American Classical Idol

Imagine a competition such as American Idol for classical singers. How would the contestants be judged? To mention just a few of the criteria, they would have to:

• show an extensive repertoire, including lieder and “art songs” as well as arias and excerpts from operas, oratorios, or cantatas, contemporary as well as pieces from previous centuries.

• be able to sing in a variety of languages - Italian, of course, German, French, and so on - and be judged on pronunciation.

• have a range of at least two octaves.

• know how to select pieces that are most appropriate for one's own vocal type (coloratura, contralto, baritone, etc.) and range.

• use the body appropriately to control breath, including vibrato, and pitch.

• project vocally according to the piece, being able to go from pianissimo to fortissimo, and the acoustics of the performance hall.

There might be weeks based on a particular composer (Brahms, Puccini, Shumann, and so on), weeks from various classical music periods (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th century, and contemporary), perhaps a week of jazz or songs from musicals . . . it's exciting to think of all the possibilities. What can you add?

Naturally, “showmanship” would be taken into consideration. Whenever I sing for the Sapporo Academy Chorus in-house rehearsals, I always wear clothing that fits the piece - for example, a bright red dress with big, black polka dots for a Gershwin medley; a loose-sleeved blouse, long vest, knee pants, and tights for a Cherubino aria from Mozart's “Marriage of Figaro.”

Interpretation of the piece is, of course, essential. Does the singer use the right volume, degree of vibrato or nasality, “color” or degree of warmth, and other factors that match the piece?

In an interesting article entitled “The Voice that Charms,” Wah Keung Chan states, “A good singing competition is every bit as exciting as a figure skating meet; both competitions are judged on technical and artistic merit. 'Voice, musicality and presence are the criteria,' said André Bourbeau, president of the jury [of the First Jeunesses Musicales Montreal International Competition in Voice]. Technically, the characteristics of a great voice are timbre (colour and ability to project in a large hall), legato, flexibility (coloratura), dynamic range, and diction. The hallmarks of a great singer are the ability to make a good voice communicate the message and emotion carried by the text and the music.” (La Scena Musicale - Vol. 7, No. 9, June 1, 2002; accessed May 4, 2008)

Diana Yampolsky divides the performance into physical sound and emotional style, saying, states, “Physical sound is what is achieved by proper utilization of the technical aspects of singing, i.e. breathing (support), structure, placement and projection. Emotional style is essentially how the singer relates to the song and anticipates and complements the style of music....” (See another interesting analogy to a skating performance in “The Technical Elements of Vocal Style”, Indie-Music.com, January 13, 2002; accessed May 4, 2008.)

In the auditions, sight reading and a pitch matching test might be included, much like the technical aspect of a skating competition. I've had to sightread for most of serious auditions, and I once had to sing an atonal scale backwards as well as be able to sing various intervals on sight (3rd, 4th, 5th, and so on, in both major and minor keys).

As you can see, I got so intrigued by this topic that I did some Internet searches. As I did so, I was disturbed by the fact that ageism is rampant in classical music singing competitions (as in American Idol), often limiting entry to contestants under 35. This is particularly dismaying to me since I didn't really “find” my true voice until I was in my 50s, and had a successful audition for the Sapporo Symphony Chorus when I was over 60. I was please to discover that Contralto Karen Mercedes has put together a list of competitions with no upper age restrictions. Time to start working on my repertoire!

Don't Feed Your Car Corn!

“Grain is good for bread, not ... cars.” So says Marcos Jank, President of Unica (Sugar Cane Industry Union, SP in Brazil).

Does that mean switching to sugar for fueling vehicles? Will sugar have the same effect on cars as it does on humans, making them hyperactive?

A Time magazine article entitled The Clean Energy Scam, by Michael Grunwald, asserts that biofuels are part of the problem, not the solution, to global warming. Has the American public been taken in by a hoax (started, undoubtedly, by Iowan farmers) that using soybeans or corn to fuel their cars is a way of contributing to the saving of our planet?

Common sense says that it takes space to grow corn and soybeans. If that space is used for plants that will be turned into fuel, where's the space to grow the plants that will be used for human consumption? Is farming in Iowa having an effect how many trees are slaughtered in the rain forests of the Amazon? If so, why are all the presidential candidates supporting the use of ethanol? (Answer to that last one is a nobrainer: They want the votes of those conspiring Iowan farmers.)

