[stylist] Practicing with "voices"

[Jacqueline Williams]

I can't resist writing a poem about all of the discussion topics.
Hope you like it.
Jacqueline Williams

"Write a Poem in the Voice of a Well-known Poet."

I did not write a poem this week,
I felt so darkly blue.
I noted dreams, and tried to tweak
some rhymes that sounded true.

Alas, I cooked and ate and slept
awaiting inspiration.
I read Babette, Millay, then wept-
no ease from my frustration.

I searched old verse forms that survive,
with iambs, trochees, dactyls.
Oh, please, just make me come alive-
not cut up into fractals.

Well, there I go, again, you know.
I'm forcing dreadful rhyme.
Another's voice is hard to throw.
I guess I'll take halftime.

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Bridgit Pollpeter
Sent: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 1:17 PM
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Subject: [stylist] Stream of consciousness and other stuff

Jim,

The musical analogy may not fit perfectly, though I did use it in
relation to how writing exercises are like exercises for vocalist or
artist.

And while an instrument may be able to sound different and mix well with
different genres of music, vocalist are a little more caged by vocal
ability.

Not everyone can reach a high C sounding like an opera star, nor can
everyone move with rich, soulful tones. There are vocalist who have the
natural ability to sing differing genres and transform their voices to
fit a particular sound and pitch, and some can be trained to do this,
but many vocalist have a sound unique to them, and crossing genres isn't
their forte.

I was a vocal performance major during my first go-round in university.
We studied in a more classical manner, but we did explore the various
forms of music. Since my teens, I had been lucky enough to be moved from
soprano to alto and back, depending on where the need was. I have a
natural vibrato, and, at least during my prime, had a rather flexible
range. I naturally learned to sing in a classical manner both in high
school and college, but I also learned Broadway and pop music. And I
sang in a couple of rock bands with friends, adjusting my voice to the
style.

As writers, I think it's important we explore various styles and voices,
finding what comes natural to us. Some will be able adeptly jump from
style to style, and many pick up a distinctive style and stick with it.
Nonetheless, it's good to explore and analyze other styles and figure
out how voice and tome is used.

Sincerely,
Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Read my blog at:
http://blogs.livewellnebraska.com/author/bpollpeter/
 
"History is not what happened; history is what was written down."
The Expected One- Kathleen McGowan

Message: 4
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2011 07:21:52 -0400
From: "Homme, James" <james.homme at highmark.com>
To: Writer's Division Mailing List <stylist at nfbnet.org>
Subject: Re: [stylist] Stream of consciousness
Message-ID:
	<AB5137F7193A8D49A42CA31303E3FDD57B5ECA13 at EXMB1.highmark.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Hi Bridget,
I don't know how to say this, but here goes anyway. Your analogy about
voice and the soprano is good, but it reminds me of something I did in
college in jazz improvisation class. Our teacher told us to play in the
styles of some of the great artists purposely. He said that doing that
was one way that we could find our own style. We had to attempt to
imitate both the phrases the artist would use, but as closely as we
could, the tone that came out of the instrument. When it came my turn to
play, I totally lucked out. The teacher told me to imitate Paul Desmond,
whose solos I had listened to by the hour, and I had even memorized a
few by rote. That was a lucky day.

Jim


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