#Singing Lessons Toronto

[medicalweightloss100]

Master the Art of Public Speaking with Toronto Singing Academy

The Toronto Singing Academy offers comprehensive public speaking courses designed to transform hesitant speakers into confident communicators. Our expert-led programs combine theoretical knowledge with practical application, helping you overcome anxiety and develop essential presentation skills. Whether you're a student preparing for academic presentations, a professional aiming to enhance your career prospects, or someone looking to conquer your fear of speaking in public, our courses provide the perfect environment to grow and thrive.

Through our specially designed curriculum, participants learn valuable techniques for vocal projection, body language mastery, and audience engagement. Our small class sizes ensure personalized attention, while our supportive atmosphere encourages practice and experimentation. Join our community of aspiring speakers and discover how effective communication can open doors in your professional and personal life. With the Toronto Singing Academy, you'll gain the confidence and skills to speak effectively in any situation.

Overcome Public Speaking Anxiety with Proven Techniques

Public speaking anxiety affects millions of people worldwide, but at Toronto Singing Academy, we've developed effective methods to transform that nervous energy into powerful communication. Our courses begin by addressing the root causes of speaking anxiety, teaching participants breathing techniques, visualization exercises, and progressive exposure methods that gradually build confidence. We create a supportive, non-judgmental environment where you can practice speaking without fear of criticism, allowing you to grow at your own pace.

Our experienced instructors understand that overcoming speaking anxiety is a personal journey. They provide individualized strategies tailored to your specific concerns, whether it's fear of judgment, worry about forgetting content, or physical symptoms of nervousness. Through video-recorded practice sessions, constructive feedback, and peer support, you'll see measurable improvement in your comfort level and speaking abilities. Many of our students report significant reductions in anxiety after just a few classes, opening the door to new personal and professional opportunities they previously avoided due to speaking fears.

Master Essential Presentation Skills for Any Audience

Effective presentation skills are crucial in today's professional landscape, and our comprehensive courses equip you with the tools needed to deliver impactful presentations. You'll learn to structure your content logically, create compelling openings and closings, and use visual aids effectively. Our instructors guide you through the process of tailoring your message to different audiences, ensuring your presentations resonate with listeners whether you're speaking to executives, colleagues, or the general public.

Beyond content creation, we focus on delivery techniques that enhance your presentations. From proper microphone usage to effective gesturing and movement, you'll discover how to command attention through both verbal and non-verbal communication. Our courses incorporate the latest presentation technologies, helping you adapt to virtual presentations, hybrid meetings, and traditional in-person speaking engagements. Through regular practice presentations with constructive feedback, you'll refine your skills and develop your unique presentation style that authentically represents your personality while effectively conveying your message.

Live Performance Videos: Develop a Powerful Voice for Maximum Impact

At Toronto Singing Academy, we leverage our vocal expertise to help you develop a commanding speaking voice that captivates audiences. Our specialized voice training focuses on proper breathing techniques, vocal projection, and articulation exercises that enhance the clarity and power of your speech. You'll learn to vary your pace, pitch, and volume to add emphasis and emotion to your words, preventing the monotone delivery that often loses audience attention.

Our instructors provide personalized vocal assessments and tailored exercises to address your specific vocal challenges. Whether you need to reduce a strong accent for better understanding, increase your volume for larger venues, or develop vocal endurance for longer presentations, our targeted approach delivers results. Students benefit from our recording technology, which allows you to review Live Performance Videos of your practice sessions to hear your voice objectively and track improvements. Through consistent practice with expert guidance, you'll develop a confident, resonant voice that commands attention and conveys authority in any speaking situation, transforming how others perceive and respond to your message.

Master the Art of Storytelling for Engaging Speeches

Great public speakers understand that storytelling is the secret to creating memorable, persuasive presentations. Our courses teach you how to craft and deliver compelling narratives that connect emotionally with your audience, making your message more impactful and memorable. You'll learn to identify relevant stories from your personal and professional experiences, structure them effectively, and integrate them seamlessly into your presentations to illustrate key points, build credibility, and inspire action.

The storytelling techniques we teach extend beyond anecdotes to include metaphors, analogies, and case studies that simplify complex concepts and make your content more accessible. Our instructors guide you through exercises in descriptive language, character development, and dramatic pacing that bring your stories to life. You'll practice delivering stories with appropriate emotion, timing, and vocal variety to maximize their impact. As you master these narrative techniques, you'll transform ordinary presentations into extraordinary experiences that resonate with audiences long after you've finished speaking, achieving the ultimate goal of effective communication.

Develop Executive Presence for Professional Success

Public Speaking Courses Toronto - that elusive quality that marks outstanding leaders - can be developed through deliberate practice. Our advanced courses focus on building the confidence, credibility, and composure that define executive presence. You'll learn to speak with authority, respond effectively to challenging questions, and maintain poise under pressure. Our instructors, experienced in corporate communication, provide insights on appropriate business etiquette, professional appearance, and the subtle communication cues that influence how others perceive your leadership potential.

Through simulated business presentations, impromptu speaking exercises, and videotaped feedback sessions, you'll refine your professional communication style. We emphasize adaptability across various business contexts, from boardroom presentations to client meetings and networking events. Our executive presence training extends to virtual environments, teaching you to project confidence and authority through digital platforms. Graduates of this specialized track report significant professional advancement, including promotions and new business opportunities, as they apply their enhanced communication skills to showcase their expertise and leadership capabilities in the workplace.

Interactive Workshops to Apply Skills in Real Scenarios

Theory becomes practical mastery in our interactive workshops, where participants apply their newly acquired skills in realistic scenarios. Our carefully designed role-playing exercises simulate a variety of speaking situations, from delivering persuasive pitches and facilitating meetings to handling challenging Q&A sessions and impromptu speaking. These hands-on activities provide immediate opportunities to implement techniques, receive constructive feedback, and refine your approach in a low-risk environment before facing similar situations in your professional life.

Our workshops foster collaboration among participants, creating a community of practice where peers learn from each other's strengths and challenges. Professional actors occasionally join sessions to create authentic audience interactions, helping you develop adaptability and confidence. We gradually increase the complexity and pressure of these exercises, building your capacity to communicate effectively even in demanding circumstances. The skills developed in these workshops—active listening, thinking on your feet, and adapting to audience responses—transfer directly to real-world speaking situations, giving you practical tools that extend far beyond theoretical knowledge.

Public Speaking Progress Comparison

This chart illustrates the typical progression of students at Toronto Singing Academy across key public speaking competencies. Most participants see significant improvement in all areas, particularly in confidence building and audience engagement, where the greatest growth typically occurs. Our comprehensive approach ensures development across all essential skills, consistently exceeding industry averages.

Comprehensive Learning Framework for Complete Development

Our public speaking courses are built on a comprehensive learning framework that addresses every aspect of effective communication. We begin with fundamentals like proper breathing, posture, and vocal techniques before progressing to content development, delivery skills, and advanced presentation strategies. This systematic approach ensures that each skill builds upon previous learning, creating a solid foundation for your development as a speaker. Our curriculum incorporates the latest research in communication psychology and adult learning theory, optimized for efficient skill acquisition and retention.

The framework includes regular assessment points to measure progress and identify areas for focused improvement. We combine instructor evaluations with self-assessment tools and peer feedback to provide a well-rounded perspective on your development. Our flexible curriculum allows for customization based on your specific goals and learning pace, whether you're preparing for a specific presentation or developing long-term communication skills. This methodical, comprehensive approach distinguishes our program from short-term workshops, delivering transformative results that persist long after course completion.

Visual Learning Resources

Building Confidence Through Practice

Visual learning plays a crucial role in our public speaking courses. The images below illustrate key concepts for overcoming public speaking anxiety and developing presentation confidence. Understanding the physiological aspects of speaking anxiety helps students recognize and manage their responses while embracing nervous energy teaches them to channel that adrenaline into powerful delivery rather than fighting against it.

Our instructors use these visual concepts to help students understand the psychology behind effective public speaking. By visualizing proper techniques and seeing examples of effective presentation postures, participants can more quickly adopt best practices. Visual learning resources complement our hands-on approach, creating a multi-sensory educational experience that addresses different learning styles and accelerates skill development.

Course Options to Fit Your Goals and Schedule

Our diverse course offerings accommodate various learning preferences, time constraints, and specific goals. Whether you prefer the supportive environment of group classes, the intensity of immersive workshops, or the personalized attention of private coaching, we have options to suit your needs. Courses are scheduled during evenings and weekends to accommodate working professionals, with some intensive options available during business hours for corporate teams.

All courses include comprehensive learning materials, video recordings for self-evaluation, and follow-up resources to support continued practice. We offer flexible payment options and corporate packages for organizations looking to develop communication skills across their teams. Many participants begin with foundational courses before progressing to specialized training, creating a continuous learning journey that builds on previous skill development for comprehensive communication mastery.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Do I need any previous experience to join your public speaking courses?

Answer: No previous experience is required for our foundational courses. We welcome complete beginners and those with speaking anxiety. Our supportive environment is specifically designed to help newcomers develop confidence gradually. For advanced courses, some basic speaking experience is beneficial but not mandatory.

2. How quickly will I see improvement in my public speaking skills?

Answer: Most participants notice significant improvements in their confidence and basic delivery skills within the first 2-3 sessions. More refined skills like storytelling and audience engagement continue to develop throughout the course. Complete transformation typically occurs over 8-12 weeks of consistent practice, though this varies based on individual starting points and practice frequency.

3. What makes your public speaking courses different from others?

Answer: Our courses are distinguished by our integration of vocal techniques from our singing academy with professional speaking skills. This unique approach addresses both the technical aspects of voice production and the content development skills needed for effective communication. We also offer more personalized attention with smaller class sizes and provide extensive video feedback that allows you to objectively assess your progress.

4. Do you offer corporate training for teams?

Answer: Yes, we offer customized corporate training programs for teams of all sizes. These can be conducted at your workplace or our facility and can be tailored to address your organization's specific communication challenges. Popular corporate offerings include presentation skills for sales teams, executive communication for leadership, and effective virtual meeting facilitation. Please reach out to our corporate training department for customized proposals.

5. Can you help me prepare for a specific upcoming presentation?

Answer: Absolutely! Our private coaching sessions are perfect for preparing for specific presentations or speaking engagements. We can work with you on content development, delivery techniques, visual aids, and Q&A preparation specifically tailored to your upcoming event. Many clients see us for intensive preparation before important presentations, job interviews, or conference speeches, and report significant improvements in both their delivery and audience response.

[rockstarmusic1]

Music Lessons In Vancouver: Learn To Play The Instrument Of Your Dreams

Rockstar Music Central is the go-to place in Vancouver for all your music education needs! We offer a wide variety of music lessons, ranging from drums to piano to violin and more. Whether you're just starting or an experienced player, we have the perfect program for you.

Drum Lessons Vancouver

If you want to become a proficient drummer, then we have just the right program for you! Our expert drum instructors will help you develop your skills from the ground up, and will always be available to provide tips and techniques for improving your playing. Our drum lessons include an introduction to various drumming styles, both traditional and modern. We'll teach you basic drum rudiments, help build your timing and coordination, and help you create your unique drum parts and beats.

Piano Teacher Vancouver

We have an amazing selection of piano teachers that can accommodate any skill level. Our teachers focus on building a strong foundation and emphasizing technique for beginners, while experienced players can take their playing to the next level. We cover a wide range of music styles and techniques in our lessons, from classical to jazz and everything in between. Our piano teachers will customize your instruction to fit your goals, helping you become the best pianist you can be.

Violin Lessons Vancouver

Our violin lessons are designed to give you the best available instruction on playing the violin. We offer both group and individual lessons, teaching all levels from beginner to advanced. Our instructors will help you develop your technique, note reading, and ear training, while also providing you with advanced instruction on musical styles, theory, and improvisation. Regardless of your skill level, we have the perfect program for you!

At Rockstar Music Central, we firmly believe that music education is an essential part of any aspiring musician's journey. That's why we strive to provide the highest quality music lessons that will help you reach your goals. Whether you're looking for a drum, piano, violin, or another instrument, we've got you covered! So, what are you waiting for? Get started today call us at (647) 526-7625 and visit our website at https://www.rockstarmusic.ca/ and take your skills to the next level!

