Friday, January 8, 2010

HowNowBrownCow?





Rostopovich digs into Bach vigorously with his bow, releasing a warm wave of sound. The cello-suites fill the coffee shop with a fullness that transports and the world is both new and ancient. Fingers stained with espresso are decorated with swirling lines that...

Blaaaaaa blablabla bla!
Scratch that. Redo.

Rostopovich.
Rrrrrrostopovich.
Rrrrross
toe
poe
vichhh
Rosss TOPOVich
to poe veeeech.

Have you ever noticed how the sound of a word makes you feel? How the 'ha' 'i' 'mmmm' in the word "him" makes you move? The quick 'ha' like a punch in the gut, the intake of the 'i' and the resonance of the 'mmm'. Himmm. Him.

Working on some Shakespeare lately with an acting teacher and rediscovering the power in every word I delight in driving alone, listening to the wind rush by and speaking words.

"Think not I love him though I ask for him. 'Tis but a peevish boy."
Peeeeevishhh b oyee.
Explosive 'p's' and 'b's'.
The roundness of "well" and juiciness of "ripe".
Sharp and cutting "but", "betwixt" and "not".

Actor or not, try it sometime alone. Speaking out loud and savoring, and playing with each word like a candy in your mouth or a river pouring out or a gong or a burst of air.

In what wondrous and wild ways we work!




2 comments:

  1. Love your talent!!!!

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  2. welcome back, lady!
    i've been noticing this too because my baby is just now starting to talk. so we're constantly working on the sound of words and the ways to make the sounds and it's a great reflection to see our own relationship to language and context.
    shakespeare works, of course! especially considering shakespeare was meant to be spoken, not read.
    happy new year to you!

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