For an interesting discussion on this, including a response to the article by Time, check out Dilbert's (Scott Adams') blog, “Minimum Requirement for President.”

Showcasing My Work

I could spend hours and hours using some of the Apple software included in iWorks and iLife. In fact I do! I've made several slideshows for use in the classroom (of trips I've made or of pictures on the topic we're discussing). I also enjoy making Keynote presentations (far simpler than using Microsoft's PowerPoint and with much better effects).

Some of it is self-taught, but I've also been taking lessons from Mayu Aoki at the Apple Store in Sapporo. (See her with me in the photo on the right.)

Today there was a Showcase for those who have been taking similar one-on-one lessons, and I showed the slideshow I made of the Beppu onsen (hot springs) from my trip to Kyushu. Imagine the following photo dissolving into the devil's hot springs and others to Stravinsky's Le “Sacre du printemps” (or “Rite of Spring”).
The other work I showcased was a Keynote presentation on how to use Keynote (or PowerPoint) effectively. It was made with the help of Mac & Tippy (as you can see in the example).
There were 7 people (pictured below with the Apple store staff), including me, who showcased their work. One was an older man who composed a short symphony using GarageBand! Another was a graphic artist who illustrates posters. I had been expecting somewhat childish, amateurish uses of the software, but the ones shown today were all topnotch. Perhaps it's that Apple software can turn anyone into a professional!

Scrabble at CA's Academy

I’ve been enjoying playing Scrabulous so much on Facebook.com (currently have at least 5 games going) that I told my private classes about it. One of the students had brought back a Scrabble board from the U.S., so we (the 4 students in the photo above and I) played a game. The final scores were really close. I think I taught them the game a little too well!

Scrabulous Help!

I have about 5 Scrabulous games going on Facebook. I'm winning some, very close in one, but sorely losing one by. In fact, I've already lost by about 60 points, but I have such great letters I want to play them if it's in any way possible.

I've tried every move I can come up with, but none of the words are accepted. I need help! If you see a way to use any of my letters, please let me know!

MY LETTERS

Tippy Speaks English!

My cats are both bilingual - well, make that trilingual. However, their listening - in English and Japanese - far exceeds their speaking.

Probably the first word they learned was “No!” They quickly understood that “no” meant stopping whatever they were doing. If I say, “Watch out” or “Abunai,” they're a bit more confused by what to do or not to do, so there's still a bit of learning to take place there.

Occasionally I'll teach them some big words, such as “rambunctious” (when I was explaining their behavior to them). However, those words don't stick as well.

Their favorite word is “din din,” which stands not just for “dinner” but for any meal. Just hearing “din din” is enough to get them excited, and they immediately head for their bowls in the kitchen.

Recently Tippy's speaking has gotten almost as good as his listening. (I can't say the same for Mac, who has only 2 sounds in his vocabulary - a whine or a bark, the latter saved for crows outside the window.)

Quite some time ago, Tippy could say “Ma” when he saw me. Now he's added 2 more words. He was pushing against the handle of the front door the other day (and probably would have opened it if it hadn't been locked). I asked him where he was going, and he replied, “Out.” Later I asked him when he wanted his “din din,” and he replied, “Now.”

It could be he's so literate because, nearly every night when I'm reading before going to sleep, he comes over to my futon for his bedtime story. He likes to curl up on my tummy, with his butt in my face, so he can look at the book - even though it has no pictures. Of course, my stroking him may have something to do with his enjoying reading with me. If I read more material in Japanese, I wonder if Tippy's spoken Japanese would get better.

Organizing from the Inside Out

In my continuing efforts at “clutterbusting” and creating more space in my life, a book suggested by a friend, Organizing from the Inside Out by Julie Morgenstern, has gotten me well on my way to at least the first of the 3 steps she advises: analyze, strategize, and attack.

