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 Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 8:43 pm
It had taken an age and a half for E'rik and Kallista to work out a schedule for the singing lessons he had promised her when they first met. This was mostly E'rik's fault. He had sacrificed his morning practices to run with the Greenrider, and was incredibly reluctant to lose his evening practices to her, too. What he'd ended up deciding was that he'd simply practice after their lessons together ended. He was used to going with little sleep, and that hadn't changed since he came to Ista, and this was easier than making significant changes to his schedule elsewhere. Skipping meals was really not an option with the rigorous training schedule all the Riders were kept to.
After supper, E'rik made his way to a previously-agreed upon location that he'd scouted out several months ago for his own practicing. The chamber was relatively small, but it had wonderful acoustics. Any sound rang clearly, but did not echo and did not really leave the confines of the room. It was ideal for music lessons, and E'rik wondered why the Weyr's Harper didn't use it to tutor the youth of the Weyr, but didn't question it too much. He was happy to have found a perpetually unoccupied space that was perfectly-suited to his needs.
In his mind, Daramulath complained about the indoors location: I can't hear you when you're inside. I want to know what goes on. I wasn't there when you were learning to sing. I want to know how you learned.
I learned the same way we learn to work in a Wing. Endless practice with heartless masters who call torture a skill-building exercise, E'rik said dryly. Really, it is not very different. Different muscles are sore at the end of the day.
Of course, there was the same joyful exhiliration of finally succeeding in singing a note pitch-perfect, and then a scale the same way, and finally being allowed to sing short phrases and eventually entire songs. That was a joy akin to flight. There was also the confounding frustration of being wrong over and over again, and told so with increasingly scathing terminology. All kinds of training were like that, E'rik assumed without bitterness. It was how the masters weeded out those who lacked the dedication for the business at hand.
He waited for Kallista and played the wooden fife he'd brought. He didn't play any particular tune, just a series of scales, major, minor, harmonic, and otherwise, working from the simplest to the most complex. His fingers were still limber and had no difficulty flying through the notes without conscious guidance. He'd chosen the pipes because they did not require tuning as his guitar did and because he had a spare set he could give to Kallista so that she could practice matching pitches on her own, if she felt like it.
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:02 pm
Why must you go inside to practice with Daramulath's? It's much nicer out here. Astarteth tried to wheedle her rider into staying with her. The green much preferred all of her rider's attention to be upon her. Grumbling from her ledge, she continued onward. You can at least be near a window.
Kallista rolled her eyes. She and E'rik had both been so busy lately. What with the Flu, having extra duties to help out around the Weyr and Astarteth becoming more and more demanding, Kallista had simply wondered if it was best to even forget about her singing lessons. She could not sing. The teen was almost positive about it. Many a times, even when just humming, there had been an outcry for her to just keep it to herself.
Though she did have to admit that in the middle of this Ista heat, being outside near the Lake or someplace with a breeze was very tempting. She had taken to wearing the simplest of garments lately. A white, sleeveless linen top and worn brown pants. Between the sun, the constant workout and puberty, Kallista was turning out to look quite nice. Her hair was now a much brighter copper red than normal. And E'rik was coming along nicely as well in their morning runs. He was able to keep pace with her and they were even up to two laps around the Bowl.
Just keep an open ear while I practice. Then I promise we will go for a flight somewhere, stretch your wings out a little for you. This is just another type of exercise. Kallista reassured her dragon.
A mental scoff but Kallista could feel their connection laid wide open. She entered the chosen room and saw the brown rider, who had become such a good friend, playing with some sort of flute thing. "Hello there! Not late am I?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2009 9:27 pm
Go play with Astarteth, E'rik recommended. Or eavesdrop if it's so important to you.
Daramulath sent him the telepathic equivalent of a withering look and flew from his weyr to the ledge where Astarteth was perched. He still was not good at talking to members of the opposite sex, particularly not Astar, but he would need a distraction from the fact that he was being excluded from his human's doings yet again. If nothing else, they could commiserate about how ill-treated they were by their humans.
"I don't think so," E'rik said amiably, standing up in the dimly lit chamber and moving to turn some more glows so that they could actually see each other without squinting. The one drawback to his perfect location was that it was dark. And there was little air circulation. So two drawbacks.
