July 2011 / thebillericagreen.com /17
Scat Chat
Singing in the Summer
By Julie Kinscheck
In addition to singing professionally, I am also a voice teacher here in Billerica and some of my students and I plan to perform at the Bennett Library on Sunday, July 31st at 4pm. For any musical performance with vocals, the singer is the center of attention; but what makes their performance great? Here are some quotes from some of my students and quick tips from me, the teacher. Ten year old Corrina Jarzynka advises: “Relax and pretend you’re in your room. One way to keep your voice in shape is to eat kinda like on a diet; not too much chocolate. More on the healthy side, fruit and veggies.” She makes several good points! Singing is communication. When you are in front of an audience, you want to relax. By relaxing I mean overcoming your fears so you can focus on what you are singing instead of the crowd looking at you. Also, what you eat and how much water you drink can make a huge difference in how well your voice works. Caffeine, acidic and spicy foods can dry out and irritate the cords so they will cover themselves with mucus and make you sound scratchy or hoarse. TIP: Drink LOTS of water! Water will thin the mucus and hydrate the cords. You will sing more freely and sound cleaner. Adult student Diana Wick writes: “You need to loosen your laryngeal gap, smile when you sing and use your diaphragm.” Important to technique, your cords need to be flexible- that means loose-to work well. It is very important to warm up your body (some simple stretches are good) and loosen the muscles in your face, jaw and neck. Then we do gentle vocal warm ups, engage our diaphragm muscle, and smile. Smiling actually lifts the sound to a better vocal placement; the emotion shows on your face and comes through in your vocal technique. Finally, six-year-old Alicia Kearney puts it all together: “Once you get it, you can do it.” After you have prepared by warming up, worked on technique and learned the words, now you can give it your all. Your teacher will be proud as you shine like a star! Julie Kinscheck is a Billerica singer/songwriter, recording artist and voice and guitar teacher. Contact her for lessons or booking at julieksings@comcast.net or 617-686-7075. Visit www.julieksings.com.
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Our Native Traditions
Native American Naming Ceremonies
By Sarah Morning Flower Libby Greater Lowell Indian Cultural Association
Giving names to individuals differed from what is done in modern society today. When a child was born, they would not be named right away. The Elders of the community, especially the grandparents, would give great thought to a name. Females named the girls and males named the boys. They would watch the child, see the first physical, emotional, and spiritual traits, and consider outside influences. The moon under which they were born, the weather during the child’s birth and what was going on in the community at that time were considered. Once all of that was taken into account, the grandparents would name this child. Names were not given for life as ours are today. As this child grew and evolved among the tribe by coming into adulthood, marrying, aging and gaining other wisdom, his or her name may be changed by the Elders during a ceremony. At birth, the grandparent would pray and bless the child, introducing this child to the Creator and tribe so the Creator and tribe would know who they were. Coming into adulthood wasn’t at a specific age, since each person varied. However, once the tribe noticed them, a new name would be chosen in regards to the kind of person they were becoming. During this naming ceremony, the elder men or women would explain the responsibilities at this age among the tribe to this child/adult. They would set life goals for this person in hopes it would lead this person on the right track to be productive and responsible adults. Today, since people sometimes do not find their native ancestry until later in life and may be older, incorporating the native ways into their world may mean asking an elder to give them a name. Some children born into the culture are sometimes given a modern name, so their grandparents will still give them a native name as well. As time goes on, we as a people do not forget our ceremonies or culture but hold dear to us what has been done for thousands of years. Some customs may vary but they are never lost. We continue practicing these so the next seven generations will also have this knowledge. Every tribe across the U.S. had various ways rituals were done in their community. These are of the Eastern Woodland Peoples who resided in Billerica and the surrounding towns. For more information, visit www.glica.net.
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