Morgenstern suggests that the actual causes of clutter occur on 3 levels:
LEVEL 1: Technical Errors
LEVEL 2: External Realities
LEVEL 3: Psychological Obstacles

She lists the six most common Technical Errors (pp. 16-17) as being:
Error #1: Items Have No Home
Error #2: Inconvenient Storage
Error #3: More Stuff than Storage Space
Error #4: Complex, Confusing System
Error #5: “Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
Error #6: Organizing Is Boring

In that final area, “the problem is, very few people put much thought into the aesthetics of their organizing system. They view storage as purely utilitarian, and buy any old container whether it appeals to them or not, saying, 'Gee, no one will see this stuff but me. Who cares what it looks like?' As a result, their organizing system is boring, uninspiring, and ugly to use. . . . Don't underestimate the power of pizzazz!” (pp. 17-18)

The areas of External Realities (pp. 19-22) to consider are:
#1: Unrealistic Workload
#2: Speed of Life/Technology
#3: In Transition (including such areas as moving, marriage, new baby, starting school, graduating from school, retirement, illness or death of a loved one, job search, business merger, business growth spurt, career change – and if you’re going through one or more of these, “it may be best to wait until you have a clearer picture of your new priorities and needs before starting to organize . . . or set up a temporary system.” p. 21)
#4: Uncooperative Partners
#5: Limited Space [a serious problem for those of us who live in Japan]

In the area on Psychological Obstacles, Morgenstern has a set of yes/no questions “to find out if you have some hidden investment in staying disorganized,” (p. 23) as follows:

1. Does the idea of a spare, clutter-free environment make you feel anxious or uncomfortable?
2. Are you a highly visual person?
3. Do you habitually buy things in large quantities?
4. Does the prospect of getting rid of anything disturb you?
5. Do you love displaying everything you collect so you can look at it?
6. Are you constantly buying more and more cubbies, containers, and baskets to hold everything?
7. Do you harass yourself all day long with the mantra, “I’ve got to get organized, I’ve got to get organized?”
8. Do you spend more time organizing and reorganizing than working or having fun?
9. Do you frequently turn down social activities to stay home and get organized?
10. Are you constantly rearranging your stuff, never satisfied with the system you set up?
11. Are you afraid getting organized might squelch your activity?
12. Does the prospect of being truly organized fill you with simultaneous feelings of excitement and an accompanying dread?
13. Do you think disorganization has always been your primary obstacle to reaching your full potential?
14. Were you more organized at an earlier time in your life?
15. Does your disorganization keep you from delegating work to others?
16. Does the cluttered state of your home or office keep you from letting people visit?
17. Did you grow up in extremely chaotic household?
18. Did you grow up in an extremely orderly household?
19. Did you have a traumatic childhood?
20. Does your accumulated clutter go back fifteen years or more?
21. Are you a high achiever who must do everything perfectly?

Morgenstern suggested that “If you answered ”yes“ to three or more questions, a psychological obstacle is likely working against you.” (p. 24) [Yikes! I answered “Yes” to EIGHT of these!]

Here are what she lists as major Psychological Obstacles (pp. 24-33):

#1: Need for Abundance
#2: Conquistador of Chaos
#3: Unclear Goals and Priorities
#4: Fear of Success/Fear of Failure
#5: Need to Retreat
#6: Fear of Losing Creativity
#7: Need for Distraction
#8: Dislike the Space
#9: Sentimental Attachment
#10: Need for Perfection

As I embark on my year of decluttering and creating space in my life, I'm ready for a serious look at some of the psychological obstacles I've been facing. In my “need for perfection” (#10), at the moment I'm experiencing a foreboding “fear of failure” (#4). However, I have no fear of losing creativity, but rather expect that changing how I use my time and space will open the way for even more creativity that now lies buried under clutter (in both my head and my apartment).

Anyone wanna become my (de)Clutter Buddy?

Note: Oprah's site on Home Organizing Tips contains links to discussions and articles by Julie Morgenstern and numerous other authors/broadcasters. More advice from Julie Morgenstern can be found at: Get Organized Now with Julie Morgenstern.

iTunes Won't Let Me Buy “Imagine”

Perhaps the best performance on this season's American Idol (in Japan) so far has been “Imagine” by David Archuleto, who will most likely go right to the top (especially now with Michael Johns out of the running - sob!). I've favorited it on my YouTube list:




Then I wanted to buy the performance on iTunes. (I already have Melinda Doolittle's amazing rendition of “My Funny Valentine.”) The only problem is, David's “Imagine” not available on the Japanese iTunes store. Can you imagine?!