[comehomet0myheart]

Lucy Dacus Toronto 4/26

Made an announcement about her charitable partnerships a few minutes before the show started

She was wearing the prettiest black dress

Her mic was malfunctioning after she sang First Time so she did a mini Q&A session

She complimented someone girlfriend, thanked someone for naming their cat Lucy, said Triple Dog Dare was one of her favourite songs she’s written, and said that Kissing Lessons was basically completely true, down to the name

Then someone asked what her favourite FIAF song to play on tour is and she asked the band. Two people said Talk, one person said Most Wanted Man, and I can’t remember the last ones.

After her mic got fixed, she said something along the lines of “things never go wrong, they just go in a different way than you’d expect”

She played Triple Dog Dare 🥹

Before singing Nonbeliever (!!) she said that she was going to do a song that she had only played once on this tour and was still feeling nerves about, and then she stopped herself by saying we didn’t need to hear her talk about that (but lowkey we do though)

When introducing Kevin Drew she said she didn’t know if she ever told him but she saw Broken Social Scene in Virginia on September 11th, 2010 and that’s what’s inspired her to get into music :) (not sure if she’s ever told him directly, but she did say it at Boygenius’ Toronto show which Broken Social Scene opened for)

She listed all the Toronto venues she had previously played and said that she wanted to go to beautiful venues this tour and mentioned that Massey Hall has an international reputation for being cool and being a nice place to play

Before singing Lost Time someone heckled her and asked what her favourite movie is and she said it wasn’t the time (haha) for that, but mentioned her next song was one of her favourite songs she had written

Twirling during Forever is a Feeling!

After coming back for her encore she said they were talking about how cute we (audience) were backstage and someone in the audience said we were talking about how cute THEY were and Lucy was like “wow we’re like equal now”

[yazihowell]

Hello! I have a questions about TIT!

I heard Dan sings a song? Does he have a nice voice? Did he sing as a joke? Was it a good song?

Did you go alone? Did you get to meet them?

Any information is fine, I'm just also very excited ^-^

hi!!

yes, they both sing! it starts out as sort of jokey, as in dan brings out a ukulele and jokes that it’s not an apology. phil says it should be and dan says we should be the ones apologizing to them (and in toronto we all yelled “sorry!” lol). dan starts singing and phil joins in and it’s about a minute long of the cute little ukulele song, then dan smashes it on the ground and tells the dj to drop the beat. it then turns into unironically such a good song??!!?? it’s definitely my favourite out of all the tour songs, and the dance is really fun too!

dan does have a good voice, they both do! i think they took vocal lessons for this, because their voices have both really improved since ii and even wad. the second part of the song isn’t jokey, it’s more like ii/tatinof in that it’s a full performance with an instrumental backing and a dance (there’s also auto tune in the vocal backing that scratches my brain really well, but they do sing live too!)

i technically went alone in that i bought just one ticket, but i met friends through twitter! my seatmate and i dmed for months beforehand so we were comfortable with each other which was so great, and some people from the titronto gc (about 8 of us) met at the mall before the show!

i did meet them, yes!!! it was my first time meeting them and i can go into detail about that if you or anybody else is interested, they are incredibly sweet and it was the most amazing thing ever.

i hope you have so much fun when you go - i’m assuming you’re going since you said you’re excited!!! i think it’s their best tour yet, and they worked very hard to make it as incredible as it is 🖤💙

[sc0tters]

What’s Tilly’s relationship like with Queen Ellen and Jim and the her brothers? I just know Queen Ellen is her bestfriend.

okay so I’m doing this with each person separately! Because I love this question!

Quinn: they fought like every other week when they were at the house together. But the moment she moved out to university in New York Quinn was messaging her every day asking how she was and what she was doing. Now they love each other as they talk every couple of days and when she makes the tour dates she has to send the Vancouver stops to Quinn so he can confirm that at least one of the stops works well enough for him.

Jack: he’s always been her quiet supporter. When she first released her songs he was rewatching it on YouTube to help get the views up. He makes the boys come along on the days he goes to watch her perform because Jack doesn’t like admitting that he literally won’t shut up about her. He’s kind of like that because Matilda will literally surprise him on the most random days to go to his games. All Jack honestly wants is for Matilda to never stop being proud of him.

Luke: he is her baby brother and she treats him like that too. This boy loves it though because he idolises his sister, like when he was a kid he used to follow her around. Now that he is older and is playing hockey full time Matilda has to remind herself that he is growing up. Luke is her favourite because they never fought given how much he loved her. She went to his NHL debut, watched his first goal, last college game, she was there through all of it. When he plays Toronto Matilda wears his merch before Willys too.

Jim: as the only daughter she is the apple of his eye. She’s the only one who can sit in his chair, be in charge of his barbecue and grill at the lake house. Jim is also obsessed with supporting his daughter so he comes along to random sessions in building the albums.

Ellen: as the only two girls in the house they are best friends. Whilst Jim was helping the boys play hockey Ellen was taking Matilda to singing and piano lessons. So she was honestly her number one supporter throughout all of her life and struggles in her career. Ellen also lives in the merchandise that Matilda makes, like mamma Hughes is the number one person on her PR list because this woman knows all the words to her songs and is there for every major performance that happens on tour.

[authorchariot]

> ENTRY: THE_SPACE_HE_LEAVES_BEHIND

RATING: explicit

CATEGORY: inside llewyn davis (2013)

PAIRING: llewyn davis x afab!reader

EST. READING TIME: 25m 43s

INDEX TAGS: cigarettes, established relationship, hurt/comfort, love confessions, not beta read, one night stands, oral sex, pets, post-canon, pov second person, self-harm, sexual overstimulation, smoking, squirting, unsafe sex, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex

SUMMARY: 'gone to new york.' that's all llewyn leaves behind; a note on the bedside table, nothing more. you should be used to it by now. he comes, he stays, he fucks, he leaves. no promises, no strings. but every time, it gets harder to pretend it doesn't hurt

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Llewyn Davis had never promised anything. Not with words, not with looks, not even with the way he touched you. He wasn't cruel, not really; just careless, in that way men like him always are. Men who drift. Men who move through life expecting that someone, somewhere, will always leave the door open for them.

And you?

You left the door open. Again and again.

You met him at a Toronto dive bar, one of those places where the floor was always a little sticky, the air always a little too thick with the smell of stale beer and cigarette ash. You'd been there alone, nursing a drink you didn't really want, because being alone in a crowded room was somehow better than being alone alone. And then there was him; leaning into the microphone, fingers coaxing something sad and familiar from the strings of his guitar, his voice like something frayed at the edges. It wasn't anything that would take the world by storm but it made this warmth bloom in your chest and reminded you of afternoons with your pops, driving down quiet roads on overcast days.

You hadn't gone there looking for anyone but you let him follow you home anyway.

Maybe it was the way he looked at you; interested but not invasive. Maybe it was the way his voice had lingered in your chest long after he'd stopped singing. Maybe it was because he was the first person in a long time who made you feel something other than the constant hum of emptiness.

Or maybe it was just that you didn't want to sleep alone that night.

You always had a soft spot for the hard luck cases and he looked like a stray dog coming in from the rain, just needing a hot meal and a place to lay his head. Maybe — just maybe — if you pet him and loved him enough, he'd settle. A starving artist. You'd played this song before, when you went to college. You dated a guy like him; fed him, watered him, let him fuck you, all in the hopes that you could 'fix' him maybe. No, he just took you for a ride, refused to get a job while you broke your back at a 9-to-5. Turns out you didn't learn your lesson.

That first time, Llewyn kissed you like he had nowhere better to be. He undressed you like he had done it a hundred times before. And, in the morning, he stretched, groaned, scratched at his scruffy jaw and asked if he could crash at your place for a while.

And you let him.

It became a pattern. Llewyn came and went; a ghost, a bad habit, a song stuck on a loop. He'd show up, hang around your apartment, eat your food, use your shower, sleep in your bed, fuck you and then he'd disappear again, leaving behind only the dent in your pillow and the half-drunk mug of coffee on the nightstand.

He called sometimes. When he felt like it. Never regularly. Never with any warning. Never when you needed him to.

Two months ago, he'd come back to Toronto. He crawled back into your life like it was nothing, like he hadn't been gone long enough for you to finally start sleeping through the night without waking up and reaching for something that wasn't there. He played a set at another bar, strummed another sad song, made you feel that warmth that made your chest ache.

And then he came home with you.

You'd let him in. Again.

He stayed for a while. Slept beside you, arm slung heavy over your waist. Ate cereal out of the box while sitting on your couch, making fun of the shit you watched on TV. Showered, leaving steam on the mirror and his towel on the floor. Pressed himself against you in the kitchen, hand slipping beneath the waistband of your sweatpants like it was second nature.

And then, just as quickly as he appeared, he was gone.

No goodbye. No warning. Just a note on the bedside table; a scrap of paper with messy, scrawled handwriting that told you what you already knew.

'Gone to New York.'

Nothing else. No I'll be back soon. No call me. Not even a thanks for letting me stay. Just gone.

It hurt and you were never the type of person to blame other people so the hate turned inward. Something was wrong with you. He never wanted to stick around because maybe you weren't enough? Maybe you didn't earn enough? Maybe you didn't feed him enough? Maybe you didn't fuck good enough? Whatever it was, this stray dog of a man just occasionally padded into your life, curled up beside you, bit you and then ran, letting the bite fester and grow septic. He seemed to chew you up and spit you out and, who knows, maybe you deserved it.

Or maybe he was just a prick.

That was two months ago. You haven't heard from him since.

Trudging back from work, you pause outside the door to your apartment. One of the pots outside the door has been moved, revealing the brown circular stain from the wet soil. Just one of the pots, the one you leave your spare key under. Whoever took it knew where it was and you already know who to expect when you open the door. Your heart drops because, Jesus, you don't want to do all this again. Not again.

You walk through the door and lock it behind you, hanging up your coat, toeing off your shoes and placing your bag by the door. Lo and behold, when you look to the couch, Llewyn is sat there, petting your cat, his hair damp from the shower, wearing a clean pair of boxers and a sweater that he left behind last time, which you probably should've thrown out by now. You don't meet his eyes. The moment you do, you know you'll just bend again. This can't keep happening.

"You could've called." You say flatly and he just shrugs, avoiding the conversation. He has to know what he's doing. You look at his face as he looks away and you raise your voice, something you very rarely do. It sends the cat running from the room in surprise. "You were away for two months!" He flinches slightly before he picks at a loose thread on his sweater sleeve, pulling it taut before letting it go again.

There's silence for a moment and you hope he says something, hope he stands up and yells, swings at you; gives you some reason to kick him out and never see him again.

He doesn't.

You're desperately trying to keep a lid on it but you're failing miserably because he's come back with those stupid puppy dog eyes and that mop of unkempt hair that you remember running your fingers through. "You just packed up and left while I was at work. Left a note saying you were going to New York and then you didn't call or even write for two fucking months?" He still doesn't look at you. You're almost glad. Because the moment he does, you're done for. "You left a note like I was some random fucking drunk chick you met at one of those shitty dive bars you play at." You take a deep breath, trying to swallow down the lump forming in your throat. Scrubbing a hand over your face, you shake your head. "Llewyn... What're you doing back in Toronto? Don't tell me you rode up for another handout because I'm short on cash this month."

Without a word, he stands up from the couch and crosses the room, pulling you into his arms. You stiffen, your fingers curling into your palms as you stop yourself from hugging him back. He presses his face into your neck and takes a breath, breathing you in.

"Missed you." He replies simply, the words warm against your skin. He stays like that for a moment, just holding onto you, then he pulls back, finally meeting your eyes. "I'm sorry." He murmurs and you manage to pull away despite how comfortable you feel in his arms.

"Just what am I to you?" You ask him quietly and he opens his mouth to speak before closing it again, unsure of what to say. He sure as Hell never stays in contact long enough to be considered a boyfriend but you've both disclosed more than your fair share to just be considered acquaintances. He runs a hand through his mess of dark curls, dotted with silver. "Some bed to sleep in when you run out of options? Someone who feeds and waters you because they can't help themselves? Someone who gives a shit when maybe they shouldn't?" You ask, voice raising slightly again. You can tell he knows you're right. He turns up, sleeps in your bed, eats your food, smokes your cigarettes then makes himself scarce. What does that make him?

You turn away and shakily tap a cigarette out of your pack. As you do, the loose sleeve of your sweater slips down to reveal the new cigarette burns on your wrist, joining the scars you put there years ago. You light your cigarette and open the window a crack, dropping onto the couch and letting the cool winter air sober you a bit. It's dark outside, the sidewalks shiny with rain that glistens in the light of the street-lamps. You take a shaky drag, your anger spent, idly scratching the scabs on your wrist.

"When'd you start doing that again?" He asks, voice soft as he sits next to you on the couch. His voice is gentle but carries an edge of worry, of guilt. You just shake your head, feeling the tears welling in your eyes, blurring your vision. He wasn't supposed to see them. He reaches out, fingers curling around your wrist, turning it to get a better look, counting at least three new ones to join the older scars. "Answer me, for fuck's sake." He demands, his voice firmer now.

"About two weeks after you left..." You answer and you almost hear his jaw clench as he releases your wrist before sitting back on the couch. "I just...got the urge again. Figured I'd done something wrong, figured I didn't do enough."

"What made you think you did something wrong?"

"You just left. I never heard from you." You reply simply, taking a long drag on your cigarette.

Silence falls over the room, his eyes glued to the floor as you gaze out the window.

He was never supposed to see those marks. They were put there in a moment of weakness; the same kinds of moments where you pray to God he's alright, when you only wish he would call or when he kisses you and everything just feels right in the world.

Eventually, he reaches out and takes the cigarette from between your fingers, placing it on the ashtray, where it smoulders.

"I'm not leaving again." He states and you turn to look at him, unsure if you should be happy or relived or angry or what kind of emotion you should be showing despite every single one warring inside you. He's never promised anything like this and you shudder to think if it's just to placate you for now.

"Llewyn, don't. I didn't do this to guilt-trip you. You weren't even supposed to see."

"And what the Hell am I supposed to do when I see them?" He suddenly grabs your wrist again. "You know how fucked up it is to see someone I—" He catches himself. "To see someone I care about doing this shit?" His voice cracks slightly.

"How am I supposed to know you care about me when you turn up out of the blue and then just fucking leave, huh?" You counter and he releases you again, flinching as if struck by the harshness in your tone, the truth in your words. His face pales slightly and he busies himself by running his hands through his hair, tugging at the roots.

"I know. I know it looks like that."

You take one last pull on your cigarette before stubbing it out and closing the window. Getting off the couch, you find your cat sat just behind the corner into the hallway and she meows quietly as you pick her up and hold her against your chest. She purrs as you stroke her back and kiss her head, bouncing her gently like you would a baby. The soft rumbling of her purrs settle in your chest, soothing you. He watches you for a long minute and you think you see something flash in his eyes, something akin to jealousy. Maybe he remembers how you used to hold him like that when he first started staying over, before everything became so complicated.

Finally, he stands up slowly, walking over to you, as if cautiously approaching a scared animal. The cat nuzzles against your jaw and you let out a little laugh, your voice breaking slightly as tears threaten to spill down your cheeks. Without a word, he gently slides the cat from your arms and sets her on the floor. Then, before you can move away, he pulls you against his chest, feeling your body tremble against his as you finally let the tears fall, soaking into the fabric of his sweater.

"I was worried..." You admit and he sucks in a breath at the wounded sound you make, arms tightening around you.

"I know. I'm an asshole." He murmurs against your hair and you sigh shakily, hands fisting into the hem of his sweater. You nuzzle your face against his chest, sniffling and cursing yourself for letting yourself be vulnerable like this again.

"Just please don't do it again. If you're gonna leave, do it now and save me the dramatics because... I can't... I can't do this anymore, Llewyn..." You manage and you feel him shake his head.

"I'm not leaving." He repeats and you look up at him, eyes red, cheeks wet.

"Promise?" He catches your face in his hands, thumbs running along the tear tracks.

"Promise." His eyes search yours, serious and sincere. "Swear to God, if I walk out that door again, shoot me." He jokes weakly and you manage a little chuckle, leaning in to press your forehead to his.

"Okay." He closes his eyes, relief washing over him, as he holds you for a long moment, just lingering in the warmth, before he speaks again, voice rough with emotion.

"Can I sleep with you tonight? Please? I just..." Large, warm hands, rough with calluses from his guitar strings, fall to your hips, holding you close. "Just wanna hold you all night." He confesses, cheeks flushing slightly. "I... I need to feel like I'm actually here with you. Please?" His dark eyes bore into yours, filled with regret. Longing. You think for a moment, pretending to consider an alternative, before wrapping your arms tight around his neck, holding onto him like a lifeline.

"Okay..." And he exhales slowly, releasing tension he didn't know he was holding. One arm winds around your shoulders as the other slides around the small of your back, pulling you flush against him.

"I'm not going anywhere." He reassures you, pulling away just enough to look at you, and you smile weakly.

"You can't; you promised."

"True."

Once you pull yourself together, you wipe your eyes and wander into your bedroom, shucking off your clothes from work and pulling on a pair of boxers and a loose t-shirt before slipping into bed, your cat curling up in your lap. It's warm. Even warmer with the knowledge that Llewyn should be beside you. He peeks his head around the doorway, just looking at you for a moment; the oversized t-shirt slipping off your shoulder, your hair messy and your cheeks still slightly pink. You flush slightly as you realise the way he's looking at you; like you look so perfect without even trying.

"You gonna get in bed?" You ask and he nods, padding round to the other side and slipping under the covers beside you. The cat jumps off your lap and curls up at the foot of the bed as he wraps an arm around your waist, pulling you against his chest. Nuzzling your face under his jaw, you let your hand rest on the soft, slight paunch of his belly. "You put on some weight. It looks good on you." You murmur and he smiles, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

"You think so?" His hand slowly slides up to feel the curve of your side. "You've lost some weight though, baby." He comments.

"Yeah, been busy. When I've not been working, I've been asleep." His thumb finds your hip, rubbing circles into the skin. He knows you bury yourself in your work. You told him as much last time he was here.

"You eaten today?"

"Mhm. Managed to actually take a lunch break and grab a sandwich." And he sighs in relief, pressing a kiss to his neck, his beard rasping against the tender skin there.

"Good, good. Don't want you passing out on me." He goes quiet for a moment, just holding you close and listening to the steady sound of your breathing, the warmth of your body against his own. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm sorry for everything."

"I know, honey." But he nestles down and brings you with him, callused fingers tracing patterns across your back, under your shirt.

"No, I mean it. I'm sorry for leaving, for not being here for you. I'm sorry for pushing you away and making you feel..." You tilt your head up to look at him and he swallows hard "You know how cute you are right now?" And that brings a shy smile to your face.

"I'm a mess." You remind him and his lips quirk up into a genuine smile.

"Exactly. You're my mess." Finally, his lips find yours, pressing a kiss there, the kind that promises safety. "I'm keeping you." Another kiss, this time parting your lips, as his hand slips under your shirt to explore the softness of your skin. He pulls away just enough to trail his lips along your jaw, breath warm against your neck. "So soft..." He moves over you, rumpling the sheets, and the cat takes it as her cue to leave, hopping off the bed and slipping into the hallway. His warm body covers your own, kneeling between your legs, his hands roaming over your body with a kind of tender possessiveness. You hands wander as well, slipping under his sweater, as he kisses you again, deeper this time, his tongue sliding against yours. His hips press down against your own, letting you feel just how much he wants you, how much his body has missed your own. Your arms loop around his neck, kissing him back and mewling softly against his lips. But this time is different; there's that promise on his lips that tastes like sweet cherries and vanilla, that makes you forget all about the burns that mar your wrists.

When he pulls away, his eyes are dark and lidded but filled with this newfound warmth that sinks into your bones. He slowly peels off your shirt and tosses it aside, roaming over your skin with gentle hands, exploring every inch of you, as his lips brush along your collarbone, your sternum, your stomach, his beard slightly tickling at your flesh. You catch your bottom lip between your teeth as you watch him kiss along the length of your body.

"Llew..." He raises his gaze to meet your own.

"Mm?" He hooks his fingers into the waistband of your boxers before slowly pulling them down and tossing them to one side. "Say my name again." He orders softly, hands parting your thighs. You reach down to brush a dark curl from his eyes, voice low and soft.

"Llewyn..." And he shivers at the sound of his name on your lips. Dropping a kiss to your inner thigh then another higher up, he peers at you from between your legs, watching the rise and fall of your chest. Your thighs fall open for him, soft and pillowy, revealing the wet heat of your pussy, unshaved and glistening, radiating warmth and a sweet, musky scent that makes his mouth water and his cock throb.

"Fuck..." He sighs and you reach down, spreading yourself open and rubbing your fingertip over the hood of your clit. He watches, hypnotised, before he leans forward, gently pulling your hand away to drag the flat of his tongue along the bud before sucking it into his mouth. You arch your back and let out a long sigh as his hands cradle your thighs, thumbs drawing slow circles into the skin. His mouth is wet and warm, lashes dark as they fan across his cheeks, eyes closed as he focuses on how your body speaks to him, aching and throbbing for his touch. It's lazy, exploratory, experimental; like he's never done this before, like he's never wanted to do anything but bury his face between your thighs and look up at you like you're the most precious thing in the world.

Eventually, he lets go of your thighs, one finger sliding inside you, curling up to touch that spot that makes your brows knit and your breath catch in your throat. His other hand reaches up to pinch and roll your nipple between his fingers, adding to the sensation. He's stroking you, strumming you, like you're an instrument he's played a thousand times before but he still holds with such respect, such reverence. You place your hand over the one on your chest, moving it down to rest on your stomach, threading your fingers into his own. He nods slightly in understanding, squeezing your hand, as the other works between your legs, rubbing against a bundle of raw nerves inside you. With your free hand, you stroke your fingers through his dark curls, just watching him, as your thighs press snugly against the sides of his head.

You almost lose track of time until he slides in a second finger, stretching you open slowly and coaxing the sweetest moan from your lips. "You like that?" He murmurs, licking a wet stripe over your clit as he pumps his fingers steadily.

"Mhmm..." And he doubles his efforts, tonguing and sucking at your clit as his fingers curl against your sweet spot, his free hand gently caressing your stomach. He knows just what to do, how to touch you, and it's terrifying and wonderful all at the same time. Your fingers wrap tight around his free hand. "Mmmnn... Gonna... Honey..."

"Cum for me, baby." He whispers, the words muffled against your flesh as he adds a third finger, stretching you further for him. "Look at me when you do it." Your eyes roll as he adds another finger but you force yourself to look at him, your brows knitted, as you climb higher and higher.

"F-Fuck... Just there... Like that... A-Ahh...!" Your hips buck but the hand on your stomach keeps you pinned as he groans in satisfaction, tongue still circling your clit, drawing out your climax. Your thighs tremble as they press on either side of his head, keeping him still, as your muscles grow taut and you toss your head back on the pillow.

Finally, your legs fall open limply and you have to push him away with jerky movements, whining from the sheer sensitivity that borders on pain.

Llewyn sits back on his toes, smiling warmly at the sight of you; cheeks flushed, chest heaving, pussy swollen and sensitive from his expert ministrations. He leans down again to plant little kisses along your stomach and chest, your skin gleaming with the slightest sheen of sweat.

"You're so cute." He sighs and your cheeks flush just that little bit darker.

"Shush, you..."

"What? It's true." He grins and kisses the tip of your nose. A hand drops to the waistband of his boxers and you notice just how hard he is, a damp patch growing at the tip as his eyes rake over your body hungrily. "Mind if I...?"

"What?" And he tugs the elastic down to free his cock. It bobs up against his belly, leaving a string of pre connecting his paunch to the crown of his uncut cock.

"Wanna fuck you." He says bluntly. "Seeing you cum like that... I need to be inside you, baby." And your eyes widen for a moment because, Jesus, you always forget how big he is. He always looks so sweet and unassuming and it's almost jarring when you remember just how big he is and how good it feels inside you. "Stop looking at me like that." He says with a half-laugh, half-moan. "Making me even harder..." He wraps a hand around the base and squeezes, letting out a low groan, as he leans down to kiss along the side of your neck. "I'll be gentle, promise."

