Posts Tagged With: Sherée Dunwell

Day 4121: Hope you like

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Ann Koplow

Hope you like cats, because I often include cats in this blog.

Hope you like Rachel’s t-shirt, because I do.

Hope you like that picture of Rachel and Nat, who co-wrote the song “Nobody’s Perfect” with me. Hope you like Nat and I performing “Nobody’s Perfect” at an Open Mic five years ago.

Hope you like the other images in today’s blog.

Hope you like that today is Reach As High As You Can Day. I do, because I know that Nat, my singing teacher Shereé, and all the other people who’ll be helping me with the upcoming show of my original songs will allow me to reach as high as I can (including some difficult high notes).

Hope you like my singing teacher Shereé Dunwell reaching all notes beautifully with “Sweet Love” here.

Hope you like that I end every blog post with gratitude for YOU.

Categories: original song, personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: April 14 2024, “Sweet Love”, cat t-shirt, cats, Nat Shirley, Nobody's perfect, Plant Appreciation Day, Reach As High As You Can Day, Sherée Dunwell, Twitter | 9 Comments

Day 1135: Calming an overactive brain

Posted on February 9, 2016 by Ann Koplow

Yesterday, my overactive brain noticed a marketing pamphlet that came in the mail:

Calming an overactive brain is something I’m working on, as I prepare to try out for “The Voice” in less than two weeks.

Apparently, my overactive brain has been an issue in my vocal performances for many years, as shown here in a decades-old goal-setting sheet from the Boston Voice Workshop:

My overactive brain wishes to direct your brain to the fifth item on that list, which says “mental.”

Here’s what I know about calming an overactive brain:

Take a deep, cleansing breath.
Be in the moment.
Let go of fears about consequences.
Let go of unhelpful memories from the past.
Appreciate being alive.
Be aware of love.
Know you are worthy.
Trust your own wisdom.
Follow your heart.
Express yourself freely.

My calmer brain realizes this, now:

Those not only calm an overactive brain, they also improve an active vocal performance.

My vocal coach, Sherée Dunwell, is going to help calm my overactive brain and improve my voice, later today. Here are some photos that my overactive brain and iPhone captured two days ago from her televised performance on Boston’s Community Auditions talent show, where Sherée won this season’s grand prize:

Sherée is not only a fabulous singer, she actively calms overactive brains like mine.

What do you know about calming an overactive brain? You could help calm this overactive brain, today, by leaving a comment.

Overactive thanks to all brains out there, including yours!

Categories: personal growth, photojournalism | Tags: being in the moment, Community Auditions, letting go of fear, Sherée Dunwell, taking a breath, The Voice | 42 Comments

Day 1123: Bold Character

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Ann Koplow

As I was boldly walking away from work yesterday, I saw this:

Which of those characters seem particularly bold to you?

To me, “bold character” includes:

Courage
Willingness to try new things
Openness to differences
Strengths of many different kinds, including the strength to show vulnerability
Feeling the fear and doing it anyway
Expressing oneself through words, rather than weapons
Accepting all feelings
Taking helpful actions
Letting go of negative self-talk
Showing off one’s talents

After I saw “Bold Character” yesterday, I was bold enough to drive to the Boston Financial District to meet with my new vocal coach, Sherée:

Sherée is a bold enough character to appear on a televised talent contest, which she won! Since I’ve acquired enough bold character to audition for “The Voice” next month, Sherée is helping me prepare for that.

Yesterday, Sherée had the bold character to record me boldly singing my likely audition song, which I’ll be sending in to the bold characters pre-screening the try-outs for “The Voice.” Once Sherée sends me that bold recording, I’ll probably have the bold character to share it with my bold readers, here on this bold blog. If I’m feeling really bold, I might ask the bold characters who read my blog to vote on which audition song I should use: “Soothe” by Todd Rundgren or “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” Or, I might have the bold character to decide on my own.

This bold character took all these other photos, yesterday: