THE SAGA CONTINUES... One more time there is a successful and entertaining story of our former voice repair client, Todd ORLANDO Perusini
In January 2008, I picked up a phone call from a person who called himself "Orlando".
Right away, I was curious to know if that was his real name or, perhaps, a stage name...? Nevertheless, this person assured me that it was his real name and also added that his mother was, in fact, very creative - and thus, gave him such a name.
Orlando spoke with me with a quite raspy and hoarse voice and he told me that he just visited an ENT (he called me from Mexico, where he usually spends his winter time) and revealed that, while there, he had been told that he had a one-millimetre nodule on one of his vocal cords. With that diagnosis, he was suggested immediate vocal surgery.
On this note, Orlando placed a call to me - during which he was quite inquisitive (reminded me of a KGB interrogation). Surprisingly enough, with all the desperation, he seemed to be not in a hurry to make a commitment to come to Toronto to attend my course and treatment.
He, however, placed another call in a short while and still was even more inquisitive... After spending a good 40 minutes on the phone with him (for the second time), I said: "I can only spend so much time per individual, and therefore, I will not be prepared to spend 40 more minutes with you on the phone for the third time...?"
Then he, right away, said: "I will come for just 10 hours to see how it goes."
I said: "Fine. Come and see and I guarantee you that you will be begging me for more."
So Orlando had arrived on February 3rd (my birthday) of 2008. My friend took me out of town for that day to celebrate my birthday. Somewhere between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm, I got a voice message from a person who named himself Todd and who was advising me that he arrived in Toronto for his voice repair course and treatment. It puzzled me for a bit, as I was expecting a person named Orlando... I finally called him to his hotel room and, sure enough, it was his voice - raspy and hoarse.
I asked him though if he was the same person as Orlando...?
He said: "Of course it is. It is my stage name".
If you remember, my reader, he said that his mother was very creative and thus named him Orlando. Only then, speaking with him over the phone, I found out that he was also an aspiring singer... Go figure!
Meanwhile, on my Birthday, there was a snowstorm at night - and thus all the highways were closed. So there was no way for my friend and I to come back to Toronto that night. Early morning, we were able to leave the place and headed to Toronto. On February 4th, 2008, our first session with Orlando was scheduled.
Meanwhile, Orlando was staying in some unknown downtown Toronto hotel and was insisting on taking the TTC "come hell or high snow"...LOL. So our journey had begun! He was scheduled to be with me for two-and-a-half days to accomplish his 10-hour introductory course and natural herbal treatment.
On day number 2, after 6 hours of instruction and treatment, during our break, I told him about the Doctor of ENT who, sometimes, used to attend to some of my clients - if they wished to do so. Orlando (Todd) became really interested in getting a, so to speak, the second opinion from a real ENT specialist. Dr. Swartsburg (who is, unfortunately, now deceased) examined my "doomed" client and said: "Your nodule is very small. It is less than half a millimetre. So no surgery will be needed". If you remember, my reader, a couple of days before Orlando arrived to us, he was diagnosed with a millimetre (quite big) nodule on his vocal cord and thus was suggested an immediate operation.
With that said, the doctor, Orlando and I, came to the conclusion that within 6 hours of my instruction, coupled with some herbal treatment, his nodule began to shrink.
Given all that, Orlando exclaimed: "Diana, can I stay for the next 10 hours please?"
I said yes and had to give him those next 10 hours (20 hours in total) within 3 days, as I had to disrupt my whole schedule in order to accommodate it. I said: "Orlando, I told you so. You will be asking me for more!" I was mainly working on his speaking voice - to lift his voice off of the vocal box and off of the vocal cords in order to remove the harmful pressure of the sound from his vocal anatomy. The singing, I had touched very little due to the lack of time. That is why the protocol, especially for singers, is a minimum of 30 hours for instruction and natural herbal treatment.
In May of 2008, I was travelling to Europe and to the Middle East and stopped in Amsterdam. At 3 am of their local time, I got a phone call and it was from Orlando. Nonetheless, I was woken up by his phone call, but mostly by his quite loud, clear and well-announced and pronounced voice. He said that he was practicing in syllables (everywhere and anywhere) and he could not be happier with the result. On this note, I started to laugh because he started doing the above already in Toronto - driving all of my associates (whom he had been put in contact with) completely crazy... LOL. But it served him right and, as far as all parties were concerned, the mission was accomplished! Orlando was determined to get cured and he had gotten his wish!
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Now, in November 2017, on the way to the Nissan dealership, (to trade my hit-by-deer-Volkswagon), I got a call. That was Orlando - (almost 10 years later, after our last conversation). He expressed huge gratitude and told me that he came up with a CD and he also said that his speaking voice, as well as his singing voice, was also up to par. He said that I saved his life, his career as a real estate agent, his relationship and his huge passion for music and singing. He also said that he was presently singing in two bands and thinking of coming out with another CD.
All the rest, my dear reader, you can see below for yourself.
One more success story of a mature-aged man who is definitely young at heart and whose spirit will never die!
2023 UPDATE!
I last communicated with Todd Orlando 6 Years ago, but we originally met, as you already know, in 2008, 15 years ago!
That was when Todd came to us initially for just 10 hours of instruction coupled with natural herbal treatment.
However, the next day he upgraded it to 20 hours to treat his vocal nodule.
So within 20 hours, the non-surgical voice repair program was complete.
All the rest is a credit to him, as he was working hard on his speaking and also, singing voice.
Unfortunately, I was not able to fit in any singing lessons for Todd within the 5 days which we had spent together.
His speech became completely perfect and, again, to his credit, he applied it to the best of his knowledge, the Vocal Science Technique to his singing.
And now, he came out with a second album "Roots, Rock, N' Rhythm", somewhat revised the songs he had already sung, but also offered us 4 bonus songs.
Those are numbers 13-16
We just got this revised album in our hands and never really had the time to listen to it yet.
But we will and we will give him and you guys our honest opinion.
Meanwhile, Todd Orlando is welcoming anyone to contact him (currently in Mexico) for reference on Diana Yampolsky's work and on his songs, if you are interested in any or just would like to speak to him.
P.S. Orlando is very fond of me, as you obviously all can see, but unfortunately, he did not invite me to the studio with him to record vocals (and firstly, actually to take singing lessons prior to doing it).
I can assure you that the production of both CDs would, vocal speaking, definitely be better, as I spent close to 40 years in all the top studios in Toronto, London UK, Los Angeles, CA, to name a few and, nevertheless, was accredited (by the common opinion), that I am truly a one and only Vocal Producer, who could do wonders (in studios and wherever else needed), even with the complete rookies in the field...
"Diana, I'll never forget you. Thank you." - Orlando
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