"I know..." You pull him close, letting out a shuddering breath as he teases you with the head of his cock, barely pressing against you.

"Fuck, you're soaked..." He sighs, lightly nipping at your earlobe. "You sure you just...want me in raw, like this?"

"Yeah, should be a safe day. Besides, I couldn't give less of a shit right now." You confess and he huffs out a breath.

"God, you drive me crazy." He pushes forward slowly, opening you up as his jaw tightens and he sinks in another inch. "You're perfect..." Threading your fingers into his hair, you pull his head to one side before pressing your mouth against his, letting him swallow every little sound that crawls its way from your throat. One of his hands slides to the back of your neck to hold you in place as he kisses you and, with one smooth thrust, he pushes all the way inside, bottoming out completely.

He groans into your open mouth, his tongue exploring as his hips begin a slow grind. Raising a leg around his waist, you pull him deeper, encouraging just the right angle. You nails, bitten down and jagged, bite into his shoulder blades as you whine and he leaves a path of wet, open-mouthed kisses down your neck as he sets a slow, deep rhythm. "You like that?" He asks as if he doesn't know you're still incredibly sensitive from just cumming.

"Y-Yeah..." An arm snakes under the small of your back, lifting your hips up and pushing them back a little. This new angle lets him reach even deeper and he feels you shiver and clench around him. You try to bite back the quiet, whimpering sounds, your eyelids fluttering, as you reach out to hold onto his hand. "Llew..." His fingers interlace into your own and he pins your hand to the bed, his voice low and gravelly.

"I'm right here, sweetheart..." You feel every inch of him, every dip and vein, and it's driving you insane. He seems to notice, pulling out almost completely before sliding back in with gentler, deeper movements. Sweet reassurances seep into your ear as he drops soothing kisses across your shoulders and chest. "Shhh... It's okay, baby..."

"N-N-No, don't stop... Feels so good..." You mumble and he nods, picking up the pace again but keeping the thrusts gentle and deep, fucking you with long, slow strokes. You wrap your arms around him, pawing at his back. "F-Fuck... Forget how...good your feel... Ohh, my God..." The words fall, unbidden, from your lips and he groans against your hair as your compliments wash over him. "G-Gonna cum... Please... Make sure you pull out...when you f-finish, yeah?"

"Jesus, yeah..." He growls in reply, picking up the pace a little more, nailing the spot inside you that makes you gasp and tighten desperately around him. He knows all your tells, how to read your body, the lilt in your voice. He feels you clamp down tight around him, your whimpers and pleas music to his ears, as he buries his face in the crook of your neck, his own orgasm building.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck... Gonna cum... Jesus, honey, I'm gonna... Fuck... A-Ahhh..." Your nails dig into the meat of his shoulders as you reach your peak again, your overstimulated body clenching down around his cock as you squirt around him. Your legs tremble and your eyes roll as you whimper, hot slick drenching his cock and dripping down his thighs before soaking into the sheets. And that's it for him. He pulls his hips back just in time, hot ropes of white spurting across your chest and stomach, the first powerful shot catching the side of your jaw.

"Holy shit..." When the fog clears, you're staring up at Llewyn, the both of you catching your breath as you come down from your near-simultaneous highs. He gently touches a finger to your jaw, collecting the cum there and smearing it across your lips before kissing you, his cock twitching from the aftershocks as he tastes himself on your tongue. His skin is sticky and clammy with sweat and you're breathless as you gaze up at him with tired, lidded eyes.

"It's like...illegal...how good you fuck..." You murmur and he laughs softly, a genuine smile lighting up his face, before he looks down at your chest, collecting more of the mess on his fingertips and bringing it to your lips.

"Look what you do to me, baby..." He huffs and you lick his fingers clean, earning yourself a low groan and another heated kiss.

Once you've regained control of your limbs, you use your discarded shirt to clean up the mess of sweat and semen between your bodies and he helps before tossing the shirt to one side and pulling you into his arms, spooning you from behind. You pull up the covers, his arms coiled tight around your midsection and his breath warm on the nape of your neck. "You're perfect..." He tells you, his voice a low rumble against your skin. The cat pads back in, mews her arrival and then hops to curl up at the foot of the bed. Your hands cover his on your stomach, running your thumb over his knuckles.

"Llewyn...?" You call out, voice soft and sleepy.

"Mhm?"

"Love you..." You confess and he stiffens for a moment before he nuzzles the back of your neck.

"Love you too, baby." He replies, bringing the smallest smile to your face.

"Would you...sing to me? Just until I fall asleep?"

"Sure." And he hums, soft and slow, the notes like a soothing caress against your skin, promising love and warmth and safety. You nestle down against him, your breathing levelling out as you curl up against his chest. His fingers draw idle patterns against your belly as he presses little kisses between your shoulder blades, feeling your body go lax against his own.

Slowly, you drift into sleep and he follows soon after, his arms securely wrapped around you, breathing in the comforting scent of you. Maybe it shouldn't have taken him so long but he realises now that the scent of you is the scent of...home, something he thought he'd lost so long ago. Maybe he's finally found a place to rest his head.

No, not maybe.

He has.

[twig-tea]

15 people, 15 questions

Tagged by @my-rose-tinted-glasses, @infinitelyprecious and @he-is-lightning-in-a-bottle! Thank you friends 💕

1. are you named after anyone?

Nope! My folks just liked the name they chose for me. They did the thing where they tried to choose a name that they thought would be unique and ended up with one of the most common names in the year, for both me and my brother.

2. when was the last time you cried?

Watching the What Did You Eat Yesterday S2 finale.

3. do you have kids?

Nope! Never wanted any, so I'm happy with the status quo.

4. what sports do you play/have you played?

HA. Here we go. In elementary school I was on a neighbourhood softball team and was terrible; in the end of year tournament, we were two outs and I was at bat and struck out for us to lose, which soured me on this game permanently. I also took neighbourhood tennis lessons and sucked at that too though I really did try. In middle school I was on the basketball team because I was tall and the coach was convinced I could learn hand/eye coordination....she was wrong. I am a decent defense player because height lets me block but I cannot land a foul shot to save my life (or my team's). For fun during lunch l I played [American] football with other enthusiasts. We would play tackle in all weather and on pavement, and we had a great time (I wasn't good but I enjoyed it). By high school I had finally convinced everyone around me I have no hand/eye coordination or physical skill and stopped all sports activities. PHEW. These days I do no sports though I will go to my company slo-pitch games and heckle like heckling's a sport.

5. do you use sarcasm?

Absolutely, but I try not to use it in that mean way in which people try to make someone feel bad about themselves.

6. what’s the first thing you notice about people?

Body language, how they hold themselves and move.

7. what’s your eye color?

Close to slate grey/blue.

8. scary movies or happy endings?

I don't respect this false dichotomy.

9. any talents?

My superpower is the ability to sing along to any song whether or not I've heard it before, and whether or not I know the language. Other than that, I'm pretty good at understanding what people are trying to say and not just what they actually said, which comes in handy in show analysis as well as interpersonal communication and work. And I am good at modifying/adapting recipes to use what I've got/what I like on the fly. Those are my core talents!

10. where were you born?

Toronto, Canada

11. what are your hobbies?

Other than watching All The BL/GL/QL? I am crafty, I like playing with mixed media stuff, lap weaving, and bookmaking/bookbinding. I haven't had the energy for it the last few years, and that's been mildly devastating. But I made holiday cards for the first time in years this year, which was very fun! I also have been known to puzzle, and I garden when I can. And I hike on occasion!

12. do you have any pets?

Nope! I'm allergic to most pets (fur and feathers; I tried keeping fish but was allergic to the algae on the tank, so I gave up). The dog in my avatar is my parents' rescue dog they got after I left home, and I see her when I visit them! She's a "hypoallergenic" breed mix but that's actually meaningless and I'm still allergic lol

13. how tall are you?

180cm; and the kicker is I've been this tall since elementary school so I went from being the tallest person in the room by a LOT to half the boys in the room shooting up to my height or higher, which was a weird experience!

14. favorite subject in school?

Tie between English, Biology, and Chemistry. I loved science and words and analysis in both subjects. I ran the bio and chem clubs in high school!

15. dream job?

University textbook editor, which I did for ~7 years! And it was everything I wanted it to be, but I eventually outgrew it. I love what I do now too (essentially I'm in management), and I know I'm lucky that I've had jobs I love for most of my working life.

I won't tag anyone because I've been absent for days, but if you see this, this is permission to do this tag game, and tag me so I see your post 💕

[dustedmagazine]

Dust Volume 10, Number 6, Part I

Infinite River

We’re halfway through the year and swamped with mid-year activities (look for our round-up next week), but the records continue to pile-up and we continue to make time for as many as possible.  This month, the slush pile yielded a wide range of music, from Burkina-Faso-ian griot to microtonal composition to snarling black metal to improvisation and jazz. 

Our reviews are split in two parts because of Tumblr's arbitrary limits on sound samples. See Part II here. Contributions included Jennifer Kelly, Bryon Hayes, Andrew Forell, Christian Carey, Jonathan Shaw, Bill Meyer, Jim Marks, Justin Cober-Lake and Alex Johnson.  Happy summer!

Avalanche Kaito — Talitakum (Glitterbeat)

Another of those cross-cultural, Afro-European collaborations that are so often great—see recent works by Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers, Ndox Electrique and Group Doueh/Cheveux—Avalanche Kaito sets Burkina Faso griot to a rattling, pummeling noise punk beat.  I like “Lago” best, where a clatter of mixed percussion and serrated, distortion crusted guitar dart in and around a keening call and response.  Near the end of a recent long-distance drive, I listened to it 14 times in a row without wearing it out.  Still the title track is fantastic as well, its guitars stabbing in like Fugazi, its drums boxy and agitated, its spatter-painted words dicing the beat into eighths and sixteenths.  The “Kaito” in the band name comes from grioteer Kaito Winse.  The Avalanche comes from the falling-down-the-stairs-but-still-on-beat mix of strident punk and West African syncopation.

Jennifer Kelly  

Ayal Senior — Ora (Medusa Editions)

Toronto’s 12-string warrior Ayal Senior workshopped the songs that became Ora at a monthly residency he has at the Tranzac Club, a haven for the city’s most adventurous musical minds. His comrades Kurt Newman (pedal steel, electric guitar) and Andrew Furlong (bass) joined him on the journey, and together they slowly worked the sonic skeletons into fleshy bodies of song. The trio brought scene veterans Blake Howard and Jay Anderson on board to add drums and percussion when they laid the sounds to tape. Their flourishing rhythms complete the image: five beams of light passing through the prism of Senior’s celestial vision. The guitarist bills Ora as the spiritual successor to 2022’s Az Yashir, yet while that record embraced a post-COVID sea change, Ora is bathed in the light of tranquility. Senior’s folk devotionals draw warmth from the presence of his pals, taking on raga and kosmische adornments as they languidly unfurl. These hymns are beauty incarnate, guitar-centric mantras in service of the cosmic mystery that surrounds us all.

Bryon Hayes

Beams — Requiem for a Planet (Be My Sibling)

Beams is an alt.country ensemble, playing rock and folk instruments in delicate, otherworldly ways.  The voices especially — Anna Mērnieks-Duffield primarily but fleshed out in harmonies by Heather Mazhar and Keith Hamilton—float in translucent layers, mixing eerily with the meat-and-potatoes sonics of guitar, bass and drums.  As the title suggests, Beams main subject is the earth itself, its fragility, its rising temperature, its trajectory towards unlivability.  Yet though there are lessons here, in songs like “Heat Potential,” Beams steers clear of polemics.  “It’s All Around You,” especially envelopes and enfolds. Its string-swooping, gorgeously harmonized arrangements lift you up and out of the mess we’re in.  “Childlike Empress” with its well-spaced blots of keyboard sound, its ghostly, tremulous singing, is an eerie elegy for the world’s natural beauty.  The album is its own thing, but it might remind you of certain twang-adjacent Feelies side projects, Speed the Plough and Wild Carnation especially. 

