for laughs

Go to abc.com.
Watch videos of Sarah Silverman and Matt Damon, and response by Jimmy Kimmel and Ben Affleck. Repeat.
Laugh.
Repeat.
Laugh.

Oh, and then go study my new cadenzas.

omgjkttyl

New York makes me busy. No time to blog!
No, not really.
I actually didn't have my trusty mac with me, hence the non-bloggage. Now we are re-united and it feeeeels so gooood.

Music Update- coachings have been going smashingly. I love it.

Music Theater update- went to see Legally Blonde. Thought it would be NOT good, but actually it was MORE than amusing, and the songs are still stuck in my head. Guess that's a good thing.
Diatribe to come about the current state of belting on broadway, but I think there's just been a shift from what I remember falling in love with in high school, and what has come out since for the soprano belter voice.


More later, as I'm down to 12% battery and I haven't yet unpacked the charger.

culture weekend

Ok, I'm going to admit that I completely wasted the snow day away by staying inside and watching movies all day--even though I was hungry and there was no food. I did not go outside.
And then it was dinnertime, and I was hungry, and I had to step outside.

But TODAY and tomorrow and I'm having a culture weekend.
First, I had a wonderful brunch at Rare Bar and Grill (Lex b/w 37 and 38)--the French toast with bananas is amazing.
Next I visited the Morgan Library and Museum, mostly to see the photography exhibit of Irving Penn.
A glimpse into the artist's view of the artist--all of the shots were of famous writers, artists, performers--and so in addition to the construction of the shots, the faces of these geniuses were so interesting to glimpse--a moment of their limelight captured on film.

Tomorrow I'm going to attend the MONCA National Finals at the MET, where 9 young lucky and talented singers will get to compete for national recognition, possibly a place in the Lindemann program, and I'm sure national and international attention by agents, opera companies, and the likes.

THEN I'm going to a master class, AND to see Il Barbiere the next night.

So, I suppose what I'm saying is, that I don't feel so badly about doing absolutely nothing yesterday.

recorded history

I knew there was a reason to tote around that bulky minidisc player for the past 4 or 5 years...the reason was, that one day (this past weekend), I'd be rummaging through the myriad boxes in my basement containing everything from high school, college, gradschool, summeryaps, yearroundyap, and all of the packing and unpacking in between--that I'd find three minidiscs. And of course, wanting to re-use said discs, I popped them in the machine, and started to listen.

Blast from the past- the Mad Scene staging rehearsal, circa September 2005. I remember this day clearly. I came in wanting to record the rehearsal so that I could review the blocking later on. What I didn't realize was just how much it would all make sense to me--every nuance, every move, the director didn't even say anything about move here move there--he let me feel it out, the cadenza, the space in between, the bloody sheets, the strewn flowers left over from the wedding.
There's ONE interjection about moving a whole section stage right, but otherwise, it was a go with the flow type of situation. I can hear now how the room was silenced by some of the things that I was doing--usually there is the usual din in the background, or at the table--directors giving asst. directors notes, conductors fixing things, mouthing things, stressing more open vowels, other cast members doing their thing around the table where I had placed the recorder.
But what I noticed most was the quiet.

And so, even at that age, singing a role that I would LOVE to sing again at some point in my career, knowing that I was very young and very green but still giving it my all (AND knowing that if I sang it again tomorrow it would sound completely different)- I sounded, in all honesty, on.
Yes, it's young. Too young to be considered seriously on the large operatic stages. But not too young to be singing it correctly, with pathos, with a certain rawness and sweetness of an untested, fresh, and completely optimistic vocalism.

It was a nice refresher to what I'm trying to do these days--learning a new role that is in some ways also not vocally 'perfect' for my rep- after all, it was written for a mezzo!, but seeing that I handled it with grace and ease, and knowing I can do it again. Never pushed. Never darkened. Never did anything but open my mouth and say the words on the pitches that were written for it.

I'm unnerved by it, and also comforted by it.
A recorded history that I'm proud of and that I also can reflect back on, to see just how far I've come since then. And hope that I always keep a bit of that young bright-eyed optimism and purity of voice, while learning to maneuver in the larger and more supported instrument that I've tuned since that time.

MayMadMoney

I can either have a nice and relaxing end-of-May, doing nothing but preparing for upcomingrole2, OR I can apply to all of those competitions that take place in the last 2 weeks...(current count: 7 that DON'T overlap between May 12th and May 28th) and be flying all over the place.

The opportunities for connections and possibly winning some money are lovely.
The opportunities for frequent flier miles, last minute cancellations and missed connections, and of course, that odd May Sickness (that came upon me last year during this time and forced me to cancel 3 comps) are not so lovely.

Not so sure what to do, but I have to decide soon because deadlines and recordings will be looming.

finalmente!! (finalett-ti)

Note to ACB:

THIS IS NOT A FREAKOUT THREAD about the role!! :)

Yayyyy! It's magically there! In my head--the finale!
Woo hoo!

Here's what you do:
When you go to sleep, around 11 (because you have to wake up at 7am the next morning to get on a train for NYC for a coaching),
put the score on the floor to your right,
your ipod (after you listen to it once) to your left,
the keyboard at the foot of your bed,
lay on your BACK, with TWO pillows,
and close your eyes, and even though it's 11 and too early to go to sleep,
TRY...
and when you wake up---you will MAGICALLY have memorized the finale!!!

No, really. It clicked today and I couldn't be happier. Now, onto the other stuff, after that!

I had a kick-ass/ass-kicking coaching on Aria1 today, with RJ--my new mistress of legato/low/middle singing.
Things to remember:

Umm, even though I can do those tricks to sound like La Bubbles did, all light and floaty and childish, I CAN sound like a full (dare I say lyric?) soprano singing all of the runs, twists, turns, AND low notes as well--so, even though I love Belle and how she always makes me smile no matter what I'm listening to or watching of hers, I need to make mine a bit more mature so I don't pull the same old 'coloratura tricks' which include, NOT singing legato and not really attacking staccatti in full voice, etc. etc. (please now refer to index of life page 293., Early Vocal Development and being able to get away with having a young-sounding and incredibly flexible instrument).

finally kind of sort of better

No medication in the past 24 hours, and I was able to sleep without theraflu.
I even took a 40 minute brisk walk today (until it started raining on my head), while listening to Act I of upcomingrole1 that I need to learn (note: I don't even come in until minute 34 or so).

What can I say about this role? It was offered to me at the semi-last minute, and even though I have TIME to learn it, I'm feeling like I am not getting as much done as possible with it.

Aria1- memorized
Recits 1-3ish- memorized, but not well enough or fast enough for what I want to do with them on stage eventually.
Duet1- memorized WITH alt. cadenzas that I want to do
Recit4/5- maybe 60%
FINALE1- NOT EVEN CLOSE. It's so fast, it's so wordy, it's so filled with random interjections at times...in short, it's driving me crazy. And it's 100 pages long.

I can't even look at memorizing anything after it, because I'm so FLUSTERED by it!


I know that I need to break it down into itty bitty pieces, and just write out the one or two lines that fly right by, and NOT think about the next 96 pages or so, while I'm trying to fix one section.

Truthfully, I do know more than I think. I just don't know it all 100 pages in a row.

Back to new memorization games.
I have many, many of them.
And apparently the one that I've been playing so far is NOT working for this finale.

I may have to resort to pacing/skipping around the room with different pieces of colored paper in my hand...lifting the right hand for when I KNOW things, and reading off of the left when I don't.

Strange, I know. But it works.
Back to being 'fredda e immobile'

3.5 down, 312.5 or so..to go

Recit, today you are the bane of my existence.

Sometimes you are just so easy...you roll right off of the tip of my tongue. I look at you ONCE, ONCE!, know the context of the scene that I'm in, and it just makes sense.
Of COURSE I'd say: si,si,lavinceropotessialmenomandargliquestalettermacomedinessunquimifidailtutorhacent'occhibastabastasigilliamolaintanto.
etc.etc.
It ROLLS! I read it once, I got it.

And then there are those that just don't come at all. Neither the pitch NOR the words.
I can play it 5 times. I can read it 5 times. I repeat it slowly, I repeat it quickly. speed up, slow down, cheat by looking at the score when I don't remember what comes next, and then (the WORST) break into recit from ANOTHER section.

That's the thing I have to be most careful of...and so I paced myself today by learning (and trying to memorize) 2 recit-y sections that followed one another, and then took a recit break and looked at the ActI/II (depending on Ricordi or Schirmer) finale.

I'm very far away from freak-out mode since I DO have time to do this, but I wish the process would go a bit faster. All of the finales, finalettos, ensemble pieces, are SO wordy and so long--even if they repeat the same two phrases over and over again, it's like tongue twisters on any note from A below middle C, to two octaves above that--and fast.
And have I mentioned fast?

From my mid-day liquid theraflu stupor...

Sometimes I think that I would absolutely not be able to do an "internet/phone" detox.
Seriously.
I woke up at 7am, still not feeling well. It is now 1:55pm.
The ONLY thing that I've done, besides drinking 5 cups of tea, 2 glasses of oj, sneezing and readjusting the warm blankets around me in bed:

Hotmail
Facebook
Nytimes
Gmail
Google
Blogs
CNN
Haaretz
LeFigaro
Corriere


Wash, rinse, repeat,and press "refresh" on all of those pages...basically waiting for people to email me, or for facebook to notify me that someone has done SOMETHING to me on facebook.

I know it's wrong. So very very wrong.

I'm finished now. I think the "nighttime" theraflu is kicking in. Time for a nap.
I've been a bad, bad girl.
When I wake up I'm REALLY going to memorize 3 pages of recit. For serious.

into the a-biss, piano music

Just added a new blog to my list of "websites i frequent while...not doing other things that I should probably be doing":

I've only seen and heard him play in one concert, April 2, 2006- Town Hall (Beethoven, Schoenberg, and Schumann,---enlightening), but ever since, Jonathan Biss, pianist-traveler-blogger has been someone I've been keeping my eyes and ears open for a return to any 'neck of the woods' that I happen to be in.

At that April concert, the tickets were sold out, and I remember waiting outside as the old ladies in fancy suits shuffled by (overly made up for an afternoon concert), and hoping that some kind soul would return a ticket to the box office, or have it for sale outside.