"Hello, by the way. Is Astarteth complaining as incessantly as Dara is about being excluded?" It was an unnecessary question, but it was conversation, and he was somewhat interested in her answer. Daramulath was usually easy-going, and rarely made demands on his rider, even though E'rik felt that his privacy was a fiction. He felt sorry for riders with more intrusive bondmates at times, though he knew they loved their dragons as he did Dara. More or less.
Outside, Daramulath attempted to strike up a conversation with his green clutchmate, beginning with the question, How long do you think this will take them?
He was hoping E'rik wouldn't go to bed too late. He had more stamina than most in his practice Wing, but that didn't mean he didn't appreciate sleeping when evening fell. He'd always felt obliged to remain awake while E'rik was, and sometimes that took its toll. E'rik seemed able to function on next-to no rest. Dara used to wonder if it was some failing on his part that made him unable to keep the same hours as his human, but he had ceased to worry about it. He didn't worry about much.
"Think fast," E'rik said, tossing a second instrument to Kallista in an underhanded throw which was slow enough she ought to be able to catch it if she did, indeed, think quickly.
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Posted: Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:42 pm
Astarteth immediately perked up with Daramulath settled next to her. Always one of her favorite dragons to see, she wrapped her tail prettily about her and regarded him with pleasant turquoise eyes. I have no idea. I can't see Kallista. And once she starts something, she can take a long time to finish.
Never mind the fact that a long time in the green's mind could be anywhere from five minutes to five hours. While hers was gone, it was a long time.
Kallista nodded at E'rik's question. She stepped further in the room only to have some strange instrument thrown at her. Grabbing instinctively at whatever it was, she fumbled it slightly but managed not to drop it. Giving her friend a strange look, she looked at the instrument, confused slightly as to what it was... "She has been complaining a lot lately about my being out of sight... What is this you have thrown at me?"
It looked like a flute? Or pipes? She honestly had no idea.
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Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:14 am
If the action would have been effective with dragon physiology, Daramulath would have rolled his eyes as he said with deep feeling, You have no/b] idea.
E'rik could spend hours tuning an instrument that sounded just fine to Daramulath. It was boring to listen to him make the guitar twang and plink over and over on what seemed to be the same note. That was just one for instance. E'rik also spent an inordinate amount of time inside the Records Hall reading histories of the Weyr and its denizens. Dara didn't understand why E'rik was so interested in the past, and couldn't see what was so interesting about pieces of hide, parchment, and paper bound or sewn together between leather covers. E'rik said this was because he, Daramulath, couldn't read.
Do you think dragons can learn to read? Dara asked, thinking about all the different ways E'rik found to occupy himself without his dragon. Maybe if Dara could read E'rik would have more time to spend with him.
E'rik smiled appreciatively when Kallista caught the instrument he'd thrown to her. He wondered if Kallista had ever played Disc Toss. He'd been surreptitiously scouting around since he came to the Weyr, seeking people who had played the game, and the only people he knew had played it were those from the Hall, and he tended to avoid them, though he wasn't sure what prompted him to do that. He'd mostly been looking for male players, but he thought maybe he had been limiting himself. Just because there had been no female players at the Hall didn't mean there didn't have to be any at the Weyr.
"Wonder why that is," he remarked. "I can't say Dara complains any more than usual, and it's not so much that I'm out of is sight as I'm excluding him."
He turned around to face Kallista again and made his way to one of the benches that lined the room. There he sat cross-legged and pulled an instrument to match the one he'd tossed to her from the satchel he wore slung across his body. He held it up so that she could see it and explained, "These are pipes. The set you've got covers one scale top to bottom with the half steps in between. The nice thing about them is that they don't go out of tune unless you allow them to warp or otherwise damage their shape."
He put his set to his lips and played a C scale. Playing scales with pipes was actually fairly difficult because a person had to account for the half steps and couldn't just play from one side of the pipes to another, but he didn't intend for Kallista to play scales or anything, really, on the pipes. He just wanted her to use them for tuning and matching pitches.
"I don't expect you to actually play these. I just wanted you to have something that will always play the same note if you blow through the same pipe so that you can practice matching pitches. And recognizing notes, if you want to learn to do that." He closed his eyes and tried to remember his first serious lessons in singing. What youngsters learning Teaching Ballads were taught and what future Harpers were taught were very different. The youngsters were allowed to bellow to their hearts' content as long as the notes were generally correct and the words totally correct. Harpers learned much more.