Jennifer Kelly

DELTAphase — Synced (Falling Elevators)

Process. DELTAphase founder Wilhelm Stegmeier contacts a disparate group of musicians and provides them with a key, beat, tempo for seven pieces of music and allows them complete stylistic and compositional freedom. Each of 10 musicians contributed to one or more of the seven pieces, without knowing who else was involved. Stegmeier, seeking synchronicities and serendipity, collates and adds to the contributions and collages them within the given parameters. Result. The musicians, Merran Laginestra, Beate Bartel, Thomas Wydler, Brendan Dougherty, Lucia Martinez, Antonio Bravo, Andreas Voss, Eleni Ampelakiotou, Dominik Avenwedde, Kilian Feinäugle and Stegmeier come from classical, jazz, electronic and post rock backgrounds, and the music occupies liminal interstices between and across genres. There’s lots of layered percussion, electronic backgrounds and guitar interplay from the squalling electric duel on “Phase Lock” to Bravo’s jazzy riffing on “One by One” which also features Laginestra’s  impressionistic piano. That combination is a standout on an album that can occasionally meander into cul-de-sacs. Remote collaboration has become a commonplace since the pandemic but the caliber of the musicians here and Stegmeier’s skill in pulling their contributions together make Synced a fascinating exploration of compositional process.

Andrew Forell      

   

Taylor Deupree — Sti.ll  (Greyfade)

A recent microtrend involves making acoustic realizations of electronic compositions, the latest being a new version of Taylor Deupree’s lauded 2002 electroacoustic recording Stil. Sti.ll follows suit, with a reworking for acoustic instruments by Deupree and Joseph Branciforte. The bespoke Greyfade book that accompanies Sti.ll is handsome and contains a QR code to download the digital recording. The acoustic versions can sometimes fool you into thinking that you are listening to the original synth sounds, which is part of the game. “Stil.” is nearly twenty-minutes long, for vibraphone and bass drum. The vibes play both textural passages and, simultaneously, repeating dyadic melodies. The bass drum errs on the side of gentle effects rather than thwacking. Another standout track is “Temper,” for multiple clarinets and a shaker. The composition moves through a series of repeated intervals, descending fourth, ascending minor third, et cetera, with harmonic underpinning from the other clarinets and constant pulsation contributed by the shakers. Hard for clubbing, but these pieces would work quite well in a concert.

Christian Carey

Emma dj — Lay2g (Danse Noire)

Paris based Finnish producer Emma dj has the tendency to get distracted by novelty which interrupts the flow of this set and disrupts individual tracks often enough to leave the listener frustrated. If that’s the point, all well and good, but I suspect it’s not, which makes you wonder if this is all in service of the producer rather than the audience. That’s fine if there’s challenge in the music, which here, there is not. He collides bits and pieces of dance punk, chiptunes, video game soundtrack and the detritus of underground sub-sub genres into a messy mélange — a potluck casserole thrown together for a class reunion no one’s attending. It’s particularly annoying for the moments when, by design or serendipity, Emma produces a dish worth eating like “RR.dnk” for instance that sprays warped synth stabs against cowbell hi-hat, thumping kick drum and a stumbling bass line without succumbing to the over seasoning of vocal samples, jokey blips and burps or overwrought exhortations to dance. With a little more focus and balance, he may well produce something pretty good but this is only halfway there.

Andrew Forell

Incipient Chaos — S/T (I, Voidhanger)

There are times when some listeners just want a record of snarling, muscular black metal — thematics and scannable cultural politics be damned. If that sounds good to you, this new self-titled LP from French band Incipient Chaos rages and rips with all the right sorts of aggressivity. It seems that one takes chances with one’s ethics (if not one’s immortal soul) doing this sort of impulse listening in black metal: Is this NSBM? Does anyone have the skinny on that? Do we need to dig into the various “Is this band sketch” subreddits and descend into that 9th Circle of gossip-mongering and reaction? Lucifer smiles; so does Advance Publications. Is that a distinction without a difference? Meanwhile, we can note that Incipient Chaos has released this record on a politically reliable label, and while it’s unusual not to get a lyric sheet from I, Voidhanger (uh oh…), that may just be typical black metal shtick: the words are obscured because they are sooooo evil. Whatevs. The riffs are strong, if not world-changing, and the compositions have drama, if not overwhelming tragedy. Check out the guitar-centric middle portion of “Ominous Acid,” which is hugely satisfying. The down-tempo opening minutes of “Dragged Back from the Abyss” will remind you of the best of Aosoth. It’s all a lot of…fun?

Jonathan Shaw

Infinite River — Tabula Rasa (Birdman)

First came the space, now comes the rock. Infinite River’s first couple recordings had a definite COVID-era vibe to them. The Detroit-based ensemble started out as a trio, with Joey Mazzola and Gretchen Gonzales playing guitars and Warren Defever contributing tambura and a place to record. But a bliss-oriented drone might make less sense in a time when you can get out and play shows than it did when clubs were shut down and people didn’t want to go out than it does when stages are available and Steve Nistor, who drums for Sparks, is available to join in. Last year, Bryon Hayes invoked  Windy & Carl and Mountains when describing Infinite Rivers’ Prequel; “Sky Diamon Raga,” the track that kicks off Infinite River, is more like an arena rock dream of Chris Forsyth’s “The Paranoid Cat.” Much of the time this record feels rather like the Raybeats negotiating production ideas of the 1990s and 2010s, which means that the guitar tones will have you scratching your head to remember what’s being reference and how it’s been changed, but that the snare drum takes up entirely too much sonic real estate. Tellingly, the best moments come when the production is dialed back and the melodies take over, as on a Ventures-does-Coltrane interpretation of “My Favorite Things.”

Bill Meyer

Will Laut — Will Laut (Wavetrap)

Producer Ivan Pavlov AKA COH has collaborated with John Balance and Cosey Fanni Tutti, and the sounds of Coil and Throbbing Gristle are clear influences on his new EP with singer William Laut. Shot through with the feeling of dancing towards doomsday, Laut’s haunted murmur wavers just on the right side of cynicism and sleaze as he sings of living through hate, looking for the redemption of love or at least an opportunity to forget even for a few moments. COH lays down a minimalist carpet of synths and drum machines that use TG’s  “United” and Daniel Miller’s “Warm Leatherette” as templates. Most effective are the slow burn sarcasm of “Cryptoman” and the weary tango of “Wine of Love.” These are songs Brecht and Weill might have written if they had access to cheap keyboards and a primitive drum machine. Noirish, knowing and smart, the four songs on Will Laut are a speakeasy floorshow for the modern world. Highly recommended and hoping to hear more from this duo.

Andrew Forell

Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard and Quatuor Bozzini — Colliding Bubbles: Surface Tension and Release (Important)

Niels Lyhne Løkkegaard is a composer based in Copenhagen. On his latest EP he joins forces with the premiere Canadian string quartet for new music, Quatuor Bozzini, to create a piece that deals with the perception of bubbles replicating the human experience. In addition to the harmonics played by the strings, the players are required to play harmonicas at the same time. At first blush, this might sound like a gimmick, but the conception of the piece as instability and friction emerging from continuous sound, like bubbles colliding in space and, concurrently, the often tense unpredictability of the human experience, makes these choices instead seem organic and well-considered. As the piece unfolds, the register of the pitch material makes a slow decline from the stratosphere to the ground floor with a simultaneous long decrescendo.  The quartet are masterful musicians, unfazed by the challenge of playing long bowings and long-breathed harmonica chords simultaneously. The resulting sound world is shimmering, liquescent, and, surprising in its occasional metaphoric bubbles popping.

Christian Carey

[pastortomsteers]

The First Sunday after Trinity

June 2, 2024

Pastor Tom Steers

Christ the Saviour Lutheran Church, Toronto

Lutheran Service Book

Divine Service III – Pages 184-202

OPENING HYMN:  655 ”Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8ViZi7M5p4    

 

The Introit

Psalm 13:1-4; antiphon, verses 5-6

 

I have trusted in your steadfast love;     my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord,     because he has dealt bountifully with me.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?     How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul     and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;     light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,”     lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son

And to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be forever. Amen.

I have trusted in your steadfast love;     my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord,     because he has dealt bountifully with me.

The Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy)                                                                                                                                Congregation:                                                                                                    Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ have mercy upon us.                                                                                                                                  Lord, have mercy upon us.

The Salutation –                                                                                                                               Pastor: The Lord be with you.  

                                                                                                               Congregation: And also with you. 

                                                             

Our Collect Payer:

O God, the strength of all who trust in You, mercifully accept our prayers; and because through the weakness of our mortal nature we can do no good thing, grant us Your grace to keep Your commandments, that we may please You in both will and deed; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Our Bible Readings:

First Reading Genesis 15:1-6

Psalm 33:12-22

Epistle Reading   1st John 4:16-21

The Verse (Psalm 7:1) 

Alleluia. O Lord my God, in you do I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and deliver me. Alleluia.

Gospel Reading  Luke 16:19-31

The Apostles’ Creed  Page 192

HYMN OF THE DAY:  545  “Word of God, Come Down on Earth”   

 

THE SERMON –

The last words Martin Luther wrote before he died may well have been inspired by our Gospel account of the rich man and Lazarus.

Luther wrote, "We are all beggars. This is true."

At times, every one of us feels like Lazarus.

Vulnerable, in need, perhaps alone, we can watch a world that parties and feasts, and often ignores those going through hardships.

And though each of us before God is, like Lazarus, poor and helpless, we haven’t had to settle for mere crumbs fallen from God’s table.

Instead, we’ve been invited and seated at the Lord’s feast now in the Church.

One day Christians will finally be carried to Heaven to be with God, the source of all true riches and eternal life.

This is a message from today’s Gospel lesson.

It’s the Good News of Christ.

Yet there’s also a warning from Jesus here.

It’s not the caution a casual reading of Scripture might leave us with, but an important warning none-the-less.

Let’s go back to this account of Lazarus.

And I call it that because Jesus doesn’t use the word parable to describe it, but He does include a name, Lazarus, and that’s unique.

This is only parable where Christ uses a name, so it may have been an actual individual.

The name Lazarus in Hebrew means, “the one whom God helps.”

And that was certainly true for this poor man.

God ultimately helped him, saved him, when no one on earth would.

The rich man in passage is heartless, wicked, and most importantly, faithless.

His money has become an idol, his ‘god.’

He knowingly withholds food and shelter from the poor man outside his door. 

We could take away the lesson that being a child of God is no guarantee of an easy life. 

And that would be true, but it’s not the point of the account. 

Neither is the greed of the rich man the real message. 

It’s only a tool in the story.

How do we know the rich man knowingly ignored Lazarus? 

Because he recognizes him lying comforted at the side of Abraham. 

He’s been aware of Lazarus, and consciously withheld what he needed. 

So, the scene is set:  the good but poverty-stricken, versus the rich and uncaring. 

Where could we find this contrast? 

Sadly, today, in many countries, even in our own.

Should we care about those less fortunate than us? 

Of course. 

Should we respond to them, and take a warning from these words?                                                                               

Yes. 

Is that the key point Jesus is making.  

No. 

We can draw those lessons from the account, but so can the un-believer.

The heart of the message lies deeper.

Lazarus dies, and we’re told he’s carried away by angels to be comforted by Abraham.

Then the Rich Man also dies, and his fate is coldly reported simply as "being buried.”

Immediately, the rich man finds himself in Hell. 

A place of fire that never goes out, and where pain doesn’t cease, as Jesus describes it elsewhere. 

It’s real.

The rich man sees Lazarus at a great distance.                         

He is at peace.

The rich man, however, doesn’t repent, say he’s sorry, or turn to faith. 

He asks Abraham to have Lazarus fetch some water for him.

He’s reminded by Abaham of how, when the situation was reversed during life, Lazarus received no such mercy from Him.

And things are so arranged now that Lazarus can’t provide the requested relief.

Are we supposed to be frightened by the threat of condemnation here? 

Yes, but still, it’s not the account’s purpose.

Everyone hearing these words from Jesus understood the justice of the situation.

They knew evil will suffer in judgment.

They knew God called them to be compassionate.

Then the rich man asks for Lazarus to be sent to his brothers, to warn, and spare them the misery of his condition. 

Abraham says they have Moses and the Prophets.

They have Holy Scripture, the Word of God to warn and instruct them! 

