The Voice: Part 2

I know I should be feverishly rushing my studies in preparation for the mid-terms but I really want to revisit the topic regarding my voice.

I guess it has been a full one year since the revelation that I am a countertenor. Armed with an unusually strong falsetto, which requires little exertion to execute, I am able to reach notes far beyond the reach of most mature men. Nonetheless, I am still new to this mode of singing and there are much more knowledge and experience to be garnered in my training.

Since then, I have been trying to sing different songs catered to women and boy sopranos, and have discovered a great deal of weaknesses and deficiencies which I hope to surpass one day. As mentioned earlier, there is still much to learn and improve on when it comes to my "other" voice.

The chorale experiences in both RH and NUS Choirs have been enriching. I have learnt a great deal and met some people of my kind, who are evidently more skilled and beautiful in their singing.

I have read somewhere that being a countertenor is conscious choice. I can choose between singing in my baritone to low tenor modal voice or in my soprano upper range. I do admit that it is more comfortable to sing in the latter than the former since I somehow do not strain my throat so much. This really sounds almost contradictory because the opposite case is true for most guys.

If some of you have not known, the countertenor voices are very diverse. Some sound like men, while other can imitate a woman's voice so flawlessly, in which case, I would gladly refer to the Youtube star, Nick Pitera. I recall my NUS Choir senior telling me that I sound like an immature boy. I am not sure whether this is a good or not but well, I will accept God's gift with an open, loving heart.

I also recall that there is a social stigma against countertenors, who are perceived as social oddities, to the extent of being labelled as gays and transsexuals. I have been labelled a homosexual simply because I have belted out a screeching, high note in the presence of a few ignorant individuals. Partly, they ought not to be blamed as their perception may be conditioned by the social disapproval of countertenors. Such stigma is less pronounced in Europe, where the countertenor tradition is better established. In Asia however, we are in danger of taunts and ridicule.

What is it, really, about our high voices which sparks revulsion in some hearts? We are very much like any men, complete with the necessary sexual characteristic which defines our sex. In no way are we rendered impotent, either by nature or by the act of castrations. We are not castratos of the bygone era, who have given up their manhood to sing like angels. Admittedly, we do not equal them in breath power but we do seek to revive some of their songs in honour of their unique vocal identity. Additionally, there is a diversity of voices among countertenors as previously mentioned. If the high voice itself is a satisfactory reason to engender ridicule for our kind, I feel that the society is indeed in a sorry state.

I am still an amateur in the singing art of countertenor. Nonetheless, I do look forward to do better and play a part in perpetuating this singing tradition.

Semester 1 Interim Review

When I was young, I used to wish everyday that I would grow up quickly so that I could do things that Mum forbade me from doing as a child. Harking back to the past, I now realise how wonderful childhood has been to me. The innocence, naivety and and stubborn resolve, the last of which still lingers on, have been truly beautiful. Sigh, time has indeed sprinted so fast ahead I cannot imagine I am gonna turn twenty-one soon.

Since looking back to childhood would result in a 500 page long blog, I would settle with a glimpse into the last six weeks (or seven, for those Orientation addict) marking the first half of Semester 1. The Recess Week, which is ongoing now, has afford me the time and tranquility to review the opportunities, obstacles and actions that have gone by, to evaluate the things I have succeeded in doing and those which I failed, and to sum up my ever changing feelings about life here.

First up is the ever persistent cough that has been tormenting me for three weeks straight. It started with an innocent attempt to put a slice of piping hot stingray into my mouth. Not more than three days after that, worrying signs began to show. The shallow cough whenever I run out of water to drink, the tingling sensation of the throat whenever I walk into the air-conditioned room and the inability to mouth out more than ten words before my throat starts hacking madly at me. I have taken antibiotics, lozenges, anti-inflammatory drugs and cough mixture but they did little to avail me of such physical agony. For now, I try to limit myself from talking and singing apart from taking care of my diet to avoid spicy, oily and cold food. In Singapore, this means soup noodle or congee every lunch. Mum told me to rinse my throat at least twice a day and to consume honey, which I did try to follow obediently. I feel better now than the worst of times in the past three weeks but I do hope to get better.

