Descriptions of Three Characters from the Land of Faelan

Descriptions of Three Characters from the Land of Faelan,

A Mystical Country that Harbors both Good and Evil

The Evil Sorcerer, Kaedman:

            Kaedman, though very powerful, is a very old, frail man.  His physical form is stooped and always shrouded in a black robe tied with a silken cord of the same color and a heavy, black, velvet-like cloak fastened with a simple silver clasp around his throat.  His face is ghastly pale with paper thin skin.  His hair is long, thin, and completely white, almost blending in with his neck.  His nose is as pointy as a dagger, and his large mouth is drawn down in a permanent grimace.  His eyes are the most commanding feature in his cold face.  They are abnormally large orbs on either side of his nose.  Their color cannot be discerned, for one moment they are black, the next moment their cloudy depths change to a grayish-blue or green.  Yet the hue of Kaedman’s eyes has two constant characteristics.  When he whispers his commands or commits an evil act, the shade of his eyes grows as dark as a cold midnight sky.  When his anger is aroused, their hue changes to a grotesque dark green with brief flashes of yellow light that glimmer through their foggy depths.  He moves in an agonizingly slow manner.  His soft, black slippers allow him to shuffle along, shrinking it seems ever nearer to the ground with every step.  His cloak billows softly as he walks, stirring the air and leaving the scent of approaching death in the nostrils of all whom he passes.

The Light-Hearted Lorien:

            The beautiful Princess Lorien is the unfortunate prisoner of the evil Kaedman.  Lorien has a lovely, slender form and creamy skin, flushed with healthy color.  Her face is heart shaped, with a small rosy mouth which spreads into a soft smile when she laughs.  Her eyes are an unusual deep turquoise color and are framed with long, dark eyelashes.  Her thick, shiny auburn tresses curl around her face and then fall in wavy folds down to her waist.  Lorien wears a simple dress with a bodice of royal blue velvet and a gauzy skirt of azure.  Her crown has no jewels or precious stones, but is made purely of silver and forms an intricate band of silver vines and flowers around her head.  Her petite pink slippers leave her free to flit about more like a butterfly than a princess.  Her light step seems to be always in danger of developing into a dance.  Her laugh is both infectious and unpretentious, and the light in her eyes when she is joyful makes you catch your breath for the beauty of young innocence.

The Fairy Aeria:

            The soul of the evil Kaedman is put into the unfortunate Aeria and she becomes possessed with evil.  The once lovely features of her face are now twisted into a cold, unresponsive mask.  Her rosy cheeks and lips are faded to white and her mouth is pulled down like that of the sorcerer.  Her fair hair no longer shines with health.  Her pale pink dress and shoes are tattered and dirty, and her once astoundingly gorgeous wings of glittering gold are stripped from her shoulders, leaving only a few silken shreds trailing from her back.  Aeria moves in sharp and quick movements of her legs.  The only other limbs that move are her arms, which often spring up to her chest with her fingers curled into claws, tearing at the neckline of her dress.  The only sign of real life or goodness comes from her eyes.  Her hazel eyes, shining with light, look the same as always, showing that she is not completely overcome by evil.

Mystery of the Phantom Horse

            “I’m so sorry to hear that!”  Jack and Brooke pressed their ears to the crack in the door.  Their mother continued, “Yes, I completely understand.  I’ll tell the kids.  I’m sure they’ll be more than happy to help.”  Mrs. Hall hung up and continued washing the dishes.  “I know you were listening!” she called to Jack and Brooke.  “I don’t think your uneventful sleepover with Ethan is going to happen after all.  His mother just called and said that this strange phantom horse has been showing up at their ranch during the past week.” 

“Really?” Brooke exclaimed, “But that’s so exciting!  Maybe we could help figure out what’s going on!”  Mrs. Hall smiled knowingly.  “What about you, Jack?”  “Sure,” said Jack, “as long as we can bring Scout and extra snacks.  Scout was a great help when we solved the mystery of my missing socks.  He sniffed them out right away!”  “Typical teenage boy,” Brooke groaned, “always thinking with your stomach.”  “I’ll pack you plenty of extra food,” said Mrs. Hall, “you guys go call Ethan’s mom back.” 

