Choosing the right vacation plan for your family can often feel overwhelming, especially with the numerous options available today. Many families consider timeshares, but these can be inflexible and costly. Fortunately, flexible travel plans offer a great alternative. Flexible travel plans allow families to save money and enjoy a variety of destinations without being locked into a specific property or timeframe. By exploring options such as vacation rentals, travel clubs, and budget-friendly hotels, families can tailor their vacations to suit their needs and preferences, ensuring a memorable experience for everyone.
One key advantage of flexible travel plans is the ability to adapt travel dates. Travelling during off-peak seasons often means lower costs for flights and accommodations, making it easier for families to stick to their budget. Additionally, unlike timeshares, which may require specific yearly commitments, travel plans that include options like vacation rentals or club memberships provide the freedom to choose different destinations each year. This way, families can visit new places without being tied down to a single location. With this flexibility, travelling abroad cheaply becomes more feasible, allowing families to explore international destinations without breaking the bank.
In contrast to timeshares, conventional travel options provide more variety and flexibility. While timeshares require a long-term commitment to one property, vacation rentals through platforms like Airbnb or staying at various hotels and resorts offer families a more comprehensive range of choices. Flexible options also cater to varying family sizes and preferences, ensuring that every trip can be customized. Ultimately, flexible travel plans are more adaptable and can lead to significant cost savings, making them a smart choice for families looking to maximize their vacation experiences.
Avoiding Timeshare Pitfalls
Timeshares can be complex legal and financial commitments that must align with everyone’s travel needs and preferences. Before entering into a timeshare contract, it is important to carefully consider the long-term obligations and potential challenges.
Some key factors to be aware of include:
Long-term contracts: Timeshare agreements often span 20-50 years, locking owners into long-term financial responsibilities.
Ongoing fees: Timeshare owners must typically pay annual maintenance fees, special assessments, and other recurring costs.
Resale challenges: Selling a timeshare can be very difficult, and owners may lose a significant portion of their initial investment.
Contractual obligations: Timeshare owners are legally bound by the terms of their contract, which can make it hard to exit the arrangement.
For those looking to avoid the pitfalls of timeshares, more flexible vacation options like hotels, vacation rentals, and travel packages may be worth considering. It’s essential to weigh the tradeoffs carefully and do thorough research before making any long-term timeshare commitment. For information on how to cancel a timeshare, see https://howtocancelmytimeshare.com/.
Understanding Flexible Travel Plans
Flexible travel plans offer a more adaptable alternative to traditional timeshares, allowing families to modify their vacation schedules and destinations. This approach can save both time and money while providing a more enjoyable and stress-free travel experience.
Defining Flexible Travel Plans
Flexible travel plans refer to travel arrangements that allow for changes in dates, destinations, and accommodations without heavy penalties. Unlike timeshares, where travellers are locked into specific dates and properties, flexible plans permit adjustments. This could involve booking flights and hotels with flexible cancellation policies or using travel services that offer discounts for last-minute changes. These plans often include options like travel insurance that covers various contingencies. This adaptability is particularly valuable for families, as it accommodates the unpredictability of life events and individual member preferences.
Benefits Over Traditional Timeshares
Traditional timeshares require buyers to commit to a specific property and time every year. While this can be appealing due to its stability, it lacks the freedom flexible travel plans provide. Flexible plans give more control over travel choices, allowing families to explore new destinations rather than returning to the same place each year. This advantage can lead to a more enriching travel experience. Additionally, flexible plans often reduce financial risk. If a family needs to cancel or change their trip, they will avoid facing the steep penalties common with timeshares. This financial flexibility is a significant benefit, making travel more feasible and less stressful.
How Flexibility Enhances Family Vacations
Family vacations come with many variables, from school schedules to sudden illnesses. Flexible travel plans cater to these changes effortlessly, ensuring the family can still enjoy their time together despite unexpected events. For example, if a child falls sick, parents can reschedule the trip without losing their investment. Both children and adults may have different interests that change over time. Flexible plans allow families to choose destinations and activities that suit everyone’s evolving tastes. These adaptable plans also help make last-minute decisions, whether extending a stay because everyone is having a great time, or cutting it short if needed. This ability to tailor the vacation enhances the overall experience and creates cherished memories.
Implementing Flexible Travel Options
Flexible travel options offer a convenient and cost-effective alternative to traditional timeshares. Families can enjoy more spontaneous vacations without strict schedules or high costs by focusing on adaptable travel plans.
Choosing the Right Flexible Travel Plan
Selecting the ideal flexible travel plan involves assessing a family’s needs and preferences. There are various programs available, each with unique features. For instance, some plans allow reservations to be altered without penalties, which is crucial for families with unpredictable schedules. Look for travel plans that offer lenient cancellation policies and the ability to rebook without financial loss. Understanding these options ensures families are not locked into rigid schedules and can adapt their plans as needed. This flexibility can provide peace of mind, knowing unexpected changes won’t result in hefty charges.
Planning Strategies for Maximum Flexibility
To maximize flexibility, families should consider several strategies. First, keep travel dates open-ended. Being willing to travel on different dates can lead to significant savings on flights and accommodations. Additionally, consider alternative destinations that may offer similar experiences at lower costs. Using travel apps and websites that specialize in flexible booking options can help find the best deals. It’s also wise to book longer layovers. This can reduce airfare costs and provide opportunities to explore new cities. Researching and staying informed about travel trends and deals can enhance the overall flexibility of travel plans.
Navigating Peak Seasons and Last-Minute Deals
Traveling during peak seasons can be challenging, but families can find better opportunities with flexibility. Consider planning trips during shoulder seasons, which are just before or after peak season. These times often offer lower prices and fewer crowds. Take advantage of last-minute deals that can be found on various travel platforms. Last-minute travel can offer significant discounts on flights and hotels because companies want to fill up remaining spots. Staying alert to these deals and being ready to act quickly can lead to substantial savings. By using these strategies, families can enjoy more affordable and enjoyable vacations.
Families can avoid the rigid schedules and high costs associated with traditional timeshares by focusing on adaptable travel plans.
Timeshares vs. Conventional Travel
Timeshares require a long-term commitment and often involve hefty upfront costs and maintenance fees. These costs can add up quickly and limit the flexibility of travel plans. Timeshare owners must often commit to a specific timeframe and location each year, reducing spontaneity. In contrast, conventional travel offers more freedom and options. Families can choose different destinations and travel dates annually, adjusting plans as needed. This flexibility can particularly benefit families with unpredictable schedules or changing travel preferences. Conventional travel also avoids long-term financial commitments and allows families to take advantage of seasonal deals and promotions. This can result in significant savings and more varied travel experiences.
The Rythmia Center provides a personal journey of connectedness and peace for anyone looking for deeper spiritual enlightenment and love. It is due to its diversity of traditional and modern techniques in holistic therapies that make this healing center unique, hence leading to more and more people visiting to replenish their minds, bodies, and souls. The following are some of the amazing benefits one could derive from a spiritual awakening at Rythmia.
Holistic Health Programs
There are several specialized healing programs offered at Rythmia Costa Rica that can be administered as per the needs of the guests. See these programs Integrate traditional shamanism shamanic ceremonies, plant medicine ceremonies, yogic, meditation, and other therapies. All of these elements together create a well-rounded approach to health and wellness at Rythmia. Experienced shamans prescribe traditional plant medicine, notably Ayahuasca, which can induce deep revelations within the spiritual realm, as well as emotional suffering.
