I'm not a good enough musician to be a good second soprano, but I also don't have the range anymore to be a first. So that's awesome.

I was basically joking, but whenever I see one of those "stereotypes about the sections" things, they ring true and make me laugh.

Hec,

I heard a doctor on NPR say that he thought it was a good idea for the Pope to resign given his advanced age and likelihood that he will decreasingly lose his faculties (something like 25% of 80 year olds have dementia).

So I'm kind of thinking that even without the scandal brewing he probably would have stepped down soon - supposedly he is losing hearing in one ear and eyesight in one eye.

I understand that he decided to step down upon receiving that report but the Vatican denies that. I just don't understand why he didn't say: "fuck it" and step down right after the New Year rather than wait until Easter proximity to step down. It's like his timing is really off or something.

He clearly doesn't think he can manage all of Easter activities (which is sobering), but if he had announced early January, conclave would have happened already.

Hey, if missing hearing in one ear and eyesight in the other were a prerequisite, my dad could be pope! Way better than out "lose a leg, get a peg leg, become a pirate" plan for him!

I was basically joking, but whenever I see one of those "stereotypes about the sections" things, they ring true and make me laugh.

Which is weird. I mean, I always find the band/orchestra ones pretty funny and often accurate, but generally people choose what instrument they play. Not so much with voice type!

I was joking.

Thanks for clarifying. I didn't mean to be touchy.

but generally people choose what instrument they play. Not so much with voice type!

Yeah, although I can see there being cultural issues behind the way the various sections are represented, and I can see myself not being at all aware of them back in HS.

My vocal range is not great, but it crosses soprano and alto although I'd say I'm more a natural alto. But the choir teacher needed another soprano, and there you go.

I think a lot of the vocal stereotypes develop out of the situation. Like, tenors are often in short supply, so tenors may very well be a) loud and b) used to being overpraised and in love with the sound of their own voice.

Whereas it's easy for basses to hide at the bottom, so they sometimes drone and sing flat.

And the high parts are the showiest! And the altos do hold it all together.

I don't even know if I'm a soprano or an alto.

And the high parts are the showiest!

And if they're always treated as special snowflakes, they start to behave that way, I bet.

Does anyone wear computer glasses? Do you have reading glasses, too? The screen I'm using right now is smaller and I wind up needing my reading glasses, but they're not exactly right either.

I think it's mostly focusing on the screen so consistently all day suddenly, but I'm getting nasty headaches by the time evening rolls around.

At my drama school about 80% of the women in choir (It was a required course.) were altos. It was really weird. I think there were 5 of us that were true sopranos. And I don't have a strong voice or much range either. I always preferred the alto parts.

So, when I first skimmed, I read altos as altoids and I kept thinking, "What do these people have against curiously strong mints?

Shit. I need a break.

Today I took Grace to two different doc appointments at UCLA, which took ~4 hours and included a blood draw (YIKES) and a chest xray. What surprises me is what good spirits she was in until the blood draw, which we did last. At the last pedes appointment, she got a shot (woe!) and had her ears lavaged out (so cool). Today, she keeps telling me that the doctors tickled her when they checked her glands at her neck. True, and I hope that's her big takeaway.

We're also changing her breathing treatments from nebulizer (which is effective like crazy) to inhalers, which is faster but less effective. I think this is the intervening weaning step.

AND she wore her speaking valve all medical time before the blood draw (why increase the volume for that?) and was great about it. Not panicking, and just really happy. We're bribing her with screen time to get it to work.