Thus the two young detectives set off to offer their services to their friend.  Ethan was delighted to see them.  “Mom’s really freaking out.  The phantom comes every night without fail and drives our horses crazy.  The whole house has been thrown into chaos.”  “When does the phantom usually come?” asked Brooke.  “Always right at seven, after we’ve finished dinner.”  “Oh, speaking of dinner…”Jack said eagerly.  “Can we wander towards the kitchen while we’re talking?  Scout and I are starving.”  “Sure thing, mate,” said Ethan.  The three friends and Scout headed down the hall to the kitchen.

           

            “Oh, by the way…I almost forgot!  I have something here which should help us get started.”  Ethan pulled out an old folded piece of paper.  “It’s a letter that my Mom found in a chest of drawers in the second bedroom upstairs.”  Brooke and Jack opened the letter carefully.  The message was addressed to “Dear Joyce,” from “Your Tom.”  “Listen!” exclaimed Brooke.  “Tom said that he was leaving his money to Joyce, and he’ll show her at their usual meeting place when she shows him the light…”  “Shows him the light?” wonders Jack.  “Do you know who these people are?”  Brooke turned to Ethan.  “Yes actually,” he answered.  “Joyce was my great-grandmother.  She had this romance going on with Tom who was an outlaw on the run.  Obviously, Joyce’s parents didn’t approve so the couple met in secret.  I’m pretty sure they met in this house late at night, but the whole house was searched and the money hasn’t been found.”

            The friends stepped into the kitchen and two men came up to them.  “This is Bert, who helps a lot with the horses, and Sam, who is our excellent cook.  Greetings were exchanged and everyone sat down to eat.  “I’m surprised you kids decided to come, even with this phantom running around,” said Bert.  “I’m figuring that we’ll all have to move out if it keeps showing up.”  “Is Johnny watching for it outside?” asked Ethan.  “Yep, he can’t wait to see the phantom.  He thinks that he’ll be the one to catch it,” said Bert.  “Johnny is 16 and really mean,” explained Ethan, “but he’s handy to have around so….” 

“Look!” yelled Bert, jumping up from the table.  The floor creaked loudly as everyone except Sam scrambled outside.  There it was…the phantom horse.  The huge white stallion glowed with a fierce light and ran among all the horses, scattering them and almost starting a stampede.  Bert and Johnny were whooping and yelling, trying to herd the horses together again.  “Scout!  Hey, Scout, come back!” Jack suddenly shouted at his dog.  Scout had shot out of the kitchen and was sprinting after the phantom stallion.  “He’s catching up to the animal!” shouted Ethan.  Scout ran up alongside the phantom and sank his teeth into it.  The horse didn’t stop and both the phantom and the dog disappeared into the trees.  “Scout!” Jack called.  “Scout?”  The dog vanished.  Everyone joined in the search for Scout, but it was no use.  “He was an ugly dog anyway,” muttered Johnny.  “It’s a shame he didn’t catch the phantom though.” 

Distraught, the kids returned to the house where Sam was washing the dishes.  “Don’t worry.  I’m sure your dog will turn up,” said Sam comfortingly.  Jack walked over to the window by the sink, the floor creaking with every step, and he looked towards the woods longingly.  He noticed a funny hook stuck in the wall above the window.  “Hey, what’s this?” asked Brooke.  She knelt down next to the window and pointed at a glowing white spot of paint next to a large crack on the floor.  The siblings looked at each other for a minute.  “I think I’ve just seen the light,” whispered Brooke.  Suddenly the two announced that they were feeling tired and pulled a slightly confused Ethan upstairs. 

Late that night Ethan woke up and heard some very loud shouting coming from the kitchen.  Ethan bolted down the stairs.  “Did you catch somebody?  Please tell me it’s Johnny!”  He skidded to a halt.  “What the…?”  Jack and Brooke were trying to pry Scout off of Sam’s arm.  Ethan stared at Scout, not believing his eyes.  The dog’s teeth were glowing in the dark!  “Wicked!” exclaimed Ethan as Jack and Brooke finally broke the dog’s hold. 

Ethan’s mom and Johnny arrived on the scene.  “What is going on?”  “I’m afraid Sam and Bert are the guilty men, ma’am.  Sam was trying to cover up this evidence,” explained Brooke.  “He and Bert have been using the phantom horse as a diversion so they could smuggle your grandmother’s money out of the house.  I found the trapdoor into the secret passage because the spot of white paint was next to the sealed door.”  “But where is the money?” asked Ethan.  “It’s in this secret compartment right here at the beginning of the passageway,” said Jack.  “When Joyce and Tom wanted to meet, Joyce would hang a lantern on this hook by the window.  Tom would then come through the passageway from a hideout in the woods and see her.  Unfortunately, Tom died before he could tell Joyce exactly where the compartment of money was.” 

“Why wouldn’t the guys do this at night instead of creating this whole phantom horse thing?” asked Johnny sullenly.  “The floor creaks too loudly,” said Brooke.  “Sam and Bert had to take a chance tonight in order to check on Scout and clean up their mess.”  “I just have one more question,” said Ethan.  “Why was Scout dognapped?”  “Phosphorous paste,” said Jack.  “It made the phantom horse glow.  When Scout bit the horse, the paste rubbed off on his teeth.  Bert and Sam didn’t want us to see him.”  “I still can’t believe that the phantom isn’t real!” groaned Johnny.  “Hey Johnny,” said Ethan’s mom, “do you think you could help us nab Bert in the woods?  He’ll be at the end of the passageway where the ‘phantom horse’ was kept.”  “He probably already ran for it,” said Johnny.  “Not on the phantom because it might still glow in the dark,” continued Ethan’s mom.  “You can take the phantom on the chase.  Bert couldn’t have gone far, and you can keep the phantom as a reward if you catch the criminal.”  “I’m on it, ma’am!” yelled Johnny, grinning in excitement.  He shot down the tunnel.  “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him smile,” said Ethan.  Jack and Brooke laughed.  “Well, another mystery solved,” sighed Brooke, “I can’t wait until the next one!”  “Can we at least have a snack before you go hunting for more trouble?” asked Jack.  “You’d better hurry up,” said Ethan, pushing a plate of lemon bars towards Jack.  “Mysteries just seem to find you guys.” 

Jack dug in while Ethan’s mom went to answer the phone ringing in the next room.  She came back a couple of minutes later.  “That was your mom,” she announced.  “She got a call from Italy.  Something about a Loch Ness Monster and stolen jewels.”  Jack choked on his lemon bar, spraying powdered sugar.  “Another mystery?!!” Jack and Brooke exclaimed together.  “Yes, what do you think?” asked Ethan’s mom, “oh, and I’m supposed to tell you, Jack, that free food is included.”  “Free food???” whispered Jack, speechless.  “I believe that is a definite ‘yes’ from both of us,” Brooke laughed.

The Call of the Sea

The crash of the waves upon the beach

The restless rustle of the wind through the palms

The cry of the sea which I must seek

For this is how the great deep calls

“Come to me! Come to me!”

The powdery white sand is beneath my toes

The emerald green waters are before my eyes

The scent of misty, salt air fills my nose

But the mysterious deep is not satisfied

“Come to me! Come to me!”

Clouds gather – billowing and dark

I fear, suddenly, to be so bold

For now, the sea demands, thunderous and cold

“Come to me! Come to me!”

I quake and falter, but “No! Away!”

I run and stumble to a small, damp cave

I lay still and silent, though my head throbs with pain

For the sea still moans and calls through the rain

“Come to me! Come to me!”

The Hope of Mr. Rochester

“Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!”  The clattering of my horse’s hooves fills my ears.  “Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!”  The louder the din, the more dark thoughts are chased from my mind.  If only such thoughtless bliss could last, for every turn of this lane brings me closer to my destination.  Every twist and bend in the road shows me more familiar landmarks.  Finally only one hill remains.  When I gain the summit, I will see my home.  Home!  As if the cursed house deserved that title.  Dark thoughts will again threaten to cloud my mind when my eyes fall upon the battlements of Thornfield Hall. 

Suddenly, my horse slipped on the sheet of ice covering the road, and we both went down.  Swearing rather violently, for the deuce of a horse had caused me to sprain my ankle, I vigorously endeavored to right myself and the horse.  “Are you injured, sir?”  I glanced up to see a young woman who I had passed on the road.  “Can I do anything?” she persisted.  “You must just stand to one side,” I answered her.  I was sure that she could be of no help to me.  Indeed, I was able to re-establish my horse, though when I stooped to feel my leg and foot I had to sit on a nearby stile.  They were causing me considerable pain.  The woman again drew near and offered to fetch help from Thornfield Hall or from Hay.  I declined the offer, sure that she would now leave me and go about her business. 

