This is Your Life, Martin Bisi!
I call it that because I keep wanting the people from the albums to walk in the room and be like, “HEYYYY! Martin! Remember that time when we did that thing? That was so sweet!!” or “What do you mean, you don’t remember my wife’s name!?”
This is an auto-retrospective of the career of Martin Bisi, who produced my album, Toyshop, as well as produced, recorded, and mixed for many other luminaries besides me (such as: Sonic Youth, Swans, The Dresden Dolls, John Zorn, Bill Laswell, Foetus, Helmet, Boredoms, Herbie Hancock [Rockit], Africa Bambaata, Bootsy Collins and Brian Eno). In this video, he disintigrates his wall-o-album-covers, representing notable records that he has worked on throughout his years in BC Studio. The series below may seem long, but it’s really worth a watch if you have any interest in the history of rock and other popular music from the 1980’s to the present day.
And if you liked that, check out Martin’s music video for one of his own songs…
End of tour, selling albums, Zerbinetta, holding your breath
Hi everyone!
Just a hodge-podgy update, I guess. I mean, it’s been wayyy too long. Except where I posted the Bubblegum Slut review the other day. Still happy about that! Hope you’ve all read it!
So, what is up… I finished my tour, it was fun. I had been sick, and was trying to coax my voice back for a couple reasons- most urgently, to sing an audition with Fargo-Moorhead Opera. I just barely, barely went through with it. I wasn’t sure up til the night before (really, the morning of) if I was in good enough condition to sing. I was still under the weather, but I had my high notes back, so I went through with it. They even asked for O zittre nicht, which I offered as an alternate (I know small companies do Magic Flute a lot and aren’t such sticklers about voice size for their Queens of the Nights), and that goes up to an F, and my F was totally fine. Yay! I gotta say, I was chugging Emergen-C, and I also found that this one Vitamin Water which was vitamin C enhanced, I think it was purple and it was like reduced calorie or something. I found it to be really soothing on my throat. So I had a really nice audition with them, and my gig the night before in Fargo was really fun! It started out with me playing just to one person, but several more drifted in as the show wore on. I had a really fun time- played everything I knew, and the one kid who was there from the beginning asked me to sing Glitter and be Gay a capella. (He had asked what my rep was, and wanted to hear it since he’d just started reading Candide.) It was pretty hilarious. This one guy in the audience- I hate to say “redneck” ’cause that’s like racist(?)… is there a non-offensive way to say “total hick”? He said it was so loud I hurt his ears. I was like, “OPERA WIN!!” I love my life sometimes. Oh and the one really sweet kid who came to see me on purpose bought my CD. Yay!
So I’m back, I need to sell wayyyyy more albums. Who wants to buy one??? Or ten?!?!? You know you do. I’m trying to hit up my friends, but I feel bad, especially ’cause it’s usually a matter of people not having money today but they’ll buy it next week, but I don’t want to keep asking again and again. The simple truth is that since I’m not on any sort of label whatsoever, and am not yet famous, I actually do have to rely largely on people I know to buy my shit. At least for now. Oh yeah and you guys. 
For the record, it’s still in processing for CDBaby, so the only thing to do for now is to order it by PayPal off my website. Which is me going to the post office and mailing it to you. Oh, but if you want a digital download, that you can buy now, on amandawhite.bandcamp.com. The iTunes thing, still processing, etc, but I get more money anyways if you buy it from bandcamp (and I’m not an expert on these things but I think the sound quality is better too).
So! We’re in rehearsal for Ariadne auf Naxos. Today was our first full-opera run. It was my first time doing any of the second act stuff at all (we had already rehearsed the prologue). So fun! People are sounding better than I expected. Like, I was really worried about the quartet of men (before hearing them), but they are actually really pulling it together. I managed to impress the cast, but I think that’s because I was doing push-ups between phrases. Hey, with Zerbinetta you have to be prepared for lots of physical activity! Even though I doubt they are going to seriously stage it. It’ll probably be largely a “do whatever you want, just start here and end there” kind of thing. Nothing that will really knock my breath out- but at least I should be prepared for next time.
SPEAKING OF BREATH. This is amazing. Tim Ferriss’s blog (one of my like top 3 favorite blogs in the whole world) teaches you how to hold your breath for ridiculously long times. I got to 3 minutes on my first (bumpy, not sure what to do) try, without even pushing myself until the last like 5 seconds. (I wasn’t willing to try to really push, as the author had mentioned being fuzzy-headed for a couple days after, but I am curious if I could do better now that I get it…) But like seriously, I didn’t even start wondering how long it had been til about 2:30.