Expert Guidance and Support
It is staffed with professional, certified staff like medical doctors, psycho-spiritual counselors, and experienced shamans. This provides a safe and supportive treatment environment during the guest’s stay. A medical team on site helps keep those who are newer to plant medicine and holistic healing practices at ease. The staff is devoted to seeing you healthy here and delivers an individualized approach to helping you address your unique journey.
Healing Environment
Located in the heart of Costa Rica, Rythmia is conveniently surrounded by nature, and this in itself, is a significant healer. Surrounded by the lush tropical terrain and soothing soundscapes nature offers, it is sure to help further transport you into your spiritual journey. Everything about the design of the center and its facilities is planned to help people relax and reflect through meditation, yoga, or unwinding — you name it.
Blending Modern and Ancient Wisdom
This is not what separates Rythmia Costa Rica but how it understands the integration of groundbreaking therapeutic techniques with the ancient wisdom of thousands of years past. The workshops and lectures give the guests the power and tools to take the skills learned to continue the journey of getting better when they leave. A combination of these modern and ancient aids gives the visitors a glimpse of where they are in their spiritual quest and how far it is.
Community and Connection
It features a strong community spirit that is the main contributing factor in everyone supporting each other. The communal aspect of the retreat provides a safety net (both during the retreat and afterward) – an experience of companionship that fosters the kind of fellowship that is important for continued spiritual transformation.
Detoxification and Wellness
The retreat also focuses on physical health with its detox programs, organic meals, and wellness therapies. Clean the body inside out with the nutrients it needs along with detox practices and the body becomes a better recipient of spiritual and emotional healing. To assist in relaxation and physical rejuvenation, the resort also offers wellness therapies like massage and hydrotherapy.
Personal Transformation
Most guests describe their experience in Rythmia Costa Rica as life-changing. Such a combination of inner work usually ends up translating into breakthroughs in self-understanding, expressing oneself better, and pinpointing direction in life. They may be better relationships, self-love or self-respect, a career, or the direction of what you want to do in your life.
Green and Sustainable Practices
The operation of the center is programmed to be nature-friendly and respects the natural environment. This dedication to sustainability provides that connection to nature and is in line with the spiritual virtues of freegans to live gently on the earth for the future of all things.
One of the best places to start a spiritual journey is Rythmia Costa Rica. With its extensive healing programs, knowledgeable mentors, and nurturing spiritual community, coupled with the peace and calmness of the natural surroundings, it ensures all the perfect conditions necessary for transformative personal and spiritual growth.
This Is Lorelei is the solo outlet of Brooklyn-based musician Nate Amos, who is also one-half of the groups Water From Your Eyes (with vocalist Rachel Brown) and My Idea (with Palberta’s Lily Konisberg). When we last interviewed Amos, he was gearing up for the release of Water From Your Eyes’ Matador debut, the charmingly absurdist and innovative Everyone’s Crushed, but he says the project really crystallized with 2019’s Somebody’s Else Song, around the same time he began experimenting with more straightforward songwriting in the form of This Is Lorelei’s Move Around EP. In the decade that Amos has been dropping material under the moniker – unfiltered bedroom recordings that range from sort-of Americana to lo-fi pop – it’s never really settled into one thing. But leaning into, and self-consciously poking fun at, classic singer-songwriter tropes was the catalyst for This Is Lorelei’s first traditional LP and debut proper, Box for Buddy, Box for Star.
Written, recorded, and produced by Amos in the summer of 2022, the album is sneakily earnest and playful at the same time, committing to the bit without veering into cliché. Prioritizing pure melody, it’s a collection of songs as shiny and gorgeous as it is disorienting; but unlike Amos’ experiments with Water From Your Eyes, the wry humour and chaos aren’t contained in the music so much as his lyricism, whose stream-of-consciousness sincerity is affecting as much as it can throw you off guard. But even when he shifts between perspectives and laces his voice in AutoTune for the sake of the song, the album’s romanticism and emotional pathos feel earned, precisely because of the funny, quotable ways Amos finds to present them. “I don’t mind the present and I like the past,” he sings on ‘Perfect Hand’, somewhat off-handedly capturing peace. “I think that the future’s worth it.”
We caught up with This Is Lorelei’s Nate Amos for the latest edition of our Artist Spotlight series to talk about the history of the project, the making of Box for Buddy, Box for Star, holding space for multiple musical outlets, and more.
How does it feel to be rolling out Box for Buddy, Box for Star while you’re touring with Water from Your Eyes?
It feels normal because that seems to be the nature of the two projects coexisting. When I was working on the Lorelei album, I was in the process of figuring out the Water from Your Eyes record deal, so it’s like one project always has business stuff going on and the other has more creative stuff going on. This album’s coming out, I’m promoting it, but my headspace is very much in working on the new Water album. I think that’s just the way it’s going to be from now on, as long as I’m doing both projects, which I want to be doing.
Is that back-and-forth creatively inspiring? Does it feel like the projects are fueling each other in some way?
I don’t know if they fuel each other – both of them existing allows each project to fully be what it is. If there was only one thing, I’d have to cram all of this stuff into that one. Who knows, maybe that would work, but they’re such different projects – they represent two sides of music I want to be working on, and neither could fully be what it is without the other. It’s nice to have two different very writing projects, otherwise I’d be living in one all the time and go crazy. Switching from project to project, you kind of have to come above water for a minute to make the switch.
This Is Lorelei has existed as a side project longer than any other band you’ve had. How would you trace its timeline and what it’s served for you as an outlet?
Lorelei was invented as a side project. Lorelei was what I would do by myself, a secret stomping ground for trying out anything. That’s very much what it was for about 6-8 years before there was a sound that came into focus. And that kind of happened around the same time it happened for Water from Your Eyes, too. That was probably around 2019, when it went from being just a pile of stuff that I could put things in whatever bucket needed them, to now being fully different projects. That’s something that’s only really been the case for the last five years or so.
What made both projects come into focus around that time?
Honestly, there were two things happened. The Water from Your Eyes album that came out in 2019 had a song called ‘Break’ on it, which was the last song made for it. But it got made and I was like, “Fuck, I finally found Water From Your Eyes.” And then the album Structure was based off of some of the musical concepts presented in that song – the idea of putting the same melody in multiple contexts so that it comes across totally differently, and using repetition as this hypnotic or meditative element. With Lorelei, I got obsessed with ‘All the Small Things’ by Blink-182. For weeks, I only listened to that song, but different versions of that song – there’s a bluegrass cover, there’s a lullaby cover to play for your baby as they fall asleep. That got me thinking about how a really good song is awesome regardless of the genre or sonic template you use to present it. Every version I heard, I was just like, “Damn, it’s still a fucking great song.” But it’s also a silly song; it’s a pop song, it’s fast, it’s catchy. That’s not all there is to it, but those are the rules of that song: it’s like a fast heist, they’re in and out in two and a half minutes, and it leaves a lasting impact in a very short amount of time.
That was the inspiration for the Lorelei EP that came out that year called Move Around. I kind of view Somebody Else’s Song as the first Water from Your Eyes album and Move Around as the first Lorelei release in terms of what the projects have become. That year was when both projects crystallized into more tangible things. Even immediately before that, there were Lorelei albums like The Mall, the Country and The Dirt, the Dancing that were made at the same time as Somebody Else’s Song, and there were lots of things on both of those albums that could have gone to either project. After that year, the projects were very much on individual paths in a way that was cool because I no longer had to think about, “What do I want to do with this?” The thing presented itself, and now I can just follow those things rather than look for things, if that makes sense.