As it turned out, I did get in, but my seat was on House Right--NOT the place to be for a piano concert (I like to see the hand-y-work!), and so after the first piece I was able to move to an empty seat that I saw on House Left, with a perfect view (sorry, it was of your butt, too, but the hands were what I was looking at--I promise!)...(oh, and that guy who coughed profusely? He was right behind me--and I gave him that Halls cough drop--you're welcome).

And so, since he's just one year older than me, kicking ass at an international performance career, and has the best personal bio ..ever...(could only be surpassed by the "skills" sections of SOME opera singers that I've seen, which include: "touches tongue to nose"), and he UPDATES his blog more than half of the other links on my sidebar do, he gets added. So read and enjoy.

ps, it's official, I have something viral and I'm contagious.
SO glad I don't have to sing anything until Tuesday.

42 day project

Learn 316 pages of music to be memorized for rehearsal day 1.

vday

Not that this day has really meant anything so special in the past (well, maybe in 4th grade when I had my first crush on an American kid in an American school), but this year vday is a bit different than it has been in the past...4 years....for me.

Meaning, there is no one special to mock the holiday with me. I didn't get to buy a box of chocolates, eat the chocolates myself, and then GIVE said box of chocolates to said someone with a note inside that says something witty about the fact that this is a corporate sponsored holiday to make us feel bad about ourselves after a month of New Year's Resolution dieting, etc, etc,etc.

This is not a recent development in my life, just one of the days that I'm reminded that what I had thought was a comfortable and good thing for a very long time, did not work. And that yes, my life as a traveling singer (or traveling anything) had something to do with the added strain of keeping up a long distance relationship for over 4 years.

I don't tend to get too personal here, so I'll just end it at that.
No sympathy needed, just a bit of honest reflection.

Back to my orange juice.

still out of commission

While everyone else got to play in the snow or have a snow day, I was tucked into bed, drinking freshly squeezed oj, eating homemade chicken soup (and Matzah ball soup out of the jar before I got out of bed to buy the ingredients to make th homemade soup), and doing just about nothing.

Oh wait, I DID mark the cuts in my score.
Have I mentioned that when you get thrown into something like this at the last minute, how WONDERFUL it is to take all of the VIDE's that reduce your recit by a zillion, and neatly trim repetitive ensembles?
Lovely.

Of course I will eventually learn everything, in case the MET calls (hahahahah), but for now I'm just working on what I need know.


There was something else that I wanted to write about, but in my hot tea and warm soup full-tummy stupor I can't quite think of it right now.

It may be 9:32pm, but that's a good enough bed time for me.

Oh yea, I made a logo up all by myself for my new website/business. I felt pretty snazzy about conquering photoshop and html in one sitting.

good night.

serves me right

Late bedtimes plus nyc 'urban' air/water/filth plus not eating enough veggies plus whatever forces of nature decided to mess with me equals:

Woke up feeling like crap, ears and nose completely blocked, and even a sore throat!

WHY didn't I buy more packets of Emergen-C when I ran out last week?! WHY didn't I eat double the Flinstone's vitamins?

I think it's this weird virus that's been going around with everyone that I know. But I don't really get sick! I mean, I do ONCE in a blue moon--but I usually see it coming and then eat tons of pineapple and drink emergen-C like it's koolaide, and stay in bed, and rest, and...bla bla bla..I know how to take care of myself.

So this twice in a blue moon thing is NOT cool.

just another manic monday

It seems like I spent the day applying to competitions.
Oh, yea, I DID spend the day applying to competitions.
Went to the post office twice to get money orders (not cool that they only accept cash or debit for that--I don't have DEBIT! I have CREDIT!).
Trolled youtube for a bit to find some interesting arias and oratorio stuff that I may want to learn.
And was otherwise pretty unaccomplished in learning upcomingrole1. Ok, I went through the entire score, but that doesn't really mean that I learned things. By heart, that is.
I can definitely SING it all, minus the parts where I'm figuring out fun cadenzas.

And minus the parts that are still tba cuts.

bedtimes

I can feel the cycle of evil beginning already.
For the past 2 nights I have not fallen asleep until well past 2am.
NOT GOOD.

I'm going to try very hard not to flip my days and nights--this usually only happens leading up to and after a show! (getting home at midnight with tons of energy= 2nd dinner at 1am and bedtime at 3 or 4.

Even if I set my alarm early for tomorrow I know I'm going to be exhausted---so why set it at all if I don't have to "do" anything until well past noon? hmmm...

Ok, fine. I'm trying to go to sleep.
Now.
Say night night ibook.
-night night.

ok, we're friends again.

Except for the very very chilly weather tonight that followed the 5 minutes of snow flurries, nyc and I are bff's again.

"and it's funny how it switches like that"- (one of the greatest comedies ever, if you don't know the quote original, google it!)

Maybe it was something about the day of quiet,
being productive (well, a LITTLE),
having dinner with great friends and reminiscing about high school, college, a cappella groups, ex's, and chocolate--with all of the photo proof from the past 4 years to laugh and be amazed by,
and then walking my freezing ass home, since the subway (as always) was under construction in the evening, running express, and took me 20 blocks north of where I actually needed to be.

Up next for this week-
more legato work with a new coach,
a concert and dinner with more friends
some un-valentines day festivities
and we'll see what the weekend brings.

the big bad city

Once again I find myself in the NYC doldrums.

I'm excited when I arrive, I schedule coachings, see friends, go out, wander around in the frenzied city, and then all of a sudden it hits me (on a Saturday night)--I don't feel like doing ANYTHING. I don't want to see anyone, or even step one little toe outside of the door. I want to sit in the apt. all night, by myself, with my recit and the tv on in the background (Law and Order, obvie), and just burrow in blankets and be vewwy vewwy qwwwuiet.

I've always thought about investment property in NYC, and how I "have" to be here for at least 3 months of the year (audition season), so why not look for something and see if I could finance it (along with generous, generous, family assistance), and then sublet when I'm not around--but when I feel like I do tonight, in NY, those ideas suddenly don't seem that appealing.

I suppose I've chosen the life of a vagabond. Living out of suitcases. Changing apartments every month and a half, living in hotels, home stays, and then in my time off, I have a choice. Sublet in the city, rely on friends and crash in the city, or live in one of the 2,3,or 4 other cities I've spent substantial time/school/life in and get a sublet there.

It all seems so fleeting when you have just 4 weeks to spend in one location.

Ok, enough babble for one evening.
Bottom line is, there's a lot to do here. But sometimes it's nice to just spend some time looking at the bright lights of the city from indoors.

oratorio

I have to learn some new "sacred" pieces for a recording session this weekend.
I'm not quite sure why I haven't learned more of this stuff before- it's quite beautiful and moving.
But I suppose not having attended church except once or twice with friends from highschool (for FUN!), not having a Church job in college, and not really having sought out sacred music performing opportunities--there really was no opportunity for me to become familiar with this music.

Hopefully that will change soon, as I discover the beauty, not of just listening to these requiems on my ipod, but learning them with the hopes of one day having the opportunity to perform them.

3 pages, single spaced...

...of recit or "talky" ensemble interjections.
I can do that in 2 months, right???

This does not include the words to aria1, aria2, duet1, duet2 or any of the big ensembles that repeat themselves.

It's just the words in between.

It looks more daunting in a 488 page score than condensed to 3 typed pages.


I shall conquer you. First, though, I'm going to have an avocado and turkey sandwich on an English muffin. Because that is the only food I have left in the house (other than Cheerios, which I had for breakfast, and ice cream).

official

Well, it's official--my new website is up and running and so begins the official..beginning (I'm tempted to write begin the beguine...but that's so old-skool-music-reference) of a hobby/talent of mine turned into what will hopefully be some sort of business.

A majority of it will happen via phone and internet, some will happen in person when I'm available and in the right city.

I haven't added "meta" tags to it yet, so it's not yet google-able, but the site does accept direct traffic, and it also has an official "info@..." email address.

I suppose that now I have to look into incorporating, or somehow naming myself a taxable business...we'll get to that after my first official 'gig' FROM the website comes in.
Until then, it's word of mouth and previous contacts that I'm relying on to get the word out.

super tuesday and super scores

I didn't get enough sleep at all last night--due to, as usual, my body convincing itself that if it DID fall asleep that it would not hear my ridiculously obnoxiously loud alarm from my cellphone at 3:40am to wake me up before the taxi to the airport came to pick me up at 4am.
I tried, really I did. 12- in bed. 1- turn tv off. 1:20- put laptop away--and then I tossed and turned and woke up about every 20 minutes until finally getting out of bed and dealing with the face that I'd have to sleep on the airplane in the morning to catch up.

I arrived to a lovely present- 2 out of 4 scores that I need for upcoming gigs were delivered over the weekend.

I spent some quality time with a light blue Highlighter (MAN, that Barbiere score is huge), and now I'm watching and waiting to see what the democratic outcome of CA will be.

I'm literally just cracking this score open for the first time ever. I've only looked at the aria before, and more recently at the Lesson Scene and Figaro duet.
Umm, the finale of the Act goes on for over 70? 90? pages.

I'll probably do my crazy scene/page breakdown in my head tomorrow.
Pages, and how many I need to learn each day, memorize each day, what to start with, how to learn the Finale of the opera first or second, so that by the time I get that far through the score, there is something recognizable by the end.

I'm excited to put this together, and also have other things to take up my time when I need a study break, such as ItalianRole2 that I will be singing less than a month after this one.

All good things ahead.
Up next in the very near future:
Audition, competition, coaching, recording for competition, and more coaching.

ah, 'twas not to be

Audition part 2/2 went very well today again--Sang durchZ, asked for Oscar.
I could have done better on the 2nd run of DurchZ.
The Oscar felt connected and cute- but for me, that piece shows nothing except that I have a low and middle voice. I suppose I offer it because it's Italian, short, a role that I've sung and gotten great reviews for, and I know I could jump in anyday anytime and do it. Maybe not the best for a judging/competition panel though. Although- I can't just be known for singing high notes---so maybe it IS a good choice?

Oh, if only audition panels didn't hate Glitter and be gay so much. I really really love that piece and would have loved to sing it, but alas--twas not to be--and so my time here comes to an end. (not that singing glitter would have gotten me to the next level--just that I wish I'd sung it, comma, my time here has come to an end).

