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From Newcastle
Before a big date, an engagement, or a wedding, many of us have those dreams about cold feet. We worry that we cannot walk down the aisle at our own wedding. Or we wonder if we have the courage to go through with breaking off an engagement. We have panic attacks during moments when others look at us as if we have two left heads.
In the world of love and marriage oftentimes we question if we are doing the right thing -- should we forgive a lover who cheated on us? Should we marry someone about whom we have a bit of doubt? Sometimes our fears exhaust us and we develop a sensation akin to stage fright -- a fear that keeps us from moving forward.
We keep hearing that one is never certain that Susan Boyle will appear on stage. Sometimes she does. Sometimes she doesn't. Perhaps it is exhaustion. Perhaps it is stage fright. I noticed how she gripped her stomach in some of her performances. And I think of how often I gripped my own stomach when I had a funny feeling inside. Unlike butterflies, those funny feelings are often red flags waving furiously. If we really face ourselves honestly, we see that those red flags were often warnings to be careful with a love in our life.
The video: In Susan Boyle's case, the love is her song. If sometimes, she feels she can't go forward, who knows why. But just as we know there are times when we simply cannot "go on" so it is with Susan Boyle. Hopefully for each of us, when we do take the step and make the decision to go forward despite the stage fright, it is the right decision. When Susan Boyle shines, she dazzles. Here she is in Newcastle and many are saying this is her best performance yet. The video is a compilation of earlier scenes. But give it a few minutes and you will see them announce her name to a wildly cheering audience.
Sign-up for Susan Boyle's CD: music dreams and love dreams do come true
You will find Seven Weeks to Making a Dream Come True in my Serenity Journal: 52 Weeks of Prayer and Gratitude on Amazon.com.
Video and photo posted on YouTube and www.susanboyletalent.com
Copyright 2009 Rita Watson
Comments
Susan Boyle is NOT fragile. She is NOT nervous. She is fine! Listen as she experiments with the range and expression of her voice. She is NOT clutching her stomach out of fear or anxiety. She is pressing on her diaphram to help reach the high notes. Susan is a professional who knows the tricks of breath control.
Rita, as a singer, I can tell you that when Susan Boyle 'gripped her stomach,' it wasn't stage fright. Singers are taught to place their hand on their diaphragm to trigger 'muscle memory' so they will breathe correctly to change registers, or have enough breath to sing a long phrase, such as the one in "I Dreamed A Dream" that always rouses the audience. Breathing for singing is much deeper and more controlled than normal breathing, and really works the diaphragm and stomach muscles. Susan Boyle just wanted to make sure she'd hit those 'tricky' spots and do the best she can. As she gets used to performing like she has been in this competition and tour, she'll be able to do it without the 'reminder.'
She will also take longer to build up performance stamina, since she's getting into this lifestyle later in life than most performers do, so people shouldn't give her grief about taking time off. In the long run, it'll be the best thing for her. And her audience!
I think it's important to note that Susan Boyle has appeared in seven of the nine shows in the Britain's Got Talent tour (including tonight's) and the two she missed were planned 24 hours before. Each contestant on the tour is allowed a couple of "rest days," but unfortunately for Susan, her days off are blazed around the world as if she's collapsed. The other contestants have said she rarely appears nervous and jokes around all the time with them (although she can be awkward on stage). I think part of the reason why her days off are noted is because she went right on the tour from the hospital, is making a CD and will jump immediately into US appearances after the tour. People are extra concerned that she's ready for what comes after this. None of the other contestants have such concerns. Also, it should be noted that it's the producers and her managers that want her to take days off - for the reasons listed above.
I think you would have been more accurate to say that Susan gets nights off like all the other performers. I understand that in addition to Susan, two others had the night off in Liverpool. You might pay attention to the insane tour schedule, and the fact that BGT doesn't announce in advance who will not appear - it's not that she backs out at the last minute.
So far on this tour SEVEN other acts have had rest days, but they did not rate a head line. Two other acts have fluffed their lines, one messed up a whole verse. No headlines. I wonder why. Susan gos on the tour a few days out of hospital which says a lot for her strength of character. She touches her diaphragm as a technique, its nothing to do with nerves, I have seen Kiri Te Kanawa do it! The constant negative spin by journos is getting tiresome. Susan is giving great performances, the audiences love her. Incidentally my friend too her 3 teenage kids, all of whom were typical teens - "whats all the fuss about" and who were far more interested in seeing the teenage acts. All three said after wards Susan was totally amazing live, better than on TV, charismatic, magical even, and they all three of them now major fans. Way to go Susan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That article is the poorest interpretation of a star I have yet to read. I hope you meant well because you are way off base. Diaphragm, my dear, the breath comes from the bottom of the diaphragm. Although everyone is anxious to read any articles printed about Susan, after doing so - we realize what a waste of time it was. When will all the uneducated "journalists" learn to further their career, they must educate themselves to the subject they are writing about.