Box for Buddy, Box for Star is billed as your first traditional LP under this moniker. What did it mean for you to make that decision?
It wasn’t really a decision that was made before the album was written. I just wanted to write some songs that summer. I had gotten really into Shane MacGowan, the singer-songwriter from the Pogues, and it got me thinking about melody. Essentially, what I decided was to make an album with melodies that could function with or without a chord pattern, which is the opposite of the thing with Water From Your Eyes, where the melody is liquid depending on what you put it in. The idea for this Lorelei album was to create an album of melodies that would make sense if you were singing them by yourself walking through the woods as they do on the album. There are certain songs that this applies more to, like ‘I’m All Fucked Up’ and ‘Dancing in the Club’.
But I also didn’t want it to be – if it’s this fully earnest thing, I tend to get bored and lose focus. So it was genuine admiration for that stuff, leaning into the idea of embracing a lot of these traditional things, while also – not exaggerating the stereotypes, but playing into things that I wouldn’t normally write about: good and evil, saving money and gasoline, all these classic singer-songwriter motifs. I saw an interview where someone said it was stupid to write about money, and I was like, “Cool, I’m just gonna put that in a ton of songs.” Because it is overplayed, but it is ultimately a relevant and relatable thing. It was a weird combination of studying serious songwriting and, in my own way, trying to simultaneously pay respects to it but also poke fun at it a little bit. Do you know the album 12 Golden Country Greats by Ween?
I’ve heard of it.
I love that album so much. It’s such a shitpost, but it’s also honest. You can feel their love for that kind of music, and the songs are just so good. Obviously, there are things on that album that are way more directly funny than anything on the Lorelei album. With the Lorelei album, it might just be things that I find funny for my own convoluted reasons, because ultimately, I listened to it a month ago and thought, “Fuck, this is kind of gnarly and depressing.” At the time, I didn’t really feel that way, and I think approaching it in a way where it was half a joke to me allowed for the honest side of it to be more honest. I think a lot of this album, I wouldn’t have been able to be as direct without laughing while I did it. I’m sure that’s something to talk to my therapist about or whatever. [laughs] A lot of this album is a reflection and commentary on ways I’ve fucked up along the dust trail, and that shit’s funny – there’s something funny about being the pathetic one.
There are a lot of earnest self-reflections on the album, and you’ve even called them “aggressive self-reflections.” When you’re writing, how does your brain react when you’re in that earnest mode? Is it something you wrestle with?
It wasn’t really like there was a ratio that I was monitoring where it’s like, “I’m going to be this earnest for one song and this funny for this song.” I think that concept developed very naturally; it was almost more of an observation I made after I’d done the writing. I wrote close to 70 songs for this album and tried not to think too hard while I was doing it. It became more like, “Oh, I see what I was doing there,” but for me, if something felt funny, I’d remember it’s not funny for whatever reason. It’s funny, because that period of time – I was fucking miserable when I was making this album, and finding humor in what I could was the only thing that allowed me to be as productive as I was. I don’t know how much it shows in the final album, but for me, humor was really critical to its creation. If I listen to this album, I don’t hear the music; I just remember what it was like to make it, because these are songs I’ve heard hundreds of times as I was making them. It kind of sounds like a sink left on to me, I can’t really focus on it. But that’s just for me; maybe it can be something else to other people.
I know the record started as an experiment to make music without getting high. When did you realize that it was turning into something bigger?
Honestly, after the first couple of songs. I think the first five songs I wrote, I threw away. I had myself a little psyched out because I decided to stop smoking weed for a while, and I wanted to be sober for a year, fully. I didn’t really know what was going to happen, because the last time I wrote a song without some substance being involved was probably when I was 11 or something. It’s not something I’ve done in my adult life. The funny thing is, it ended up being really easy. I was having all sorts of anxiety about not being able to focus enough to write. Because that’s the thing with weed, for me; if I smoke weed, I can focus on something in a healthy way, whereas if I’m sober, I’m either completely distracted or hyper-fixated to the point where the rest of my life suffers as a result.
And that’s what happened with this album. I was able to write, but I wasn’t able to do anything else. It was entirely the focus; it was about two and a half months of just thinking about this album for 18 hours a day. The funny thing I didn’t anticipate is that in terms of actually writing, it ended up not that different, except I was writing too much. Almost every song on this album is significantly shorter than the first version. The original version of ‘I’m All Fucked Up’, I couldn’t put the lyrics in the priavate SoundCloud link because there’s more than 1,000 words in the song, and that’s definitely not something I’ve encountered before. The song had six verses originally, and now it only has three, and those three I also made shorter.
Focus one, like I said, was making melodies of a certain quality that don’t need help from chord progressions to function as complete melodies. Focus two was writing lyrics that I’m happy with, instead of just doing it as fast as I can. I used to be much more about: I don’t need to understand the lyrics because on some subconscious level, there was a reason I said that in that moment, and then you’re gambling being like, “Well, I hope it’s good or can mean something to somebody.” But with this album, I really worked hard on the lyrics. Instead of making a ton of music and cutting it down, I just wrote a ton of words, and the musical component was more of an afterthought.
That was really what was different about the album, that was primarily about the vocals and the words. That’s the first time I’ve ever made an album like that. Usually, the vocals are an accompaniment to the music. Music is what I’ve always been more interested in, and I haven’t been good at interpreting people’s lyrics. There are songs I grew up with where I know all the words but never bothered to think about what the person is trying to say because that’s just not so much what I’m interested in. I’m more interested in the sound of the words and the overall vibe. With this album, I really focused on one particular component and prioritized that. I don’t know if that’s how I’m going to write for Lorelei from now on, or if this album is just a blip in its differentness. The idea of releasing it on a record label kind of played into the bit of it being a classic songwriter album: 10 songs, 40 minutes.
Is ‘Where’s Your Love Now’ the longest song in This Is Lorelei’s catalog?
I think so. Actually, that song got cut down too. It’s like six minutes now, but it was closer to eight minutes at one point. The original version of this album, I was showing it to people and everybody unanimously was like, “The songs are just a little too long.” I was like, “The only thing that can happen is, if I’m able to cut them down in a way that I’m happy with, then it’s just gonna be more focused on the good parts.” I think it really helped it overall, because to me, this album is the longest format album that I would want to make with any project right now. I feel like people’s attention spans – including my own, I have a hard time focusing through a full-length album, that’s why I feel like a lot of the things that hit me the hardest and feel the most cohesive to me are in the half-hour range. I think that’s kind of the ideal length.
With ‘Where’s Your Love Now’ in particular, given the weight of it, it sounds like it’s the longest because it’s also the most important song on the album. I assume it must have been a struggle to even cut it down or complete.
That one was funny because the parts that I cut from that song were actually largely instrumental parts. I kind of refused to cut any of the words out of that song, and that’s because that song just wrote itself. There were songs on this album where I really labored over the lyrics, making them better and better. That song was just straight up the first pass at the lyrics. I didn’t write any words for that song that didn’t stay in there. That was definitely one that fell out of the air, and I just had it all of a sudden. I don’t think it took more than half an hour to write that song. It went from not existing to being fully recorded and mixed in one evening, and then months later I made it a little shorter. But yeah, I think if this album does have a focal point, it’s that song. It’s kind of the heart of the album, or everything else is orbiting around it.