She watched me for a moment, then announced “I cannot think of leaving you, sir, at so late an hour in this solitary lane till I see you are fit to mount your horse.”  Surprised, I studied her countenance for the first time.  Her face showed her to be perhaps in her twenties, young but rather plain.  While her countenance was not beautiful, it was also not vain or proud.  There was a freshness about her, a purity in her expression that I had not encountered before.  “I should think you ought to be at home yourself,” I answered, “if you have a home in this neighbourhood.  Where do you come from?”  She answered, “From just below,” and once again offered to run to Hay for me as she was heading there to deliver a letter.  Could this be, I thought.  Aloud I said, “You live just below – do you mean at that house with the battlements?”  I pointed to Thornfield Hall.  “Yes, sir,” she replied.  How is this possible, I wondered?  I decided to examine her.  “Whose house is it?”  “It is Mr. Rochester’s.”  “Do you know Mr. Rochester?”  “No, I have never seen him.”  “He is not resident then?”  “No.”  “Can you tell me where he is?”  “I cannot.”  Puzzled, I observed, “You are not a servant at the hall, of course.  You are – “  I stopped, running my eyes over her simple though neat attire, hoping for a clue.  Thankfully, she was willing to help me.  “I am the governess,” she explained.  “Ah, the governess!” I exclaimed. 

Well, I surmised, since this is an intelligent woman whom I am paying a considerable sum I believe I should put her to good use.  Accordingly I said, “I cannot commission you to fetch help, but you may help me yourself, if you will be so kind.”  She answered in the affirmative.  “Try to get hold of my horse’s bridle and lead him to me.  You are not afraid?”  As I watched her endeavors to catch the beast, I could see that she was afraid of being trampled.  The scene was rather diverting actually – the small young governess trying to tame my spirited mountain of a horse.  At last I laughed, saying, “I see the mountain will never be brought to Mahomet, so all you can do is to aid Mahomet to go to the mountain.  I must beg of you to come here.”  She came.  “Excuse me,” I continued, “necessity compels me to make you useful.”  Leaning on her shoulder, I managed to limp to my horse who responded at once to my touch.  After springing into the saddle, I directed her to hand me my whip, which she did.  “Thank you.  Now make haste with the letter to Hay, and return as fast as you can.”  I spurred my horse on, and we were away. 

The dreaded Thornfield Hall was still before me, but my horrific past no longer threatened to invade my mind.  This young woman’s presence had brought me hope.  Her character seemed both intelligent and innocent.  She had struck my heart with delight, and I was sure that she would continue to do so.

Performing Arts and Competition Workshops-Piano Agendas

                                            Piano-First Workshop

Choosing a song:

Correct length per Job’s Daughter competition guidelines and showcases your skill

The Metronome:

When and how to use the metronome as you practice

Warming Up:

Always warm-up before you compete. If you ask permission, the judges will allow you to quickly warm-up before you begin. This also gives you the chance to test out a piano that you have probably not played on before.  (Stretch out your hands and wrists, play a few scales, etc.)

How to Sit:

How far away to sit from the keys

Sit forward on your seat. (This gives you the ability to lean into the keys to produce more volume.)

Have good posture-don’t hunch over the keys.

Tempo and Dynamics:

How to decide on an appropriate and doable tempo

How and when to vary the dynamics in a song

  

                       Piano-Second Workshop

Different Styles of Piano Music:

Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Contemporary periods

Different composers and their styles

Expression:

When and how you can use vibrato

Playing with the tempo and dynamics

Portraying the mood of the song

When and how to use the pedals

What Judges Are Looking For:

Reference sample Job’s Daughter competition score sheets.

Practice:

Note: You need to decide if you are going to play a whole song for the workshop performance. If not, you will need to figure out an appropriate cut with your coaches.

Note: These agendas were for workshops I hosted to help me earn my Girl Scout Gold Award (an 80 hour service project). If you participated in these workshops, please leave a comment so I'll know you were here. Thank you!

