I just took reference video of myself singing a song that I want to cover on guitar, so that when I finally learn to sing it well, I can look back and feel impressed with myself for no longer butchering[1] it.
Anyway, I just watched it, and discovered something bizarre… I have the facial mannerisms that I remember my dad having while he sang and played the guitar! We make the same singing faces!
I guess humans learn facial expression by mimicking others, but it’s truly strange how accurate the imitation is, considering that we are not learning consciously OR able to observe ourselves in order to make corrections. This might explain why I confused adult ballet instructors with my non-beginner grasp of “style”, even though I had never taken ballet class before– I just used to watch lots of ballet on PBS when I was really little. God only knows why I loved it so much.
Does this method of learning work better if you’re really little? Does it mean that I’m a very visual learner since I learn best this way?
Here are some of the faces I think I acquired from other people: I learned Dead Sad Face from my mom, Pissed & Bored Face and Contemptuous Face from Alison, and Fidgety & Self-Conscious Singing Face from my dad. (My dad also taught me Helplessly Laughing Your Ass Off Face which is usually accompanied by vigorous Slapping Of the Knee (or punching the nearest person repeatedly, but I think that was my own invention)).
I learned Twitchy Eye Face and Serious Phone Support Face from Richard, but I can’t reliably produce those, yet.
This is my mischief face (I’m on the left)– I made that one up myself early on!
Jess, Errin, Anna, December 10 1981, Photographer unknown
[1]Is it weird that I use “butcher” to mean “do something horribly”, but “slaughter” to mean “do something really well”?
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That’s seriously a cute photo, first, but when you said you were the one on the left I was like, I’m pretty sure that’s a boy. Now of course I see which one you are.
I’ve caught myself picking up faces from people around me – the funny thing is the older I get, the more of my parents I see. GAH!
Haha, the doctor thought I was a boy when my mom was in labor (”this one’s gonna be a football player!” — oof, sorry mom).
Yeah, I find it pretty disturbing to have started looking more and more like my mom. I don’t see much of a strong resemblance to my dad, maybe because I’m female, but sometimes I look so much like my mom (especially if my hair is all poofy and crazy) that it freaks out Richard. And I mean, no one really wants to look in the mirror and see their parents, come on.
I think I even made a little collage on this theme… uh, yeah.
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