30 Day Challenge - Day 14 - Who's Your Duet Partner??

When I first started singing on Smule about a year ago, I had no idea where this application would lead me.  In the course of the 11 months, I've been here, I've met hundreds of other singers, have about 30-40 that I absolutely LOVE to sing with and actively search out daily to join them in song, and have developed close friendships with quite a few people. 

Many of my favorite singers and close friends will be featured in our "7 Days to Better Singing" event--such as Ari @svi_downunda, Yami @yamitatenda, Anna @AnnaK0512, and Chris @sparky_mac.  There are still others who are regulars or will be regulars in our occasional "crazy" events like Fernando @fernandoriley, Jasmin @jazdionne, Kay @snoweepumpkin, Keith @keithhill550 and, of course, Mitch @wlm_mitch22_sf.

But what I wanted to concentrate on was one the best parts of Smule and that's finding a selecting a great duet partner. 

You know, until I actually had a duet partner, I didn't realize how much more fun and rewarding my Smule experience could be.  Sure, I continue to have a great time singing with a lot of different people, but it's a duet partner who can really make the difference in "ramping up" that enjoyment--believe me!  For most of us, a duet partner is someone who joins you in almost every song and who shares with you a common and often deep understanding and appreciation of song.  You can also do things with a duet partner that you might not necessarily feel comfortable doing with others--for example, you can ask duet partners to sing a song a specific way or ask a duet partner to post certain songs for you to sing.  You can sing a bit more "nutty" or "wild" on the open call of a duet partner and he/she will do the same for you without the worry that the doing so will upset anyone--believe me, not everyone appreciates either "talking" or "laughing" in a song--both of which I seem to do a LOT. 

Out of a great duet partnership, you often find a great friend.  Yes, occasionally, there is something more (Smule is rife with stories about people finding lovers and sometimes spouses on this site), but pushing the "hook up" factor (way way way way) off to the side, finding a great duet partner can mean really learning and using this app in a way that elevates the talents of both singers.

I don't exactly know how it was that Mitch B. became my duet partner or even WHY he wanted to sing with me.  He wandered onto my site one day, sang a song with me, I remember that very, very well, and then for some unknown reason, came back to sing with me again and again as part of the 30 day challenge that I posted in February and March.  Somewhere toward the end of February, Mitch started "talking" to me at the beginning or end of songs, and that led to the "conversations" in songs we did on each other's site, texting and then phone calls (which Mitch does mostly because he hates how I text).  I once asked Mitch why he even wanted to sing with me one time, and his response was "you sounded great."  When I asked him why he kept coming back, he said (and I'm paraphrasing) "because you were so encouraging in your comments."  Well, thank goodness, I was!

I often write about Mitch here on my blog because he is an integral part of both my real life and my time on Smule. In fact, I told Mitch the other day, that we're like two halves of a puzzle because the things he excels at (creativity, art and a true "pulse" on consumer interests--he is, after all, in his 20s) are the areas in which I am the weakest, but my greatest assets (business, marketing, strategy, project planning, and research) are the "boring" things that Mitch avoids like the plague while also teasing me about "gettin' all planney'." So I push (with both hands sometimes...sorry, pal, but you know it's true) Mitch to do things he might not want and he pulls/drags me into trying things that I don't necessarily know or feel comfortable doing either.

A good example is the type of music I sing.  It is Mitch who drags my "jazz and standard loving" voice out into the 2000s and makes me sing different songs that are foreign to me.  In return, when he wants it, Mitch gets my technical analysis and opinion on his performance, and then like a music "Svengali" he synthesizes all of my suggestions to somehow "magically" create an even BETTER jaw dropping performance.  Again, Mitch is the "creative" and I am the "technical."

Best of all, after singing almost a hundred plus songs together, we're so comfortable with each other's style that when we do sing together, the duets are really well matched.  Our duets on Smule are so special to both of us because we are, in real life, as close as two friends can be to and for one another--and we both laugh easily.  It's been a blessing and has actually made me a better stronger singer.  I think, if you were to ask him, he'd agree that our duets have been a reason for his improvement too.  By the way, Mitch exaggerates, so anything he tells you past "Grace is nice" is all "fluff and nonsense" because he is, at heart, just too nice a person to take the credit for himself. He really is spectacular!

But I'm not the only one with a duet partner...

It's interesting, but the more I look around, the more I see similar pairings of singers on Smule.  Many of my closest friends have developed long lasting friendships with their regular Sing duet partners.  Iron Pudding and Shevron have actually met and dueted together on Sing, which was a huge and wonderful event for those of us who follow both singers.  Even the best tenors Van and Chad found time to make a "car video" when they visited together about a month ago!  My pals Kay and Frank are always singing together, and my pal Jasmin recently introduced me to her favorite duet partner Jos. And Mitch and I already have plans to meet up both in Alabama and in California, so you will hear us talking to each other soon and we will be actually in the same room.  Friendships and good vibes abound when you make and find a great duet partner!!

So as I come round to my one-year anniversary here, my suggestion, take the time to find and cultivate a great duet partner on Sing!! You'll be very happy you did!!

More about the Singers featured here:
Ari @svi_downunda, Yami @yamitatenda, Anna @Annak0512 and Chris @sparky_mac are my personal friends who have donated their time and talents to help everyone here increase their singing abilities.
Kay @snoweepumpkin, Jasmin @jazdionne, Keith @keithhill550, Fernando @fernandoriley and Anna @AnnaK0512 are all either part of future or past "events" here on Smule
Iron Pudding and his duet partner @Shevronn are crazy good together.  Like Mitch and me, they have a tremendous understanding of each other's styles, so their duets are nothing short of amazing.
Mitch @wlm_mitch22_sf is my duet partner, best friend and creative co-conspirator here on Smule and in real life.  What more can I say about him that I haven't said above except that I adore this guy!