Since I have an American credit card, I bopped over to the American iTunes store. However, it wouldn't accept my credit card because it's billed to a Japanese address. (;_;)

Hey, iTunes in Japan, how long is it gonna take for you to get up to date?

Hashika Outbreak!

I ended up with more time than I expected this morning. My first 2 classes at Hokkaido University of Education were canceled because of an outbreak of measles (hashika in Japanese). It had already hit another university earlier this year, but just after my classes had ended.

I still had to go in for my afternoon classes, which had 2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students. How the measles epidemic ended up confining itself to 1st year students is something of a mystery to me. I also wonder how many students were actually infected.

The poor freshmen - their first week of college, an exciting time in anyone's life - and they're not allowed on campus! Well, we'll have a lot to talk about next week plus a new word to add to our vocabulary. (Hashika got added to mine!)

Is It Really ADD?

So many people these days are being diagnosed, or are self-diagnosing themselves, with Attention Deficit Disorder. While there are some who truly suffer from the disorder and need to develop special coping skills, I have a hunch that most of us are simply being overwhelmed by environmental overload.

In the November 2007 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, there's an excellent article by Martha Beck entitled “Wait! Stop! It's All Too Much!” Her premise is that, “For the vast majority of world history, human life—both culture and biology—was shaped by scarcity.” Yet these days, the opposite is true and we're faced with a surfeit of attention-grabbing information, activity, and even friends. What this can result in is what Beck calls “attentional blindness.”

Think about how many people you are in contact with in one day, especially via email and cyberspace networks. Compare that with the number of people your grandparents may have encountered in a single day, particularly if they lived in a small town or rural area. I probably interact with more people the first hour of my day (which is when I generally check my email) than my grandparents did in a week!

Beck continues, “Handling overwhelm . . . is not for the fainthearted. It means resisting deep instinctive and cultural tendencies.” We need to learn how to focus on what is truly important for our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being, and to weed out the unnecessary and the unwanted from our lives. As I embark on my year of decluttering, the first and perhaps biggest step will be most likely be merely learning to identify what is truly important as opposed to unnecessary and unwanted in my life.

The next biggie will be some serious prioritizing and honing my skills of saying “NO” and pushing the “REJECT” button. Those terms have such a negative ring to them that it will help to remind myself of Beck's admonition: “The reality of the 21st century is that you simply can't fit in every social obligation you think [my emphasis] you absolutely have to.”

With all the demands on our attention in our daily lives, it's no wonder that so many people (most people?) have deficits in their ability to pay attention. Once more, in Beck's words, “Guarding against surfeit is as essential for us as guarding against scarcity was for our ancestors.”

Year for Decluttering

As many of you know, the year for schools, businesses and, often, life in general begins in the spring in April in Japan, and spring is here! (In fact, crocuses are already in bloom, around 2 weeks earlier than usual.) That being the case, it is also the beginning of this year's annual project, which is DECLUTTERING.

Decluttering is a word that is so new, it still isn't accepted by my spell checker. However, a Google search of the word turns up over 500,000 sites, which indicates it's become part of the vernacular.

Actually, my international women's group is also focusing on decluttering this year - clearing out mentally and spiritually as well as physically. We're starting with our homes. As moderator of our discussion this month, I have compiled a list of websites as places to start, which I share here.

Clutterbusting - I love this term. Although clutterbusting is a commercial site by Vicky White, it spells out areas in our lives that may be dragging us down (and then offers consulting for a fee).

At the same site are a few freebies, including a Feng Shui makeover questionnaire. You can also sign up for a free ebook - “The 5 Biggest Attraction Mistakes: and how to avoid them” - and a weekly “Design Your Life Newsletter” which focuses on how to incorporate Feng Shui, intention and law of attraction strategies to create a life of passion, purpose and meaning.

