Opening Up
For Shabbat lunch I joined a group of people eating on Gan Soccer. One lady is a voice teacher.
I admitted to her that I think that I need a creative outlet. She said that was very important. She asked me what I do that is creative.
“I write,” I told her. “Well, I have a blog, but I mostly use it to complain. That’s not creative really.”
“No, it’s not,” she said. Then I told her about this party I went to Thursday night where one girl told the crowd that she first started writing songs in college, and found that at one point she couldn’t think of anything to write about. “If I’m not in love, and I’m not depressed, I haven’t just broken up with anyone and I like school and am not having an existential crisis, what do I have to write about?” So she decided to challenge herself to write a song about being happy.
The voice performer/teacher agreed. She said that often students come to her having difficulties with their performance, and they want to work on changing certain aspects of their voice. Usually they need to work on changing certain aspects of their life as well, and everything happens at once. She finds that her students often start new relationships, decide to start new adventures in life, move, and do all sorts of things in their personal life at the same time that they overcome whatever challenge it is to their voice.
I thought that was really cool.
jtownponderings 
February 24, 2008 at 4:36 pm
This reminds me of the song by Rob Paravonian—-I took a good look at my lifeWhat I saw I didn’t likeCause there was nothing that was built to lastUnderneath all the cheap vaneerThere’s nothing that can stand the yearsIt all falls apart so fastParticle boardAll the furniture I own is made of particle boardIt’s all I can afford particle boardParticle boardIs this what I’ve been working my whole life for?Four walls and a door particle boardI have to live my life aloneCause if I ever bring a woman homeShe’ll take one look at my place and any chance is blownI guess that I have to admitA guy looks like he can’t commitWhen a hex-wrench can dismantle anything he ownsParticle boardIf I ever move I’ll leave it here on the floorTo move would cose more than my particle boardParticle boardMy life sucks and it can’t be ignoredAll I can afford is particle boardI try to live my life without things that tie me downThat’s why I only buy crap I won’t miss if I skip townBut now I see I can’t live my life like this foreverI’d like to own some furniture I don’t have to put togetherI took a good look at my lifeWhat I saw I didn’t likeIt made me wanna run away and hideJust one look around my homeShows that everything I ownIs all leaning to one sideParticle boardAll the furniture I own is made of particle boardIt’s all I can afford particle boardParticle boardMy life sucks and it can’t be ignoredAll I can afford is particle boardParticle boardIs this what I’ve been working my whole life for?Four walls and a door particle boardParticle boardAll the furniture I own is made of particle boardIt’s all I can afford particle board.
February 24, 2008 at 8:11 pm
another song about life was Phoebe’s “Smelly Cat”Three, four…Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,What are they feeding you?Smelly Cat, Smelly CatIt’s not your faultThey won’t take you to the vetYou’re obviously not their favorite petSmelly Cat, Smelly Cat,It’s not your faultYou may not be a bed of rosesYou’re not friend to those with nosesI’ll miss you before we’re doneOr the world will smell as oneSmelly Cat, Smelly Cat,What are they feeding you?Smelly Cat, Smelly CatIt’s not your fault(Phoebe) Oh are we done?One, two, what’s that smell?Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,What are they feeding you?Smelly Cat, Smelly CatYou’re getting fatI think that I’m gonna be sickIt’s your ears, and nose and pickPart of it, tempt meOne, two, what’s that smell?All the dogs in the neighborhoodAre saying this for your own goodWhat, you’re fat, so you can’t runNo fun, I bet, No funSmelly Cat, Smelly Cat,Porno makes you eat like thatI saw you in the shopping mallSmelly Cat, Smelly Cat,It’s not your fault,Smelly Cat, Smelly Cat,It’s not your faultSmelly Cat, Smelly Cat,It’s not your faultWe know what was in your foodThey say it might affect your moodYou smell like something dead (3x)One, two, what’s that smell?(Phoebe)Yeah, that’s not the song
February 25, 2008 at 5:47 am
Wow Tamar–that’s pretty big.I can tell you that I recently had a certain revelation about photography that sounds…related to what you’ve realized. I basically realized that I NEED to be taking pictures. As in I existentially NEED to be taking pictures.Not for money or a job. I just need to take them. Creating things that are new and beautiful and uniquely yours….is very very important… Maybe we can Skype about it sometime.That observation from the voice teacher feels deep.