Sometimes you can never really tell, but why do you think it came so quickly?
I don’t know, it just did. Some of the other songs would start with some idea and drift away. Like ‘I’m All Fucked Up’, someone was like, “You should write a song called ‘I’m All Fucked Up’, and I was like, “Okay,” and then it happened. With ‘Where’s Your Love Now?’, I just sat down with the guitar and was like, “I’m gonna try and write a song.” The chord progression was the first thing I played, the words were the first thing I wrote down. I didn’t really begin to analyze it. Like a lot of the songs on this album, there are things about that song that are super honest and relate to particular situations, but it’s not like a direct retelling of anything. I wasn’t like, “I’m gonna write a song about this thing that happened to me.” It was more vibing out on a feeling that I had gotten over a longer period of time. But that song probably had the least conscious thought put into it. It dropped down and I just had to write it down and record it.
You’ve described the record as a “delayed recovery album,” and I feel like the delay is maybe the most important aspect of that process.
Yeah. When I was trying to get sober, all I could really do for a year or so, maybe less than a year – all of my conscious effort went to just not imbibing or whatever. It wasn’t until I had gotten past the physical part of that that I felt like I had the energy to go back and be like, Okay, now that I’m physically healthy enough, how did that happen? Because it doesn’t feel like me – I can’t imagine being in that place now that I’m not there anymore. But when I was there, it just felt like that was how it was going to be. So I think the delay was mostly just time spent physically recovering before I could really take a look and reflect on everything that led to a point where I had to drastically alter my lifestyle. A lot of that stuff was probably brewing subconsciously, but a lot of this album is just me thinking about that for the first time.
Also, I hadn’t made any music in like five months, which at the time was way longer than I was used to, because that was right after our first season of touring. Before the year this album got made, I was very much like, “I just live in my room, and I make music, and that’s what I spend the bulk of my time doing, and now I spend the bulk of my time in a van driving around to shows.” You can’t really do it in the same way, so I had the sense that I had all this built-up stuff because I was used to writing constantly and I hadn’t really been able to. But also realizing I’m not gonna have time to write all the time, so if I’m gonna do something, I better do it and capitalize on this moment because I don’t know when the next time I’m gonna have two and a half months to write an album is. And then it was hard to stop – I hit a point where it was like, “I have like a month before the next tour, and I really have to stop writing so I can put this album together, actually.” Which was hard to do, because I very much felt like I could have kept writing at that pace for like a year if that had been an option. But it was already too much stuff. There’s an early version that was like 8 songs, but then it blew up and it was a 32-song album for a while, and it just felt way too long.
It’s not like you haven’t written vulnerable songs for This Is Lorelei in the past – my mind goes to ‘Go Away’ from OK N8, for example. But I’m curious if there was a different kind of vulnerability in the way that you tracked and pitched your vocals specifically on this album.
I think I disguised it less on this album. Unless I had a particular conceptual justification for disguising my voice somehow, I tried to just have things be vocal takes, not messing with it because. In the past, like with the different speeds, that’s something that makes it easy to put some space in between you and the music. On this album, for the most part, I tried not to do that at all. ‘Dancing in the Club’ has the AutoTune, but that’s specifically because of the song concept, nothing else on the album does. A couple of the songs have the pitched-up vocals, but that’s really just to make it clear that there are different characters through them. It’s not about hiding inside of it, it’s more just about giving a clue to the listener if they’re trying to figure out what’s making the song tick. But at the same time, it also is just a continuation of all the same stuff. It’s all one long train of thought, album to album, so this album is certainly indebted to the process of making all the albums that came before it.
Given the kind of record you realized you were making, did you consider bringing other people in at any stage?
No, I never really seriously considered that. I was moving really quickly and I was writing so much – in the time that it would have taken to bring in a guest vocalist or a guest instrumentalist and record something, it’s like, “I could spend today doing that, or I could spend today writing two more songs. Maybe one of them will be good enough to put on. The recordings themselves are secondary to the songs on this album. The way everything was laid out was just a gut reaction based on the nature of the song itself. I wasn’t adjusting any drum mics or anything; everything on this album is pretty much one take. The recording process wasn’t enough of a priority that bringing other people was something I considered much. Also, I was in a very antisocial place. I did not want to be hanging out with people. I wanted to be alone in my room writing songs, and I had a very low tolerance for being around other people that summer. I was doing some intense therapy at the time, so I was focused on writing and working on doing my best with my mental state. I guess bringing other people into the project wasn’t something I even thought of as a possibility. If nothing else, the baseline reason was that I just didn’t want to be around anybody.
There’s a line that stuck out to me from ‘My Boy Limbo’, “I carried past instead of tending to the presence in my hand,” which feels like it captures the tension between past and present that unfolds throughout the album.
That line can go a couple of different ways. You have the past-present thing, being too caught up in another time to focus on a particular moment. Or you can think about it like gifts, in which case you’re all of a sudden walking by someone trying to give you something and be a part of your life. It meant a variety of things to me, but it was also just wordplay, playing with the idea of what presence can mean in that situation, whether past applies to past as in the time or if you’re walking past something, ignoring the physical and emotional implications of holding something; caring for it, tending to it. I haven’t thought about that line in a while – that song wrote itself a little bit, so it’s a little more rambly and less coherent than others. It wasn’t so much of a concept, more like a train of thought you might have while trying to fall asleep or something.
Circling back to what we started talking about, does it seem daunting to hold space for different creative outlets, in terms of the energy it requires?
I wouldn’t say it’s scary. Sometimes the pressure can be overwhelming, but most of the time, it’s energizing because ultimately, I have two different things I’m trying to do at the same time, and they’re both things I really like and want to be doing. I guess now that the projects have become a thing I’m taking more seriously and that more people are hearing, it feels like the whole thing has a little more purpose now. For years and years, music was just an escape; it didn’t feel like I was really contributing to anything, I just wanted to spend my time doing something I wanted to do instead of trying to fit into a world I didn’t have much interest in. It can definitely be a lot to handle, but it’s what I want to do, and I never anticipated doing what I wanted to do intersecting with my reality beyond my inner space – my head, my bedroom, whatever.
That’s the weirdest part, that people actually – not an insane amount of people, but there are people that listen to the things I make now. There always were, but that number has slowly grown from like 5 people to whatever it is now. That’s the spooky part. Wearing the two different hats – I can do that, it’s like playing soccer one day and basketball the next. They’re both fucking sports, just slightly different formats. I have to do mental gymnastics to get myself to relax enough to write, because if I sit down to write a song, I think about having to write a song fans will like and music journalists will like, and then I just get freaked out and watch Survivor instead. I have to convince myself it really doesn’t matter at all. If I look at music I’ve made that I like, the recurring pattern is that when it was being made, I had no idea if it would come out or not. The outside world wasn’t something that was considered in the least.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Remi Wolf has dropped a new single, ‘Motorcyle’, which will appear on her forthcoming sophomore LP Big Ideas. She made the track with Kenny Beats, Leon Michels, and the Dap-Kings. Check out its Sweetiepie-directed video below.
“Lyrically the song dives into this internal dichotomy I experience a lot in my life,” Wolf explained in a statement. “One side of me is always wanting to slow down and settle down and be in love and be normal and have babies and shit, while the other, very forceful, part of me needs to be restlessly independent and stubborn and free. The song is essentially a fantasy about me living in a reality where both sides of me can exist simultaneously……. Secret lives of the wives of Harley Davidson type….”
