The Tay Zonday Thread

[Dole]

Anyone seen him on YouTube yet? He's gotta be twelve year old kid even though he trys to pass himself off as twenty five, but you can tell he's faking a deep voice by the way he has to contort his mouth and take a deep breath after singing two lines.

He looks like a smaller version of Michael Jackson from Thriller, and sounds like someone you'd expect to meet in Ghana or Nigeria named Mombay or N'Choomba.

First off, a Tay Zonday original, Chocolate Rain. Supposedly about racial interaction, it's hard to follow anything in the song besides repeated spoutings of "Chocolate Rain". (hard to ignore the innuendo in that unintentional pun) Even if you click "more" in the description on the right-hand side of the video's page on YouTube to see the lyrics, it still doesn't make much more sense. Btw, free MP3 download there, also.
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Here, we have Tay Zonday's cover of the Rick Astley... classic, Never Gonna Give You Up.
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And here's him just talking.
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Tay Zonday's Official Site (http://www.tayzonday.com/) (redirects to the following YouTube page: http://www.youtube.com/user/TayZonday )
Figured I'd post the official site anyway, just for that picture. :lol:

[Aerowyn]

I've seen the Rick Astley thing, and you could totally tell he warped his voice somehow. I might try ripping from the video and messing with the pitch to see what's going on. XD

[et_cg]

You'd be surprised at what people of many sizes and shapes can do.

[Limited]

Never heard that Chocolate Rain song :P

And people can do amazing things with their voices, theres a white dude that sings jazz he sounds black, but hes not.

[Dole]

Tom Jones?

[Zeph]

Lol, this is nothing. Back when I was in high school, there was this little tiny kid. He couldn't weigh more than 125 pounds and was just a bit over five foot tall. He had a voice about a fifth lower than the lowest that youtube kid got.

[Dole]

For those who didn't see it, yesterday Tay Zonday performed live on Late Night With Jimmy Kimmel. He's still sticking to the "it's my real voice" ploy, but you can still say him tightening his throat.
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Also, by either tomorrow or next week my friend will have an interview with Tay on his blog (linked in sig). When [and if] he gets the interview, I'll post it.

[Dr Nick]

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For this, he wins.

[Cortexian]

I play the Bagpipes.

Bagpipes > Piano.

He's pretty good, but a piano/keyboard isn't all that hard to play, I picked up pipes because piano was boring and trumpet was lame.

[Bastinka]

It looks like hes playing the beginners version of that song, I don't remember. I play piano, mostly boogie-woogie, blues and some ragtime :-3

EDIT: Something tells me he has some sort of disability, maybe autism. :\

[Cortexian]

A1VSodta_Fk

I'm not in Alberta Caledonia as they're a Grade 1 (Usually place around 6th in world championships), however my instructor is in Al Cal. Here at Ellerslie 2007 highland games they just put on a demonstration (there are only two Grade 1 bands in western Canada so they almost never compete against each other except at worlds). My band is actually just over to the right and back of the camera man, however, if you see a glimpse of a couple guys in red uniforms sitting to the right watch, thats me and a friend, we're in a Grade 4 band (Grade 1 is the best, and Grade 5 is beginner, there are massive jumps in skill level between the grades though). I know the melody that they're playing and just need to get a few parts down until I've got it perfect.

[Bastinka]

No offense, but is it true you don't wear anything under those kilts?

[Cortexian]

No offense, but is it true you don't wear anything under those kilts?
Not entirely. And no offense taken. The "rule" (which no one really follows, hence I said "not entirely") is that if we have a queen like we do now, all male pipers are to wear undergarments. If we have a king female pipers are to wear undergarments.

But like I said, no one really follows it ;), So I wouldn't go checking if I were you.

[Warsaw]

Around here Grade VI is the best and Grade I is beginner...

Another Zonday video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUDxpWXYoBg

[Dr Nick]

I wanna Kilt. There's something about them that makes me want one.

The colors of a Kilt are supposed to represent which family the owner is from.

[Cortexian]

Around here Grade VI is the best and Grade I is beginner...

Another Zonday video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUDxpWXYoBg
Were are you located, because your wrong.

