from the place where the magic happens

Bonjour from the opera center.
My wireless internet is still down (although if I walk halfway down the hallway I can pick up new signals for free...but when I did that in my fuzzy slippers and PJs the other day I didn't get such appreciative looks from neighbors coming home after a hard day's work), so I'm writing from "work".

It hasn't really been "work" lately because the current project involves me singing mostly ensemble and some small small parts...which means basically that I"m only called to rehearsals every other evening. And I'll have maaaybe a coaching every day or other day.

So that leaves time. And what do I do with time? What I do best- waste it (mostly)- with some productivity on the side.
But without the internet, what ever could I do to occupy myself- you may ask?

Well, there's doing laundry, going shopping for healthy food, developing 150 pictures from my cruise, putting them in a photo album, not cleaning my room, not putting that newly clean laundry away in my room, keeping the tv on even though there are NO good shows in the afternoon, filling out competition applications..

wait, a short tangent- WHY do you make me SEEK OUT 8.5x14.5 paper to print out your application? REALLY? I mean, REALLY? YOu couldn't read my handwriting if this were a 2 page application and printed out on NORMAL paper?
/end tangent.

Deciding what to sing for competitions is a bit easier now that I've had success with the lakme once.
I also had the BEST coaching ever on it yesterday.

One of those one's where all of my BS was called out (well, it wasn't bs it was just doing what comes easily and not really getting the most musicality possible out of things like runs and effect, etc)...and I am all the better for it.

The first cadenza? Now totally shaped. I don't rush through the tripelets just because it's "easier and more natural" for me to sing them on the fast side, The run at the end means something, the four descending lines right before the end have shape...it's just great when you get that kind of feedback...
not- no, this is horrible...but -
why are you choosing to do this? why just show off the voice because you can? why don't you choose to make it musical and also show off the voice- taking more time with things?
YES. Thank you. Because...yes...it's "harder" to do it this way, but it makes so much more sense with the character, the flow of the piece, the "mood" as it were.

So. Lakme is not the same anymore.
She is more grown up. Taking more risks. And sounding all the prettier for it.
All thanks to an hour with a great great coach.


I don't know how long this no wireless thing is going to last. I may just call up comcast and sign up for it (again), after cancelling it after 2 months when I had it back in September.
Until then, ciao from the "OC".