Then the rich man makes his point, that the Scriptures didn't work with him! 

He had ignored the Word of God.

He reasoned that Scripture and the Church might not work, but if someone came calling from the grave, that kind of sign would wake his brothers up! 

Those listening to Jesus might have been in agreement with the rich man on this point.

We might be tempted to agree too. 

The Word of God just doesn’t seem to get through to some people.

They either won’t go to Church to hear it preached, or if they do, they just won’t take it seriously.

The feeling for some appears to be that God’s Word is always there, and it will wait until they’re ready to believe.

This is where the account of Lazarus by Jesus is really going.

Jesus drops the whole message on His listeners then, and now, when He says:

 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'

Christ is saying that if the powerful Word of Almighty God won’t reach some people, neither will a corpse rising out of the ground persuade them.

Our Saviour is blunt in saying if His Word doesn’t move someone, nothing can, or will. 

Now, I imagine there were a lot of people listening that day who disagreed.

And I’d guess that some of them thought a person rising from the dead would move people to sit up, and believe. 

But that’s a little like the people who say, if Noah's Ark were found, it would prove the Bible is true and bring the world around to the Christian faith. 

Unfortunately seeing Noah's Ark didn’t work that way for people back when it was built.

So why would it work for skeptics today? 

Jesus gave the world the ultimate proof of what He said by dying and then rising from the tomb.

And some of the very people who were listening that day, like the Pharisees Luke tells us were there, may have witnessed His death.

The Pharisees knew from many credible witnesses, even one of their own, Nicodemus, that Christ did rise from the grave, and yet they would not believe in Him. 

In First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Paul gives a list of people who saw the risen Jesus.

These witnesses included the twelve disciples, James the brother of Jesus, and a group of more than 500 people at the same time.

Some of the Pharisees and Scribes even tried to silence witnesses to the resurrection. 

They paid the Roman guards at the empty tomb to lie about it.

Jesus has risen from the grave, but not all people believe. 

Christ has risen, but many sin boldly, or call sin something to be proud of.

They’ve heard about hell and damnation, yet they just shrug it off.

But if the Word of God, and the work of the Holy Spirit, can’t move them to faith at some point in their life, nothing can or will.

Your sins have been forgiven because Jesus died in your place on the cross. 

He rose from the grave to prove sin, death and hell have been conquered, and taken out of your future. 

It was His resurrection that mattered for the whole world.

And as believers you will rise from death one day by the power of Jesus, and live with Him forever. 

Should we live a life of compassion?

Yes. 

We should try, that is the will of God. 

But will that save us?  

No. 

As sinful human beings, we can’t live a perfect life.

Jesus, our Saviour, did that for us, and paid for our sins at Calvary.

Believe it.

Listen to the Word of God about the One who rescued you.

Christians have the comfort that one day, despite the pain and hardships of this life, we will be held by God, and have peace, and all we need from Him.

This account of Jesus is meant to tell us where saving faith comes from.

The Bible makes clear in Romans 10:17 that “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

You are born again by a Word that is living, powerful, and imperishable.

It is the Holy Spirit that uses God’s means of grace, His Word and the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to work and sustain faith within us.

And so, as believers, whatever your status in the eyes of the world – no matter your outward appearance or success as measured by earthly standards –you will be carried by angels to paradise.

Until that time, Christians will be nurtured by the true Church, where God’s Word is taught correctly, and the Sacraments administered properly.

Where we are given a foretaste of Heaven.

May the peace that passes all understanding comfort you, and keep Your hearts and minds in Jesus Christ.

Amen.

PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH

SERVICE OF THE SACRAMENT    Page 194                                                                                                          (Our Communion Hymn is 641 “You Satisfy the Hungry Heart”)                                                               ��                                                                Communion Collect  (Left-hand column)    Page 201

CLOSING HYMN:   504 “Father Most Holy”

[phasecode]

✧ ⸻ welcome to infinite entertainment! it's NA 'AXEL' YUCHAN, who is the MAIN DANCER of INDIGO. i’ve heard whispers that the 24 year old is pretty INDUSTRIOUS but lowkey CAPRICIOUS. also, doesn’t he remind you of CHOI YEONJUN?

good evening everyone! u can call me klee and i'm excited to write with you all! i go by they/them and i'm currently residing in the eastern timezone. i didn't have anything ready because applying was just something i did on impulse so please bear with me as i try to get everything done by friday ( wishful thinking ). i'd like to introduce you to a revamped child of mine named AXEL, the main dancer of indigo and infinite entertainment's resident Just Some Guy™. underneath the cutoff you'll gain access to more information about yuchan as well as some plot ideas that are bouncing around in my head! please like this post if you're interested in plotting and thank you in advance if you decide to read my intro!

✧ ⸻ i. 𝑳𝑰𝑵𝑲𝑺 .

profile, connections, wanted relationships.

✧ ⸻ ii. 𝑫𝑬𝑻𝑨𝑰𝑳𝑺 .

full name :: axel yuchan na

korean name :: 나유찬

nickname :: known professionally as axel, his english name, but he doesn't mind being called whatever

date of birth :: march 29, 1999

zodiac :: aries sun, cancer moon, scorpio rising

place of birth :: toronto, canada

gender :: cis male, uses he / him pronouns

orientation :: pansexual, demiromantic

height :: 183 cm, 6ft

languages :: english ( native ), korean ( native ), japanese ( conversational )

vocal inspiration :: a.c.e's kim byeongkwan

✧ ⸻ iii. 𝑺𝑼𝑴𝑴𝑨𝑹𝑰𝒁𝑬𝑫 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑹𝒀 .

began dancing at the age of five, taking ballet classes at canada's national ballet school because his mom wanted all of her children to become professional ballet dancers like her. his dad was on the fence about it, not necessarily opposing the idea of him and his two sisters doing it but more open to supporting them if they decided they wanted to do something else in the future. his mom was less thrilled by the possibility but would eventually come around when all three of them chose to pursue different paths later in life.

one day when he was eleven he attended one of the open hip hop classes his older sister was taking, and immediately liked it better. the music was the main reason he wanted to continue taking classes but when he initially started, he felt challenged and ya boi likes a challenge. he still attended the ballet school, dedicated to becoming a professional ballet dancer like his mom wanted him to, but he knew deep down his interests were shifting and his older sister knew it too.

when he found out that new star entertainment wanted him to audition in person all the way in seoul, once the confusion subsided as to how they even knew about him ( his sister submitted an online audition in his stead ), he was more excited to audition than nervous despite not knowing much about the industry. he didn't know what he was getting into, but the idea of not becoming a ballet dancer was exciting — doors he didn't know existed were opening for him.

axel is nothing if not a hard worker. he is someone who doesn't like to disappoint, and especially since his parents had allowed him to completely switch gears and become a trainee with an undetermined future ( they didn't tell him that tho. they just let him think there was no way he wouldn't debut ).

he received a lot of criticism as a rookie for not being able to sing live very well. he put more power and energy into the choreography and didn't think he needed to be the greatest singer since the other members were hard-carrying. he did what he could to improve after ( what he considers to be ) the disaster of his debut, he attended more singing lessons and visited the practice rooms almost every single day to practice his live singing while dancing.

has been caught in several different dating rumors over the eight years he's spent as an idol. only one relationship was real ( they broke up almost immediately after ) but the others were either with his close friend or someone he didn't know that fans? connected out of pure coincidence.

he began an acting career three years ago, appearing in minor roles and supporting roles. he began taking acting lessons at the insistence of his company, wanting him to try something new and expand his skillset. although he knows he's not the best idol-actor the industry has to offer, he hopes that he could land a lead role in the near future to really test his abilities.

✧ ⸻ iv. 𝑯𝑬𝑨𝑫𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑶𝑵𝑺 .

HUGE fan of star wars. he collects a lot of merch and ( unfortunately ) can talk for hours about anything related to it. he's too interested in the lore and has definitely talked about it on a livestream for hours. he used to receive a lot of star wars related gifts from fans prior to no longer accepting gifts from them, and he keeps it all either at his grandparents' house in seoul, or in his childhood bedroom in toronto. ( woozi talking for 6 hours about anime is literally axel talking about star wars )

also he's just a huge movie bro in general ?? he LOVES movies and sometimes it feels like he has seen every movie in existence. ( for legal reasons i'm joking but he does definitely have an extensive knowledge. ) he constantly invites friends out to see movies or goes by himself ... there's really no movie he wouldn't watch. his favorite movies include jurassic park, the host, spirited away, a silent voice, arrival, in the mood for love, and a more recent addition is godzilla minus one.

a little bit too active on his social media accounts. he's the most active on tiktok and instagram, and constantly overshares like he's on his private accounts and talking to his closest friends. he had always been social and active on indigo's official sns accounts, and it seemingly got worse when indigo as a group were allowed to have their own personal accounts. he's the type of idol who is never beating the 'in a parasocial relationship w fans' allegations.

he is known for being apparently passive about the criticisms that come his way every now and then, and he wants to believe that he isn't bothered at all by hate when in reality it eats away at him in an unhealthy way. during his rookie years where he spent his free time working hard on improving his skills, he had gotten sick more often than not by overworking his 17yo body more than it could handle. sometimes he falls back into his bad habits when he really lets himself be bothered, but he's also gotten better at pulling himself out of that state ( also the other members help out a lot too ).

he became a first-time cat dad in 2021 when he adopted his daughter as a kitten. her name is sun and she is a russian blue that he fostered for a while to trial animal therapy, but she ended up being a foster failure and he adopted her after a month. he is known for donating to local animal rescue centers and hopes to adopt a rescued feline in the near future.

axel can be best described as ... warm. warm in the sense that as a person, he feels like someone you've been friends with for years even if you've only known him for a month. he's typically easy-going and more-often-than-not a Yes Man. but he's also warm in the sense that he's a simmering pot that's one second away from reaching its boiling point should something stress him out. he wants to believe he's nonconfrontational but the truth is that he feels the need to fight should he feel wronged.

he's close with both of his sisters, and the three of them working in the entertainment industry has only made them closer. sometimes he appears on his younger sister's youtube videos or tiktoks when they're in seoul or if he's in los angeles. he sees them in-person at least four times a year, but they constantly facetime and do so once a week. he's also close with his parents, and much closer to his lax father despite being nearly a carbon copy of his mom in terms of personality.

he grew up in wealth, his dad being a defense attorney and his mom being an ex-professional ballet dancer turned ballet teacher in toronto's most prestigious ballet school. it's safe to say that he spends more than he should on a monthly basis buying things he doesn't necessarily need. while he doesn't go announcing his wealth to the world or even tries to show off in front of peers, he shows it silently in the way he constantly offers to pay for everything when out with friends or in the way he constantly buys gifts and lil trinkets for friends when he finds something that reminds him of them.

✧ ⸻ v. 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑵𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵 𝑰𝑫𝑬𝑨𝑺 .

the besties!! it would be so cute to have a cute lil squad similar to the 97 line. i feel like having a good group of genuine friends is very much needed so just know this is the most wanted thing!!

a co-host during his time as a mc?? could be a more recent gig for them or something from a couple years ago, it could be fun doing a thread of them working together behind the scenes.

"exes" ?? the individuals he was caught in a dating rumor with ... they could've been close friends that grew apart after the rumor appeared in articles, they could still be super close regardless of the past, they could've been strangers who either became close or stayed strangers ... possibilities r endless.

sibling-like relationships ... i love found family tropes, and please know any friend of axel's is just treated like family when they meet his parents and sisters.

ex-friends!! i kinda lowkey love the drama and i feel like despite axel's craving for peace in his daily life some things are just unavoidable. i think it would be interesting if they were forced to work together again and see if they could become friends again or just continue to drift further away from each other.

maybe like actual exes? axel is absolutely a hopeless romantic and wants to go all in when it comes to relationships, but i feel like him being someone who is so hyper-focused on his job as well ... i feel like both these things can cause problems but u can hear me out on that later.

having a backbone builder / positive influence is someone i think that axel really needs in life, someone who could remind him that life is too short to spend most of it hating himself or criticizing himself ... i feel like he just needs an angel on his shoulder tbh.

i'm open for anything so if none of these fit your vibe dw friend we'll think of smth!!

