Singing underwater

i was passed a book recently that was an advanced reader copy and not for resale. i plowed through it quite happily as it was about a man who decides to go off on his own out into the Pacific. i love ocean going saga's and although this was fiction it had to create an environment surrounded by water that was also believable. So the story was one i knew i could fold into, but the title was "The Plover" which was what initially made me reach for it.

Many sentences from "The Plover" stayed with me and i quite enjoyed the book; but you know how sometimes when you read there will be a set of words that won't let go? Well "singing underwater" would not leave me alone

Last week the piece was on listening and any of us that have ever spent time in the water have probably floated around on top quietly taking in all the sounds. A lot of you have heard the whale music, the crackling of fish as they eat the coral, the sounds of jets as they circulate water in a pool, scuba bubbles, breaking waves, even people's splashing noise as they swim about but how many of you have tried to sing underwater?

i never had so i went searching on line and low and behold i found underwater instruments called SOSNO and a group from France that had actually put on underwater opera's in pools in France and Venice and in the Sydney harbor. One of the organizers said, “The first time one hears Redolfi's especially composed music for underwater reproduction, one is immediately betaken with the depth of the sound, the sense of space and breathtaking timelessness. There is a genuine sonic "rapture of the deep."

There are pictures of people floating on top of the water, in the harbors, and pools listening to the concert. How fun...i would love to have gone to one of those concerts.

So after much searching i found a "sonic rapture" of the deep made by a fish called the Plainfin Midshipman. It's only 28 seconds long and worth the listen. It's not opera but it is certainly something you will recognize. Click on the link and come back. He's a damn cool fish with a great sound.

http://www.dosits.org/files/dosits/midshipman-nesthum-4.mp3

i swim with a snorkel and mask unless in a race because i just can't bear to miss anything. Sure i've made noises underwater, clicking at dolphins and turtles, trying to get someone's attention, crying out in awe with the humpback...but singing...nope.

i was emboldened because on line they say you can't sing underwater. So this morning i took off on my own instead of staying with the group so i could practice singing underwater. i had the Happy song running through my brain and sang into the snorkel as i swam. 

i sang to the fish but they didn't like my singing and scooted out of my way. By the time i got to the buoy i realized that snorkel singing is not singing underwater. Whatever sound the fish thought was coming from me alarmed them more than my usual slicing through the water. So out came the snorkel and after loading up on air i popped under and sang the Happy song.

What a kick...try it some time. Singing underwater is not just music, its bubbles, floating and sound all mixed together and so goofy and wonderful i'm definitely going to do it again. i have no idea if any one else can hear you...but you can sing underwater as long as your breath holds out.

 See ya next week.