Music « Brenda on Life and other Quirky Bits

Impresario Auditions: My stage, my moment

Posted 28 Dec, 2011 at 10:53 PM · Category: Music

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After having taken a break from all things music-related for close to three years, I decided to audition for Impresario 2012 a week ago.

It was one of the more challenging decisions I’ve made recently. The weeks preceding the deadline had seen me swinging drastically from being “really keen to give it a go” to “meh, I really don’t have the time“.

Eventually, I swung back to the former and registered for an audition exactly on the registration closing date, with zero expectations.

It’s just for a bit of fun and excitement.

Surprisingly, I was barely nervous when I’d usually be a wreck. The whole thing went swimmingly well – my voice was steady (although my hands were trembling slightly) and completely on pitch, I added as much emotion into the song (as I could handle) and made the necessary eye contact.

In short, everything went much better than it did when I rehearsed at home.

The organizing team captured a picture of me just before I entered the audition room … with my big grin and all (and lookin’ just a little bit sleepy).

Photo credit to Impresario 2012.

I left the audition room grinning and feeling completely ecstatic. I wanted to give it my best shot, and I managed to. I’ve had my moment. I’m happy enough.

The audition results are due to be released anytime soon. Whether I’m in or out, it doesn’t matter. The experience of the audition itself (and the high I felt for the entire evening after the audition) was already well worth it.

I’m glad I decided to try out.

Unrelated, but I happen to think this contestant is really pretty.

My first attempt singing in a bar

Posted 25 Jun, 2011 at 2:02 AM · Category: Daily Life, Interests

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So, I was kinda prodded by my friends to jam with the resident guitarist/singer at O’Learys Bar this evening. It was a really impromptu thing. I eventually gave in, despite my indignation because I thought well, it’d be fun.

I tripped and fell while going on stage, right in view of everyone in the pub.

Never mind. In response, I cracked a feeble joke about how the floor loves me so much. (If I remembered correctly, hardly anyone laughed.)

I sang two songs – a solo of Sara Barielle’s ‘Love Song’ and a duet with the Bar’s resident singer of Colbie Caliat and Jason Mraz’s ‘Lucky’.

The first song was a struggle. The guitarist and I were playing/singing in two completely different keys. Then we’d notice the difference and attempt to compensate, only to overcompensate, undercompensate or compensate at the same time in different directions (i.e. he goes one key up while I sing one key lower). It was a complete mess.

The second one was much, much better. In fact, everyone said it was pretty good. I’m still not very convinced but ah, well.

In deep concentration. Yes, I wore a dress that day. Rare sight, I know, but stop gawking.

Once thing for sure, I definitely had fun.

One big takeaway though – no matter how familiar you are with a song and its lyrics, don’t think you can get up on stage anytime and wing it with a live guitarist/band because it is totally not the same at all. It is much more difficult than singing to a minus-one version.

No kidding.

Written in the Stars

Posted 03 Jan, 2011 at 11:38 PM · Category: Music

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My new favourite song. I first heard it when I was in New Zealand and subsequently, the song just stuck. Beautiful tune at the chorus and lyrics that make loads of sense. It’s now spinning on repeat in my iPod and I doubt I’d ever get sick of it.

I hope you guys like it too.

Music video for Tinie Tempah’s “Written in the Stars”, uploaded by parlophone on Youtube.

Written in the Stars – Tinie Tempah (feat. Eric Turner)
Oh, written in the stars, a million miles away
A message to the main, oh
Seasons come and go, but I will never change
And I’m on my way

Lets go, yeah, you’re listening now
They say they ain’t heard nothing like this in a while
That’s why they play my song on so many different dials
Cause I got more hits than a disciplined child
When they see me everybody brrrrraps, brrrrrraps
Man I’m like a young gun fully black Barrack
I cried tear drops over the massive attack
I only make hits like I work with a racket and bat
Look at my jacket and hat
So damn berserk, so down to earth
I’m bringing gravity back
Adopted by the major, I want my family back
People work hard just to get all their salary taxed
Look I’m just a writer from the ghetto like Malory Blackman
(Where the hell’s all the sanity at? Damn.)
I used to be the kid that no one cared about
That’s why you have to keep screaming till they hear you out

Oh, written in the stars, a million miles away
A message to the main, oh
Seasons come and go, but I will never change
And I’m on my way

Yeah, I needed a change
When we ate we never took because we needed a change
I needed a break
For a sec’ I even gave up believing and praying
I even done the legal stuff and was leaded astray
They said that money is the root to the evilest ways
But have you ever been so hungry that it keeps you awake
Mate, now my hunger would leave them amazed
Great, it feels like a long time coming
Since the day I thought of that cunning plan
One day I had a dream I tried to chase it
But I wasn’t going nowhere, running round
I knew that maybe someday I would understand
Trying to turn a tenner to a hundred grand
Everyone’s a kid that no-one cares about
You just got to keep screaming until they hear you out

Another one of his songs that appealed to me is “Invincible”, recorded in partnership with Kelly Rowland – which initially led me to believe that Tinie Tempah may end up becoming one of the very few singers/rappers whose entire repertoire of songs will appeal to me. Turned out he didn’t. Other than “Invincible” and “Written in the Stars” (as of end-December 2010), nothing else appealed.

For now, I am utterly in love with “Written in the Stars”. Excuse me while I head back to listening to this song on repeat.

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