[lonita]

Things I've done

driven a racecar

listened to Beethoven's "Ode to Joy" fifteen times in a row in one sitting

not filed a tax return for four years

eaten alligator meat

climbed all the way to the top of St. Paul's Cathedral in London

been inside and touched a stone circle (not Stonehenge, they don't let people touch that one)

flown over Greenland

gracelessly fallen on the White Horse of Uffington

touched the Venus de Milo

caught a bat in my apartment

eaten frog's legs

stood on the Prime Meridian

eaten a dog biscuit; they're bland.

sung solos in a Cathedral

sung Christmas carols in a Santa Claus parade

been spayed

chosen copying out portions of the Bible as punishment for not participating in the physical portion of a gym class (I think I chose well here. I don't recall what the other options were.)

been within napping distance of Mary Queen of Scots' bed (looked comfy, if short)

bought a copy of the Bhagavad Gita from French Hare Krishnas

walked under the Thames river

cured myself of obsessive compulsive disorder

assembled a futon (having exerted from me the requite blood sacrifice, the Ikea Norse gods of furniture were favourable towards me)

painted part of the outside of a house

played with a noose (my grandfather used to be into knot-tying; it was there, I played with it. I didn't know what it was. It was just a big piece of rope to me.

written documentation that was later read by the government

sold my artwork at auction

gone to the movies alone, though only once. (It was Never Say Never Again; I wonder if that's got anything to do with it?)

been on stage

had a tetanus shot because I stepped on a rusty nail

had my writing published

spent a few weeks alone in a country where I didn't know the native language beyond "bus tickets" and "tea"

participated in a chess tournament (where I was disqualified, along with my opponent, because neither of us would back down from the check.)

seen both Pretty in Pink and The Breakfast Club more than twenty-five times each (and neither of them is my favourite film)

written a song about kuru

written email to Stephen Hawking. (He never wrote back.)

practiced Santeria rituals. (No, nothing violating or illegal; but I'm not going to elaborate. And no, I'm not a believer.)

participated in a Passover meal (I'm not a believer.)

gone without sleep for approximately 72 hours, then gone to the first Lollapalooza show

gone through the process of installing, and reinstalling, Windows XP seven times in one 24 hour period. Head explodey

taken roller-skating lessons, and earned my first badge. (I may still even have it)

celebrated Pi Day

celebrated Towel Day

sent a post card to someone in Hamilton from Toronto, even though I was only going to be there a few hours

stood under Big Ben as it chimed

participated in Beltane rites. (No, not that way.)

figured out how to make the perfect macaroni salad

sat in a stadium with over fifty thousand other people (some dressed like Klingons) and watched the final episodes of ST:TNG

taken ballet lessons

studied Tai Chi

ridden, but never fallen off of, a horse

dyed my hair; it was supposed to go auburn, but went orange instead

swallowed a dime

seen my birth constellation through a telescope at an observatory

carried a teddy bear around a university campus for an entire day. (It was my birthday, and the bear was a gift.)

named stuffed animals after members and songs from the band Gwar. (The teddy bear, in fact; he was named Balzac the Jaws of Death a.k.a. Vlad the Impaler.)

had an imaginary friend which I named Charlie Brokentoaster. (I have no recollection of why I called him that.)

sent email to Richard Michael Stallman. (He did write back, but didn't want to sing my song about the hurd kernel.)

walked next to, and over, the Danube. (It is not blue.)

bought a Paddington bear in Paddington Station

been to the top of the Eiffel Tower

ridden subways in five different countries

bought shoes in those same five countries

drunk milk and Pepsi mixed together. (Yeah, I had a passing phase of watching Laverne & Shirley, and had to indulge, just for the hell of it. My recommendation is don't.)

purposefully sought out and bought a Tom Jones greatest hits CD

survived for a week on almost nothing but cream of mushroom soup. (I'd just had my wisdom teeth out, and couldn't chew like the carnivore I truly am.)

quit smoking by going cold turkey. (That was, without a doubt, three of the toughest weeks of my life.)

cried during the public performance of classical music. (Ode to Joy)

streaked. (Don't get excited; I was two years-old at the time.)

been on-air at a radio station

wandered through a hedge maze

had a crush on Che Guevara. (I was 12; what can I say?)

made crystals with sugar and water

cleaned my glasses with shaving cream

attended a seance. (I personally did not contact the dead, but others there claimed to. I'm not a believer.)

been ordained as a minister in the Universal Life Church. (Not so much an accomplishment, as such, given that they'll ordain anyone; but, interesting given that I am an atheist.)

been to an all-inclusive resort. (I mention this only because previous to this, I'd never understood why the hell someone would want to travel somewhere only to end up doing nothing and seeing nothing of the country they were in. Now I get it. They go there specifically because they don't have to do anything, for once.)

drunk tequila before 10 a.m. (I think the bartender at the resort was seeking some perverse sort of joy out of giving me far more than I asked for, given that I asked for an alcoholic beverage before 11 a.m.)

been to a major league baseball game. (The home team suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the BoSox. 14-1. Ouch.)

dyed the snow in someone's front yard with various colours of food dye

set off the entire fire alarm system in my grandmother's apartment building by attempting, unsuccessfully, to make pancakes. (They smoked a lot. The fireman who eventually showed up to check it out, told me that next time I should order Chinese food. I think I did.)

had beer with two of the guys who wrote a lot of Waitresses songs

served as an altar girl at mass. (There were no boys available, and I was stuck at a Knights of Columbus picnic with a friend whose dad was in the organisation.)

eaten dye powder. (I was five, thought it was jello powder. Boy was I surprised.)

set fire to my dresser. (It was an accident. I was blowing out a candle, and didn't blow hard enough, so the flame jumped and caught a paper bag. My uncle put it out with my aunt's new nightie. Boy was she pissed. I think I was about eight at the time.)

hung a sari on my wall for decoration

attended trial proceedings. (Not for any personal reason. It was part of a course I took in high school. It was at this point I understood why lawyers charge such high fees - court is one of the most intensely dull things I've ever witnessed, next to golf, and I was told that court is the high point of a lawyer's life. I can just imagine what trial preparation must be like.)

ridden a horse

ridden on a motorcycle

bought and played with a couple of favourite childhood toys as an adult; Spirograph (got it as a gift), LEGO (also gifts), and Lite-Brite (got that one myself)

been within firing distance of a hijacked Iranian warship

alphabetised the entire record library of a radio station; well over thirty thousand pieces of music

allowed someone to doctor my mis-dated visa entry papers for a communist country

taken a typing class; smartest move I ever made in high school

memorised Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken

had, and used, a gym membership

spent entire weekends watching nothing but Bond films

spent an entire week watching nothing but M*A*S*H DVDs

hidden in my grandmother's closet pretending to have run away from home

spent twelve hours in a hospital waiting room waiting for someone to take a sodding sliver of glass out of my foot

managed to sit through the film A Boy and His Dog at least three times ... and I'm still okay

[cleverhottubmiracle]

Kid Cudi announces memoir “Cudi: The Memoir,” Rema gives electric performance at sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Real Madrid confirm severity of Vinicius Jr.’s injury. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest, which summarizes five of the hottest global news stories you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix.  Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics… 1. Kid Cudi announces memoir “Cudi: The Memoir” CUDI THE MEMOIR (artwork by yours truly 😌) AUG 5TH I cannot wait for u guys to read it. Its filled w so much about my journey from my first memory to turning 40. Life lessons, the rager period of my life, and fighting my demons. All the way to the present, where happiness… pic.twitter.com/kAvskAj2Dr — The Chosen One (@KiDCuDi) May 11, 2025 Kid Cudi is opening up like never before in his newly announced memoir, “Cudi: The Memoir,” set to be released on August 5. The Cleveland-born rapper and actor shared the news on Sunday, May 11, via X (formerly Twitter), giving fans a glimpse into what promises to be an emotional and intimate journey. “It’s filled w so much about my journey from my first memory to turning 40,” Cudi wrote. “Life lessons, the rager period of my life, and fighting my demons. All the way to the present, where happiness has found me.” Notably, Kid Cudi also painted the book’s cover, making the memoir a deeply personal artistic debut in more ways than one. Beyond recounting his life story, Cudi hopes the memoir will offer fans the same kind of solace and inspiration that his music has provided over the years. He described the book as a tool to help readers through difficult times, revealing it will also include never-before-seen childhood photos and showcase his visual art for the first time. “Get ready, you’ll all understand me a lot more after this,” he added. The announcement comes just a day after Cudi revealed he’ll make his directorial debut in an upcoming horror-romance film, “When The Light Dies,” further cementing 2025 as a landmark year for the multi-talented artist. 2. Rema gives an electric performance at sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Toronto 🚨Rema Just made history at the 19,800 Capacity Scotia Bank Arena, Canada 🇨🇦🤯 pic.twitter.com/PCYG4jL5KR — HYPETRIBE (@hypetribeng) May 12, 2025 Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema set Toronto alight on May 12 with a sensational performance at the sold-out Scotiabank Arena. Performing to a packed house of screaming fans, the global hitmaker delivered an electrifying set featuring fan favorites like “Calm Down,” “Soundgasm,” “Holiday,” and “Charm.” From the moment he stepped on stage, Rema’s energy and charisma lit up the arena, with the audience singing along word for word, creating a wave of euphoria that echoed throughout the venue. Backed by a live band and dazzling visual effects, Rema’s performance was a true spectacle, combining high-energy choreography with pitch-perfect vocals. The concert further cemented his position as a leading force in the global Afrobeats movement and showcased his ability to bridge cultures through music seamlessly. With this unforgettable night in Toronto, Rema continues to blaze a trail on the international stage, leaving no doubt that his star power knows no bounds. 3. South Africa: Minnie Dlamini takes legal action against MacG for misogynistic remarks In a statement, Minnie Dlamini addresses the “vile, humiliating, and inexcusable” comments made about her by MacG. Minnie reveals that an apology was sent via attorneys, but calls it out as insincere and triggered only by public pressure and confirms she’s taking legal action. pic.twitter.com/MXyPDisaPu — Pop Pulse (@PopPulseSA) May 13, 2025 TV personality and producer Minnie Dlamini has officially taken legal action against controversial podcaster MacG, following his misogynistic comments made during an episode of “Podcast and Chill.” Dlamini, who has kept quiet until now, issued a public statement condemning MacG’s derogatory remarks about her personal life, particularly comments about her breakup with Dr. Brian Monaisa. She described the experience as humiliating and traumatic, asserting that the podcaster’s statements constituted a gross violation of her dignity and rights as a woman. A formal apology from the podcast’s legal team was issued to Dlamini, but she maintained that the gesture lacked sincerity and accountability. MacG has come under intense public scrutiny, following his vulgar remarks about Dlamini’s relationships and body, insinuating she couldn’t “keep a man.” This resulted in a widespread backlash that reached even the halls of parliament, where Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike called for him to be held to account. In a recent podcast episode, MacG attempted to quell the outrage by apologizing to women offended by his remarks, stating that causing harm was never his intention. However, Dlamini rejected the apology, calling it performative and pointing out the platform’s long-standing pattern of misogyny. She thanked supporters who stood by her and called for broader change in how women are treated in media and online spaces. 4. Cardi B confirms romance with Stefon Diggs Cardi B & Stefon Diggs at the Knicks game tonight pic.twitter.com/8FqzCViUGV — Complex Style (@ComplexStyle) May 13, 2025 Cardi B has officially confirmed her relationship with NFL star Stefon Diggs, putting months of fan speculation to rest. The Grammy-winning rapper was spotted hand-in-hand with the New England Patriots wide receiver at Monday night’s NBA playoff game at Madison Square Garden. Sitting courtside among an A-list crowd that included Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet, the pair appeared cozy and affectionate, smiling and chatting throughout the night as the New York Knicks took on the Boston Celtics. This public outing marks the couple’s first official appearance together. Rumors of a romance between Cardi, 32, and Diggs, 31, began swirling in late 2024 and gained traction after they were seen celebrating Valentine’s Day together. The rapper had also recently gushed about a “gorgeous” mystery man during a Twitter Spaces chat, hinting at a new relationship. Diggs shares a daughter with his ex, Tyler Marie, while Cardi finalized her high-profile divorce from rapper Offset last year after a tumultuous relationship and three children together—Kulture, Wave, and their youngest, Blossom. Fans are already buzzing about the new couple’s bold debut and what’s next for the powerhouse pair. 5. Real Madrid confirms severity of Vinicius Jr.’s injury 🚨 Reminder: Vinícius Jr. and Lucas Vazquez will miss the game vs Mallorca with injury. Aurelien Tchouaméni is suspended. pic.twitter.com/gfmyr2BuAv — Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) May 13, 2025 Real Madrid have confirmed that Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. has suffered a sprained left ankle, compounding the club’s woes following a 4-3 El Clásico defeat to Barcelona. The 24-year-old limped off during the dramatic clash at the Camp Nou, a result that all but handed the La Liga title to their Catalan rivals. While Real Madrid’s official statement did not specify a recovery timeline, they noted that the “outcome is pending,” leaving fans and manager Carlo Ancelotti anxiously awaiting further updates. The injury comes at a critical juncture in Madrid’s season, with the club trailing Barcelona by seven points and only three games left to play. With their title hopes hanging by a thread, the absence of one of their most dynamic attackers is a major blow. Vinicius Jr. has been instrumental in Madrid’s campaign, and his potential absence for the run-in makes their uphill battle even steeper. Los Blancos will now look to regroup as they prepare to host Mallorca midweek, hoping to salvage pride in a fading title race. Featured Image: @mefeater/X Our Weekday News Digest summarizes five of the hottest news topics worldwide–including celebrity news from Hollywood to Nollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2025. For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ — Read also !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