So- onward to the next task of learning ItalianRole1, ItalianRole2, and preparing for the next 2 or 3 competitions in NYC.

What have I gotten out of this experience?
Well, first 15 more singer friends to facebook!
Of course, the opportunity to sing for this level of opera house is an honor--and to feel like you represented yourself well is important.
I got to see two great operas, visit a new city, see old friends and new, and introduce myself and what I do to a knowledgeable panel who had never heard me before, and will hopefully remember me in the future.

So all in all, a great weekend of new faces, 4 arias, 2 operas, and one very content singer.

tear...

Well, I guess it had to catch up with Boston fans at some point.
Too many football, baseball and basketball wins in my lifetime.
But my grandparents, who have been season ticket holders to the Pats for 27 years (9th row, 50 yard line), have lived through the good times and the bad.
We'll come back. Just wait 'til next year.

Audition part 2/2 is tomorrow (actually, at this point, today).
I'm looking forward to starting with DurchZ.
I won't make guesses at which piece I think the panel will choose second. It doesn't really matter, because I love them both (that's why I offered them).

gameday highlights

Yes, I'm using sports lingo in honor of the SUPER BOWL.

Audition part 1 of 2:

"It's a great day for some opera singing today folks. We're glad you could join us.
The weather is nice and humid (not too fun for my hair) and all of the singers look great and ready to go. They're well rested and warmed up, so let's take you live inside REHEARSAL ROOM ONE (or 2 maybe, I don't remember)"

"Hi Pat, we're right outside door number one and we've been told that the acoustic inside is really great. Now, none of the singers have ever sung in this space before, so it'll be new for everyone, but they're confident and look fabulous in their suits and cute dresses--back to you".

"Our camera's weren't allowed inside, but we do have some insider information from one of the singers--here with the scoop is coloratur...aaah".

"Thanks Pat. Well, things started off well. I woke up just before my alarm went off (as usual), jumped in the shower for some morning steam and lip trills, and to steam my dress one more time. I had plenty of time, downed some Emergen-C (my equivalent of OJ for breakfast) and even managed to eat some food- a granola bar, before heading downstairs to meet my fellow singers and ride the shuttle over to the Opera Center.

Once there, I had plenty of time (I'm always early, very very early), so I chatted with a few singers who had already sung and were feeling good (and going to lunch-without me), and then it was my turn to find the coaching rooms at the very end of some very long hallways.

I did a few vocalises, got all the vowels ready, and then sang my usual warm-up song, DurchZ, on vowels. I was feeling pretty good, so I began to go through some repertoire. Zerbinetta (was considering beginning with this either today or tomorrow, and wanted to offer the whole thing--with the possibility of being asked to begin at a certain section), then a page or two of Glitter, some DurchZ on the words, Chacun to make sure I had the g (duh, I always do after warming up with DurchZ), and the first few measures of Oscar.

I took a breather, with 40 minutes left before the audition, and relaxed until then.
My ipod was on shuffle (as usual), and I got some Michael Jackson (The way you make(uh) me feel), and some other cheerful and pumped up music (Jtimberlake, The Killers, Ravel's vocalise, and then it was time.

Here's the play by play:
Walked into the room all smiles.
Offered: Chacun. Am loving where this aria takes me. I can see my buddies from the 21st regiment all around me and Tonio flirting back w/me in the distance.

Asked for: Zerbie from Noch Glaub.
Now, this is harder than beginning at the beginning. I know it, everyone knows it. When you start at the beginning of this piece you have this amazing momentum that takes you through it. It's a complete story, well, even more complete if I had the guys around me to do the whole commedia scene, but, ok, so even just the aria.
Ariadne has not yet checked out, so I have to do some convincing in the Noch glaub.
But who do I really have to convince of these true/false loves? Well, that's me, of course, silly.

I was feeling it. The piano was right there with me for the little nuances (that are written in my score, but this time he used his own Zerbinetta--I've seen 3 people do this before and I'm sure it's because of the fingering for some tricky sections..but still--it can ALSO be a bit dangerous when you've marked or circled things like Espr. or Rall. or have a big arrow to MOVE some phrase---luckily, all went smoothly.)

The breakdown:
I'd give chacun something like smidgens away from a perfect 10. And I'm not one to do that very often.
I'd give the Zerbie a 9.45.
Points off for me finding myself thinking about one or two phrases, instead of acting them.
Points off for not going as far as I usually do with the 'orgasm Ah's' dramatically or vocally.
But all in all, a solid performance on my part.

Looking forward to tomorrow, Pat."

ps- GO PATRIOTS

Here, Part deux

MUST GO TO SLEEP.

But I soooo don't want to!
I keep thinking about the great show that I saw tonight.
And the excitement for tomorrow.

And of course, the mixed nuts and cookies and chocolates from the goody bag are staring Evil-ly at me from the next bed over.

Haikus in honor of the hospitality committee that left this treasure trove of goodies in my room:

Ok, ONE Krackel.
Then I'm going to go to sleep :)
Melting in my mouth.

V8 and lager
Do people really mix these?
I'll stick to water.

Mixed nuts and cheetos
You are finger-lickin' good (stage instructions: "licks fingers")
Yep, I still taste it.

Caramel with nuts
I feel bad for my dentist
Better buy more floss.


Ok, and that will be all for my creativity this evening.
Music to fall asleep to will be Brahms variations on a theme of Paganini.
And if I still can't fall asleep maybe some Bach cello suites.
And if I STILL can't fall asleep, it'll already be light out, so I may as well just get up and listen to some show tunes to begin the day with a smile.

outed :)

Today was the first time EVER that someone came up to me and asked if I was "Coloratur...aaah". First I was thinking, yes, I'm a coloratura (that was in my head) and thennnnnn I realized what this person was referring to :)
So, yes, it's me!
But how strange, because according to my calculations of the people that know of this blog's existence, MAYBE 43 people read this per day. Ok, maybe 44. Seriously, I have the google stats on it.

No one in my family knows this blog exists.

I think I've told one singer friend --and that's just because when we spent time together I'd be tappity-tap-tapping away online and she figured it out.

Of my "real life friends" (ie, college, non singers), maybe 2? (Both blog and showed me theirs first!)

And so it's only through blogging that the world has become smaller:
I was re-acquainted with ACB--we went to school at the kind-of-same-time (well, at least the little freshman knew who she was from afar!!),
I was introduced to the blog of lil'missbossy (whom I met today at the first intermission!)
And I have gotten to read the thoughts and musings of singers, critics, directors, and dilettante's alike.

It's pretty exciting when you can read the words of wisdom and preparation from a consummate artist like Grecchinois and then get to see him in a wonderful and hilarious performance this evening--and know what he's gone through to get there and feel a certain way about his delivery, his health, his thoughts on the role, and take a peek into the life behind the person I saw on-stage tonight.

And so, if that is what this little journal experience provides for anyone (I'm talking to you, 43 and 44)--whether they know me or not, I'm happy to provide an all-access pass to the inner workings, or, backstage if you will.

Here, part I

I drove for 2 hours in the hail and ice to get to the airport--and hoped all the way that my "possible flight delay" status would not turn into a cancellation.

Luckily, it did not.
Flight number one left on time (I fell asleep with a Halls in my mouth and woke up 2 hrs later with most of it still intact).
Flight number two---OH, flight number two.

Boarding was a disaster (can't we all learn from Southwest please? NO one is going to listen when you say do NOT get up until your row is called).
Then we sat on the plane for an hour.
The first explanation was that the generator was offline and they needed to pull back into the gate to make it work..or something.
More sitting.
Ok, safety first, I agree.
More sitting.
Then we hear that the generator is fixed but there is no ground crew to be found to help the plane leave the gate.
Umm, HOW many times have you done this? You just BACK UP and Pull a U-ey! :)

Just kidding.
So the ground crew shows up and we're off, trying to make up some time, but still arriving 45 minutes late.

I'm here, the hotel is great, I got a lovely little welcome package of goodies, and I can't wait for the start of the weekend.

1am post

Of COURSE it's past midnight and I can't sleep.
Well this is no surprise---the crazy and completely unnecessary anxiety linked to whether or not I'll wake up with my TWO alarms set for tomorrow to drive to the airport, the 'did I pack everything that I need to', and the general excitement for the next few days.

I love this job and just about everything about it EXCEPT the travel.
Trains, automobiles- check.
Airplanes- not so much.

I have obviously gotten more nervous about it the older I get, but really--I mean, I'm flying inside of a tube of metal welded together lord-knows-how-many-years-ago--over the entire country? The ocean?

Takeoff and landing are the worst, and every time there is turbulence I have a mini-freak-session until it evens out.

I used to LOVE to fly !!!
Especially the 12 hours to visit family across the world.

Now? No.


PS- I think I may hold the record for keeping a Halls, or Ricola, or Altoid in my mouth the longest---the trick? FALL ASLEEP with it in your mouth!
You'll wake up 5 hours later and it'll stilll be there--and will have molded to the shape of the roof of your mouth.

game face

In honor of super bowl weekend, the title of game face.

Otherwise known as- psyching yourself up, getting ready, planning for everything that could possible go wrong, and going in it to win it.

Which is what I'm doing right now.
I'm almost finished packing (too many shoes, that's all I'll say).
Next up, the audition binder revival (it's been too long and reinforcements are needed).
After that, a sensible dinner (chicken in peanut sauce w/ brown rice- YUM).
Followed by some POSSIBLE vocalizing.
Followed by making sure for the 10th time that I have all of the rep. that I said I'd sing (questionable, b/c I can't find Rejoice Greatly...hmm)
Followed by looking through my remaining clothes and making sure I REALLY don't want that cute mermaid black skirt (I do, but I don't have the right top for it here).
Followed by charging the things that need to be charged- phone, ipod, computer, camera.
Followed by watching as much Law and Order as possible this evening.

FOLLOWED by getting to the airport, getting on two planes, and having a KICK ASS time this weekend (and perhaps beyond?) by doing the best that I can and bringing my game face to everything (including the SUPERBOWL!).

Drama, Parts II and III

WOOOOOAAAHHHH.

My drama o' the day falls into the following categories: the good, the bad, and the ugly. (Seriously)

Good- SUMMER JOB! YAY! As a mainstage at previous-yap. FUN role, the maid :) as usual.