If you want a FREE online "coach, cheerleader, and fairy-godmother for decluttering and organizing your home and life," then Fly Lady is the person you're looking for. She has changed the lives of thousands of women with her advice about hot spots, starting with a sparkling kitchen sink, the 27 Fling Boogie and other tricks for developing clutter-free habits. Lots to explore on this website. A good place to start is with the Beginner Baby Steps. The only warning is that, if you sign up for the free newsletter, you may find your mailbox cluttered with messages initially.

Another place to check out is 10 Tips for Getting Rid of Excess Clutter by Holly Tashian.

Do you have disposophobia? For a good laugh, see rather tongue-in-cheek (I hope) before and after photos, and a video of people with serious disposophobia. Warning, if you are a pack rat, it could be rather painful to watch.

As I was accumulating this list, the newsletter from my yoga center in Massachusetts, Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, happened to include some thoughts on spring cleaning for the body and the soul.

Well, it's time for me to check around my apartment for my next 15-minute decluttering task. If you have suggestions or other websites to recommend, please let me know!

American Idol Fans in Japan

Only one of my friends in Japan is as nuts as I am about American Idol. In fact, when the first show for the top 12 was broadcast, we got together for an A.I. evening, complete with American popcorn and homemade scorecards.

Amanda, my British neighbor, and I sometimes Skype each other during the show with our predictions. Since she's the only person I can talk to about the program in Japan (there is at least a 2-week delay from the American broadcast), it's sometimes rather frustrating. We want to expand our network of fans so have created American Idol Fans in Japan on Facebook.

If you're an American Idol fan in Japan, please join us! The only stipulation is that you must vow never to give the smallest hint about what is happening stateside, or you are voted off the group!

Meanwhile, enjoy Jason Castro singing, “Hallelujah!”

Brushing Up on My British Pronunciation

Now that Sapporo Symphony Chorus is aware of my amazing credentials (since I made sure they did!), I was asked to make a CD of pronunciation for "Peter Grimes," the opera we're performing in September.

After the absurdity (and agony) of sitting through an English pronunciation lesson by a Japanese professor (selected, apparently, because his area of expertise is Shakespeare), I simply couldn't sit back and be quiet any longer (which is one reason I make a terrible Japanese person). One reason they may have been reluctant to ask me for more help with pronunciation may be that, because I'm American, they assumed I would only teach so-called American pronunciation. What I decided to do is write to the contact person for the Symphony Chorus letting him know about my background in theatre, including acting in, directing, and teaching British drama.

In composing my message, I was fortunate to have an American friend advise me in the tone of the message and how to convey a sense of wanting to cooperate, in the best Japanese spirit. She made sure I understood how important it was not to undermine the Japanese professor, and to say how valuable the lesson was, even though I actually thought it barely adequate. Most importantly, I let them know that my services would be free!

The contact person responded to my email (which was almost like a resume, including all the universities where I've taught and the fact that I've taught pronunciation as well as other aspects of English to students from over 60 countries), with the following:

Thank you very much for your sincere proposal.
I will convey your mind and career to the chorus members, Osanai sensei and Oshima sensei.
I think your help will be valuable for us to advance our English pronunciation.
And I hope the comunication around you will develop fellowship and friendship between the chorus members.

Not only that, but he asked if he might forward the message to the contact person for the Sapporo Symphony Orchestra, to which I immediately responded that it was fine. A few days later I got a message from her including the following:

I'd like to express to you my deepest gratitude for thinking about Sapporo Symphony Chorus. Since we started singing P.G. I've been thinking that I want to learn English pronunciation from CA-san. Actually, Prof. H________' lesson was a lucid, so we understood the basis. I think he is excellent,and I enjoyed his lesson.But,there is a limit to everything… . Nobody pronunces English like you.So we have to learn real English pronunciation from you. Fortunately,you are in our chorus. Please contrivute to our concert's success. I really hope so!! I want you to help the conductors and us as a professional teacher of ESL.

I was ecstatic because it was the first time my expertise had been openly acknowledged. I was so glad I had sent an email because I feel that it has opened up a line of communication for the first time. It was also interesting that, although hardly anyone speaks to me in English at rehearsals, except for a friend who lived in England for a year, both contact people are able to use English. I guess they just needed a bit of a nudge.