[norajworld]

Kid Cudi announces memoir “Cudi: The Memoir,” Rema gives electric performance at sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Real Madrid confirm severity of Vinicius Jr.’s injury. Stay in the know with our Rave News Digest, which summarizes five of the hottest global news stories you need to catch up on, saving you time and energy. Consider it your daily news fix.  Here is a rundown of five of the hottest news topics… 1. Kid Cudi announces memoir “Cudi: The Memoir” CUDI THE MEMOIR (artwork by yours truly 😌) AUG 5TH I cannot wait for u guys to read it. Its filled w so much about my journey from my first memory to turning 40. Life lessons, the rager period of my life, and fighting my demons. All the way to the present, where happiness… pic.twitter.com/kAvskAj2Dr — The Chosen One (@KiDCuDi) May 11, 2025 Kid Cudi is opening up like never before in his newly announced memoir, “Cudi: The Memoir,” set to be released on August 5. The Cleveland-born rapper and actor shared the news on Sunday, May 11, via X (formerly Twitter), giving fans a glimpse into what promises to be an emotional and intimate journey. “It’s filled w so much about my journey from my first memory to turning 40,” Cudi wrote. “Life lessons, the rager period of my life, and fighting my demons. All the way to the present, where happiness has found me.” Notably, Kid Cudi also painted the book’s cover, making the memoir a deeply personal artistic debut in more ways than one. Beyond recounting his life story, Cudi hopes the memoir will offer fans the same kind of solace and inspiration that his music has provided over the years. He described the book as a tool to help readers through difficult times, revealing it will also include never-before-seen childhood photos and showcase his visual art for the first time. “Get ready, you’ll all understand me a lot more after this,” he added. The announcement comes just a day after Cudi revealed he’ll make his directorial debut in an upcoming horror-romance film, “When The Light Dies,” further cementing 2025 as a landmark year for the multi-talented artist. 2. Rema gives an electric performance at sold-out Scotiabank Arena in Toronto 🚨Rema Just made history at the 19,800 Capacity Scotia Bank Arena, Canada 🇨🇦🤯 pic.twitter.com/PCYG4jL5KR — HYPETRIBE (@hypetribeng) May 12, 2025 Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema set Toronto alight on May 12 with a sensational performance at the sold-out Scotiabank Arena. Performing to a packed house of screaming fans, the global hitmaker delivered an electrifying set featuring fan favorites like “Calm Down,” “Soundgasm,” “Holiday,” and “Charm.” From the moment he stepped on stage, Rema’s energy and charisma lit up the arena, with the audience singing along word for word, creating a wave of euphoria that echoed throughout the venue. Backed by a live band and dazzling visual effects, Rema’s performance was a true spectacle, combining high-energy choreography with pitch-perfect vocals. The concert further cemented his position as a leading force in the global Afrobeats movement and showcased his ability to bridge cultures through music seamlessly. With this unforgettable night in Toronto, Rema continues to blaze a trail on the international stage, leaving no doubt that his star power knows no bounds. 3. South Africa: Minnie Dlamini takes legal action against MacG for misogynistic remarks In a statement, Minnie Dlamini addresses the “vile, humiliating, and inexcusable” comments made about her by MacG. Minnie reveals that an apology was sent via attorneys, but calls it out as insincere and triggered only by public pressure and confirms she’s taking legal action. pic.twitter.com/MXyPDisaPu — Pop Pulse (@PopPulseSA) May 13, 2025 TV personality and producer Minnie Dlamini has officially taken legal action against controversial podcaster MacG, following his misogynistic comments made during an episode of “Podcast and Chill.” Dlamini, who has kept quiet until now, issued a public statement condemning MacG’s derogatory remarks about her personal life, particularly comments about her breakup with Dr. Brian Monaisa. She described the experience as humiliating and traumatic, asserting that the podcaster’s statements constituted a gross violation of her dignity and rights as a woman. A formal apology from the podcast’s legal team was issued to Dlamini, but she maintained that the gesture lacked sincerity and accountability. MacG has come under intense public scrutiny, following his vulgar remarks about Dlamini’s relationships and body, insinuating she couldn’t “keep a man.” This resulted in a widespread backlash that reached even the halls of parliament, where Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike called for him to be held to account. In a recent podcast episode, MacG attempted to quell the outrage by apologizing to women offended by his remarks, stating that causing harm was never his intention. However, Dlamini rejected the apology, calling it performative and pointing out the platform’s long-standing pattern of misogyny. She thanked supporters who stood by her and called for broader change in how women are treated in media and online spaces. 4. Cardi B confirms romance with Stefon Diggs Cardi B & Stefon Diggs at the Knicks game tonight pic.twitter.com/8FqzCViUGV — Complex Style (@ComplexStyle) May 13, 2025 Cardi B has officially confirmed her relationship with NFL star Stefon Diggs, putting months of fan speculation to rest. The Grammy-winning rapper was spotted hand-in-hand with the New England Patriots wide receiver at Monday night’s NBA playoff game at Madison Square Garden. Sitting courtside among an A-list crowd that included Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet, the pair appeared cozy and affectionate, smiling and chatting throughout the night as the New York Knicks took on the Boston Celtics. This public outing marks the couple’s first official appearance together. Rumors of a romance between Cardi, 32, and Diggs, 31, began swirling in late 2024 and gained traction after they were seen celebrating Valentine’s Day together. The rapper had also recently gushed about a “gorgeous” mystery man during a Twitter Spaces chat, hinting at a new relationship. Diggs shares a daughter with his ex, Tyler Marie, while Cardi finalized her high-profile divorce from rapper Offset last year after a tumultuous relationship and three children together—Kulture, Wave, and their youngest, Blossom. Fans are already buzzing about the new couple’s bold debut and what’s next for the powerhouse pair. 5. Real Madrid confirms severity of Vinicius Jr.’s injury 🚨 Reminder: Vinícius Jr. and Lucas Vazquez will miss the game vs Mallorca with injury. Aurelien Tchouaméni is suspended. pic.twitter.com/gfmyr2BuAv — Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) May 13, 2025 Real Madrid have confirmed that Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr. has suffered a sprained left ankle, compounding the club’s woes following a 4-3 El Clásico defeat to Barcelona. The 24-year-old limped off during the dramatic clash at the Camp Nou, a result that all but handed the La Liga title to their Catalan rivals. While Real Madrid’s official statement did not specify a recovery timeline, they noted that the “outcome is pending,” leaving fans and manager Carlo Ancelotti anxiously awaiting further updates. The injury comes at a critical juncture in Madrid’s season, with the club trailing Barcelona by seven points and only three games left to play. With their title hopes hanging by a thread, the absence of one of their most dynamic attackers is a major blow. Vinicius Jr. has been instrumental in Madrid’s campaign, and his potential absence for the run-in makes their uphill battle even steeper. Los Blancos will now look to regroup as they prepare to host Mallorca midweek, hoping to salvage pride in a fading title race. Featured Image: @mefeater/X Our Weekday News Digest summarizes five of the hottest news topics worldwide–including celebrity news from Hollywood to Nollywood, the latest trending global headlines from American reports to top African news today, and the best sports stories in 2025. For the latest in fashion, lifestyle, and culture, follow us on Instagram @StyleRave_ — Read also !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments); if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script', ' fbq('init', '496558104568102'); fbq('track', 'PageView'); !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod? n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n; n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0; t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window, document,'script',' fbq('init', '1453079628754066'); fbq('track', "PageView"); Source link

[stage-readyvoices]

The Psychology of Singing: How Vocal Lessons in Toronto Boost Confidence

Singing is more than just a skill—it’s an emotional and psychological journey. Many aspiring singers struggle with self-doubt, stage fright, or a lack of confidence. However, working with a vocal teacher in Toronto can help you overcome these challenges and unlock your true potential. Let’s explore the psychological benefits of singing lessons and how they can boost your confidence.

1. Overcoming Stage Fright

Stage fright, or performance anxiety, is common among singers, even experienced ones. Vocal lessons provide structured training to help you manage nervousness and perform with confidence.

How Singing Lessons Help:

Exposure therapy: Regular practice and performance opportunities gradually reduce fear.

Breathing techniques: Controlled breathing calms the nervous system and improves vocal stability.

Positive reinforcement: A supportive teacher helps build confidence through encouragement and constructive feedback.

For more on performance anxiety, visit this article on psychology and stage fright.

2. Building Self-Expression Through Singing

Singing is a powerful form of self-expression. Whether you’re performing for an audience or just singing for yourself, it allows you to communicate emotions in a way words alone cannot.

Benefits of Self-Expression:

Increases emotional release, reducing stress and anxiety.

Strengthens personal identity by helping you find your unique voice.

Enhances creativity through improvisation and storytelling in songs.

3. Strengthening Mind-Body Connection

Singing requires coordination between breath, vocal cords, and posture. This mind-body connection enhances overall awareness and helps singers stay present in the moment.

How It Works:

Posture and alignment exercises improve vocal projection and resonance.

Mindful breathing techniques create relaxation and control.

Muscle memory helps develop consistent and reliable vocal performance.

4. Developing a Growth Mindset

A professional singing teacher in Toronto helps students develop a growth mindset—an essential trait for building confidence. Instead of fearing mistakes, students learn to embrace challenges as opportunities for improvement.

Characteristics of a Growth Mindset:

Viewing mistakes as learning experiences.

Practicing persistence and resilience in vocal training.

Setting and achieving small goals to measure progress.

For insights into mindset and personal development, check out this resource from Psychology Today.

5. Improving Communication Skills

Great singers are also great communicators. Vocal lessons teach not just how to sing, but how to deliver a message effectively through tone, dynamics, and expression.

How This Helps:

Enhances public speaking and social confidence.

Strengthens articulation and pronunciation for better clarity.

Teaches emotional expression, making performances more engaging.

6. Receiving Positive Feedback and Encouragement

Working with a professional vocal coach provides an opportunity to receive structured and positive feedback. Encouragement from an expert helps build confidence and self-belief.

Why Feedback Matters:

Reinforces strengths while identifying areas for improvement.

Creates a supportive learning environment.

Helps singers set realistic, achievable goals.

7. Gaining Performance Experience

Nothing builds confidence like real-world experience. Many vocal teachers offer recital opportunities, open mic sessions, or studio recordings to help students practice performing.

Benefits of Performance Practice:

Reduces fear of judgment and audience anxiety.

Builds stage presence and charisma.

Creates a sense of accomplishment and motivation to improve.

Conclusion: Singing Lessons Are More Than Just Vocal Training

The psychological benefits of working with a Toronto singing teacher go beyond improving vocal skills. From boosting confidence to overcoming stage fright and embracing self-expression, singing lessons can be a life-changing experience.

Ready to Sing with Confidence?

Take the first step today and discover how vocal training can transform your confidence, mindset, and overall well-being!