Bad- (OH SO BAD) Budget Problems = TEH SUK!
Which translates for me as, I'm no longer singing an awesome role in 2009 because the company decided it's not in their budget to do the production. SO SAD.
However, I do still have an offer, smaller, to come up and make my debut with them in another production. YAY! (But not as YAY as the first offer).

Ugly- still ugly is drama from previous-post which is still unresolved and who knows when it will be.


Also, if things keep going how they are, my next THREE roles will be in Italian. Surprising, because most of my rep., as stated previously, is freakishly high French/German or contemporary.

Can I please have some chocolate now?

The drama(s) of the past 2 days are like a sugar and caffeine high followed by the crash.
And the crazy part is, I can't do ANYTHING about it. I just sit and wait for the call or the final word. Which could come tomorrow, or never.

Weirdly, I'm pretty calm right now. Thinking about my next adventure out of town that begins on Friday, and what it may bring.

no more drama

ARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH.

I just wish there was less drama involved with it all. But of course, that's what it's all about, right? Can it ever just be about the talent? How could you possibly CHOOSE just among the talent? No, it seems like the stars have to align, that mercury has to be in retrograde (or in the tuna), and that the Roadrunner has to stick out his tongue while Wiley E. Coyote holds a sign up as he falls off the cliff that says--- DUH---could you please look at what is right in front of you? (before falling down that steep, steep canyon?)

basta cosi. I can't have this keeping me up.
Drama, you are officially on my angry list.


OOH. I'll make this into a better/more amusing post right now.

THINGS ON MY ANGRY LIST:
Northwest Airlines and the horrible treatment I received last week. Scathing letter to follow.
Dry Clean Only.
Sleeping with my head/bed against an outer wall (it's so cold even if the blankets are warm!)
Finding out I'm slightly allergic to the cat, but wasn't when he was a kitten.
Still not being able to figure out how to use call waiting on my cell phone.


THINGS ON MY HAPPY LIST:
Skinny cow mint ice cream sandwiches
College A Cappella
Receiving funny text messages during the State of the Union Address
Reading really really good books until 4am.
Successfully fitting my personal belongings and 2 gowns into a carry-on suitcase.

Ommmmm....
I feel much better now.



DRAMA ur teh suk.
Be GONE!

odds and ends

I think that I could find a reason to buy just about anything in CVS. Ok, maybe not Rogaine for men, or footspray for some weird fungus, but still. Between the makeup, the shampoos, the ready-while-you-wait photo printing services (for the pics that have been on my digital camera for OVER a year), random leftover holiday chocolate for sale, yoga mats, and hallmark greetings...I could spend, well, a lot of time and money there.

Today I limited myself to printing out some pictures, nail polish, and some nice-smelling lotion.

But don't believe that I didn't walk through every aisle (except the baby one) looking for possible things I may POSSIBLY need for the trip.

Umm, the main thing that I'm putting off here is a complete revamp of my audition binder.

It's time.
Paper is getting smudged and wrinkled at the top and bottom from being shoved in my bag during rain and hailstorms, pianists have pulled out the last reinforcement in Queen of the night on the awful page turn so that it's hanging by a thread on one ring, aria order does not line up with TAB order because I change the '5 of the day'for each audition, and in general, it's a hot mess.

I have a date with a double sided photocopier.

Tomorrow.

packing for different weather

I'm leaving for the sunny weather again in a few days, and I've dug back into the suitcase labeled "summer" to find just what I need.
Of course, it won't be in the 80s and above like the summer, but it will be in the 60s I think--what does that mean? Dresses, skirts, and cardigans- joy.

Um, bathingsuit? WHY NOT?! The hotel MAY have a pool, and that would just ROCK.
Workout clothes? CHECK. Can't go for more than 4 days without them.

Now--'business clothes' and that means auditions, coachings, meetings with the vip's, "events" in general, I have many of:
Little black velvet dkny dress- check
audition outfit #1 and #2 (after drycleaning) and recent red #3 addition (check)
possible gowns (1 cocktail length, one full--just in case)- check.
black A line and mermaid skirts with respective fun tops- check.
Black PANTS when all else fails and I feel like being comfortable in pants and a cute top or sweater- check.

for fun times if I have time:
Jcrew cream/brown dress w/cardigan- check
skinny jeans and 7s- check

SHOES (too many, I know, but I'm taking 'em!)
black audition heels, black patent leather rounde toe, brown open toed (for the brown dress), black boots (for everything), sneaks? (I guess so if I want to work out), Tan bunny heels (for everything else), and MAYBE my black rocket dogs as a standby for comfort.

and most importantly, COLORS OF THE PATRIOTS for when I'm cheeeeering my fave team on superbowl sunday- CHECK CHECK CHECK!

leaps and bounds

Today that little *Idea* that I had became a reality.
I wrote out the web-content for it, revised it, gathered the materials that I'll be working with during consultations, got in touch with a web designer, and may actually be on the way to making this a reality.

Things to think about:
-How to link a small business email to one of my current emails so I don't have to check FOUR sites, or download to a desktop manager.
-Do I get an 800 number? Or a New York number? Or just use my cellphone for business as well? And what companies (if any) let TWO numbers ring on the same cellphone? Hmmm.
-How MUCH info. do I put on the website in order to get people interested, without giving away what I'd be doing in a session with them anyway?

I suppose the only costs that I'll incur if this DOESN'T end up being successful are the website, and any phone lines or photocopy materials that I put together for this.

I'm willing to take that risk, because from the work I've completed so far in this field, all of my 'customers' have been satisfied, and it's only grown through word of mouth--why not word of intranetszszsz?

legato

Had a coaching with a new-to-me coach today--known for coaching the bel canto style, in any piece, and REALLY focusing on legato.
I was totally into it.
This particular coach warned me that some singers just don't like it, don't like the style, and don't mesh--and never come back. But I feel like I want to come back every week!

It was one of those coachings where I felt like I improved things in the coaching, but also came out with a lot to think about, and also ways to work on and continue to improve what we began--even when I'm not at the piano with this particular person.

The short of it is, no one ever asks to hear my Italian pieces, except for Oscar.
Maybe it's because I don't sound so lyric-y, as the light lyrics singing the rep, maybe not.
I've attributed it to the fact that once I start with a great German of French or freakishly high, coloratura, etc. piece, they will ask for my Mozart- which happens to also be high and in German. But it also shows legato line.
And that's why they don't ask for the Norina, Amina, Rosina (in F)...and frankly, I don't offer it that much either, knowing that those are long-ish, and I think I show myself better in other pieces that have "line", but are not necessarily Italian bel canto.

So it's been something that I've definitely not worked on as much as I COULD have...but for good reason- I have not been asked to sing any of those roles (until now) and my slightly more lyric sounding soprano friends sing those pieces at auditions so I've never bothered to be in direct competition with this rep., sticking instead to my favored French and German.
But, the time has come.
I do have the voice to sing it, as I was reminded of today after a few simple lines of singing, and loving what I was singing.
And it's not about vocal weight or color. It's what I can bring to these roles, and how I can make the beauty of voice match the poetic intention.

SO.
Legato.
Things to remember:
Vibrate the air (naturally) always. From note to note, through the vowels and the consonants. Through the doubles. Voice or unvoiced. It's just ONE air. It stops for nothing.
Take time for the poetic cadence. 3 eighth notes in a row never sound like three eighth notes in a row, because one of them is the most important part of the syllable, word, or phrase.
ONE or TWO dynamics per phrase and definitely per cadenza.
I don't need to show anything but what is written on the page.

NO TRICKS!

And to reiterate, ONE vibrated breath throughout. It's more freeing, but also way more scary than getting to control it the way I sometimes like to do. But it feels so good when it comes out that way. No effort at all.

coaching

Had a coaching today to refresh some arias and also to go through some new-additions-of-already-learned-arias-to-my-replist.
It's so fun when you have someone who is just as excited to work, perfect, tweak, and really get that stellar performance that you're looking for--guiding you from the piano with new ideas, new thoughts, and new inspirations (for old, old, old arias).
Now, not that I don't like any of my old pieces. I sing them and offer them at almost every audition, and wouldn't give them up for the world. They show off my voice best, they're a mix of mozart, standard, contemporary, and off the beaten path. I think that I have a great list of 5,6,7-10..whatever I feel like offering that day for that particular audition.

But they have all been in my rep. for a number of years. And every once in a while when I'm not coaching a new role, or learning a new aria for something specific, it's really nice to actually coach my current audition repertoire--instead of just offering them at the audition and seeing which ONE of the six the panel will pick second.

Things to remember:
It's about the whole phrase, no matter how musical I make each of the mini-parts of the phrase.
The first note of the word "una", no matter how "little" the word is, set the tone and framework for the rest of the aria.
Play with the Tra la la's on the offbeats and accents.
Play with the first cadenza and build up to the Morbleu!
Don't rush the high notes that everyone thinks are hard, even if they're not hard for me to sing.
To accent a note more (and HOW could I forget this from my days of piano lessons), DE-accent (emphasize less) the note before it, don't just ACCENT the note MORE.

Looking forward to another coaching with a coach-new-to-me, but highly recommended on Friday.





-

free-ish time

Update of the week since I seem to be not interesting enough to myself to post every day--
I have two weeks to coach whatever I want! I'm doing a BIT of preliminary work on possible upcoming role, but mostly, I'm preparing for some auditions and competitions, maybe even with time thrown in to make a recording of a few arias so I'll have a new batch of music to send out shortly.

bad blogger

Good excuse- out of town.
I'm not writing from my favorite mac. Instead, it's a Toshiba (but I'll forgive that for the fast internet connection).
A weekend of being a bit sick, singing and impressing a majority of panelists, and more news that's no news--unless it turns into something for next year.
How secretive was THAT?!
I'll be on a 6am flight again tomorrow.
Returning for a week or two of hopefully intensive coachings in preparation for a large-ish audition coming up.

And that's all the news that's fit to print.

i finally catch one..

a cold, that is.

I had a sneaking suspicion that it was upon me yesterday when I woke up feeling a bit stuffy and bla.

It took extra time to warm up, I had two Emergen-C's with my water, ate healthy, and still didn't feel great.

Sang an audition at 5pm yesterday and immediately got stuffy and runny-nosed later that evening.