Best to worst solo is:
Professional, Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, then Beginner.

Best to worst band is the same as solo but without Professional and Beginner, those are the official world standards in the piping world. No matter were you are it should be like that. Unless your not talking about "The Great Highland Bagpipe" in which case I have no idea what your talking about.

[jahrain]

Wasn't it "Anonymous" who made this guy famous?

I can make my voice deeper than that tbh. But I normally speak with a moderately pitched voice naturally.

[Dole]

My friend managed to get an interview, and here it is. (direct link to blog in sig)



8/10/07- This week's guest: Tay Zonday... (http://vaf89.blogspot.com/2007/08/81007-this-weeks-guest-tay-zonday.html)




http://bp3.blogger.com/_YM8X_up659A/Rrw3bBC98YI/AAAAAAAAAKI/pMn4q_svuBU/s320/crain.jpg (http://bp3.blogger.com/_YM8X_up659A/Rrw3bBC98YI/AAAAAAAAAKI/pMn4q_svuBU/s1600-h/crain.jpg)

You have no doubt seen the video that over 5 million people have viewed on Youtube in the past week. That video is "Chocolate Rain" by Tay Zonday(video is posted below the interview). In a matter of mere days, this song has been covered by the likes of John Mayer and Tre Cool and has spawned literally hundreds of Internet spoofs. This man is truly destined to take his new-found fame, run with it, and carry himself all the way to the top. His may truly be the most prolific and insightful guest I've interviewed yet. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Tay Zonday:

1. How did you first get interested in wanting to become a musician?

I don't know that I consciously want to be a musician. You make it sound like I prayed in the foothills of Tibet and had a revelation from Buddha. Everybody sings. Maybe they only do it when they're alone in the car. Maybe they only do it in the shower. People are not "interested" in "becoming a musician" in these spaces. Music is the default status of life. So the question is not why particular people become musicians. The question is why a majority of people become silent. They sing in the shower. They sing in the synagogue. They are silent on the sidewalk. They are silent in the grocery store. What made you interested in wanting to become silent?

2. What are some of your favorite musical acts and influences?

I don't know. I just respect all music.

3. Do you feel that alot of the music industry today has become too commercialized and cookie-cutter?

Since its inception, the music industry has been a distribution industry. It has been about gaining exclusive access to scarce retail space. It has been about gaining exclusive access to scarce broadcast airwaves. Once exclusive access is secured, it is much easier to produce "impressions" . . . forcing encounters between your brand and the general publics' brains. The volume of impressions creates the behavior of purchasing music much more reliably that "good" music. Since broadcast and distribution is becoming less scarce with the internet, it is becoming easier to rely on good music to generate purchases.

4. What was the worst job you have ever had?

I don't do well with these questions that require a singular extreme. The "favorite" music act? The "worst" job? How can anybody reduce their life to these qualifiers? Isn't each situation rich with context and contradiction? Isn't it always multiple things at once? We've got to get ourselves unhooked from sound-bytes. They are always shortcuts of convenience. The problem is that it's for the convenience of power and not the convenience of enfranchised people.

5. Has all of this new-found fame changed you at all?

Am I in the midst of newfound fame? I have not noticed any interesting changes in my psychology. The public seems much more interested in my psychology than I am. I really don't pay much attention to it. At least, not with the voyeuristic titillation that sometimes moves the public. I'm not looking in the mirror every morning and asking "how am I changed today?"

6. Any plans to release a full-length album?

Who knows? I take it a day at a time. As soon as I affirm a plan, the margin of error becomes too high.

7. Have you seen any of the parody videos of chocolate rain on youtube? Do you have any favorites?

That's another one of those questions that requires an extreme. It requires a label. How can anybody stand a mode-of-thought that is so concrete? I appreciate the fact that anybody would be interested in interpreting my work.

8. What's on your Tivo/DVR?

I don't own a television. Though my family often has stuff saved on their DVRs when I visit them.

9. Any advice for an aspiring musician out there?

I think I touched on this in #1. Understand what it is that inspires you to be silent. Once you begin to understand why you aspire to be silent, it becomes easier to understand why you are not a musician.

