Lebnan: ya ot3it sama (Lebanon, oh piece of heaven)

I just came back from a trip to Lebanon. Lebanon is always great to visit. There's so much life in this country! Everyone should visit at least once. Anyway, you won't need more to get hooked and keep coming back. Take a look at all the countries that want a piece of it! I don't want to get political but the situation speaks for itself.

So, when I was there, I got the chance to meet a wonderful lady, Aline Aoun, a woman who lived her life through music, with music and from music. I took a few vocal lessons with her and it made a big difference. She taught me a very essential thing that I knew but never understood. It's actually pretty hard to teach  singing techniques, I realized. One should sing using the diaphragm. That's something I've always heard and been told but never knew how to actually master. When I sang to her, she noticed something very important. I was using all the energy I had to come out with the words and sustain them. My veins were popping out!

She literally gave me a mirror to look at my throat and at that moment, I got it. Something as simple as a demonstration makes a big difference. She took the time to familiarize me with the function of my lungs, my diaphragm, my chest; how the air was coming in and going out (a normal process that I use to stay alive!) So, take the time to feel your body move with the air that is flowing through it. I also learned a few exercises that are used in yoga. As a matter of fact, breathing exercises are used in more than just singing lessons ;) They are a good way of maintaining balance.

Apparently, a lot of people sing very well but eventually lose their voices because they don't know how to sing properly. It's important to pay attention to the details in music or else one will not entirely appreciate its beauty and grandeur! The surface is beautiful but what lies in the core is often magnificent.

When I was in Lebanon, I would go walking every morning in the neighborhood I live in and I would feel the sun on my skin and the wind in my face. Then I'd get to an altitude and look at the spectacular landscape of mountains surrounding me. There, I would do my vocal exercises. It's so refreshing and energizing to be in a natural place and experience this feeling of comfort and peace. PEACE!

Peace be with you Lebanon on that day of independence and every day! Happy Independence Day dear country and countrymen. Preserve this piece of heaven.

Today's song: Lebnan, ya ot3it sama. Listen to the song on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pUUBER_tu4&feature=related or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRNu0EycXJM



Lebanese Flag