"Before we do anything with the pipes, though, I'd like to hear what I'm working with. Would you sing through the first verse of the Duty Song for me?"
Why are you doing that? Daramulath asked.
So I can hear if she can sing on pitch, more or less.
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Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2009 10:16 pm
I know it takes forever when they run in the morning. And it is dull. I do not know why Kallista wants to make noises anyways. She does enough of that when she runs or eats.
Astarteth still did not understand her rider's need to be as skinny as a wherry or beast but if it made hers happy, she would only complain a little bit. She had taken to cleaning her claws when Daramulath asked her a question she didn't understand. I do not know. What's read?
"I think it's because though my life revolves around her, my whole life doesn't revolve around her. She is a little put out by it. Not only that but..." Kallista kinda stammered at this part. "Both she and Haanyath had been proddy and picking at each other."
She watched as E'rik played on the instruments he called pipes. Kallista vaguely knew what they were and what sounds they made... When traveling, it seemed like someone always had an instrument to play and make noise with... It was a nice feeling to sit around a fire and listen to others sing. Looking over at E'rik, she could almost understand how important the music was to him. "Do you think there was ever a time on Pern when there wasn't music? I was just thinking, no matter what hold or camp I was at... Someone was always singing or playing."
Kallista winced when E'rik said he wasn't going to have her play the pipes. Shards, she might actually sound better that way. Still, he was the teacher and she the student. Taking slow deep breaths from her diaphragm, the green rider started on the first verses.
"Oh, we must give honor to those dragons heed
In thought and in favor, in word and in deed
For our world will be lost or our world will be saved
From those dangers that are by the dragons braved.
Weaver and farmer and miner and smith
Tanner and herdsman, all lord holders with
Our harpers attuned to the lessons we learn-
Remember our duty to those who save Pern."
And she sounded terrible. Once she was told by someone who meant to stop her singing that she couldn't carry a tune in an iron pot to save her life. She tried really hard but it was quiet possible that Kallista was completely tone deaf.
Astarteth laughed mentally. The dragon would have been crying she was chuckling so hard. You sound like a dying beast!Shut up!
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Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 7:38 pm
E'rik almost wished he hadn't asked when Kallista mentioned that Astarteth and Haanyath were proddy. It wasn't really a topic he felt particularly comfortable discussing. It wasn't a problem he had to deal with as a Brownrider - thank Faranth! - and he could only compare it to that tetchy time of the month human females were subject to. He didn't think it was a comparison a wise man would voice though, and so he settled for a simple, "Ah."
"And I can't imagine there was ever a time without music. It's fairly essential to the human condition. Most of the best-loved songs are those with a beat that follows the rhythm of a human heart, for instance. And sometimes a melody can express a mood more comprehensively than words." That almost seemed like blasphemy, since E'rik enjoyed words and language so much, but it was a fairly undeniable fact that most people noticed the notes before they noticed the words, and he took just as much delight in singing beautiful nonsense syllables as he did in clever lyrics.
I like the noises E'rik makes when he makes music. They are very pleasant to listen to. He'd decided not to listen in on E'rik's lesson with Kallista because he was sulking, but if he had not come to that decision he would have been in an awkward situation, because Kallista's efforts at music bore no resemblence to E'rik's, and he would have felt obliged to make some sort of complimentary comment on her attempts.
Actually, E'rik was in that exact situation. His eyebrows twitched upward as Kallista sang, but otherwise his expression remained much as it had been when he first made his ill-considered request. He knew he had been spoiled by living among Harpers for so long, but he couldn't help wondering if Kallista's singing - if it could be called such - was really as bad as it seemed or whether it just seemed that way because he'd not listened to non-Harpers singing for about a full turn.
Are you hearing this? E'rik asked Daramulath.
I am not listening to you. If you wanted me to hear, I assume you would have chosen to hold your lesson in a place where I can be physically present, Dara replied sniffily.
You just asked me why I had her sing, E'rik pointed out.
Daramulath chose not to dignify E'rik's sensible answer with a response. Mostly because he couldn't think of one. E'rik knew this, but he allowed his dragon to preserve his dignity. Most other people he would have exploited, but Dara was already feeling left out, and E'rik didn't want to contribute to that. Theirs was not a situation dragons and their riders were supposed to end up in, and he shouldn't exacerbate it by baiting his dragon. Besides, he loved Dara enough to spare him the finer edge of his razor wit.