Now everyone has a copy of the CD, with my best approximation of British pronunciation. Although the Sapporo Academy Chorus conductor has been asking me to check pronunciation during rehearsals, it remains to be seen how much the Sapporo Symphony Chorus conductors will acknowledge the presence of a native speaker of English in their midst. At least other members of both choruses have already started feeling more comfortable asking me questions about pronunciation.

Minimal Pairs

Ha! I just came across the abstract of an article which reinforces my opinion of the use of minimal pairs in teaching pronunciation.

According to Adam Brown in his essay, “Minimal pairs: minimal importance?”,

Minimal pairs spring to many teachers' minds when the topic of pronunciation teaching is raised. They also form the focus of many course-books on pronunciation. This article [in the ELT Journal] argues that minimal pairs do not merit this attention. There are other aspects of pronunciation which are of greater importance, and there are other ways of teaching vowel and consonant pronunciation.

ELT Journal 1995 49(2):169-175 Retrieved March 12, 2008, from http://eltj.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/49/2/169

Unfortunately the entire article is not available to those without a subscription to the ELT Journal. I, for one, plan to do further research into this area.

CA Learns English Pronunciation (Part II)

“She sells sea shells by the seashore.” Oh, yeah, repeating that nonsensical tongue twister is going to be really valuable in helping members of the chorus improve their pronunciation for the opera “Peter Grimes” that we're doing in September.

Or how about, “Enter sir [sic] Ferdinand; his face is stern, his words are terse, his nerves are worse, he speak in verse.” How is that supposed to help with a line from the opera such as, “Yet only such contemptuous springtide can tickle the virile impotence of man.”?

Minimal Pairs - Certainly there's a place for minimal pairs, and I use them in my pronunciation classes. It's not exactly a new concept. But rather than perfectly useless pairs such as “easy/weasy” and “earl/whirl,” a much more effective use of minimal pair practice would have been to use words from the actual lyrics such as “ship/sheep,” “slip/sleep,” and so on.

And while explaining that the spelling of Japanese words using “si” is invariable mispronounced as “shi” (there being no “si” sound in Japanese), why not apply that to a word such as “gossip,” where the S's convey a sense of gossip, especially in the full sentence, “When women gossip, the result is someone doesn't sleep at night” (the first line sung by the chorus in the opera), which is full of sibilants.

OK, so once again, I'm fuming that, as a native speaker of English, I had to sit through a pronunciation lesson from a Japanese speaker. [See CA Learns English Pronunciation (Part I) for details on the first time.]

This time the sensei's credentials are that he teaches Shakespeare at Fuji Women's University. Well, how about someone who has a Master of Arts in Theatre, has performed Shakespeare, has an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, and has been teaching pronunciation to non-native speakers for some 25 years. I suppose there's no comparison.

I hope you notice that my comments on this evening's pronunciation lesson are dripping with sarcasm. Once again, it was humiliating for me to sit through a lesson in English pronunciation, especially since I could have taught it just as well but in a more dynamic way than simply lecturing and having people parroting my words.

The point where I really felt the absurdity of it all is when someone was consulting a dictionary to help the “sensei” check on the pronunciation for the first vowel sound in “languishes” as I, as native speaker, sat there silently mouthing the word.

Let's reverse the situation. A native Japanese speaker is participating in an American chorus that is rehearsing a song in Japanese. An American who has studied in Japan in brought in to teach Japanese pronunciation. The Japanese person sits there with absolutely no one checking with him/her on how to pronounce the words. I simply can't fathom such a situation.

My biggest gripe is that anything I say doesn't seem to be taken seriously. The Sapporo Symphony Chorus conductor barely acknowledges that I speak English, and I feel dismissed whenever I attempt to bring up a point about pronunciation. People were crowding around the “sensei” after the lesson with all sorts of questions, whereas only a few people have asked me a question now and then. I feel as though my authority has been undermined. And if the conductor won't even acknowledge me as a professional in the field, who else is going to?

My rant will probably continue, but I'm going to publish this much. YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME!

Mother's 90th Birthday

From a card sent to me by my sister on February 27th:

Happy 90th Birthday!

Today is mother's 90th!
The good news is that this card is on time.
The bad news...well, never mind.

Note: My mother passed away on April 17, 2005.