Rita, you clearly do not sing, or had singing lessons. A singer will place his/her hand on the diaphragm when they need to gain more breath control. As for all the acts, they rotate them for rest periods. Susan might take more rest than others but she does not have stage fright. There is a really good video that shows her up close and she is acting out each song. Her hand movements, her facial expression are all an act.
To be fair, I believe that Rita was trying to defend Susan's performance. I have seen articles on Susan that are much worse based on blatent ignorance of theatre and music. Many people, even Susan's fans, as wonderful as they are, don't understand the metal of a performer, nor the training involved to be a performer.
Thanks, Donna T. Yes, I know Rita's a Susan fan. :) Unfortunately, Britain's horrid tabloid press start a lot of rumors that get spread here and lead to misunderstandings. The Sun just today has one about Susan being "tired" and missing a show. They don't even mention the two other acts that missed the same show or the other acts that missed on other days. It seems that they always have 2 or 3 acts missing. The sad thing is that the Sun readers seem to believe what they write, based on the comments. I wonder also if the tour puts out press releases about the other acts not performing as they do Susan. I understand they want people to know, butit makes it seem unusual when it doesn't seem to be.
NONE of the performers perform every day; yet when Susan takes her regular breaks the media tries to make something "big" out of it and turn it negative towards her. Susan has shown tremendous courage and has certainly gotten out there on that stage in spite of very normal stage fright. LOL give the woman a break.. she IS human and again... ALL the performers take days off.
It seems that once misinformation intended or not, is printed it is difficult to eradicate. The only journalistic information that I somewhat trust is interviews with the person herself, such as the interviews with Susan. Yet, even that can be manipulated. I'm not familiar with the Sun tabloid, but the articles I have read in it seem to be written by the whim of the writer to excite the reader, to ruin a celebrity and to sell papers.
Barbara Streisand has suffered from stage freight all her life. Susan Boyle will never be a Barbara Streisand. Who gives a piles of stones if she performs or not. There are other acts just as good as her and even better.
To Buster: Susan Boyle gets a lot of "piles of stones" for performing - she has a pile of gigs lined up at the rate of $15,000 per MINUTE. Yes, MINUTE, according to Simon Cowell (I roughly guesstimated from pounds to dollars) These future performances are one of the major reasons they're being so careful with her now.
Thats if the Hobbit shows up to perform and if the gig is even willing to pay that much. Don't put the horse in front of the cart. You might get disappointed.
I have tickets for tonights performance. When the Hobbit shows I was going to use that time as my bathroom and cigarette break. I heard she's not performing which is fine with me because I didn't buy tickets to just see her. Front row seats too.
Yes Buster Barbra so much so that she once once went 25 years between live performances such was the level of her anxiety! So I hardly think the odd day off hear and there for a beginner in the business is anything to get high and mighty about. Barbra is also a Susan fan and has spoken to her on the phone which I thought was a really nice thing for her to do. If you don't like Susan's style of singing fair enough, but there is no need to be rude about her.
So a love and marriage examiner is now a music expert. Spare me lady from your supposed expertise in singing. You are just trying to get your little blog read by putting Susan Boyle sings in your title. People like you my generation are just plained tired of. Babyboomers are looking at you supposed "experts" and realizing you have not got a clue. I would love to read what idiotic columns you may write about love and marriage, but at age 54 I have better things to do than read your thoughts.
If someone says, "I don't care about Susan Boyle" or something to that effect that is because she/he doesn't love her. For us Susan fans, we care so much if she sings or not. We understand her if she can't sing. We feel ecstatic when she can. All her performances were delivered wonderfully. We feel ecstatic with her voice. We are drawn to her when she sings. We forget our worries even for just 5-10 minutes. She is a blessing to us.
If you love Susan Boyle then you love greed, because Susan Boyle is all about greed. She wants to be paid and she wants to be paid at the same level that took years for Barbara and others to reach. SuBo is just a mediocre singer. I have more talent in my big toe than she does.
I love Susan Boyle, and I do NOT love greed. I don't understand Buster's problem. He's been on this site FIVE times to snarl about a woman who has lived her entire life in very modest circumstances who is finally getting a well-deserved chance to fulfill her dream.
Buster's reaction sounds like jealousy. I find her voice deeply compelling, and I think she has a rare gift. But if I did not think so, I would not bother to read a line about her.
As other have noted--she was not clutching her stomach from nerves, and I doubt any of us have even the faintest idea of what the pressures of fame, high expectations, and deliberate cruelty on the part of some of the press, would be like to endure. No wonder she had a mild breakdown from the exhaustion of it all! But what I loved about Susan in the first video was how she rose above sneers and jeers and taunts and nailed it. Stage fright? I don't think so. People are screaming while she's singing--that's an adjustment for any performer!