I wonder what kind of implications this would have for singers. I’m curious to try it but instead of holding my breath, trying to sustain a tone. Of course normally in an opera one doesn’t get all that prep time to work up your breathing, but it could still be a really interesting thing to experiment with.
I’ll leave you with that thought. Everyone have a great night! See you soon.
Review in Bubblegum Slut Zine
“Solo singer Amanda White is a curious character- glancing at the photos on her website (the brilliantly monikered notjustanotherprettyvoice.com) of a fresh faced beauty that makes references to opera and has song titles suggesting gothic tendencies (‘Midnight Bride’) as well as an irreverent sense of humour (‘Monica’s Getting Her Tits Done’), you’d be forgiven for thinking that perhaps this artist is one of many influenced by the recent school of quirky ‘punk rock meets classical’ musicians headed up by the likes of Dresden Dolls, Emilie Autumn and Rasputina to name a few. A spin of this CD confirms Amanda’s music is a little more straightforward than that- singing with a voice that is as sweet as the sugar she chants about in opener ‘Midnight Bride’- there are touches of electronica, goth and rock in her music which overall can be described at No Doubt meets Jack of Jill! It might sound strange but Amanda’s beautiful, Kate Bush/Gwen Stefani-like pop vocals mash with light punky, goth-metal tunes to create an alternative sound that is both unusual in the current climate and most captivating. Her blend of alternative pop might just split listener’s opinions straight down the middle, but if Ms White’s live show proves to be as arresting as this record, I’ll be first in line for tickets.”
by Sophia Rawlinson (thank you, Sophia! I love it!)
South Dakota
Hello friends and fans! I’m in South Dakota. No. I’m not playing a gig- I’m just taking a little vacation for me! I really love going new places, so I decided to take a little (huge) detour from my tour to go to Mount Rushmore. ‘Cause I’ve never been to South Dakota, and when am I gonna get another chance?
My gig in Chicago was pretty fun. There wasn’t a big audience but the people who were there were unusually attentive. My parents, brother (Dan), and some of my mom’s friends came, so I got to sing my songs about boobs and vaginas and sex for my parents yayy but I’m a rockstar whaddaya gonna do? Danimal sold 2 CDs- a record for me (since my CD release, at least). Neither of them were full price (I offered “sliding scale”), but I’m just happy to sell them. It makes me happy!
Yesterday I played in St Paul, Minnesota. It was pouring rain the entire time, and there was an insanely huge football game on- Packers-Vikings- the farther North I got the more I heard about it on the radio. So there was like nobody there. A bunch of people who worked there, and a couple people watching the football game. There was a local guy playing after me and he sat through my whole set, but decided to bail on playing since there was like no one there and the people who were there were just watching the game. I played an extra long set just to practice ’til my fingers started to hurt. Dammit, why aren’t my callouses better by now? Oh well I still played for well over an hour. It’s good practice for me. St Paul-Minneapolis seemed really cool except it was pouring the whole time so I didn’t really see much of it. I tried today but was thwarted by the rain and by parking meters that only take quarters. wtf parking meters. Nickels and dimes are money too. What, are you going to do my laundry in my car while I’m gone? sheesh.
So today I drove across South Dakota. The rain ended somewhat early on and after that it was a pretty nice drive! No traffic, open skies, peace and quiet. I stopped for dinner in Wall, where they have that famous drug store. My friend Arlen had recommended I go to the drug store, though it was largely closed by the time I got there- like, there was a souvenir shop section open, but the cafe was closed, and I was really hungry, so I went to a bar across the street and had a really good quesedilla. Met some locals. Tried a beer called Moose Drool. It was a really fun little break.
Then I drove the rest of the way to Lead, where my hostel is. It’s more of a European-style hotel than a hostel- shared bathrooms, but largely private rooms. It’s a beautiful house, gorgeously decorated. Best part? There is snow on the ground! Fluffy white snow! It’s so pretty! I generally do not like the snow, but I haven’t seen any since like February so this is like the first snow of the year for me. Plus, the town is charming and historic, and the snow looks so pristine and storybookish. Yes! Happy.
Tomorrow is my day off to enjoy the Black Hills- see Mount Rushmore, maybe hike or something if the weather looks nice, there is gambling here too, in Deadwood, that’s not my thing of course. Then Thursday night I go to Fargo to play a gig. And then it’s back to Chicago with me!
As for my cold, I’m getting better. I feel a million times better, but my voice is still screwed up. I’m trying to coax it back- I’m singing Suor Genovieffa next week so I have to be in good shape.
