Keep the earth below my feet.

THIS IS EVERYTHING.

A Linguist Tweets Too Like The Lightning by Ada Palmer 

Typewriter Series #1557 by Tyler Knott Gregson

Next time someone complains about singular “they” I’ll point them to this 17th century rant against singular “you”.

There is absolutely no good reason for a child to sing in a heavily operatic style. This is vocally unsafe. It is vocally irresponsible, and it is just as irresponsible to encourage this type of singing.

You know that 8 year old pianist who is rocking out to Rachmaninoff on the piano way better than any professional musician you know? That 14 year old violinist who is a “child prodigy”? Yeah, that doesn’t exist in the singing world. Here’s why:

Most people’s voices do not settle until their mid-20′s. A child’s larynx is still developing. It will continue to develop. A lot of people don’t even start taking private lessons until they are 18+ because of this. I cannot name one person I know of that would think this aria is appropriate for even a 20 year old. The amount of pressure this child is placing on her vocal cords will most likely damage them if she continues this.

A child is supposed to sound like a child. This is not her real voice. It is not POSSIBLE that this is her real voice. She is using pressure, tension, and darkening her color probably by falsely depressing her larynx to achieve a more mature sound.

The awful effects of this can be permanent, both physiologically and psychologically. The opera industry (the entire entertainment industry actually) is a world full of no. A world full of rejection. Expensive rejection, might I add. A world full of criticism – your voice is too wobbly, your voice is too shrill, your voice is too wide, your voice is too dark, your voice is too bright, you’re too fat, you’re too short, you’re not the right ethnicity, you’re too this, you’re too that, but not enough this or not enough that. Yes, let’s welcome children to the amount of vitriol you will experience. 

Your body has to catch up to your technique. Singing involves using a lot of muscles. Just to list a few: cricothyroid, posterior cricoarytenoid, lateral cricoarytenoid, transverse arytenoid, oblique arytenoid, thyroarytenoid, sternothyroid, omohyoid, sternohyoid, inferior constrictors, thyrohyoid, digastric, stylohyoid, mylohoid, geniohyoid, hyoglossus, genioglossus muscles…those are JUST the muscles used for phonation alone. Look at all those muscles you can damage! Like an athlete, these muscles must be warmed up, cooled down, and most importantly – trained. Vocal folds are pretty delicate. Look at professionally trained opera singers who have damaged their voices by overuse – and you’re telling me the same won’t happen to an underdeveloped voice? This girl will likely not even have the OPTION of an opera career because of the irresponsible people around her telling her it is okay to literally damage her voice. Unlike a piano, a flute, a violin, etc. you cannot purchase a new voice. It’s important to take care of the voice you have.

Not to mention, is there anyone out there that actually wants to hear a 13 year old sing about deeply intense sexual love? Really? Yeah, let’s totally forget why this aria was even written and the complex adult themes in many operas.

Kilroy was here is an American popular culture expression that became popular during World War II; it is typically seen in graffiti. Its origins are debated, but the phrase and the distinctive accompanying doodle — a bald-headed man (sometimes depicted as having a few hairs) with a prominent nose peeking over a wall with the fingers of each hand clutching the wall — became associated with GIs in the 1940s.

Source [x]

For example, this guy?

Teaches moral philosophy.

And this creepy dude?

He’s your astronomy professor.

“Yeah, but he’s supposed to be really good about keeping regular office hours.”