The Birth of Venus

Through The Birth of Venus, the 2003 novel by Sarah Dunant, I got the chance to view the Renaissance from a whole different perspective, that of a young would-be female artist, Alessandra Cecchi. The powerful Medicis, the fanatic Savonarola, and the bonfire of the vanities are no longer just distant historical names. I experienced their effect on the culture of the time.

Botticelli's Venus remained hidden from Allesandra and most of the world, to avoid destruction, but I now have a greater appreciation of what the art and artists of the times survived. Given the suppression of women in those days, depicted so effectively in the novel, it's also clear why there are no female Renaissance artists that are household names today.

When I have a chance to go to Florence some day, my visit will be all the richer for having read this novel.

Words for Rice

Study vocabulary and help end world hunger at the same time! Anyone interested in English, from a beginning level student to a professor in linguistics, can participate.

Check out the site called Free Rice. The way it works is, you are given a word with 4 possible synonyms. If you click on the correct definition, you donate 20 grains of rice - for free! The rice goes to the United Nations World Food Program.

From a database of thousands of words, the game automatically adjusts to your level of vocabulary. "If you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word." The highest level is 50. Mine was 43. What's yours?

Warning (posted on the site): This game may make you smarter! And you'll end up making a contribution to those in need.

Top 25 Censored Stories of 2008

Do you often wonder, as I do, what "news" we're not getting through the major mass media? What is they're not telling us and why? While people I've never heard of (and actually don't think I'm missing much by not knowing anything about them) are making headlines with DUIs and pregnancies out of wedlock, events that have an enormous effect on our lives are taking place and going on underreported or even unreported.

Fortunately, for people with free Internet access, there's a place to read the top 25 censored stories of the year. It's published by a media research group out of Sonoma State University that tracks that tracks the news published in independent journals and newsletters. Their long list of resources includes some that I once subscribed to, such as Mother Jones and the Village Voice, but now simply don't have the time to read.

However, I did read through the top censored stories of this year. If you have courage, read them for yourself at: Top 25 Censored Stories of 2008.

CA Learns English Pronunciation (Part I)

I can't say I've never been so humiliated in my life. If I chose to look back on my life, I could probably find other times when I've experienced such humiliation.

But how would you feel if you were the only native speaker in a chorus that was going to perform an opera in your language, and rather than asking you to teach pronunciation, a young female member of the chorus was given the job?

I was stunned. The first time Sapporo Symphony Orchestra practiced the opera, “Peter Grimes” by Benjamin Britten, I was asked to read the lines. It was on the spur of the moment, but I was happy to help. Of course, I would have appreciated more notice so that I could have checked the text ahead of time.

Were they somehow not satisfied with my pronunciation? Is it because I'm American, not British? If that's the case, I can do British. In fact, I have an M.A. in theatre for which I was required to take a course in dialects. I can do not only British (do you want the Queen's English or Cockney?), but also Irish, Scottish, French, German, and a number of other accents.

I know the difference between standard AE and standard BRE (aka “received pronunciation“). I know, for example, that “can” is pronounced with the same “a” as “at” in both dialects, and “can't” is pronounced with a so-called broad A as in “father.”

When I cool down and examine why it is that I was not asked to teach pronunciation, I imagine the actual reason is because my Japanese is still lacking. I'll be the first to admit that I'm not able, at this point, to give long detailed explanations about the nuances of the pronunciation.

However, what I am good at, and this has been proven by teaching English pronunciation for years, is getting clear pronunciation out of non-native speakers by using drama techniques. I also get them to work on how they're moving their teeth, tongue, and lips. I have them notice what it feels like and looks like (in a mirror) rather than just listening to me and imitating me like parrots (which is not always the most effective way to teach, especially for those who don't have a good ear).

No one even approached me about teaching, though. No one knows about my Master's in theatre, or the fact that I've had years of experience teaching pronunciation. No one bothered to find out my credentials. And I didn't know, until I got to rehearsal, that I was going to end up sitting through an English pronunciation class! It would have been nice if someone had let me know so that I didn't sit there feeling totally humiliated.

[This was started in October, 2007. See the continuation on March 11, 2008, when yet another ”pronunciation teacher“ was brought in.]