I’m gonna run but I’ll talk to you all later. Love!
Album release and tour
Heyy! I’m in Des Moines waiting to play at Mars Cafe. The guy who works here doesn’t know how to set up the PA. There’s not many people here, but I’ve had worse.
The album release went pretty well. I had fun of course and we played well. I was planning for it to be the biggest show of my life so far and it definitely did not come out that way. I only got a fraction of the audience I expected to, and only sold a fraction of the albums I expected to. Even a lot of my friends didn’t buy them. I know times are tough, but that’s why admission was free, you know? But I was very happy about the people who did come- reduced in number, but you know, you find out who your real friends/fans are.
My tour: my first gig, in Madison WI, was cancelled. Lame! I had really wanted to go there. Then last night I played in Omaha, Nebraska. I couldn’t find anyone to stay with so I used CouchSurfing.org and found some random person and stayed on his couch. It was pretty fun. Now I’m in Des Moines. I’m sick. I feel like the flight to Chicago is what made me sick because already when I woke up the next morning I could tell I was coming down with something. I’ve drunk so much espresso today that I can barely finish the one in front of me.
Omaha seemed like a cool city. I got there a couple hours before the show, and went in search of coffee, and accidentally stumbled upon a poetry reading. It was kinda fun for me ’cause I don’t go to stuff like that, but it was really dragging on and I had to sneak out the back door.
I was the headliner at the gig- fancy! I so do not belong as a headliner in a place I’ve never been where nobody’s ever heard of me- only a few people stayed to hear me. Being the headliner largely means two things: you play last, and in some cases, you’re in charge of the money. So the owner gave me all the door money but it was my job to dole it out to the openers. So in the end I made almost enough to pay for the gas, but I was really depressed that I didn’t sell a single CD or t-shirt, even though I did a really good job. I mean I know that’s kind of normal, but like, when you go reeeeeeeeeeaallllly out of your way like this, you want some kind of tiny payoff. Like that show I played in Austin- if it had been a nearby show and I had been in-and-out I would have been ok with making no money, but as I’d driven 15 hours for it and stayed around for like 4 hours just to get paid and didn’t, I was pissed. But anyways the bar, The Barley Street Tavern, is cool, it’s got a sweet little room that’s kind of like somebody set up a living room lounge in an unfinished basement.
Tomorrow I get to drive back to my parents’ house in Chicago and go to bed. (Tonight I’m staying with another couchsurfing person- a girl and her sister.) Then Sunday I play in Chicago. If I’d had less on my plate I coulda-woulda-shoulda sent a press release to my hometown newspaper, ’cause it’s always nice to be in the paper. But yeah things have been crazy of course. OK so then after Chicago I go to Minneapolis (St. Paul actually) for the first time ever! I’ve been to Minnesota before but not there. Excited! Then what i THINK i’m going to do is go to Mt. Rushmore, if I am feeling better and it’s not going to rain the whole time like it has so far. That will be my little vacation for myself. Because I’ve never been and I don’t see myself having another chance to go but here I am driving around the Midwest so it seems like a good time! Then on the way back I am playing a gig in Fargo, North Dakota on 10/08. My original intention in going to Fargo was to audition for their opera company, but when the Madison gig got cancelled I wanted to make up for it so I added the one in Fargo. I’m still supposed to audition but we’ll see how my voice is- you know how it is, with the being sick business.
Highlights: Western Iowa is really pretty (windmills!), CouchSurfing.org works, random poetry slam, the State Capitol of Iowa is impressive, DayQuill works, I have almost memorized Zerbinetta in English.
Better go, ttyl!
Oh yeah I’m also doing opera
I’m so tired! So, I told you about the rock stuff. I’m also doing opera stuff.
Remember I was maybe supposed to do Ariadne auf Naxos but I wasn’t really sure? ‘Cause Brooklyn Repertory Opera promised to produce it for me three years ago, but then it kept getting pushed further and further back? Well several weeks ago I found out IT’S ON. Thanks to a little research from me, we located a score in English, which was one of the big issues- they ONLY do stuff in English. I was horrified that they wanted to do this in English, but actually the translation is pretty good! What a relief. Except, they’ve only given us half the translation so far. And the show is in December. Um, they know this is a hard opera right? I know I can handle anything they throw at me, but I hope the rest of the cast is up to the task. And I don’t mean that as a knock on anyone- I don’t know who else is cast. There hasn’t been a list posted or sent out, and I haven’t bothered to ask. It’s just, you know, there’s always somebody in every cast who doesn’t know their music, especially at this level of company, and considering how difficult it is I’m nervous that it will be many people.
