Opus

[favoritebean_writes]

Savannah had a voice that was small. Sometimes, you had to lean in to listen to her. The notes that emanated from her being were pure and clear, and that kept the listener at attention. Yet, she was not a showy singer at all. Even when she over sang, she didn’t stick out in a group.

Directors liked to work her into their performing groups, because she was a good reader, and she helped other singers in given groups blend well. Need vocal jazz and want to sound like Manhattan Transfer? Put Savannah in, and you’d get your blend. Need an extra soprano for your opera chorus by next week? Ask Savannah, she could memorize music in three days. She did it with Carmen, and she didn’t speak a lick of French.

Ask her to sing a solo? Nah. Savannah was never assigned solos. She was always a mortar singer. Soloists are brick singers. Brick singers are loud, bombastic, and over the top in ways you need them to be. They sometimes sacrifice accuracy for flair, but Mortar singers are subtle, and keep everyone together. They can turn eleven voices to one singular sound, and it’s amazing. But subtlety and blend doesn’t pack the concert halls or the clubs. Yeah, she was disappointed in the lack of spotlight from time to time, but she did enjoy her job. Plus, you really needed Savannah if you want to keep your group together.

Oh, did I mention she played the piano too? What do you need? Classical, jazz, musical theater, folk, reggae, industrial? You could just stick her in the corner with a decent instrument, and she’ll pull through for you. She was a concert pianist in a past life, you know. She was always up for the job, and she loved a good challenge.

What else can I say about her? They thought she was deaf as a child. Can you believe that? She had little to say, so she didn’t bother talking. It was only after the doctors told teachers and her parents that she wasn’t deaf that she finally decided to say something.

“Oh, I knew she wasn’t deaf,” her mother would later say to reporters after a concert. “I mean, she could match any pitch her best friend screamed during temper tantrums. She thought it was a game back then!”

I’ll never forget the night I saw her perform Ginastera and Queen at the same concert. That was something. Ginastera, the Argentinian classical composer who loved minor seconds and cluster sounds, and could make the piano sing like a guitar. And the range of those early Queen songs were huge. I mean it takes about twenty people to fill the range that Freddie Mercury had in the 70s.

It’s really too bad they are all dead. I mean, how do I plan Savannah’s funeral? I think she would utterly do somersaults in her urn if I played live recordings from her performances over the years. Then again, maybe she would enjoy that. I mean, there’s a whole generation who never got to hear her Freddie. Or her Mozart, which was her specialty. Or her Ginastera for that matter.

You know what, I’ll put together some of her recordings, and play them after the eulogy. She may have been a mortar singer, and never a brick in that spotlight, but damn, she was good. You really should have heard her sing. Even on the day she died, she sat at her piano and was learning a synth pop piece. She played gently, then she sang in dulcet tones about never giving up. I pretended to be working at my computer on the other side, and I recorded her on my phone. I wish I had done that more often.

It really hurts losing your wife this way. A senseless accident with a goddamned drunk driver hit her going 65 miles per hour on the 110 freeway. She was on her way home from a gig, and well, it’s funny how I’m burying myself in her music just to keep it together. One love never wavered in Savannah- music. I wish she were still here, that small voice that kept everything together. Especially now that my life is falling apart without her.

Comments

[murielle]

You know, I never knew all this about music. I love Idol entries where I learn something.

Once knew a fellow who'd been in a professional backup group. He described himself as a good blender. I never knew what he meant till now. Thank you.

The end was surprising, and very well done. Brava!

[favoritebean_writes]

I would love to hear about your friend's backup group life! I imagine there are many many stories to be told.

[murielle]

Oh I bet there were! He didn't tell them to me though. Maybe he thought if he did it would be all I would want to talk about. I know three things: it was right after college; they travelled the world; they sang back-up for the Bee Gees once.

We weren't "friends" very long. ;-)

[fausts_dream]

Very interesting descriptions here...I enjoyed much

[favoritebean_writes]

Thank you!

[bsgsix]

As a trained opera singer, I really enjoyed this. I'm a coloratura, so I am showy and have a hard time blending. It's nice to read the other side - the side that holds things together. In chorus, opera, musical theatre, and every place I've been where I've had to sing, I've never doubted nor overlooked the quieter ensemble members. It's rude, and they really do hold us all together. I can't do what I do accurately without how wonderful they are.