Ok, so I've avoided it for the past ...4,5,6, months. I don't think this is a big one. I just wish I didn't have to fly tomorrow AND sing Saturday.

But I have all day today to rest, drink my OJ and Emergen-C, and be very very quiet.

So much for one-a-days

I know, no daily update---how did you all ever get through the day?

The masses were crying out in protest, I'm sure.


What did I do this weekend/yesterday?
2 lessons, one coaching, one more offer to sing in 2009.

Issue of the week/coaching:
What to sing at competitions.
OK, so there are the "artsy" competitions, where you're singing for established people in the business, or heads of opera companies that do a mix of standard and non-standard rep. IE- people that would appreciate the fact that I can sing the crap out of Zerbinetta as a starting piece in competition.
And then there are the competitions that have a panel of judges who are donors or board members from the opera companies who are budgeted to do Traviata's, Elixir's, Boheme's and the likes--their favorite arias being Violetta, Una furtiva, and O mio babbino, and Carmen.
You know what I'm talking about. It's not about smart or supid, it's not about budget or low-budget. It's simply about the bottom line. You have to know your audience, and regardless of how well I sing Zerbinetta at a competition, it will sound like a mess of modernity that goes on for 8 minutes to someone who hasn't heard it before and doesn't wake up in the middle of the night DREAMING of the day when the opera company will have enough money and support to mount the non-standard pieces that they love.

And the more competitions I do this season, the more I realize what a factor that plays into it all.

So out of this coaching, my best "showpiece" that is "for the masses" right now is Glitter and Lakme, followed by Queen. But I'll always let the panel ASK for Queen, I won't offer it, knowing that the preference for many is for the truly dramatic and dark sound PLUS the high F's.

Just thinking about the music to Candide makes me smile. The overture can brighten the crappiest day, and when my ipod is on shuffle and ANY song from the show comes up I'm automatically transported to a happy place.

And that is what I'm hoping comes across in competition when I offer this piece for the next few upcoming comps.

Things I still have to do and am completely putting off:

-Pay the MAN his Taxes (to support a war that has already put us in gazillion dollar debt and is being fought by 'government contractors' ie, armed blackwater terror-izers who are considered neither civilians nor military personnel and pretty much can't be accountable for whatever horrors the media will ONE day decide to report after this whole mess is over)....ooops, sorry for the tangent.

-Buy THREE new scores and mark them up (yissssss, I love the smell of hi-liter in the morning).

-LAUNDRY (and pack for competition 2008/v.2 this weekend)
More laundry (and pack for competition/audition2008/v.3 next next weekend)

-set up three or 4 more coachings in NY, one of them being a dramatic coaching (yay- finally the time to do that), before I leave for comp/aud/v.3.

I'm sure much more---but for now, it's off to do laundry.

another very longshot

Let's just say I'm practicing my German tonight.

For my memory when I'm old and don't understand what I'm talking about in the slightest (same company as before, different role, one rehearsal).

singing for the experts

Today I sang an audition for Germans, and I began with Zerbie and they picked DurchZ second.
I'm thinking that those years of German, plus this summer, plus coachings, plus my own personal belief in the fact that I can sing the rep. right worked out, because I think I sang well, it was recorded, (to be passed on, or reviewed again upon return to the mother country), and I think overall it was pretty great.

As this week slowly winds down into what will hopefully be a relaxing and quiet weekend, I'm looking forward to working on my plans for the next few months, ordering a new score (or two--not yet confirmed, but good chances I'll be joining ACB in learning the national anthem of roles of mezzos---and sometimes sopranos), and setting up more coachings in the city in the weeks to come.

It's strange--being here...well, near enough to here, now.
I feel like I have the world at my fingertips.
Coaching here, audition there, museum on the offdays, walking around the lower East side or hanging around the Met, it's pretty nice to have it all and not have to be paying the astronomical rent because I'm right next door to the action.

one of those days, cont.

Well, I still don't feel stellar, but I have to pull it together for the competition this evening.

I'm beginning to think more seriously about this extension of my dabbling in consulting/pr/grantwriting for the next month or so, as I have time off until my next concert and my next performance, and I'd like to get a bit more serious about the services that I could offer.

I wouldn't really say dabbling. I have plenty of experience in grantwriting, pr, and publicity for two opera companies over three years, and I enjoy rewriting bios and cover letters for all of my friends and helping them handle their musical lives in terms of preparation, where they should/could be looking to audition, how to manage the schedule, what to ask, and what to expect.

The natural extension of this would be to go into other fields in the arts and do some career consulting. After of course, getting materials together, having a selling point, and making sure I can gather the right kind of people to get this project on its feet and rolling.

Of course, instead of revising my ten or so pages of materials of lectures, private consultation outlines and client forms, I'm sitting here with my Emergen-C, in an early morning stupor of lack of sleep and general headache-body-ache-land.

I hate that when I'm in NY I suddenly get this completely anti-social feeling about seeing people while I have auditions or performances or competitions. I just want to shut up, sit in the apt., and go to and from my audition, to and from my coaching, and to and from the practice room.
And of course there really ARE friends that are totally overdue for a hangout session, a girly night in, lunch on the run, and just to get in touch with.

Last night I DID end up going out to visit 2 friends of mine from undergrad who were in my acapella group, and now have real lives (one's a lawyer, one's a married, mom of a 2 yr old AND 2nd year med student--yikes!), and seeing them was really great.
So maybe I need to make a bit more of an effort to come out of my reclusive state for the past few days.

I guess I do have all the time in the world here right now (meaning, it's not really audition season and I'm not really running back and forth on trains planes and automobiles to get to and from the city), so I will do better.

Once I charge my cellphone.

one of those days

Ok, except for a wonderful audition today, I feel like CRAAAAAAP today.
Didn't sleep well last night, woke up with a headache this morning, took extra long and I was a bit sluggish warming up, audition went smashingly, more on that below, came back to the apt. and took MORE headache medicine, tried to watch law and order (one that I hadn't seen before) and felt so horrible that I actually fell asleep during the episode! (But who is responsible for manslaughter, the woman who hit the guy with her car late at night? Or the other dude that beat the guy up 7 hours earlier and caused a subdural hematoma??!!!), and now I'm awake, after shower number two of the day to try and make me feel better, and advil number three of the day.

Oooooooh, here's where I break out that line from my favorite MT mezzo showpiece---I enjoy being a girl!


Onto the audition breakdown.
A. I had a great coaching yesterday on Zerbinetta. I'm singing this piece for someone that I definitely want to impress this week, with language, style, and just basically being Germanic--well, Viennese..about it, correctly both musically and stylistically. I've always gotten great feedback on it, esp. my German and also the style..so I shouldn't be worried, but I was. Until yesterday! As I said, great coaching. OPEN MY closed EEEE vowel!

B. We also coached that old friend sitting on the piano (yes, the one i LEFT on the piano and then had to run over to the NYPAL to make photocopies of before my coaching)--the aria of the years of my teens, not sung--probably since the years of my teens...
And the results are in. I HAVE a low and middle that totally works in Italianate pieces and now instead of sounding like a little birdy, I sound like voman. Plus all those high coloratura notes and the held F at the end for a zillion measures.
woOt! Not the I didn't know this, but I've just not sung any rep. like this for a while now, as I was starting to get fached within the fach (high, crazy, french, german, contemporary--you name it, it wasn't bel canto Italian).

C. Audition. Wore the new RED dress today and felt great in it. I think I wear IT, it doesn't wear ME. Especially with the rep. I offer...so it may be a keeper even though it is tres tres RED.
Second piece that was asked for was the role I was singing for, AND aria worked on above. And I felt great about it.

And then I came back to some avocado sushi, a Naked Green drink, water and advil.

Nap time again, unless I can rally the troops (myself) and be somewhat productive today.

outfit a, b, or c. (all of the above)

Packing again.

Somehow I don't care about what I wear during the week- 7s, sweaters, black boots- done. The tougher decisions that I have to make are which outfits to bring for auditions, competitions, the possibility that a first-round of the competition will be dressier than I expect, the possibility that I get into the finals of the competition, and always that NEW outfit that I want to make work, I bring, and then end up wearing the old, comfy stand-by.

I have TWO new outfits (dresses, actually), one needs to be taken in, because the only size left the store had was 2 sizes to big and I wanted it soooo badly (an adoooorable pinstripe dress), that I made them call all of the stores in 2 states, and sadly, all of the ones in my size or one up or one down were gone.

Dress numero uno is RED! I'm thinking that I'll try it out when it gets a LITTLE warmer out because it's cap sleeves and even though it is dressy enough, it's JUST springy enough not to use for winter.

Or maybe I'll bring it along and get inspired to show some color this season.

My current colors are dark dark purple- eggplant?
And another outfit is gray and black. But this one is a "different" kind of skirt so I'm ok with the 'normal' colors of it all.
Still, I want something with more of a splash. And red definitely has more splash...

We'll see what I feel like when I wake up, and what the weather is that morning.


Other things I have to think about:
Contributing the maxxx to my rothIRA account this year, AND telling my broker that I need to be bumped up a level to "very" aggressive mutual fund investor, now that the market is so low and even if it goes down, it can eventually only go up again.

TAXES! Just got my first 1099 in the mail.
ARGHHGHGHG--but at least it was a 1099 and not a w2- HELLLOOOOOO write-offs!


Have to figure out where I'm getting them all from this year, and look forward to that yearly huge document in the mail with the breakdown of what I've put on my business credit card this year...oh the joy.

I have been extremely bad about small purchases with cash this year, especially during auditions season (for last minute cabs in the downpours, mainly).
Have to get on that for reporting purposes.

Eeeek. I'm usually already prepared by now and just waiting to get the w2's and 1099's and whatnot.

Ok, time to start a new Xcel doc.

we meet again

Ah, the old aria.
Learned at age 15 or 16.
Auditioned with for local and national under 18 competitions.
The one that I sang extremely well and was my best, but like a little girl--compared to, well, now.

Welcome back to being on the piano.
At first re-sing: Things sound good! It's still easy, I have the added warmth, the more solid low, and if anything, I'm really feeling it now as a character piece instead of just a showpiece.

This week I have a coaching, audition, competition and audition.
I feel rested and ready for it.
I feel like this coaching is going to get everything into high gear, a little kick in the @ss if you will, and then I'll be refreshed AND ready to kick it.