Reading is something E'rik does with pieces of paper and hide that are marked with ink. He gets information from the marks, I think. He gave the mental equivalent of a shrug.
E'rik took a moment to come up with a diplomatic response to Kallista's rendition of the Duty Song and finally came up with, "All right. That's a start. I feel obliged to ask, and please don't be offended, have you ever been placed vocally? Told what part you would do best singing, that is? High, low, that kind of thing?"
Some of what he'd heard might have come from the key she chose to start it. It didn't suit her voice, considering the song's range. Not that she'd stayed with her initial choice, but knowing where to pitch her musical efforts would probably be to her advantage. Many people tended to sing in whatever key and range they were most used to hearing, whether or not their own range was conducive to singing in it.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 6:43 pm
Oh. I wonder if that is how Kallista learns. Sometimes Haanyath's rider shows her stuff and she tells me about it. Not very interesting though. Astarteth finally managed to reply after she had had a good laugh at Kallista's squeaky noises. The green looked up, watching other dragons flying about and swooping down to eat.
Kallista was flushed when she finished her rendition of the Duty Song. The only good thing about her singing was that she did know how to breathe properly and didn't lose steam towards the end. Sitting down on a random stack of whatever, the green rider looked rather grumpy.
"No. The Station had harpers come through, of course. Twice a year, there was an older man who came to teach us our letters and the Ballads. Um... After a while, I was excused from singing. I was allowed to hit a drum to help everyone else keep time."
She looked sadly at the pipes in her hands. Lifting it up, she blew gently into the instrument and a fairly steady note came out. This made her hopeful but she waited for E'rik to say something.
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 10:56 am
Dara's gaze followed his clutchmates. She seemed to be a particularly glowy green lately. He felt like he ought to know whether that meant anything, but if it did the meaning eluded him for the time being. He didn't let it bother him. He remembered things that were important, and if this had been important, he would remember.
What kind of stuff? Daramulath asked, interested even if Astarteth wasn't. His human valued learning, and so he had tried to cultivate an appreciation for it, even when sometimes he just felt it was all human silliness. Who really needed to know so much?
Inside, E'rik perched with his legs crossed on a table, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands as he peered at Kallista. It had taken some courage for her to sing for him, knowing her own level of inexpertise and the degree to which he had been trained. He owed it to her to be as pleasant as he could manage to be. The sharp remarks he'd turned on his fellow apprentices for minor mistakes would not be made to her. He would have to be on his guard against them, though, and also their opposites, the complete and deliberate dismissal of someone too inept to bother with. Besides, she didn't laugh much at him when he finished their runs out of breath and sweaty.
"Then you've probably got a fine sense of rhythm," E'rik said. That didn't surprise him. When he ran he found himself counting and pacing his breaths and his footfalls. He imagined Kallista did similar things, though on an unconscious level. "And I know you've got decent breath support."
He fell silent as she played a note on the pipes he'd given her, listening critically to the sound. It was steady enough to support his earlier statement regarding her breathing, and gave him no cause to comment. It was good that he wouldn't have to teach her to get the pipes to make sound. That was a good thing. It had been a long time since he'd had to think about how to play the pipes. It'd been a long time since he'd had to think about how to sing, too, but that was different.
"All right. I'll probably start by placing you in a vocal range, then, so we can determine which notes you should never try to sing again." He smiled quickly as he realized that there was definitely a sting in his words. He was bad at curbing his tongue when it came to music.
He pulled his guitar out and tuned it quickly and a little imperfectly. The imperfection as a much a test for her as anything else. He wanted to know if she'd notice. He certainly did, though he kept his face impassive, not giving away that anything was amiss as he strummed a few testing chords. Nothing was horrifically off, but there were slight clashes to be heard. Feigning satisfaction, he plucked the C-string at middle C and then the next three notes in the scale working up.
"Would you sing that?" he asked.
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 4:33 pm
Astarteth continued to watch flight formations and random dragons. She had this strange urge to stretch her wings and challenge someone, anyone to a race. Maybe she would prod Haanyath later. That was always fun.
Huh? She tells me important things? This was a test of the green's memory. Unless it was urgent or important, the green rarely kept a thought in her mind. Blinking quickly, the green tried very hard to remember something that her rider had told her. Which Weyrs came first? How to care for itchy hide?
