get a little resentful at the sky being grey all of the time and dampness being the status quo. But I move beyond that and get a giddy sense of relief when fall makes it appearance. There is something about leaves turning the color of orange justice and pomegranates that makes me feel that all is right with the world.
I do love summer though, she is defiantly my BFF. She is active, curious, sometime short on attention span and looses all since of time, making the days linger deep into what should be night. She initiates cook outs, picnics and bike rides. She sparks outdoor theater, sun dresses, and skinny dipping. Here in the Northwest when she is adorned with real honest- to- goodness sunshine, she is glorious. I do however in her company, feels compelled to “get things done”; to “take advantage of the weather”. She is so much fun to be around I and feel a little guilty if I am not taking advantage of a non rainy condition. So when I sit and read a book or take a nap in the summer, it is much like I eating an entire can of Pringles, it’s in secret and a little embarrassing.
Now Autumn, she is a grand dame; a come- as- you are kind of gal. She encourages, snuggling and snuggly clothing. She gives you books to read and peaches to can and new beginnings. She lavishly gives the last gifts of the harvest. Everything from the garden tastes better when it is October. Yakima peaches, oh my love for you. Ever prolific and versatile zucchini, this year you were my bread of choice. And home grown tomatoes?! No wonder songs have been written about you. I get a little misty when I think that such tenderness will be replaced by well, hockey pucks. Sigh.
Singing for seniors has been fun and funny, they are an appreciative audience, and honestly, what is not good about that. Many of the residents are active mentally and physically, but there are some that struggle with varying degrees of dementia which often manifest as a refreshing disregard for social etiquette, causing them to speak plainly and bluntly. The last time I was there, I brought some instruments, shakers and bells etc for people to play. When I was done with the activity , I saw that a set of bells had been missed in my clean up and was sitting on the table in front of one of the residents. Teasing, I went over to the table and said, “D are you hiding my bells?” D looking directly at my chest, innocently and with the utmost honesty replied, “No, when I look at your bells, I just want to ring them”. I paused, held laughter and told him I would see him next week. He had proclaimed his love to me earlier in the day so this comment was…well was part of his MO. I do love my life.
It was great to sing at the Royale the last couple of Mondays, I hope to get another show in before the year is up. In November, I start rehearsals with Book-it Theater’s school touring show about Wilma Rudolph. The program takes theater to the schools along the I-5 Corridor. More about that next time.
Til then, be good or least aspire in that direction
Hear, Hear, Music
0You might have noticed that Horizon House is popping up a couple of times on my calendar, I have had the opportunity to share music with this wonderful retirement community in Seattle. Singing for the residence has re- affirmed the healing power of music.
I have often heard that music is a universal language, and I used to roll my eyes a little bit when I did, because it sounded so … well corny. My trip to India to be part of a Sacred Music festival in 2009, made me sneer less at this aphorism ( as well as other cliches); in fact that experience shed more light on the pithy truth of that worn saying.
While some may think that there is one audience in a performance, there are really two. I get to watch the “audience” experience the subtle relationship between music and memory. as listeners recall melodies and words that were not consciously accessible.
Music clears the way for good memories as well as the not so pleasant ones to be acknowledged and felt. The other day, I went to visit a friend who was playing music from our college days. We laughed as the music caused us to cringe and shake our heads at the those vulnerable and “know it all” times. Just a couple of measures woke up a truckload of memories.
Songs are such loaded things, It does not matter how simple or complex the tune, music has the pass key and goes straight to what is important for the individual, because what we often hold in memory, good or bad is what we value.
Music’s power? Well I think a quote from one of my all time favorite sci-fi
shows Firefly sums up the attitude of music right nicely, ” You can’t stop the signal. Everything goes somewhere, and I go everywhere”.
For you late night folks, I will be singing at The Royal, 311 N Capitol Way
Olympia, WA 98511, Monday night, sitting in for Greta Jane. Vince Brown on guitar, Cary Black on bass, and Syd Potter on trumpet. 9:30pm-12.
Also Happy Birthday to one of my favorite singers Ray Charles-there may be many imitators but he is one of a kind. Thank you Ray for making this world more soulful.
Aural Tastiness
1So yesterday, I sat and listened. It’s something that I need to do more often because when I do, I am completely sated. Just sitting and listening to music. Not cleaning and listening or cooking and listening but listening to music as the primary activity. I admit that sitting down just to listen feels like a luxury, but I always get fed, educated and humbled when I do. Courtesy of my favorite online time machine, juke box and university YouTube I spent some time with Mel Torme, Anita O’Day and even Doris Day as well as a few others.. And like all good field trips, my curiosity led me to explore other songs and other singers. An honorable mention of the day was Barbara Higbie, more about her at a later date, but the chewiest sound of yesterday’s audio wander was Timi Yuro. I was intrigued by her name and when I saw what she looked like and the sound that came out of that mouth, well, I was delighted. The color, depth and soul of her voice pulled me in and made my ears go mmmmmm. Enjoy.