What do singers DO when they're not in rehearsal all the time?
Yes, I have music to learn. Yes, I have to start looking at my tax stuff.
Umm, but what else?
I could...
Continue to write that book I've been working on,
Compose music for the musical that I'm working on,
Work on my two business ideas that require written materials, websites, and a marketing surge....

but the bigger question, even though I'd love to pursue all of these loftier ideas that excite and inspire me, is--how do I make enough money to pay my bills?

Hmm, I'll get back to myself on that one.

post-a-day?

Well, I can say that I'll try, but I'm not sure how it will be with travel.
I think I'd like to keep them short and sweet.
For example,

status:
I have been awake since 5am. That stinks. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to fall asleep at 10pm again tonight. That also stinks.

voice: I'm really going to practice today. For reals. Have had a lovely vacation for about 20 days and I think it may be time to approach the old piano, seeing as how I have a competition and audition coming up this week, and I want to schedule a coaching for it as well.

music: Just made a purchase on itunes, about to buy two scores for the not-so-immediate-but-still-upcoming future. I love cloth-bound ricordi's.
Yummy.

applications: it's competition season. I have to decide how much money I'm going to cough up on fees (I think I'm not going to enter anything above 35 this year if it requires travel), should I re-record anything? WHEN and WHERE will I do that? And amI actually going to learn some additional oratorio just to be able to apply to a certain competition?

It was nice to get a check yesterday from fall-competition/scholarship#1, and know that another one is in the mail. So for all of the costs spent on travel, etc.- I suppose it more than evens out when you DO win something.

Short 'n sweet. Just like me.

ease on down the road

Miracle of miracles- it's 2pm and I'm not sleeping in my bed! My goal for tonight is to try and stay up until 10:30pm...that way, even if I do fall asleep that early, the chances of me waking up at 2-3am are lower than they were last night (falling asleep at 9:30pm, waking up at 2, falling back asleep sometime around 5, and waking up at 8:30am).

I'm once again packing my life up into single servings, a suitcase for this week, audition clothes for next, passport, mini-toothpaste, etc.

The life of a wanderer is exciting, but it does make me appreciate what having a home means. And right now, what would be my home, is packed away in numerous boxes in storage. Most of which have not and will not be opened until I'm a 'real person' with a 'real apartment'. Some of which have been opened in a frantic frenzy, trying to find ONE piece of music that I know I sang in a concert in 2004 but have no idea which notebook or looseleaf pile of music it's hiding under.
And others still, which hold clothes that I probably last wore in grad school, and packed up into boxes or suitcases thinking I'd take them out next cold or warm season, and have now forgotten all about.

The year ahead is so far not as filled as I'd like it to be. Mostly because of the situation that I was in last year at this exact same time, having missed the audition season, and not known that I really needed to NOT miss it.
I have a number of auditions and competitions coming up, in the next few months, but nothing concrete performance-wise until May.

It's funny, because when I think back to this time last year, I had NO idea what was coming. That I wouldn't be plugging along as a resident artist, biding my time until breaking out, breaking through.
And now, here I am, and I've done quite well for myself this Fall Season. And now I'm just hoping that something falls in my lap for the summer and beyond.

I know where I'll be next January (in the WARMTH!, and singing a new role), but that's 2009. What about 2008?!!
I understand that this turned out to be the gap year/lag year because of the situation of auditions last year, but I still SO badly want to be doing something new and exciting.
Whether it's coaching all the time in the city and learning roles, preparing roles, etc or getting the opportunity to go abroad somewhere for a spring, summer or fall production.
I DO have to remember that the two roles that I sang this fall, I was only offered in MAY.
I'm impatient in some ways, but I also know how to go with the flow and that good things come to those who wait.
I'm not going to hound my manager and ask about feedback for every single audition I've sung. I do want to know what I can do better, and I trust them to tell me what they thought of the auditions- whether it was extraordinarily good or whether it wasn't my best.
I don't call every day asking whether so and so company is considering me.
Of course I WANT to know, but I figure, if it's a yes, I'll get the call when I get the call.
If it's a no, I won't hear.

I'm trying to be a bit more ZEN about this now that I've returned from Japan.
I'm on a need to know basis, and I can't rush any decisions, so I may as well work on improving myself and focusing inward until I get news of anything else.

(although that little girl in me still REALLY wants a golden egg NOW daddy).

i'm baaaack- with not much to say...

A. Japan was amazing. I love rice-balls.
B. I was offered a role the day I left and another the day I returned (today).
C. I am tired and suffering from jet-lag and therefore want to be asleep right now even though it's not even dinnertime.

audition season recap

12- # of auditions between Nov.22th and Dec.18th
6- # of auditions from the summer through Oct.15th
2- # of productions during audition season that took me away from NYC
3- # of coachings during audition season (that's a rarity--being so HIGH and all)
3- # of competitions sung during audition season (1- won something)
4- # of apartments I lived out of a suitcase in between Nov.22 and Dec.18th

?- # of possible jobs I'll get from these auditions


4- # of planes I've been on in the past 3 days (about to be 5 tomorrow)
A whole lot- # of planes I've been on in the past 3 months!

Overall:
I think I sang my best at every audition, maybe except for 2 of them- where I could have done one or two or three measures better (support, breath, getting excited and over-compensating with a not-as-pure/pretty tone)

Starting piece:
Chacun le sait didn't fail in Young Artist auditions, and I hope it doesn't fail in mainstage auditions. Either way, it packs a walloping first cadenza, it's a great acted piece, and it also shows some French style and line.

When I began with anything else, say, for a specific role they were casting, it also went very well (Zerb, Oscar, Glitter), and I think that next year, or next season, I could easily change my starter to Zerbinetta, from the So War. For the right company, it may show that I have voice and acting and am ready for the big roles that are HARDer to cast, not the mainstream roles that they hear every soprano for.

Audition outfit:
I had two, one for th beginning, one for the end. Got good comments on both, and think the 2nd one was definitely on the hotness scale. Goal for next year- something not black/gray or maroon (the color the seemed to replace black this year)

Audition style:
When I had the chance, I'd shake hands, smile, introduce myself, try to be as cordial but also not 'generally nice/sweet soprano' as possible. And always leave the room with a smile and a have a great rest of the day/holiday/weekend.

Accompanist choices:
17- awesome.
1- horrible.

Goals for the next time around and the next few months to make me a better auditioner and therefore a better choice for hiring:

Dance/yoga- take more classes and free my body. I did not work out ONCE during audition season because of the "general nyc stress/malaise" and although I didn't feel TIGHT, I definitely didn't feel loose and free either.

Coachings- now that I have the opportunity to be in NYC for the next few months with only my craft to work on, suck it up- I know the market is down so I can't afford SO much, but I want acting coaching, vocal coachings, and maybe to try out a few "coloratura specialist" teachers in the city who have been on the recommended list for a few years.

Finding 'It'- whatever IT is that gets people hired on the spot, gets people excited and remember you the day after when they see you in NOLA, gets the panel thinking about your audition for the rest of the day and finding themselves texting your agent to say they want you for SOMETHING- they don't know what yet, but something.

And now, it's ciao for 2 weeks while I eat a lot of Sushi in Japan.

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and safe travels to all.

5 days?

That's pretty inexcusable--except--I have a good excuse.
I didn't bring my computer to LA, and I don't have it here in NY. Yes, I'm typing NOT on a mac, but on a PC (best friend's pc in Bklyn, while she studies for her Law school finals exams).
The review:
Flight- uneventful.
Staying at little bro's apt in Brentwood- jealous of his "real life" and me living out of a suitcase.
Audition- OOOOH I'll go into this one below.
Flight- windy, didn't sleep on the red-eye, and now it's the next day and I'm in bed downing tea, water, and hoping that in 22 hours I'll be able to sing pretty as pie for my audition.

BACK to audition.
I showed up early (as always) and had time to warm up as well as listen to a few singers before me.
Since I showed up SO early, they were able to take me early.
This is a lesson to myself and maybe the two other people who read this.

It's not enough to say "I'm offering Zerbinetta, are you comfortable with that" and believe the "I can do it" response.
You MUST ask "have you played this before and do you need me to set tempi with you" and ONLY proceed with the aria if that answer is "Yes, I've coached it and played it and memorized it and can follow you to a T".

Because otherwise, (if you're not in NYC and it's not 2007 and a "standard" aria here on the EAST coast), you will be singing Zerbinetta while the notes under you are:
a. in another key
b. in another tempo
c. in seemingly NO tempo when it comes to the runs
d. all of the above.

So- I SANG a great Zerbinetta.
What the panel actually heard was the right vocal notes with tons and tons of piano mistakes, over and over again, with someone who obviously assumed they wouldn't ask for it, and then had to sight read the piece after biting off more than they could chew, and not giving into their humility by saying, no, I'm not comfortable with that piece, do you have another German aria to offer...(YES, I HAVE THREE!).

Then they asked for Oscar and that went fine--except there were STILL a few flubs at the piano--which leads me to believe (and from what I heard before and after me) that it was just either an off day for the provided accompanist, or it was terrible all around and that's just who they had playing.

Now, I learned my lesson a few years ago, when Zerbie wasn't high on the list of pieces that accompanists actually knew and played a lot at auditions in NY. I never came to an audition without my own pianist, or at least someone whom I had called and verified had played the piece many many many times before.
But hello- I'm on the other side of America, the COMPANY supplied a pianist (not just someone from around the corner, but someone ON staff there)...and you'd think..well, you'd just think.
So I thought wrong.

I don't know if there was anything different I should have done in the situation.
When the wrong key and wrong tempo started (about 5 measures in) should I have stopped and said- maybe we need time to make this more of an ensemble- could I sing QOTN or DurchZ for you instead? Or something? Or do I just grin and bear it like I did and go through the entire thing just doing my thing and singing through whatever was underneath me?

Do I assume the panel knew I was singing correctly and the playing was wrong?
THEY asked for the piece, so you'd assume they know it..??
Their faces weren't twisted in dismay afterwards..they were actually quite pleased (seemingly)--but is that crazy? I mean, it's kind of sad for ALL of the singers who couldn't "do" their best because while they were singing, the KEY was wrong!
(Yes, two of my friends were there and offered mainstream rep. and still had mess ups with tempi and KEY SIGNATURES)...I think that's unfair to the singer, unfair to the panel, and just not conducive to a good working environment for anyone to be judged in.