~Brianna :-)

Performing Arts and Competition Workshops-Vocal Agendas

                              Vocal-First Workshop

Choosing a song:

Correct length per Job’s Daughter competition guidelines

Theme or character you can relate to

Suits your vocal range and the quality of your voice

Finding your vocal range

Where to find karaoke music:

How to use Amazon or WalMart.com:  Search for the title of the song + karaoke (example – “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Karaoke”)and download an mp3 file to your computer (usually costs about $0.99 – will need a credit card to purchase). 

How to burn the music to a cd using your computer.

Note: I don’t recommend singing acapella. You can pull it off if you know the song extremely well, but you’ll sound better with music virtually every time.

Sheet Music:

How many copies and/or original copies do you need for the judges?

Where to find sheet music – we use MR Music on Dorsett near 270 or Shattinger’s which is off Broadway close to Anheuser-Busch Brewery.  We usually call them first and ask if they have the music and then, if they do, ask them to hold 1 or 2 copies of it (depending on how many we need for competition) in our name.

What to Wear:

Wearing a costume to match your character (For example: You and a friend could wear Glinda and Elpheba costumes for your “For Good” duet.)

Comfortable yet professional look- Jobie appropriate semi-formal attire (Don’t wear heels unless you can walk comfortably in them.)

Poise While Performing:

How to stand-using good posture

Support yourself (hold your stomach muscles) and open your chest.

Breath control-take deep breathes. Think about expanding your stomach instead of your chest as you sing.

Moving only when your character wants to

Where to focus your eyes (decide when you want to make eye contact with the judges).

                                           Vocal-Second Workshop

What to Eat Beforehand:

Eat healthy food, but no dairy products. Try not to eat immediately before you sing.

Drink lots of water!

Sick the Day of Competition?

Drink even more water.

Try drinking hot tea with honey or gargling salt water.

Don’t over practice-you’ll wear out your voice. However, warm-up like usual before you perform.

Humming as part of your warm-up might help if you have a nasal voice.

How to Warm-Up:

Scales, octaves, tongue twisters, etc. You want to warm-up your vocal chords and your tongue. Diction is as important as vocal range.

Sing through your song, preferably with your music so you can stay on pitch.

Practicing:

Try to breathe at a rest, during a pause in the lyrics, or at some other sensible place. Don’t breathe in the middle of a word or phrase.

Project your voice! Don’t let the size of the room dictate how much you project.

Stay in character and stay focused. Keep going if you mess up, and try not to fidget.

Enjoy yourself, and portray the message of the song.

Keep in mind what the judges are looking for.  Reference sample score sheets.

Note: You need to decide how much of your song you would like to perform at the workshop performance. If you are not ready to sing the whole song, maybe sing a verse and the chorus.

Note: These agendas were for workshops I hosted to help me earn my Girl Scout Gold Award (an 80 hour service project). If you participated in these workshops, please leave a comment so I'll know you were here. Thank you!

~Brianna :-)

Performing Arts and Competition Workshops-Sign Language Agendas

Sign Language-First Workshop

Choosing a song:

You need a song that has the correct length and a doable speed for signing.

Try to choose a song that you like and can relate to in some way.

Using aslpro.com:

How to use the provided word dictionary and videos

Picking Which Words to Sign:

Unfortunately, you usually don’t have time to sign every word in the lyrics. Normally you just leave out small words like “the”, “a”, or “and”. Verbs and nouns are important. Just try to keep the meaning of the song the same.

Nearer my God to Thee:

We are all going to learn “Nearer my God to Thee” because it’s sung and signed to often in Job’s Daughters. Besides it’s a beautiful song. J  Note: I have a video of myself signing “Nearer my God to Thee” on facebook. You can use that to help you when you’re practicing at home.

Practice

 

                 Sign Language-Second Workshop

Signing Fluently:

Try to move your arms and hands smoothly as you sign. Really feel the music.

Poise While Performing:

Have good posture, but don’t stand stiffly. If you like, you can move your body to the beat of the music-add your own style.

Expression:

Use your face and eyes to portray the mood of the song. You can also add a certain quality to your signing to go along with the style of the song. Your signs to a smooth, lyrical song should look different than your signs to a quick, upbeat song.

Practice  

Note: These agendas were for workshops I hosted to help me earn my Girl Scout Gold Award (an 80 hour service project). If you participated in these workshops, please leave a comment so I'll know you were here. Thank you!

~Brianna :-)