Normani’s long-promised debut album, Dopamine, has arrived via RCA. The ex-Fifth Harmony member promoted the record with the singles ‘1:59’ and ‘Candy Paint’; it also includes 2021’s ‘Wild Side’ featuring Cardi B, as well as appearances from Gunna, Starrah, and James Blake. “The album feels like liberation, like a season of freedom,” Normani said in an interview with Who What Wear. “Not just because the record is finally coming out, but because it’s a celebration of everything I have been through to get to this moment. During this process, I heard God say to me, ‘Trust me. I know you’re afraid, but trust me anyway. Dare to trust me anyway. Now is the time.’”
This is Lorelei, the solo project of Water From Your Eyes member Nate Amos, has released a new album, Box for Buddy, Box for Star, via Double Double Whammy. Though Amos has dropped dozens of EPs and hundreds of songs under the moniker, this is his first attempt at a traditional album. “I had just finished a tour with Water From Your Eyes, during which I laid on the ground at Stonehenge for 40 minutes and decided to stop smoking weed,” he explained. “Initially, this album was just a challenge to make music without getting high, and I was worried I wouldn’t come up with anything at all. I isolated myself from pretty much everyone and wrote songs all summer. I was pretty broke and significantly depressed, but also in a sort of healthy mental demolition mode, trying to reimagine how I wanted to move forward with my life. For better or worse, what I made ended up being a delayed recovery album, largely dealing with more significant addictions that I kicked a year earlier.”
John Cale has issued a new album titled POPtical Illusion. Out now via Double Six/Domino, the follow-up to last year’s MERCY was produced by Cale and longtime collaborator Nita Scott in his Los Angeles studio. In contrast to MERCY, which featured collaborations with Animal Collective, Weyes Blood, Sylvan Esso, Laurel Halo, and more, the new album finds him burrowing “mostly alone into mazes of synthesizers and samples, organs and pianos, with words that, as far as Cale goes, constitute a sort of swirling hope, a sage insistence that change is yet possible,” per a press release. The 13-track LP was preceded by the singles ‘Shark-Shark’ and ‘How We See the Light’.
The Decemberists, As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again
The Decemberists are back with their first album in six years, As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. The follow-up to I’ll Be Your Girl is a double LP split into four thematic sides, and it was produced by lead singer Colin Meloy and Tucker Martine. Ahead of its release, the band unveiled the songs ‘Burial Ground’, the 19-minute ‘Joan in the Garden’, ‘All I Want Is You’, and ‘Oh No’. After a run of nearly two decades with Capitol, the new album also marks the band’s first on their own label YABB Records.
Martha Skye Murphy has put out her debut full-length, Um, via AD 93. The UK artist co-produced the LP with Ethan P. Flynn, with Marta Salogni and Heba Kadry handling the mixing and mastering, respectively. It features contributions from claire rousay, Roy Montgomeryca, caroline’s Alex McKenzie, Squid’s Laurie Nankivell, and more. “I wanted the album to feel like this constant tension between being in a very intimate domestic space, and then propelled into a far stranger environment that is difficult to situate,” Murphy explained in a statement. “I want people to feel disoriented, erotically charged by the intimacy of a bedroom, then catapulted into a desert.”
Cola – the project of former Ought members Tim Darcy and Ben Stidworthy and US Girls drummer Evan Cartwright – have put out their sophomore album, The Gloss, via Fire Talk. The follow-up to 2021’s Deep in View includes the previously unveiled tracks ‘Keys Down If You Stay’, ‘Bitter Melon’, ‘Pallor Tricks’, ‘Albatross’ and ‘Pulling Quotes’. The band decamped to NDG in the southwest of Montreal to track the album with their frequent collaborator Valentin Ignat (Helena Deland, Corridor).
Irish rap trio Kneecap have come through with their debut album, Fine Art, via Heavenly Recordings. The group made the 12-track effort with producer Toddla T, and it features contributions from Lankum’s Radie Peat, Grian Chatten of Fontaines D.C., and Jelani Blackman. “When we got into the studio with Toddla T, we scrapped every song we had and started from complete scratch,” the group’s Mo Chara explained in a statement. “T’s idea was to tell the story of Kneecap. So the record was conceived as the listener stepping into Kneecap’s world. That’s where the idea came to set whole thing in a pub. You walk into a pub at the start, there’s someone offering you a drink, there’s a singsong… really, it’s us taking you by the hand and leading you into our world.”
Raveena has released a new album, Where the Butterflies Go in the Rain, via Empire. Following 2022’s Asha’s Awakening, the record was preceded by the tracks ‘Pluto’, ‘Lucky’, and ‘Junebug’ featuring JPEGMAFIA. “Butterflies are so delicate that they have to hide in leaves and flowers until the rain passes so that their wings don’t get crushed in the rain,” Raveena said in press materials. “I felt like that was kind of a metaphor for where I was in my life. I needed to go back to comfort—to deep rest—and stop weathering storms.”
Mike Lindsay – Mercury Prize-winning producer, co-founder of the folk band Tunng, and one-half of LUMP with Laura Marling – has issued his debut solo album, supershapes volume 1. It’s the first installment in a series of albums that explore “the miraculous in the mundane,” according to Lindsay, diving into “everyday domestic objects, especially tables, coffee table books, and the daily rituals that shape us, heavily focusing on the majestic in the domestic.” Anna B Savage’s vocals are featured prominently through the record, which also includes contributions from multi-instrumentalist Ross Blake, saxophonist Robert Stillman (of the Smile’s live band), and drummer Adam Betts (Three Trapped Tigers, Squarepusher).
Show & Tell is the debut LP by Bored at My Grandmas House, the project of Leeds-based singer-songwriter Amber Strawbridge. “The main overall theme of this album is connection,” Strawbridge said of the follow-up to 2021’s Sometimes I Forget You’re Human Too EP. “Connection with myself, connection with the world and connection to the people around me who I love. This album is for me first and foremost and was a way for me to internally process. The origin of these tracks all stem from me wanting to understand these connections and process my emotions surrounding them. The album covers topics such as the power of queer love, humanity and its ‘delusions of grandeur’, reflection and purpose.”
Other albums out today:
Mike Lindsay, supershapes volume 1; Moby, always centered at night; Staples Jr. Singers, Searching; Sea Girls, Midnight Butterflies; John Grant, The Art of the Lie; Jess Cornelius, CARE/TAKING; KRM & KMRU, Disconnect; Florrie, The Lost Ones; Zsela, Big For You; James Vincent McMorrow, Wide Open, Horses; Walt Disco, The Warping; RJD2, Visions Out of Limelight; Carlos Niño & Friends, Placenta; REZN, Burden; Russian Baths, Mirror; Lindsey Stirling, Duality; Meghan Trainor, Timeless;
The Blessed Madonna has teamed up with Daniel Wilson, KON, and Yuki Kanesaka for the new single ‘Count on My Love’. It arrives on the heels of February’s ‘Happier’, featuring Clementine Douglas. Take a listen below.
“The whistling is just Daniel Wilson on a hot demo mic,” the Blessed Madonna said of the track in a statement. “He whistles in session to practice or find melodies and it just fit so well.”