The amount of money Simon is expecting and Susan is expecting is greed. And you using Susan to fill some void in your life is pathetic.
Buster - if you haven't figured out by now that each time you post your 'snarling' rants, you only expose the fact that you know NOTHING, then you are a sad, pathetic creature indeed.
Do your homework before you make such stupid comments. Making things up doesn't count; it's obvious to everyone but yourself that you have no clue where Susan is concerned. She has indeed put in years of her life into her singing. Just because it hasn't been in celebrity circles, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Just because people are willing to pay her big money, that doesn't mean she set the price.
You're not making Susan look bad, only yourself.
Dear Readers -- Thank you so much.
GOOD POINTS -- that she appeared in seven of nine shows.
TRAINED SINGING -- Manhattan School of Music before Hunter (made more money writing than singing.)
SUSAN'S HANDS -- Comparing videos, I still feel that coaching inhibited the real Susan.
STAGE FRIGHT -- Many performers freeze before going onstage and then melt our hearts with their music.
WHAT I LOVE MOST -- that so many of us relate to a woman who followed her dream. May she continue to inspire.
MY SINCERE THANKS FOR YOUR THOUGHTS.
YOUR WORDS MAKE THESE COLUMNS COME ALIVE. Happiness/ RitaE
RitaE-
You, yourself, are also one class act! ;)
Speaking of "stage fright," I remember the first time someone asked me to marry him; I practically died on the spot, from an anxiety episode. The idea of taking that big a leap was so overwhelming; I said no.
I don't really care what any of you think. Do I attack you? Get your heads examined by a shrink. If you don't like my opinions then don't read them. SuBo is a fruitcake.
For your information, Sassyone, Rita CAN sing!
And Sassy, if you have better things to do...What are you doing in here in the first place?
Same for you, Buster. Five comments? Isn't it time for your bathroom break?
Way to go, Rita, you obviously nailed it!
Rita, Thank You for your positive Susan Boyle article. I often wonder why some people can be so ugly and mean. It must be they can not appreciate true beauty and let their heart be touched.
I'm looking forward to Susan's first CD. Will be glad when this BGT thing is over.
I don't know why you, I don't know what you are called, journalists? feel the need to comment on Susan Boyle when you have no idea what you are talking about. She does not have stage fright and does not get into a state where she can not go on! She is taking sporadic rest days as is every other act participating on the BGT tour. But for some reason only Susan's rests are newsworthy. No professional vocalist is going to perform 24 days straight without a few breaks. Also she did not grip her stomach because of butterflies. She was making herself conscious of her diaphram in order to get more supported air flow going through her vocal chords. She had a cold that day and did a fabulous job of compensating for it. Stop commenting on things you don't have a clue about and in turn influencing the general public opinion.
How does anyone get that woman to sing? I dont think she can find her way out of a paper bag. Shes hard on the eyes and hard to listen to. Dont know what all the hype is about. Shes nothing much.
If it looks and acts like a nut ... it's a nut.
You people that have such nasty comments about Suaan dont even deserve to be recognized. If you dont like her style of singing fine but keep the nasty comments to yourself. What is probably the reason is you have no talent yourself
Rita, I guess we have a difference in definition of the term "stage fright." It's normal to be nervous when performing in front of an audience - especially one of thousands! - but true stage fright is so debilitating that it hampers the performance at the very least, and often prevents it from happening at all. I've watched Susan Boyle's video clips many times, too, and while she may have been nervous, I still say she exhibited no sign of stage fright. My 'main job' for nearly forty years is as an accompanist, but I also perform as a singer, so believe me, I've seen all degrees of 'nerves.'
Singing is the love of Susan's life; she's been used and abused by people who are incapable of understanding her situation, or just don't care, but she's pushing forward the best she can to pursue her dream. Let's applaud her for that!
As a trained singer, you should know better than to write something so potentially misleading. What purpose has it served? It certainly isn't helpful to Susan. She is much stronger than you have portrayed her.
Buster, your comments are actually quite entertaining. I think I speak for others when I say that I just find it strange that you seem so obsessed with Susan Boyle and then attack other people for being obsessed with her. What is it that draws you so deeply to her and then makes you reject her so vehemently? It's a very interesting question, psychologically, so please keep writing--I am interested in trying to figure it out.
Dear Ms. Rita Watson,
I'm unfamiliar with your column ... I assume you are some kind of relationship/ advice columnist?
I can't believe I'm writing to you but I just have to say that upon reading your column a couple of days ago I'm still puzzled by what you were trying to say.
Now I learned that you have some kind of singing background. I am even more puzzled if that is the case. I doubt very much that Susan's hand to her stomach meant stage fright.
Poor dear Susan is being used by you for some far flung analogy ... if anyone can see some kind of valid point that the author is making, please let me know.
Thanks in advance.
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