So I’ve been basically practicing two hours a day trying to learn Zerbinetta. It’s HARD!!! And it’s not like I haven’t worked on it before. It’s not new to me. I’ve spent quite a lot of time on it, actually. But you get so far, and it takes TIME to get through each phrase, you can’t just sight-read it, or I can’t- and then you get stuck on a really hard part and maybe you work on it for a couple days and then you have a performance or a role or an audition or something else that you need to work on, and you put it away. So I worked on it plenty in the past but didn’t fully get anywhere.
So now I’m finally really forced to memorize it. It’s quite a long role!! I don’t think most people have seen the opera, or are really familiar with much of it besides Zerbinetta’s and Harlequin’s arias. maybe the Zerbinetta-Composer duet or some of Ariadne’s music. It’s a really hard, long role. Like, you know Zerbinetta’s aria? That’s like the hardest and longest aria ever? The whole role is like that. The recits, the duet, the ensembles. So it’s been a priority project. Like, “Sorry I can’t exercise/hang out/work because I have to learn this.” It’s coming along great. I’m very close to memorized, except the first half in English and the second half in German.
I don’t even know when rehearsals start.
Also, I’m doing Suor Angelica next month. This is something with friends that’s been being tossed around- a friend is putting it together for someone else to do Angelica, and I volunteered my services. I don’t know what role I’ll be doing yet- they want me as Genovieffa but they already promised it to someone else so they have to see if they’re still gonna do it, otherwise I’ll do 1st Cercatrice like I did at New York Grand Opera. Either way I’m doing Genovieffa this Spring in Harrisburg. Yay! I love opera.
Also opera? You have to read my interview with Natalie Dessay!! Unlike most of my CS articles, you can read this one online for free, even if you’re not a subscriber. I’m not sure if it’s just for September that you can read it without being a subscriber, so get on it now!
Everything else has been small. I need to actually do some auditions this year. I kind of haven’t really the last couple of years.
See ya later!
I have an album
Hi fans! Sorry, I’ve been incredibly negligent. Things crazy, me busy, life overwhelming, etc etc. Well, I made an album, you know!
Basically I went to the studio like a LOT. Like 6-8 hours a day for weeks. It was a full-time job I wasn’t getting paid for. (Until you guys BUY TONS AND TONS OF COPIES OF MY ALBUMS. TONS.) I pretty much didn’t even practice or exercise like the whole time.
So, now that the whole thing’s over, it’s hard to know where to start. I gave you the scoop on the drum and bass tracks already. So, then we did guitar, which took two whole days. Then we did vocals, which I did in ONE DAY THANKUVERYMUCH. Under 7 hours. AND then I went to sing at Opera on Tap.
Then we did pretty much two days for guitar overdubs and two days for vocal overdubs. Why do vocal overdubs (background vocals and stuff) take two days when the ground vocals take one? Mostly ’cause there’s a lot of stopping and starting. Also ’cause you don’t really know what you’re doing. Like, we’re kinda making parts up as we go along, so they have to be discussed, and we have to try different things.
Here’s a pic of my in the studio by Philine:
Highlight: we randomly added some Gregorian chant to A Carol. It sounds fantastic. Oh, and a lot of evil whispers in the backround of a couple songs that you may or may not notice.
Then we did mixing, which took forever. Every song ran longer than expected. (Of course my expectations were optimistic, ’cause I’m an overachiever.) Actually I didn’t do very much, sat there drinking coffee and trying to book my Midwest tour over my iPhone. Since we were on a tight schedule (read: budget) Martin kinda did everything and then when he was kind of done I’d listen and suggest my changes. It was hard to wake up in the MORNING for all those days but kind of nice for someone who’s not used to it.
It was mastered all in one day by Fred Kevorkian. As far as I know he did a good job. But I don’t have an ear for that stuff- I really can’t tell! Mastering was cool because not only did I get to hear the final product on amazing speakers, but they do this thing where they switch back and forth between songs so rapidly- sometimes every couple seconds- and cleanly, it’s disorienting. I think I’m listening to A Carol and then I get a few seconds of Monica, one second of The Sky is Close, and then back to Carol, seamless. It felt like my musical life was flashing before my eyes.
So I pretty much rushed the finished copy right off to the printers. There was some drama with the artwork. My good friend Philine van Lidth de Jeude took the pics ages ago, but then the person I thought was going to do the layout bailed. And I can’t use Adobe Illustrator for crap. I tried. I had no idea how to use the replication company’s templates. Fortunately a friend gave me some names and James Sullivan stepped in and finished the job. Yay! Day saved.