“The piano interlude was Yuki being asked to play it like Bruce Hornsby, which is amazing,” she added. “At the end of the session with KON and Yuki, I literally took all the magnificent jazz and funk playing, ran it through two distortion units and added a 909 on top, and I was like ‘I swear this is gonna to be a good one’.”
“I’m always toying with and entertaining the idea of oblivion, of career suicide, of disappearing,” Robinson said in a press release. “In ‘Russian Roulette’, I’m trying to reconcile those fantasies against the real responsibilities that hang over me. And then it gets dark, and light all at the same time.”
Organizing an event or show involves considering factors, with a crucial aspect being the choice of the proper portable folding stage. While functionality and durability are necessary, finding a stage that suits your needs in size and features can significantly enhance both performers’ and audiences’ overall experience. In this article, we will delve into considerations to keep in mind when selecting a folding stage.
Assessing Space Requirements
Deciding on the size of the folding stage largely hinges on the space at your venue. You should consider factors such as audience capacity, performance area required by performers, and additional equipment like sound systems or props. Clearly outlining these needs will assist in choosing a stage that optimizes the space.
Flexibility and Customization Features
Off-the-shelf solutions may only sometimes meet your event’s requirements. Buy a portable folding stage with customization options such as size adjustments, height configurations, and shape variations. This flexibility enables you to tailor the stage setup to diverse performances or arrangements.
Portability and Ease of Assembly
A benefit of a folding stage is its ease of transport from one place to another. Consider selecting a sturdy stage that is easy to transport and provides stability, making it ideal for travel. Opt for a model with simple assembly features to save time during event setup.
Safety Measures
Ensuring the safety of both performers and audience members is crucial in any event or performance environment. When choosing a folding stage, prioritize safety elements like anti-slip surfaces and anti-skid footings to prevent accidents due to slippery or unstable platforms. Look for stages designed with edges or corner protection to minimize the risk of injuries from edges.
Glide and Lock Systems
The glide and lock system is a notable feature to look out for when selecting a folding stage. This system facilitates a secure connection between stage panels, ensuring a robust performance surface. These locking mechanisms help reduce vibrations or movements during performances while enhancing safety.
Longevity and Materials
An excellent folding stage should be able to withstand use and maintain its quality over time. Seek out stages constructed from high-quality aluminum or steel frames and non-slip surfaces that withstand rough handling and weather conditions. Investing in durability is about steering replacements or repairs in the long term.
Storage Considerations
Stages must be stored when not being used. Opt for folding stages with compact storage options or models with components that can be stacked or nested to help maximize storage space, ensuring a cluttered setup for event planners.
Cost-effective Solutions
Finding the balance between quality and cost is critical when choosing a folding stage. Set your budget limits and explore different manufacturers or suppliers offering top-notch options at competitive prices while maintaining quality and safety features.
Aesthetics and Brand Identity
Think about how the folding stage will blend with the aesthetics of your event and reflect your brand image. Look for styles or designs tailored to match your event theme or branding, enhancing appeal and lasting impact on attendees.
Additional Features and Accessories
Check out features and accessories that can improve the functionality of your folding stage. These might include built-in ramps for accessibility, adjustable legs for surfaces, or integrated storage compartments to keep equipment organized during performances.
In Summary
When choosing a collapsible stage, consider a range of factors such as space requirements, versatility, ease of assembly, safety features, locking mechanisms, durability, storage options, cost efficiency, aesthetics, and additional features or accessories. By assessing these aspects based on your needs and financial constraints, you can opt for a stage that fulfills practical requirements and enhances your events by ensuring a seamless performance experience. Remember to research suppliers’ offerings to discover a dependable solution that best fits your event objectives.
Proper maintenance is crucial for ensuring your boat’s longevity and peak performance. A well-maintained boat not only enhances your safety on the water but also maximizes your investment by reducing long-term repair costs. This comprehensive guide will cover essential maintenance tips and best practices to keep your boat in excellent condition. From routine cleaning and engine care to electrical system upkeep, we’ll explore ten key areas to focus on for effective boat maintenance.
Regular Cleaning and Detailing
Keeping your boat clean is fundamental to its upkeep. Regular cleaning prevents the buildup of dirt, algae, and salt, which can cause long-term damage to the hull and other surfaces. Use marine-specific cleaning products to wash your boat after every outing, paying special attention to areas exposed to saltwater. Waxing the hull periodically also helps protect against UV damage and maintains the boat’s aesthetic appeal. Detailed cleaning, including upholstery and hardware, ensures your boat stays in top shape
Engine Maintenance
The engine is the heart of your boat, and regular maintenance is vital for its reliability and performance. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for routine checks and services. This includes changing the oil and oil filter, inspecting the fuel system for leaks, and replacing fuel filters. Check the coolant levels and ensure the cooling system is functioning properly to prevent overheating. Regularly inspect and replace the spark plugs and belts to keep the engine running smoothly.
Electrical System Care
A well-maintained electrical system is essential for the safety and functionality of your boat. Regularly inspect the battery for corrosion and ensure it is properly charged. Check all wiring for signs of wear or damage and replace any faulty components. Ensure all lights, including navigation and interior lights, are functioning correctly. Installing a marine-grade battery charger can help maintain optimal battery health and extend its lifespan.
Hull Inspection and Repair
Regular hull inspections are crucial to identifying and addressing issues before they become serious problems. Check the hull for cracks, blisters, or other signs of damage. If you find any issues, address them promptly to prevent further deterioration. Antifouling paint helps protect the hull from marine growth and should be reapplied as needed. Additionally, inspect the keel and rudder for any damage and ensure they are securely attached.
Propeller and Shaft Maintenance
The propeller and shaft are critical components of your boat’s propulsion system. Regularly inspect the propeller for damage such as dings or bends, and ensure it is securely attached. A damaged propeller can cause vibration and reduce fuel efficiency. Check the shaft for alignment and inspect the bearings for wear. Lubricate the shaft and bearings regularly to ensure smooth operation and prevent premature wear.
Bilge Pump Functionality
The bilge pump plays a vital role in keeping your boat dry and preventing water accumulation. Regularly test the bilge pump to ensure it is functioning correctly. Clean the bilge area and remove any debris that could clog the pump. Check the pump’s wiring and connections for signs of corrosion or damage. Having a backup bilge pump is also a good idea for added security in case the primary pump fails.
Fuel System Inspection
A well-maintained fuel system is essential for safe and efficient boat operation. Regularly inspect the fuel lines for signs of wear, cracks, or leaks. Replace any damaged lines promptly to prevent fuel leaks. Check the fuel tank for corrosion and ensure the venting system is working correctly. Using a fuel stabilizer can help prevent fuel degradation and keep the engine running smoothly. Regularly inspect and replace the fuel filter to maintain optimal fuel flow.
Steering System Checks
The steering system is crucial for maneuvering your boat safely. Regularly inspect the steering cables and connections for signs of wear or corrosion. Lubricate the steering mechanism to ensure smooth operation. Check the hydraulic fluid levels if your boat has a hydraulic steering system and top up as necessary. Ensure the steering wheel is securely attached and operates without excessive play. Proper maintenance of the steering system ensures precise control and reduces the risk of steering failure.
Interior and Upholstery Care
Maintaining the interior and upholstery of your boat not only enhances comfort but also preserves its value. Clean the upholstery regularly with marine-specific cleaners to prevent mold and mildew growth. Use UV protectants to prevent fading and cracking caused by sun exposure. Inspect the cabin and compartments for signs of water intrusion and address any leaks promptly. Keeping the interior dry and well-ventilated helps prevent mold and odors.