Me, I'm Grace aka @pokeypal here on Smule.  Join me for more great OCs on my site and check back often for new blogs here!

30 Day Challenge - Day 13 the 7 Days to Better Singing Continues!!!

I told my pal, Mitch who uses the Sing tag @wlm_mitch22_SF, that after two weeks of not being in my blog, he's back in...so here, Mitch, since I know you're looking, is your mention, pal!! Nah, I'm just kidding, I'll have a LOT more about Mitch a little later because, frankly, being my duet partner AND my best friend on Smule and in real life, he is a big part of what happens to me.

But let's talk about something that is happening right now, and peripherally, to mention my pal Mitch again. 

A couple months ago, my pal, Mitch, asked if I would help him "open up" as a singer.  He had sung for years in choir, but, like me, was out of practice, so he wanted just a tad bit of coaching to get a little more sound and a little more dynamics from his performance.  We went through a few exercises--mostly involving the song "Sunday Morning" by Maroon5.  Mitch has always impressed both with the quality and the sound of his voice, so when after just after a little more than an hour of working with him, he was well on his way to finding better "footing" as a singer, I was amazed--truly and honestly amazed.

In fact, his voice and "sound" got so good that almost that evening, there was a HUGE and very noticeable difference in his vocals on the open calls that he was recording and posting on his site.  And, given that he is a strapping good looking guy in his 20s that was NOW also in possession of a great singing voice...well, you can imagine what kind of attention that brought to him from the female Smule singing population.  (I'm teasing him a little here, but in all honesty even some of the singers on his site remarked to him that he had gotten "so good" since the last time they had recorded a duet with him.)

All of this got the "little wheels" slowly creaking in my head and I started to realize just how many very talented singers I know here on Smule.  In fact, I have been so privileged and lucky to not only know them, but to somehow convince them that posting a free singing lesson or tip would be a great idea.  So let's talk about the very fantastic people who have posted lessons in the past week.

If you have been following our 7 Days to Singing Better Event, you'll know that the order so far has been:

Day 1 - What is Your Range with Grace @pokeypal, duet song is "Hallelujah"
Day 2 - Breath Control with Grace @pokeypal, duet song is "New York New York"
Day 3 - Dynamics with Yami @yamitatenda, duet song is "Embraceable You"
Day 4 - Vowel Modification with Anna @AnnaK0512, duet song is "I Dreamed a Dream"
Day 5 - Low Larynx and Warm Up Exercises with Ari @svi_downunda, duet song "Girl Like You"

You already know who I am, so let's concentrate on my FANTASTIC guest instructors.  First up, my pal Yami @yamitatenda.  Yami currently lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he is a musical theatre singer.  Anyone who has dueted with Yami will confirm that this man has some very seriously wonderful vocal abilities.  Yami's deep, rich voice coupled with incredible vocal stylings has made him a favorite of mine for months!! So listen to his incredible course and follow him for even more opportunities to sing with a rising star of the South African stage!!

My lovely and crazy friend Anna @AnnaK0512  is not only a super talented singer, a witty duet partner, a piano teacher, and vocal/voice teacher, she is also a member of a band and sings professionally.   Since I stumbled across Anna a couple months ago, she has astounded both me and my duet partner Mitch with her incredible vocals and wide range.  Anna's fabulous lesson on vowel modification is invaluable to anyone hoping to create a much better tone in their voice!!  You're going to love it!! Make sure you follow my pal Anna--she's crazy good and posts some fabulous OCs!

Finally, my pal, Ari @SVI_Downunda from Sydney, Australia.  Ari was one of the first (okay he was the second) person I ever sang with here on Smule and he is, without a doubt, one of the nicest, most helpful people you will ever meet on this site. He has a crazy 4 and 1/2 octave range...OMG...and is a classically trained vocalist.  Ari is also the master of languages--he speaks at least three (3) that I know of, and it could be more.  Ari's lesson is on vocal warmups and maintaining a lower larynx to obtain maximum high note delivery.  Again, a great person to follow and a wonderful duet for this lesson!!

Our last two instructors will be queuing up for their lessons later this week, so be on the lookout for more info on my blog!!  Hope you're enjoying our series, and good news, we "crazies" are back at the end of the month for a little more "train wreck" adventure!!

More About the Singers Mentioned Here:

Ari is @svi_downunda.   He is an incredible tenor, an incredibly kind and generous man, and great person, so duet with him and follow him on his site.

Anna is @AnnaK0512 and she is a vocal coach, pianist and band member.  She is also a complete sweetheart of a woman with an easy laugh and wonderful sense of fun!! You'll see Anna again later in the month for one of our crazy events.

Yami is @Yamitatenda and what I can I say about him that I haven't said a bunch of times before--talented, musically gifted, and a great friend.  He was so sick, he was in hospital when he recorded the song and the lesson for us here on Smule!! Yami, you rock pal!!

Mitch is @wlm_mitch22_sf and he's my sing partner, my best friend on Smule, and my best friend in real life.  And frankly, I would not have HALF the stories or things to write about if it weren't for him.

Me? I'm Grace known as @pokeypal on Sing.  Join me for some great songs and even better events!  Our next event will be Memorial Day Weekend...can't wait!!  For more info on what's happening around Smule, check my blog!!  Thanks for reading!!