Secondly, I would like admit that the NUS Choir session is rather taxing both to the time and to the voice. At least eight hours a week has to be put aside for the formal practice sessions and this blatantly excludes self practice to execute florid passages which demands not only the right pitch, but also the right color, tone and timbre. Nonetheless, I am still happy being in there since I have gained a great deal of knowledge despite the inability of my skill to grow in pace with the increasing difficulties of our upcoming musical pieces.

With regards to academics, there is the list of modules, in descending order of favourable opinion towards the modules:

1. GE2229 (Water and The Environment) - Have I told anyone Dr Lim Han She, our dear beloved lecturer, is a passionate, funny and supportive lecturer? She would share with us not only theoretical knowledge but also those garnered out in the field. For instance, one of the practical assignments was based on a field-work research she conducted in Thailand to help us realise that geography is not a academic backwater but an active, burgeoning area of study which is deeply entangled with our environment and daily lives. Apart from that, I find her a very nice person who would not let her PhD set a cloud arrogance around her. When you need her help, she would deliver it quickly and earnestly. Having learnt a bit about Hydrology back in JC, the content of the module is pretty much a built-up on previous knowledge with more depth and slightly more breadth. This doesn't mean that i doze off in lecture because Dr Han keeps surprising us with thought provoking questions printed on the lecture assignment sheet to be printed out for every lecture. The questions are designed to encourage us to apply what we learn, to frame our answers in a systematic, thoughtful manner, and to use creativity or common sense as and when needed. Oh ya, talking so much about GE2229 has somehow reminded me that I have not collected the marked Practical 1. I do hope that the marks would not cause so much emotional casualty in me.
2. CN2121 (Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics) - Admittedly, this is no easy module but that does not stop me from investing my passion in it. I guess this is because the lecturer, Dr Jiang Jianwen has been very nice and understanding when teaching the module. His lecture notes are concise yet filled with various examples so that we are better trained at applying the concepts he has taught us. After all, Engineering is about applying equations and theories. He explains complex equations in simple terms, avoiding jargons so typical of the high academia, so that we can understand, not just memorise the main ideas of thermodynamics. Moreover, he is keen to provoke our mind with difficult questions to get us thinking hard about the assumptions underlying thermodynamics (I somehow like thought-provoking lecturer, don't I?). Lastly, he is very approachable and would entertain whatever weird question I bring forth to him.
3. XD3103 (Planet Earth) - This is a module not so well known among the undergraduates primarily because it is a recent addition to the geography course to emphasise more on geology. It is divided unequal into the physics (25%), chemistry (25%) and geography (50%) portions and each is taught by different lecturers. The physics lecturer is rather enthusiastic but I can't stop myself from dozing off when he starts talking. There are both old (Newtonian physics) and new things (Birth of Solar System, Planetary geology and atmospheric environment) that I see in his lecture. As for the chemistry portion, there is a mix-up in the NUS timetable system such that the Geography lecturer has to cover two out of three lectures which ought to be taught by the Chemistry lecturer. The concepts such as atoms, elements and bondings are rather "elementary", crystal systems a little more intermediate and the different classes of silicate and non-silicate minerals rather new to me. The geography part of the module will only commence after recess week.
4. CM1501 (Organic Chemistry for Engineers) - If you think it is a recap of JC Chemistry, think again. A whole new array of jargons such as Sn1 and Sn 2 mechanism, anti-periplanar, hyperconjugation and 1,3-diaxial interactions are out there to surprise you. However, the module provides explanations on the chemical reactions we often take for granted back in JC so pure memorising work, which I hate so deeply, is less.
5. CN2122 (Fluid Mechanics) - I don't really have much affinity to this module. The lecture notes are more like exam cheat sheets than an illustration to better comprehend what is going about. It is so succinct that if you miss a lecture, you will be looking helplessly at all the Greek symbols not knowing that they imply. Attempts to clarify things with the lecture are often unpleasant and may lead to further dangling up of the neuron dendrites.

Phew, I am little tired too write anymore so can we save it for next time?