Trailer Maintenance
If you use a trailer to transport your boat, regular trailer maintenance is essential for safety and convenience. Inspect the trailer for rust and ensure all bolts and nuts are securely tightened. Check the condition of the tires, including the spare, and ensure they are properly inflated. Test the trailer lights and wiring to ensure they are functioning correctly. Regularly grease the wheel bearings to prevent overheating and wear. Proper trailer maintenance ensures safe and trouble-free transportation of your boat.
At Boat Outfitters, you can find a comprehensive range of high-quality marine accessories and maintenance products to keep your boat in top condition. From cleaning supplies and engine parts to electrical components and safety equipment, their extensive selection ensures you have everything you need for effective boat maintenance. Boat Outfitters offers innovative solutions designed to meet the unique needs of boaters, helping you maintain your vessel’s longevity and performance.
Regular maintenance is key to ensuring your boat remains safe, reliable, and enjoyable to use. By focusing on essential areas such as cleaning, engine care, electrical system upkeep, and hull inspection, you can prevent common issues and extend the lifespan of your boat. Each maintenance task contributes to a smoother, more efficient boating experience, allowing you to fully enjoy your time on the water. Whether you’re a seasoned mariner or a new boat owner, these maintenance tips will help you keep your boat in excellent condition for years to come.
“Nosferatu” is a musical adapted by Fantine Musical Studio, based on Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel “Dracula”. Dracula, the most famous vampire globally, is inspired by Vlad III, a historical figure known as Dracula, meaning “Son of the Dragon”. In the novel, he is also a Transylvanian nobleman who claims descent from Attila the Hun, residing as a count in a castle in the Carpathian Mountains.
Unlike the traditional vampires in folklore, Dracula is handsome and possesses a gentlemanly charm, often surrounded by three beautiful vampire brides. As a vampire, he has many different supernatural abilities: he can levitate and fly, use hypnosis, telepathy, and illusions; control the actions of animals such as rats, owls, bats, moths, foxes, and wolves; manipulate the weather to create storms and mists; and he can change his form at will into a bat, werewolf, and mist.
The musical “Nosferatu” tells the story of Abraham Van Helsing leading a team of vampire hunters, including Quincy, Jack, and Arthur, in a relentless search for Dracula throughout London, striving to extinguish the vampire menace. The tale is filled with the entanglement of good and evil, love and hate. “Nosferatu” is a musical that reveals the theme of love through the passions and conflicts between Dracula and Mina, Salina, and the vampire brides, showcasing that love is about sacrifice and fulfilment, following and companionship, and a promise that spans four hundred years.
Angela Fantine Wan stars as the lead actress in the musical, playing both the roles of Mina and Salina. These two characters are depicted in the work as women of strikingly similar appearance, with the same hair, eyes, and red lips. Four hundred years ago, Dracula’s wife, Queen Elizabeth, chose to die for love upon hearing the false rumours of Dracula’s death in battle, and she was reincarnated as Mina. Over four hundred years, Salina, Dracula’s maid and a clairvoyant witch, was commanded by Dracula to use a crystal ball to locate his reincarnated wife. Dracula’s undying love was for Mina, while Salina loved Dracula so deeply that she, along with her sister Rosanna, became immortal vampires; Rosanna was Van Helsing’s lover. Upon discovering that his lover had become a vampire, Van Helsing was devastated and personally beheaded Rosanna, which led to a vendetta between him and Salina.
Although Mina and Salina have identical appearances in the script, their personalities are vastly different. Mina is a traditional British lady, composed and dignified; Salina, as an exotic clairvoyant witch, exudes a strong foreign charm, possessing a stunningly beautiful aura, prideful and sorrowful. The singing styles of the two characters also differ greatly, with Mina employing a musical theatre technique, while Salina’s approach is closer to traditional operatic singing. The task of playing both roles poses significant challenges for the actor, both in terms of crafting the stage personas and mastering the vocal techniques required for each character. Despite such challenges, Angela chose to audition for both roles in order to maintain, to the greatest extent possible, the original characteristic of strikingly similar appearances of the two characters.
Angela is a seasoned actress with over ten years of performance experience, and her vocal skills span both popular and operatic singing styles. Her works include “The Diva Dance”, “Miss Saigon”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Les Misérables”, “Jekyll & Hyde”, and others. Based on the public performances, Angela’s portrayal has been satisfying, as she fully embodies the two distinct states on stage, effectively conveying the different destinies of love and being loved. Mina chooses to die for love following Dracula’s death, while Salina, upon realising that Dracula has ultimately chosen Mina over her, becomes despondent and decisively ends her own life. Mina’s love affair with Dracula spans four hundred years; Salina, on the other hand, lives and dies for love, with her entire existence revolving around Dracula. When rejected, she resolutely shatters the crystal ball and chooses death. In death, their love for Dracula becomes eternal, converging on the same endpoint despite their different paths.
Angela is adept at bright coloratura, and her agile and ornate high notes are unforgettable to the audience. This vibrant vocal line further accentuates Salina’s stunning beauty, expressing her joy at Dracula’s arrival and her despair at being abandoned with great depth, allowing the audience to empathise deeply with Salina’s tragic fate.
Angela excels at seeking empathy from the minutiae of life, igniting inspiration, a quality essential for an actor. It is through the experience of these details that she captures the state of performance, striving for a natural expression. She firmly believes that any natural performance stems from physiological impulses, and actions should align with logically normal motives. Therefore, her acting style is plain, natural, and captivating. She is always emotive on stage, with multiple phases of understanding and grasp of her characters. Angela integrates her own experiences into her roles, making each character she portrays fresh, vibrant, and unique. It is for this reason that her interactions with fellow actors are always natural and chemically reactive, making the entire performance more vivid and real. Whether through song or body language, Angela can effectively convey the emotions of her character. Her every smile and every tear seem to directly touch the audience’s heartstrings, a capability that stands as one of her most precious qualities as a dramatic artist.
From a young age, Angela displayed a tremendous talent for music and drama. She started learning dance at the age of 5, often being singled out by teachers for individual training. At the age of 8, she became a sensation in her school with her dance performances as the Rabbit Spirit in “Journey to the West” with “The Girl from Tianzhu” and the Dai dance “The Golden Peacock”, making the Rabbit Spirit a nickname for Angela at that time. By the age of 14, she had taught herself to read music scores, showing a great interest in vocal performance. Despite facing the pressure of study, she believed that a life without music was incomplete. Holding a music score in her hands was her greatest happiness. Thus, she began systematic study of vocal music, including voice training, sight-reading, and refining her work, which became part of her daily life.
During her university years, Angela developed a profound interest in musical culture, especially in Western music, drama, opera, and musical theatre. As a result, she travelled to many different cities, absorbing the historical and cultural backgrounds behind each one to enrich her every performance piece. In 2007, she was admitted to Central China Normal University’s Master’s programme in Music Performance as the top candidate nationwide in vocal music, both in her subject and overall. During her studies, she actively participated in various opera and musical theatre productions. In 2011, Angela graduated and began an 8-year-long stage performance career, appearing on various concert stages. By 2018, before founding Fantine Studio, Angela had already performed selections from 60 operas.