Kallista tried not to look downtrodden. And in a way, she was not surprised. She was actually pleased that E'rik had so much patience with her; it reminded her of their running sessions. Kallista did understand that practice made perfect... Or at least better. "Rhythm? How to keep time? Sure, I suppose so. That is one of the first things you learn when you run, how to keep time so you don't tire yourself out."
She tapped the pipes against her knee in a simple beat and grinned.
The teen winced when he mentioned they would figure out what notes she shouldn't sing. But only slightly. After all, better to admit what you are not good at than to keep pretending you were good and get mocked for it. Giving a slight smile to show that her feelings weren't hurt, she moved a bit closer to E'rik so she could pay very close attention to his...lesson.
When he pulled out the gitar, she watched closely as his hands did something with the knobs and strings. Kallista paid very close attention in case he asked her any questions later or it might come in handy for any reason. Little things could make a big difference. When he touched a few strings, they sounded quite nice if a little off. Not sure if she should say anything, Kallista counted her breathes and then tried to make her voice sound like the notes he plucked.
When she was through, Kallista looked over at E'rik and hoped that he was not ready to run from the room. "Any better?"
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Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2009 8:41 am
Dara stared at his clutchmate in some confusion. He had no idea what she was talking about suddenly. Was something wrong? Had he said something wrong? The latter was more likely. Without E'rik to help him navigate the vaguaries of the female mind, Dara had severe difficulties conversing with the opposite sex without making a fool of himself. He didn't want to appeal to E'rik for assistance, however, because E'rik was busy teaching Astarteth's human to make music and Dara knew from experience that E'rik really didn't like to be interrupted when he was making music for anything short of copious bleeding or a natural disaster.
I'm sorry? he said, partly asking for clarification but mostly apologizing for whatever it was he'd said that had brought about this unusual change in subject.
E'rik noticed Kallista's slight wince and said, "I didn't mean that as you probably think I did. Everyone has notes they simply shouldn't try to sing. For instance, I should probably avoid any note in a low female range because they come between my usual singing voice and my falsetto. Trying to sing there will damage my vocal chords and I'll sound awful. There are limits to what voices can do, no matter how well trained they are."
He listened as Kallista sang more or less the notes he'd played. She had a full voice, but she was definitely shaky when it came to the notes themselves, not quite getting them spot-on. He wasn't sure if that was because she hadn't the ear to hear or the voice to sing, though he would have to figure that out eventually. Either one could be learned with effort, but he wondered if it was worth it in Kallista's case. She was never going to be a Harper. Not with Astarteth tagging along. Daramulath was the same for him. He would never give Dara up, but he wished sometimes that he could return to Harper Hall at least long enough to walk the tables. He had been so close when he left, and even though he didn't practice as much, he'd still come so far. But that didn't bear thinking about.
"I've definitely heard worse," E'rik said firmly. "How about these notes?" He played the next four notes in the scale, still moving up.
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Posted: Thu Jul 23, 2009 8:57 pm
Astarteth felt a little silly. She turned her head a way and then tried to explain. I don't remember what she tells me. Maybe those things?
"I know you are not trying to be mean. I'm actually really happy that you are trying to teach me something so that maybe the next time I crack into a wineskin or get brave enough sing with others, I won't sound so bad." Kallista gave him a warm smile.
When he played the next set of notes a little bit higher, she knew she was getting into a zone that would more of a danger zone. Still, obediently, Kallista tried to match her voice and pitch to the higher notes. Those did not go as well as the first set... Not at all. When that torture was done, she coughed slightly. "I hope you don't want to go higher than that... I am not sure if I could go lower than the first scale either..."
Astarteth finally gathered herself together. The green did not like being flustered one bit. You remember what your rider tells you?
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Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2009 8:19 am
If Dara had been human he would have blushed at putting Astarteth in such a position. He was not good at this social interraction thing. Not at all. That wasn't true, he reminded himself. He just wasn't good at interacting socially with females. He got along just fine with males. In fact, most people said he was pleasant and easy to get along with. How embarrassing that he should be so inept when it came to the opposite sex. And he genuinely liked Astarteth, too.