OH WELL. It's over. I find out the results maybe in the next week- but I'm truly not expecting anything.
And if I DO get a call- is it because I sang "through" it?
And if I DON"T get a call- is it also because I sang through it?

SO- a lesson for me, (and the 2 other people who read this if you're sopranos that sing Zerbie)- don't ever assume that outside of NYC anyone can play this piece even if you ask them if they can and they say yes!

more than just updates

Ok, I'm sick of unpacking and packing, so I will write more.
I will write about my recently added aria.

I have known it was out there, in some version or other, I know the show, I know the role would be great for me, but it was never as "interesting" of an aria, as any of my other standard French pieces. It's a little out there, a little too much piano interlude music and too little singing (although the singing is quite nice), a little too much low/middle and not as much exciting high (there's only a C), but it's a sweet little piece, and it's very specific to a certain look/voice/need in the opera.

I learned it last week (see previous discussion on how thankful I am that I can learn music quickly and well), and offered it two days ago as a second piece.
It was chosen (even after I started with French), and it went---really--well!

I filled the musical nonsinging parts with dramatic involvement, found the character really sweet and fun, had good concentration, and got a nice comment or two after the whole thing too.

So- am I going to keep it? Sure. I suppose it's one of those things that can be phased in and out- much like the doll song. If someone is casting for it, I offer it. Otherwise, it's requested from the 2nd verse--IF I offer it (which all this year I have not been due to my first starting aria in French).

I have an audition that I'm specifically singing for this role again next week, and I'll be sure to think more about it and brush it up. And it's even getting me thinking about possibly not starting with my normal French (since another role I'm up for in the repertoire COULD be a "short and sweet" starter--and then they'll definitely ask for this French).

Hmm..things to think about.

What else?
Competition went veeeeeery well (as in, I'll be receiving the check hopefully in the next few weeks).
I sang Queen and Glitter- a delectable combination of fiery coloratura and crowd pleasing acting and comic timing--so I think it was well-deserved, and, supposedly there is a recording out there (that the panel made) that is floating around, so maybe it'll even be decent enough to use if that's an option.

Oh, competitions. I could look at Yaptracker for HOURS and try to see which ones I should do or not. But they all seem like such a crapshoot.
Some are the artsy- we want musicality/crazy arias/ the judges themselves run opera companies and know what they are talking about.
And some are just- we're the little opera theatre of next door, our donors and previous-winners are the judges, and we want to hear big italian arias so that we can cast you in our predictable season next year and you will win first place.

Ok, I totally understand that. You have to know your audience.
Just like in any job interview, or job situation.
Know your audience.
What do THEY want to hear?
Will they be totally put off by a Zerbie?
Would they like the fireworks of Lakme even though it's "less known"? Or should you just give 'em good old Queen, Caro Nome, Traviata, (NO, not ME, just in general)...and the crowd pleasing biggies for the audience vote?

So I learn and I adapt and I try. And I don't care how many people think coloraturas always win competitions--it's NOT true when in competition with the Italianate voice (of any kind- sop/mezz/ten/bar/bass) in a competition where pleasing the audience with an old favorite is the goal.

almost vacation

Arrived 'home' today to unpack, do laundry, and repack for three trips with three very different weather forecasts.

Saturday to Sunday- audition wear on the west coast.
Sunday to Tuesday- audition wear and back to NYC.
Tuesday to Thursday- whatever I want wear on the west coast again.
Thursday- JAPAN!

note to self part shtayim

ok, but on the other hand---

Ze ha-job sheli lishol anashim ka'ele ma ani yechola la'asot yoter tov, right?
Im ani rotza lashir yoter tov, lihiyot acaht mehabanot she'ha'batei opera lokchim, az ani tzrecha lish'ol ma ani yechola la'asot kedei lehasig et hatafkidim she'ani rotza.
Az ze haya TOV she'hu amar li et hadvarim ha'ele.
ma ani yechola la'asot yoter tov?
lashir bli lidchof, sheshum davar lo yihiye ksat gavoha, ksat namuch.
ulai ze gam ha-image sheli. lo choshevet, ki ani mekabelet machma'ot al ze, aval--tamid efshar laredet 3-4 kilo o mashehu.
lo choshevet sheze ha acting sheli. ki ze margish tov.
aval, beseder. chashavti al ze, ve yoter tov im ani yoda'at sheani yechola leshaper mashehu, measher lachshov sheani pashut lo maspik tova o mashehu kaze--vehem lo rotzim la'avod iti, rak biglal she'hem natnu li konstructive criticism.
zehu.
ani lo mephachedet mize yoter. ani zameret tova. yoter mi-tova. ani yoda'at sheyesh dvarim sheyecholim lihiyot yoter tov, aval beintayim--ani shara, zaza, nir'et, venotenet et kuli.

note to self

Ok, it's going to just have to be in another language since I want to read this again in the future.

sharti hayom lo rak bishvil hasochenet sheli, aval gam hashochen- shelo ra'a oti o shama oti milifney 6 chodashim o mashehu kaze.
acharei shesiyamti (im shakun ve ha'aria hachadasha) hem yaz'u mehacheder vehu amar 'yofi'. ani hirgashti tov meod- chashavti sheha-panel ahav et shakun kee hem kzat tsachaku aharei shesiyamti. hasheni, yalla- ze, kol kach kashe lashir namooch acharei sheani shara g gavoha. Aval, MAMASH chashavti shezehalach yafe. bishvil ha-pa'am harishona.
Hu lakach oti hatsida ve'sha'al oti ma ani shara bashavu'a haba.
Ve'az hu amar shehu lo choshev she'shakun ze ra'ayon tov biglal sheyesh le'anashim tchusha mesuyemet al hakol shehem rotzim batafkid haze.
Ok, az im lo shakun, ma? Zerbinetta, DurchZ--ken.
Aval ani lo yoda'at im pashoot hu lo hitlahev kmo shana she'avra.
Ve'ani rotza lihiyot hachi tova she'ani yechola, ve'sheshney hem yirtzu la'avod iti le'harbe zman.
Az ani kzat depresseeveet achshav kee ani lo yoda'at im ze haya tov o lo. O, maspik tov o lo.
Ugh- sonet et ha'hargasha hazot.
chashavti she'hakol haya yoter mi 'yofi' ve'tov'. Tov, hayiti kzat lechutza ki shteyhem hayu sham, aval...adayin chashavti sheze haya echad mehayamim hatovim. ein li yamim lo tovim. ani chola- ani lo shara. acheret, ani sham im hakol sheli ve'ani notenet et hakol.

achshav ein shoom davar ad ha-erev veacharey ze, SHOOM davar ad LA beyom rishon.
Ulai ze yihiye tov me'od bishvili. Lachshov, velo lashir.

there's a liiiiiight....

Ok, so it's no quite Rocky Horror, but audition season is one draining time.
And I got here late, too!

It's the couch to bed to airmattress.
It's the carry-on sized suitcase with more audition clothes than daytime clothes (yes, I've been wearing the same jeans for 4 days- got a problem?!)
It's the LORD HAVE MERCY it's cold and I'm walking outside because I'm too poor and stubborn to hail a cab.
It's the oh, can I please not get sick this week or next week or next next week- WHAT is that cough?
It's the eating out because I don't really have an "in" to eat at.

But then again,
it's also the- wow, I haven' seen you in so long! You look great. What are you singing? Where are you living? SO glad I ran into you (at NOLA, of course).
It's the- I'm so excited you got it! You sang well! You heard back! You're a semi-finalist! You're an alternate! You're in!

What I did today:
Definitely not practice the song that I need to know for tomorrow.
that happens immediately after I press the "publish now" button.

Bought a dress. Oh yea. Like I have a gown in nyc this week? NOPE. Needed one for the finals. UGH. It's O-K. and it was cheap.
Bought a round trip ticket from LA to NY, because BEFORE I can start my vacation, I have to interrupt my vacation by coming back to NY for TWO more auditions on the 18th.

So, I've spent 460 dollars including a bagel and schmear, about to spend a bit more on dinner (DELUXE, uws), help a sick cousin out by giving her my mucinex (not ALL of it of course), and bringing her soup, and oh yea, then practice that pesky song.

Can it please be over soon?
The crazy?
Can that be over?

under construction

OH I am so annoyed with today.
First audition at NOLA. The room with all the windows, and yes, all the construction.
For my opening I just get one note and then I go to the cadenza.
Well LORD knows I'm not going to hear either with the drilling, sawing, and whatever else was going on.
I was just knocked right out of the comfort zone because while I'm hanging out on the high g, I suddenly can't hear MYSELF sing anymore, meaning, I don't know how many notes I have to go down the scale, meaning, I'm PRETTY sure I think I know where the aria starts, but I have no idea what I just sang or if I'm right.
Truly, I don't know if it was as big of a catastrophe as I'm making it out to be.
There may have been ONE note that was off right before the aria began, and the rest was fine. Maybe. But I wouldn't know because I could barely hear any of it.
Seriously. I finished the first piece and said something to the effect of fighting the construction out doors (as a joke)....but nothing could be done.
Oscar was 2nd and that's what they were casting (same production as before)...and I know I did better on that--but still! NOT FUN when I know I sing the pants off of the role (haha, pants role), THEY had heard good things about me via reviews and agent, obviously, and were looking FORWARD to hearing me...UGHGHGHHGHGHG..and I feel like it wasn't a personal best only because of the stupid CONSTRUCTION OUTSIDE!!!! WHat is UP with that?! I was in great voice, could sing rings around it all, and then can't hear what I'm doing so I get all whacked out.

To put it another way, it wasn't fun, and I'm not sure if it was good or bad because I truly didn't hear what I was doing for the first page and a half of music.



THEN:
COMPETITION TIME...
I arrived at the location to a list of 27 singers (selected via cd/preliminary round), and lo and behold, the majority of them were sopranos. WEIRD!!! SHOCKING!!!

I actually got there early enough to hear almost everyone sing that was in front of me.
I usually don't choose my rep early, and I like to wait and see what I'm feeling.
And also it's nice when the majority of singers are sops, to try and NOT begin with the same piece as someone before me--if I can help it. It's not that I care about being better, or them hearing the same piece and comparing--it's just that I have so many that are my usual 'starters' that it doesn't really matter to me. I love them all and would be happy to sing any of them.