That all being said, I love how this was written, and I was not expecting your ending! How lovely and sad and sweet. I hope to be remembered in a similar way, albeit not reach... such a tragic end.

Lovely. Truly.

[favoritebean_writes]

Thank you for your feedback! I really appreciate hearing from other musicians. I've always had immense adoration for brick singers, honestly. I worked as a professional collaborative pianist for about twenty years, and that job is kind of similar to that of a mortar singer. About three years ago, I decided to change things up, so I've been singing significantly more, and it's kind of interesting how singer personalities are very similar to those who are instrumentalists.

Sorry, I digress.


I have coloratura leanings, but as a mortar singer myself, I haven't felt confident enough to audition for small roles. My voice teacher is working with me to overcome that, because she thinks I should do more than opera chorus work.

[bsgsix]

Of course! And I love talking to other musicians, so, please feel free to speak music to me at any time!

I enjoy being a brick singer, to be honest. I did try to be more of the blender, to bring people together - and while I could via word or method, it didn't work with my voice. I'd show people how to do something, and it would be over-the-top. I was told early on I was meant to be a soloist, to showcase that talent, and though I did (and still sometimes do) teach voice, I was always better at showing than telling. But without the background, the blenders, the mortar to hold it together? I'd have nothing, so I never overlook that.

And I am always grateful for collaborative pianists. I've had wonderful ones over the years, those who know how to keep up, play so wonderfully that my singing is just easier than necessary, and I'm grateful for THAT as well. I'm a trained pianist, but never collaborated with anyone on that front. I sang, someone else played, and making music that way was (and still is, when opportunity arises) the way to thrive. Singing is how I live; it's everything to me, on top of writing and things like (of course) family and health.

I hope you do get out there and audition. Trust in your voice teacher, and more in yourself. I think it's worth trying, and it sounds like you have an extensive background. I believe in you, and you clearly know what you're talking about it. You have my support to go for it! <3

[static_abyss]

I like the narrative of your piece and how it almost felt like the first part of a conversation. Great job!

[favoritebean_writes]

Thank you. I was actually aiming for that, even if it's just an internal conversation, I wanted that dynamic.

[the_eternal_overthinker]

What a lovely piece and I too learned a bit about music from this. Thanks to you :) I didn't expect it to end this way and yet it makes the whole she not being around to hold things together makes it complete. Lovely work! Good job!

[bleodswean]

It's always a treat when a story instructs without being "teachy"! This was wonderful!

[halfshellvenus]

Such an interesting perspective on musicians who are part of the chorus rather than the lead, and exactly what they bring to the larger whole. And it is not trivial!

I wasn't expecting the fiction turn at the end-- this really seemed like someone you knew, and that means you made her incredibly real. :)

[rayaso]

You made this seem very real -- was it based on anyone in particular? It was a great application of the prompt. "Steadfast" is not really associated with individual performance even when it amounts to greatness. It was extremely well written.

[dmousey]

I'm not crying - youre crying! 😪 ✌🐁🐭😊

[alycewilson]

Your knowledge of this world helps this piece to feel so real.

[wolfden]

This made me think of a lot of the people I have sung with over the years, the ones that are bricks and the ones that are mortars. They really do sort quite obviously. I liked this.

[sonreir]

Oh, whoa, this took a turn I wasn't expecting. Poor Savannah! :( Enjoyable, but so sad!

[bellatrixe]

I'm a musician myself,so any story that involves something music related is an automatic win for me!
Beautiful and poignant <3

[moretta]

Oh, how heartbreaking. I'm so glad it's fiction.
As an (amateur) singer who also blends, I felt for Savannah quite a lot throughout the piece.
Lovely.

[troof_therry]

Very compelling. I love that you played with what the audience needed to know and when they needed to know it, and the whole presentation was believable enough that I needed to check for the fiction tag just to be sure.

[kehlen.livejournal.com]

This is great. I don't really understand the musical details, but I enjoyed looking into this world.

[flipflop_diva]

*brb grabbing some kleenex*

Seriously, though, I did not expect that end. So incredibly sad. But I loved all the descriptions and the tribute to Savannah through her music.