Vocally Speaking… What Actually Are You Looking For? Is it, by any chance, an all-inclusive resort and/or travel advisory agency? LET’S FIND OUT!
Why are you asking these questions, and what exactly does the title mean… you might wonder, my reader?
The answer is:
We are getting quite peculiar questions from our perspective clients a few times a day every day.
People are calling us and asking if, during their course and treatment we will provide them with room & board, meals, transportation, a laundromat nearby, a cheap rental car and what have you…?
Firstly, we were very surprised and even somewhat humoured by the above questions and expectations of our prospective clients.
Today, we are actually getting used to it…
How sad is that?
In a real sense, it is actually pretty unfortunate because those people are not even joking.
They actually do truly believe that the above-described is the absolute minimum that we will have to provide them with…?
However, as “funny” as it sounds, it still never ceases to amaze us.
In fact, our setup is very far from it…
However, we can easily advise you on the number of hours of flying or even driving to us from anywhere in North America since we have received people practically from every state of the United States for nearly 40 years of our existence.
To date, throughout those 40 years, we serviced (from all over the world) an estimated amount of at least 30,000 people (taught in person and privately by us) who went through our doors…
The above is not to count the group workshops and seminars conducted nationally and internationally.
Since 1984… WE ARE The Royans Professional Vocal School, Division of The Royans Institute for Non-Surgical Voice Repair.
And even (we ourselves have to say) that ANY of the courses which we have been conducting (especially concerning any voice repair sessions) are definitely “not a picnic” (by any stretch of any wildest imagination)!
Thus they want to bring their whole family with them, not realizing they are coming for very hard work to fix and restore their voice non-surgically.
In fact, all of our sessions are extremely intense, as our prominent Toronto Star newspaper, rightfully so (in their article Not As Easy As It Sounds, written in 1999) said, “It is definitely not for the faint of heart”.
I, “sadly”, added, “And definitely not for the people with below-average IQ…”
In the not-very-distant past, we had quite a few Jewish people coming to us from Brooklyn, New York, who were very religious and were asking us to find them a Synagogue… In the mostly Catholic city of Newmarket, Ontario…
Go figure!
And believe it or not, our senior manager Jamie McKay, actually discovered that Newmarket indeed had a Synagogue!
We, in turn, happily advised our Jewish-American clients that we have a Synagogue for them to go to pray 3 times a day (as they advised us that it has to be done that often and no less).
However, when they arrived and I started my sessions with them (some of them were Cantors, Rabbis or just religious Synagogue goers) they realized that they had absolutely no time to go to the Synagogue, and moreover, no physical strength to do so…
I usually run two sessions a day of 2-2.5 hours duration each, with a break for lunch or dinner depending on the time of the day those sessions were conducted.
When I asked them if they were planning to leave for the Synagogue, they said, in a clear but soft, tired, voice, “No Diana…I am too exhausted to go anywhere right now… I’d rather stay here and pray in your studio if it is ok”.
That was mainly at a time when I temporarily worked at my ex-in-laws mansion located in Mount Albert, Ontario.
So the clients occupied their space for our sessions, as well as for their prayers.
I think my German Catholic relatives at the time, nearly were ready to convert to Judaism LOL.
Then practically around the same time, we had received a student from San Fransisco who was quite a renowned scientist.
However, he really was eager to find out if he could become a singer, because of his parents who were professional singers, but, for whatever reason, they had never allowed him to sing a note…
Before arriving in Toronto, he planned to visit all kinds of bars, restaurants and events at night after the sessions would be over with me, and even stayed at an Airbnb right downtown (which was located over an hour away from Mount Albert, ON, North of the city).
Throughout those sessions, I had been asking him how his evening outings were going.
He said, “Diana, if only… I was so tired and exhausted by the time I was coming home that I could only go to sleep. I was sometimes even missing dinner.”
I’m afraid to say, but, evidently, his parents were right as my doomed student, in my opinion, had absolutely no singing talent whatsoever.
However, I, myself, certainly do have a talent and am able to instill at least a part of my talent in practically anyone (even the most hopeless speakers and/or singers).
So my student left very pleased with my talent and my skill, but, with the full realization that he, himself, actually did not have much talent to sing and/or perform.
On that note, he said, “Thank you Diana, I now know why my parents were withholding from me their singing craft. They knew that I had a scientific talent and, all my life, they were guiding me into that field. Moreover, during the time that I’ve spent with you, I definitely realized that I should not be quitting my daytime job.”
We have told you quite a bit…
For the record, there are many more relevant stories that are yet to come your way (if you’d like).
However, you can always unsubscribe from our newsletters if you feel that it is too much for you to comprehend.
And if so, we will understand…
Stay tuned and do not go away too far!
Please be advised that this is not a commercial…
Those are true stories that actually occurred!
DISCLAIMER: If your sense of humour is not exactly intact or does not match ours, please do not judge us and read it at your own discretion (or not…).
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