In 2018, Fantine Musical Studio was established, consisting of two brands: (1) Fantine Musical Theatre Studio, which focuses on the production and public performance of plays, as well as the training of actors, and (2) Fantine Children’s Musical Theatre Workshop, an institution for learning musical theatre performance and actor reserve, offering systematic courses in vocal music, dance, script, foreign languages, and drama performance for youth and children. During its operation, Fantine Musical Studio has cultivated countless musical theatre actors who have made remarkable achievements in the field of musical theatre.
Angela’s entrepreneurial journey was challenging, and she could not have done it without the support of friends in the industry. She seemed to be favoured by fortune, always encountering the right people at the right time to encourage and assist her in her career. In the early stages of Fantine Studio’s establishment, it benefited greatly from the support of her first leading partner. With limited experience in troupe management, they faced a variety of issues. This leading man helped her professionally to complete works and managed various affairs within the team. They were the most loyal comrades. Under their leadership, the studio completed productions of “Miss Saigon”, “The Phantom of the Opera”, “Les Misérables”, and “Jekyll & Hyde.” Later, due to divergent paths in their development, they decided to part ways and pursue their own dreams. Initially, the entire team faced significant risks, and changes in management led to internal turmoil. Angela was aware that she could not fall; she had to bounce back from any setback and not let it shake the team’s foundation. “Nosferatu” represented a sort of rebirth because, like Dracula, Angela needed new life, new vitality. So, in the autumn of 2022, Angela found her next leading partner, whose professional skills were solid. In Angela’s words: “His voice pulled me out of the mire.” “Nosferatu” not only tells the story of Dracula but also Angela’s own story. This leading man showed Angela respect and care, and his personality also possessed a dedication to the craft. He would tell Angela, “Mina, from now on, you can only love me. Your heart can only belong to me. I am the real Dracula.”
Angela’s career has been filled with misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and even malicious harm. However, adversity often makes a person stronger. Angela frequently tells her students that if they wish to embark on entrepreneurship, they cannot avoid any of the pitfalls she has encountered. Yet, she emphasises that these difficulties are not insurmountable. “If your heart is big enough, your problems will seem smaller,” she often says. She believes that everyone’s character is expanded through adversity, and once all grievances are let go, one will realise that the present moment is the most beautiful of all. Throughout her journey, Angela’s mindset has become increasingly open and forgiving as her career has progressed.
Throughout Angela’s decades of acting career, we have seen a high level of dedication from actors. Mainly reflected in two aspects:
Tireless pursuit of vocal technology. Angela’s vocal technical prowess is unquestionable. She possesses dark music, precise pitch and breath control. A vocal range that spans three octaves allows her to handle a wide range of roles. Especially her treble, vibrato can be soft, or it can be unquestionable. The theme song “Phantom of the Opera” in this work “Phantom of the Opera” is one of her masterpieces. Her excellent chest voice and head voice mixing It makes the song line more stable, and the final High E is perfect. Her vocal technique can also control shocking music styles, from soprano in academic vocal music in classical music to rock and jazz in pop music, each style has shaped With her different understanding of songs and unique charm, she constantly breaks through herself in vocal technology, explores new areas, and triggers endless surprises and touches.
Dedicated practice in performance: Angela Fantine Wan’s portrayal of Mina and Salina in the musical ‘Nosferatu’ is nothing short of mesmerising. Her ability to switch between the two contrasting characters with such precision and emotional depth is a testament to her exceptional talent. Her performance stands out as one of the highlights of the production, capturing the audience’s attention with her vocal range and dramatic presence. The duality she brings to her roles, from the composed and dignified Mina to the exotic and enigmatic Salina, showcases her versatility and command over both vocal and dramatic elements. This performance solidifies her status as a formidable presence in the world of musical theatre. Angela’s stage presence is undeniable, and her performance in ‘Nosferatu’ is a shining example of her talent and versatility. This production is elevated by her outstanding contributions, making it a memorable and impactful experience for the audience.
At the beginning of 2024, Angela arrived in the United Kingdom to continue exploring new possibilities. She subsequently won nine awards from international competitions in five European countries. Among these were the Diamond Award in the Musical Theatre category and the Platinum Award in the Academic Vocal category at the Beethoven Che International Music Competition in the UK, as well as the First Prize in the Professional Vocal category at the UK International Music Competition, and she became a member of the honorary jury for the FMVDC Russian Genius. Angela continues to diligently cultivate her path in performance, contributing her strength to cultural endeavours with her inclusive feminine spirit, steadfastness, and belief in the pursuit of art.
Review
The musical “Nosferatu”, adapted by Fantine Musical Studio, is a brilliant reimagining of Bram Stoker’s classic “Dracula”. The production breathes new life into the story, maintaining a perfect balance between homage to the original and innovative reinterpretation.
Angela Fantine Wan’s portrayal of both Mina and Salina is truly mesmerising and stands as the highlight of the production. Her ability to switch between the two contrasting characters with such precision and emotional depth is a testament to her exceptional talent. Mina’s composed and dignified nature contrasts sharply with Salina’s exotic and enigmatic presence, showcasing Wan’s versatility and command over both vocal and dramatic elements. Her performance captures the audience’s attention, bringing these characters to life in a way that is both captivating and profound.
“Nosferatu” is a bold and successful adaptation that showcases the exceptional talent of Angela Fantine Wan and the creative vision of Fantine Musical Studio. The narrative of “Nosferatu” effectively weaves themes of good and evil, love and hate, creating a compelling storyline that keeps the audience engaged from beginning to end. The scenes between Dracula and Mina are rich with emotional tension and thematic depth, exploring the complexities of love and sacrifice. The subplot involving Abraham Van Helsing and his team of vampire hunters adds an exciting dynamic to the story, enhancing the overall experience. The musical offers a compelling and emotionally charged experience that reflects the enduring allure of Dracula’s story.
The production’s set design and costumes are visually stunning, effectively creating the gothic atmosphere essential to the story. The use of lighting and sound enhances the eerie ambiance, making the dramatic scenes truly gripping. These elements work together seamlessly to immerse the audience in the world of Dracula, adding depth and richness to the performance. It is a memorable and impactful production that leaves a lasting impression on its audience, solidifying Angela’s status as a formidable presence in the world of musical theatre.
Angela’s extensive experience and dedication to her craft are evident in her performance. Her vocal range and technical prowess are remarkable, with her agile and ornate high notes adding a layer of beauty and tragedy to Salina’s character. Her ability to convey deep emotions through both song and body language is a rare and precious quality, making her performance both touching and unforgettable.
Normani’s long-promised debut album, 
This is Lorelei
John Cale has issued a new album titled 
The Decemberists are back with their first album in six years, 
Martha Skye Murphy
Cola
Irish rap trio Kneecap have come through with their debut album, Fine Art, via 
Raveena has released a new album, 
Mike Lindsay – Mercury Prize-winning producer, co-founder of the folk band Tunng, and one-half of LUMP with Laura Marling – has issued his debut solo album, supershapes volume 1. It’s the first installment in a series of albums that explore “the miraculous in the mundane,” according to Lindsay, diving into “everyday domestic objects, especially tables, coffee table books, and the daily rituals that shape us, heavily focusing on the majestic in the domestic.” Anna B Savage’s vocals are featured prominently through the record, which also includes contributions from multi-instrumentalist Ross Blake, saxophonist Robert Stillman (of the Smile’s live band), and drummer Adam Betts (Three Trapped Tigers, Squarepusher).
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