10. What is the message being told in "chocolate rain"?

"Chocolate Rain" is not dogmatic. It is not like the step-by-step directions for putting together a new table. It is cryptic. It is meant to be subject to interpretation. Some experience it on a deeply academic level. Others experience it as a catchy and entertaining tune. I refuse to be the referent by which other interpretations are evaluated. People get out of it what they get out of it and that's cool. What more does it need to be?

[Dr Nick]

This guy's a genius.

[Dole]

It's a ploy; he's pretending to be smart.

He thinks he's being really philosphical, but in reality he's just avoiding a straight answer.
Trust me, I understand what he's doing perfectly.

[Dr Nick]

Yeah, I noticed he didn't answer a lot of questions.

I guess it makes sense.

[n00b1n8R]

It's a ploy; he's pretending to be smart.

He thinks he's being really philosphical, but in reality he's just avoiding a straight answer.
Trust me, I understand what he's doing perfectly.

is that because you do it too? :XD:

seriously though, am i the only one who thinks he's shit?
that last song that got linked had me like.... >)V_V)>

[Kalub]

Its not chocolate rain its: Chocolate Reign hes a racist get him!


:lol:

[Kornman00]

People like him make me sick.

No, I'm not talking about the color of his skin :eyesroll:

[rossmum]

What, frauds?

[Dole]

is that because you do it too? :XD:
More or less.

I think the same way, but when speaking and writing I never let myself get away with anything less than a direct, concrete answer.
Anything less than that isn't worth saying because it is useless babble that gets a conversation nowhere and it turns around and ends up being completely progress-inhibiting stumbling block instead of an exceptionally profound inner realization. I know this from experience, and I'm sure someone who's nearly ten years older than me does also.

[DaneO'Roo]

Wtf, on Jimmy Kimmel you can totally tell it's NOT his real voice. The way he opens his mouth, the unusually firm posture, he doesn't fucking move when he's talking. Naturally talking would NOT put that much strain on your body or neck, and wouldn't require the obvious focus that he's applying.

I can't wait for the day he gets busted and his "career" ends.

[Dr Nick]

Wtf, on Jimmy Kimmel you can totally tell it's NOT his real voice. The way he opens his mouth, the unusually firm posture, he doesn't fucking move when he's talking. Naturally talking would NOT put that much strain on your body or neck, and wouldn't require the obvious focus that he's applying.

I can't wait for the day he gets busted and his "career" ends.
Nor can I, but I can play my Wii while I wait!
/offtopic


Anyway, I'm gonna go watch a bunch of videos to see if he messes his voice up at all because I'm that bored...
/ontopic!

[n00b1n8R]

would he post them if he did?

VANILA SNOW.

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[Kalub]

OMFG <3 It

[Bastinka]

LMAO!!
Vanilla Snow, oh god thats hilarious.

EDIT: Also, you can tell hes completely faking. You can tell the pitch of his voice differs from the beginning to the end. Also, you can sometimes hear a small list/messup at the end of some words. (Talking about Tay Zongay.)

In his videos, the camera has a weird 'filter' put to it. You can make out his skin is baby smooth though.

[FireScythe]

Any song with a title that makes me think of a soggy bowel evacuation gets a big thumbs down from me.

[Roostervier]

Any song with a title that makes me think of a soggy bowel evacuation gets a big thumbs down from me.
Rofl, but I've given out too much rep in the last 24 hours. D:

[Con]

lol FireScythe

that chocolate rain song makes me want to shoot myself it's so repetitive. I couldn't imagine listening to the whole fucking thing.

[FRain]

ROFL!!! +rep.

This kid is definitely not 25.

[Roostervier]

... I don't recall him ever saying he was. Then again, I haven't payed attention to him much. Anyway... anyone else notice his arms are ashy? :X

[Dole]

No, he does say he's 25. He has it displayed sort of like a disclaimer on his YouTube page, and he tried to peddle again when he was on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The video of him on JKL is embedded on the middle of the first page in the thread.

[Roostervier]

Well, I don't really believe that. He looks like he's 14. =p
Funny how I had never seen that.