Kallista's good-natured acceptance of his off-handed sharpness actually made E'rik feel more guilty. His thoughts echoed his dragon's for a few moments while he wondered how it could be that he was unable to curb his tongue around people he liked while he could be perfectly polite and pleasant to people he cordially despised. Mentally he sighed and reached for Daramulath to provide a distraction from his self-flagellation and found his dragon in similar straits. Wonderful.
Tell her she's right, E'rik advised his dragon. That was usually the safest course of action with any female. One didn't have to be sincere. Just convincing. And if the opportunity presents itself reveal some minor flaw. It makes them feel like they have some sort of power over you to know you're imperfect.
Thank you, Dara replied fervently. As far as he was concerned, E'rik knew everything, and he would have been surprised to learn that E'rik was, at present, feeling like quite the idiot. To Astar Dara said vaguely, You're right. Those things.
"I wouldn't worry. By the time people start singing they're mostly in no state to notice the quality of their companions' voices." At least such had been his experience by and large.
Yes. She definitely wasn't a soprano. Not that there were too many sopranos beyond the first part who could sing the top notes he'd played for her anyway, but he'd had to check. "No. After that we get into ranges that are only hit by firelizards and very annoying sopranos. I'm fairly sure you'll be able to go lower, though. At least four notes from the starting pitch."
He played the notes for her, C-B-A-G, descending this time. He was fairly certain she'd end up being a mezzo-soprano, but a sense of duty forced him to be thorough. This time as she sang he watched how she breathed, making sure she was breathing correctly. He'd taken it for granted that she would know how to breathe because she was a runner, but there were differences between simply circulating air and using it to sustain notes.
Dara was surprised and pleased that an opportunity like E'rik had described presented itself so neatly, and was quick to respond, I try to, but usually I don't. I think the only reason I remember at all is because my mind works slowly, so it forgets slowly.
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 1:07 pm
Astarteth was happy that the conversation was turning back to something she could handle. The green turned back to her companion and responded in a much better mood. Your mind can not be so slow. It remembers me.
She said this in a most teasing tone.
Kallista, in the meanwhile, was relaxing and enjoying her time with E'rik. She never had many friends. Duty prevented that. And even now, in the Weyr, her duties and heart lay with Astarteth. But there was a small handful of people she considered close friends and he was one of them. Opening her ears and listening, she paid attention to the next notes he played.
Wrinkling her nose, Kallista nodded. "Okay. That shouldn't be too hard. And yeah, I don't get into the wine too often... But when I do, I have been told I am a different person. I am not sure I like that."
Taking a breath and trying to keep it even, she did the next score and didn't sound too much better.
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Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 3:50 pm
Dara was thrilled that his human's gambit had worked. He wanted to tell E'rik of his success, but that would mean turning his attention away from his clutchmate and he wasn't sure that would be a good idea, even briefly. She might decide to be not-pleased again and he was fairly certain she would notice if he kept using the same ploy to placate her. At least for as long as he remembered what to say. Maybe her shorter memory would make it so she wouldn't remember what he was doing for as long as he did?
You'd be difficult to forget, Daramulah replied, unwittingly gallant. I don't think you'd let anyone forget you.
E'rik was listening to Kallista and nt to his dragon, or else he might have stopped Dara before the brown added that last part. He spent a few moments trying to decide how to phrase his next question so that it wouldn't sound insulting. Finally he decided not to make it a question at all, but rather to make it into a statement that she could contradict if it proved untrue. This way he would be assuming the best, rather than implying that she was at fault for how she sounded. It was, of course, her fault, but only because it was her body and her voice. Which was rather like blaming a person for being thin or fat. Technically it was their fault, but there was only so much that could be done about it.
"You're able to hear the differences between the pitches. It's really just a matter, I think, of practicing matching them. For that I think the pipes will serve you well. If you just blow a note through the pipes and then try to make your voice sound like that note. I know it sounds stupid, but it helps train your ear to listen for subtle tonal differences and train your voice to replicate them. It's the same thing, basically, as when you mimic an instructor."
He hadn't done that when he was training, but he'd not sounded like Kallista when he was training either. He'd been lucky. Not that it made much difference at this point. He could never go back and finish his Harper training, much as he might like to. Sometimes, deep in his heart, he resented Dara for that, but then he would quickly smother the resentment, reminding himself that he'd probably still be stricken with stage fright if Dara hadn't Impressed to him, and that he was doing greater things as a Dragonrider than he would have done as a Harper, and didn't he love flying?
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