So the long and short of it is that I’m waiting to get my finished CDs. And then, party!!! CD release: 9/24 at Spike Hill, Brooklyn. 8pm. FREE. See you there.
‘Kay lyrics
‘Kay
(by Amanda White)
Run away. That’s all I can say to you.
Hold me. Tell me you’ll be back again someday.
Leave behind all my love had promised you.
From now on, I’ll just be in the way.
Don’t look at me, don’t look at me.
There’s nothing I can–
Don’t look at me, don’t look at me.
Get out before I–
‘Kay. I promise not to turn you over.
But me, I’m so weak, so small, so helpless in it all.
Don’t leave your life to me.
Don’t leave your life to me.
There’s nothing I can do
To save you
save you.
Can you say you’ve nothing to hide from me no more?
I don’t think I would believe you anyway.
But go ahead. I just want to hear it from your voice.
I’ll pretend everything’s okay.
Don’t scream at me, don’t scream at me.
There’s nothing I can–
Don’t scream at me, don’t scream at me.
Get out before I–
‘Kay. I promise not to turn you over.
But me, I’m so weak, so small, so helpless in it all.
Don’t leave your life to me.
Don’t leave your life to me.
There’s nothing I can do
To save you,
save you. And I say, and I say
Don’t worry what I’ve got, because I’ve got a life to live.
And I won’t worry whether not you’re gonna take what you can give.
I can handle it. I always do.
I can handle it, but how ’bout you?
And I know, and I know
that someday you’ll be back beneath the guidance of the wind,
And I know somewhere you’ll be fine within your sin.
After all, it’s you.
After all, it’s only true.
And I say, and I say
Don’t worry what I’ve got, because I’ve got a life to live.
And I won’t worry whether not you’re gonna take what you can give.
I can handle it. I always do.
I can handle it, but how ’bout you?
And I know, and I know
that someday you’ll be back beneath the guidance of the wind,
And I know somewhere you’ll be fine within your sin.
After all, it’s you.
After all, it’s only true.
Pull Me Up lyrics
Pull Me Up (by Amanda White)
Early in the winter it’s still raining, though it’s cold.
Sunlight breaks the morning- oh don’t touch me, eyes of gold.
‘morrow I’ll be sleeping where the rainbows won’t appear.
Somehow it makes me feel better just to realize my time is near.
Mother, can you hear me? I’m waiting for your call.
Hurry to your baby. I can’t make it alone to where you are.
Someone’s wishing for me, hear their whispers on the wind.
But what can I tell them? My hands are empty, filled with sin.
Satan, please forgive me. You’re the last one I’ll betray.
Preacher, is it sinning? To hurt the devil, is that okay?
Mother, can you hear me? I’m waiting for your call.
Hurry to your baby.
I can’t make it alone through the night.
I can’t make it alone through the night.
I can’t make it alone to the light.
I can’t see the light.
No I can’t reach the stars from my own two feet
I can’t climb my way to the mountain peak
I can’t lift my corpse from off of the street
I can’t hear a thing, mama lemme hear you speak.
Reach out your hand and pull me up, mama
Pull me up
Mama pull me up, mama pull me up
Mama pull me up, mama pull me up
Mama pull me up, please pull me up
Please pull me up, please pull me up
Please pull me up, pull me,
Pull me, pull me, pull me up…
A Carol lyrics
A Carol (by Amanda White, with some obvious lyrical borrowing)
One was the call, and one was the fall,
And one was the hope of all:
Knowing that death, for all that it’s worth
Must have its start in birth.
Come down from your lair
Come burning the air
Oh
Silent night, Silent night,
Star of wonder, star of light.
Burning bright, holy night,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Come from the sky, oh do or we die.
Answer your children’s cry.
Remembering when you walked among men,
Set foot on the Earth again.
Come down from your lair
Come burning the air
Oh
Silent night, Silent night,
Star of wonder, star of light.
Burning bright, holy night,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
Away in a manger all time comes to solidfiy.
Away in a stable the Lord of the Earth learns to cry.
Oh king of creation, who are you to come in this way,
To blast through the atmosphere, landing asleep on the hay.
Give us your peace or give us your sword,
Just don’t keep us waiting, Lord.
The earth is aflame, our hearts are the same.
Establish your holy name.
Come down from your lair
Come burning the air
Oh
Silent night, Silent night,
Star of wonder, star of light.
Burning bright, holy night,
Guide us to thy perfect light.