Today I sang Queen. I always keep this around, never begin with it in auditions (I know casting preferences all too well), and yet it is a likely piece to be chosen in competition and be a winner. Yes, over Zerbie, which is a little more "out there" in terms of competition rep. where you can tell the panel is not necessarily all musical staff, but more board member, etc... (you pick crowd pleasers over artsy Strauss)

And it paid off because tonight I was called for the final round.

One more audition this week, for which I have learned an aria.
Hope that goes well.
One more final round of a competition this week, for which I hope that the 35 bucks times two (for the pianist) will yield a profitable gain.

weekend update

A weekend of arts and culture included:

Lunch and DESSERT at Cafe Sabarsky (at the Neue Gallery) for my mom's bday and other family in town.
What I tasted (along with 8 other family members):
Goulash, chestnut soup, mini-sandwiches, coffee, SACHERTORT, Mozarttorte, linzertort, apfelstrudel (I recommend the torts more than this, even though I was REALLY in the mood for some warm apple cake. Nay. It was cold. And no vanilla ice cream a la mode--it was pure whipped cream--which was tasty, but I just wanted something else).

What I saw:
A Christmas Carol (updated with a Ms. Scrooge, all women cast, and my cousin's NY acting debut) at the Secret Theatre in Queens.
The Klimt exhibit at the Neue Gallery
The Seurat drawings exhibit at Moma plus a quick walk through my other favorite galleries including Kandisky and Matisse (although my fave Matisse is still at his tiny museum in France).
The Drowsy Chaperone on Broadway (oh, I could discuss this for AGES)...with BOB SAGET.

Where ELSE I ate:
2nd street cafe, park slope (umm, pumpkin ravioli anyone?) and a nice bottle of Cab.
Tempo, park slope (a lovely and cheap breakfast)
La Familia (2nd and 90th, I think), Italian style gooood food- including portobello salad.
The Chocolate/coco bar (or something like that) Park slope (amazing raspberry chocolate tort thingie)

What ELSE I did:
Walk all around NYC with friends from out of town--meaning, we had to see the Tree at Rockefeller Center, (including the madding crowds), the lights at Cartier, Tiffany, all of the other huge stores that decorate for Xmas, a walk through the park (in the freezing cold), a coaching (yes, still time to get voice-face-time in this weekend), and talking until all hours of the night about life and love with 2 best friends.

Today: Audition, competition.
Back to reality.

new territory

Today I sang caro nome for the first time in an audition- possibly ever. Since learning the piece at age 17 or so.
Yes, I know, time for everyone to freak out and say my teacher should not have been giving me those pieces back when my technique was probably in shambles, bla bla bla....
she gave it to me because she knew I'd sing it in my voice, and that is what I did. And it was youthful and pretty and I learned no bad habits that I had to undo. Next.

So.
I offered this piece solely because there was a chance that this company was casting a cover or a B cast of the role next season.
Yes, I'll tailor my audition rep.- and go as far as OFFERING the piece for my 2nd. Never starting with it.

Well. After singing chacun it was a bit tough to come down and get grounded for caro nome.
But I still think I did it with style, class, my voice (which is NOT what the majority of American houses would cast a gilda as right now), and my sweetness to it.

I'm actually more surprised than anything--that it came out how I wanted.
I have coached this, done the mental thing with it where I get it in my thoughts and body (of course that went out the window as I was catching my breath from that final F and G of chacun and the excitement of the final salute!)...but I still think I represented myself well.
Outside the door ---a questions I NEVER ask, I asked.
The pianist- how was it.
The agent- how was it.

And both said good things.
NEVER. I NEVER ask this. Not because I don't want to know, but because I already know.
If I was sick, I wouldn't sing. Otherwise, it's a performance.

I just really didn't know on this one, because there is so much "public opinion" about the casting of a Gilda.
Can she sing the aria? Can she sing the duet? But can she sing the QUARTET and TRIO?
Yes. Yes,yes, yes, yes.
IN MY VOICE.
Not some darkened cavernous thing.
Not some light chirpy thing either.
Just me. Youthful and vibrant and my kind of Gilda.
In preparation for this I did some youtube-ing last night, and found that besides the "modern day"/current Gilda's, a majority of the recordings on there ARE of "lighter"..I don't even want to say that..."more silvery" voices of the past.

So I'll take it. The pendulum swings in different directions every few years. Right now it's for the rich, warm, dark Gilda. Same with Juliette. And Lucia.
Maybe one day it will be for the silver, sweet, bell-like version of those three roles.

Monday. 2 more.
Wednesday. One more.
That MAY be it for next week.
Then fly across the country. Then fly back for one/two more. Then fly far far away for a vacation in a new land.

oh, really?

Feedback from today: Best audition yet.
How I felt:
Well- in the morning SO crappy due to previously mentioned issues, but 2 advils quickly relieved that (I know, it's bad for singers..bla bla bla...I had 3 hours before I had to sing...)

Warming up- ugh- what is that CRAP in my throat? Oh yea-it's everything in my body including my vocal folds feeling mucky and generally thick...DUE TO previously mentioned ISSUES!

Walking to audition with a Halls in my mouth- a bit better.

Getting to audition and hanging out there for about 30 minutes (the usual, I show up early)...
better than usual, as NOLA was not an insane asylum of singers today.

Audition:
Chacun- good top g, down to the bottom. I definitely felt more open/resonant (due to previous coaching) on the low and middle. Is this what they mean when they say that I have a bright sound and that I need to "round it out"? Just get the middle moving a bit more warmly and that's it?

Then Glitter from the 2nd verse- great. I was into it. Frankly, I can't say enough how much I love this piece.
It's just me to a T. I get to be silly. I get to be serious, sarcastic, crazy, sad, depressed, whiny, sexy, and everything in between. All in 7 minutes of awesome music.

So I walked out like any normal audition, but the feedback was that it was the best yet.

Hmm, so what were the other ones?
And should I ALWAYS sing for people between the 3rd and 8th of the month (give or take 3 days before and after depending on what I eat, how much exercise I get, and what evil tricks my biological system is up to that month)?

Lunch with a friend- talked shop. About how much these auditions actually mean NOTHING because yay, you got an audition. That doesn't mean a job and that doesn't mean anything, really. You give it the best you have and you still may not be their choice.
And that has to be ok.
Except when it's not.

Dinner with 3 more friends. At least singing wasn't the main focus of conversation. Life, love, and other thoughts ..and then auditions.

I do love auditions. And I'm pretty realistic about them in terms of that translating into a job, this, my "first year" "out".

constructive criticism

I had a coaching today on a brand new aria with a brand new coach.
An aria I have to learn by Monday.
And sing for an audition.

I know, it's not the modus operandi that I prefer, but knowing that I can do it, and do it well, I do it--even on short notice.

AAAANYWAY,
Just so it's on record, here, today--
this coach turned to me and said "when you sing it like that and I close my eyes I hear Damrau".

WHAT?
I laughed it off and said I imagine my voice as a complete 180 from hers.
Since, truly, most of the rep. I've heard her in (and it has never been live) has been Youtube videos of Queens/Glitter and a bit heavier rep. than I'd ever sing.

And he said, that after working with her and hearing her, the voice isn't that large, but she knows how to use it and always sings with full resonance.
Ok, I'll accept that.
Tone and color, I'm still not sure about, and I suppose I have my recording of today to prove him even remotely in the ballpark or not.

It doesn't matter in the least, it was just the most amusing comment of the day, in addition to extremely good work for the hour.
Turns out my grad coaches WERE trying to get something out of me that was there, but I wasn't ready for it to come out yet.
Turns out that when I really really and I mean truly relax into something (especially in the middle voice), the resonance opens up so much...so much, well, that this coach thought I sounded like Damrau. ha.

I was feeling
a. extremely crappy in a girl-time kinda way,
b. extremely not warmed up since I found out only an hour before the coaching that it would actually happen, and I didn't eat or really warm up for more than 10 minutes, AND I walked in the freezing cold to get there,
c. very much in a "work it out" mode and not "sound pretty to perfection" mode since this is a brand new piece and I just need to see what it sounds like more than anything and how I deal with it.

And it turns out that even with all of that not-so-goodness that I was feeling, I got great work done.

Pleased with myself, filled with yummy sushi and good dinner company (and did I mention the cruncyspicy salmon role?!, and hoping to have a good audition tomorrow.

i'm baaaack

Did you miss me? Really? I missed you, you cute little ibook!! I know, I'm sorry baby. I left you in the trunk of my car for TWO days (and yes, the temps were freezing and I was so concerned about your health that I even wrapped you in my emergency blanket that I had to buy last year when I lived in cold-mid-west-state for the slim to none chance that I break down in the middle of no where and start to freeze), and then I opened you up and you were still cold! 2 hours and after driving in the heated car home!
Sorry.
It will never happen again.

OK. Why no internet love? 2 concerts, 1 competition, 1 audition, and 1 slight bronchial cough later (and oh yes, staying without wireless for 2 days at a hotel where you had to PAY for it---the GALL!!!!!), and my lappylaptop couldn't connect (yes, I did pay for 24 hours for 9.99 plus many taxes), the WHOLE time.

Review of the weekend:
First sing-for-Jesus concert ever- GREAT.
Competition- pretty good- they picked nice pieces and I showed myself well but I don't know what they're looking for at all.
Audition- awesome. And the 2nd piece they asked for was the role I was singing for. Hooray.
Second sing-for-Jesus- VEEEERY GOOD minus my headache during the whole concert. Boo.
But I still sang very pretty. (I have my illegal recording device and its contents to prove that even though my head was pounding, you couldn't hear it on the recording).

And now. 10hours of sleep- I hope.
Repacking.
Train.
Audition. Audition. Audition...etc.etc.etc.

Oh yea, and the previous post was number 420.
MWahahahahahha.
It's funny that as a freshman in college I didn't know why our next door neighbors in our dorm, number 420, got stolen all the time. It took until Junior year, when I lived in a house on College Ave. with 5 delinquent boys to figure that out.

Next.

I'm excited about this week.
I'm NOT excited about this cough that keeps rearing its ugly head, but as it has not affected my singing at all, I will try to be less angry at it, and more into the Halls and Tussin.