'konzept'- or, whatever the French version of that is...

Ok, I can't keep it in any longer, and so I must blog.
I have sung this role before, people.
Yes, I have only sung it 4 TIMES before (4 productions, I mean...of course last year I sang this role for 9 performances, and still have a whole other production coming up in January), but I've still sung it. In a "konzept" version, in a stand and sing version, in a 'come up from a fiery mountain beneath the stage trap door' version, and in a 'normal, enter from wings, yell at pamina, exit from wings' version.

And my question is, simply... how many different ways can you freak a Koenigin out right before she has to sing DER HOELLE RACHE?!
The ONE aria in the show that EVERYONE knows? and the REASON that we get hired for the role? ie- the PERFECT F's!?
Really? You want me to enter on a revolving what? And go into what trap door halfway through the aria?
With dancers underneath me making noise with props that they have to use DURING the aria?
Oh- awesome, because I just thought that you wanted me to sing it without feeling like I have to throw up.
That would be nice.

OK, deeeeep cleaaaannnnssssing breaths.
Really, this will NOT be a problem for opening night (which is in 14 days). It will NOT.
But RIGHT NOW, I have to 'travel' onto the stage for the entire dialogue on a RAKED revolving prop that is NOT being pushed smoothly and mechanically, but by people- INSIDE, that have to get their mark right on stage, while INSIDE the prop. And when they DON"T get it onstage right, They futz with it. And push it. And each one of those little pushes, while I'm standing up on top of the dang thing, makes me wobble- in my FOUR INCH HEELS and knee-baring costume. I can't even take a 'man stance' to plant myself because I have to be all dainty-like with my legs on it.

Then, I have to say all of the dialogue while they prop 'finds it's mark' and adjusts, WHILE walking around on said rotating THING. THEN, since there are no BRAKES on said prop, every time I take a step forward, backward or sideways, it comes WITH me a bit.
YEP. And that's how I get to sing Der Hoelle Rache.

Oh, and then I have to go in a trap door in the middle of the aria. And then sing the rest of it from HALFWAY in the trap.

I'm not saying that the concept isn't good..actually, it's QUITE a good idea. But what has taken over this week is the need for a perfect 'picture' to emerge onstage with the props and dancers and acrobatics that the concept has in mind, and it is currently pitting itself against Mozart. And to that, I say- Mozart was a genius. Don't mess with him.

week one review

1 opera sing through on day 1 (3 hours)
1 rehearsal to stage act 1 aria (took 20 minutes, but I was called for 3 hours)
1 rehearsal to stage act 2 aria (took 25 minutes with dialogue- called for one hour)
1 rehearsal with maestro (1 hr)
1 costume fitting (was called at 11, didn't get fitted until 1:30, that took 20 minutes).

Jogging- about 40 minutes, but probably 15-20 of that was walking.
Yoga- 40 minutes
situps- did 50 each on three separate evenings
pushups 10

What do people DO in their free time?
Yes, I like reading. Too bad I have no English books with me here..but I WILL find an english bookstore and buy one. Even though I hate buying books. Because I read very quickly and then rarely re-read.

I MAY have actually been online from 10am today until 6pm.

With a break for breakfast and lunch.

LET me just tell you some of the things I did.

Read the ENTIRE new york times. Yes, every article. Actually, the FRONT PAGE changed three times while I was doing so.

Check email accounts, check fb account..but ok, that didn't take too long.

Found some kind of SWEEPSTAKES website where if you have a fake email that you don't check and don't mind getting tons of spam, tells you what you can win THIS week if you 'sign up' on outside websites. Did that for about 30 minutes. Hey, I'm not passing up a free ipad or 5000 dollar shopping spree. Likelihood that I'll actually win ANYTHING- odds are one in over 4 million for most of them. Awesome.

Read about a photo contest that I WOULD like to enter except that the photo I want to enter is on my external hard drive...at HOME.

Read camera reviews.
Read camera BAG reviews.

Read eco-BABY CRIB and eco-BABY STROLLER reviews (don't ask me how I got sucked into that one..it started out as a google search for all natural shampoo with no chemicals, dyes, etc., I promise).

WHAT is going on?
Yes, it's rainy and gray. I've seen from the OUTSIDE most of the facades that this old European city has to offer. It's not a touristy day for me, nor do I like being touristy by myself.

So. I need something to do.
IF I was at home, I'd have someone coming home right about now...someone who I would have spent at least an hour today figuring out what meal to cook for dinner, what we would do later on in the evening, etc.
So- there's another 2 hours of my day that would have been different. Oh yes, and shopping for said dinner.

Yes, I tidied up the studio. Yesterday I practiced entire future-modern-opera. There IS still a lot of work to be done on it, but I can only take it in little pieces until it's there.
I'm still waiting to hear about upcoming-french-opera's TRANSLATION edition, so it's kind of pointless to practice that in French, since when I sing it in English it will feel completely different in my mouth. Although I did listen to it in its entirety yesterday as well.

What else?

I am not about to start knitting!
OR AM I?!

back in the swing of things

Singing Koenigin again. New ideas, new production, new colleagues, new city...but what is NOT new, is that most of this opera, I have nada to do.
And do you think that I use my time wisely? work out? learn other music in the meantime?
Well, to give you a hint, today during my 2 hr. dinner break I was online.

But it was because I knew the call tonight was ambitious.
3 hours to stage everything INCLUDING queen's first aria? I THINK NOT! And I knew best since I just did this show!
Indeed, I did nothing but watch (and pay attention to my OTHER score for upcoming-modern-piece) until 9pm, staged my aria from 9-9:20 because they saw me there the whole time and I guess realized the timing error, and then went BACK to do the dialogue before the aria with the 3 ladies and papageno/tamino.

Fine for me, since I had other stuff to do.
TOmorrow- nothing but a costume fitting.
Thursday- no rehearsal until 4:30.
It's strange that this is my 'work', but I know the real measure of my time will be the reaction when we are onstage.
Until then, I AM trying to be active whether it's yoga or jogging or situps, and trying NOT to eat too much cheese, butter and baguettes (ooops).

first day of school

Tomorrow is the first day of rehearsal.
Kind of like the first day of school.
Have to think about the outfit, have to make sure I have all the music and text with me.
Need to know where I'm going.
Who will my new friends be.
Will the cast be nice
Will the director and conductor like me...

oh, back to school, back to school....

audition

soooo....
had a pretty important one today.
Sang Zerb and was asked for Oscar.
Both felt lovely as usual.
Have my backstage ipod recording of both that I briefly listened to upon arriving home, just to make sure that it sounded as good as it felt.
It did.
BUUUUUT...over the past year, after however many auditions I've done, however 'normal' feeling it seems to me ... not being nervous and all, offering mostly the same repertoire of about 5-10 pieces that I circulate and love, it STILL gets to me that the German panel is ice-cold.
Especially here in Dland. I mean..PERK UP or something! Why the poker face, dudes?
If you enjoy it, enjoy it...write down your little scribbly notes as fast as you can...ANYTHING? no acknowledgment that I'm up here workin' my tail off whatsoever.

And you know, this IS one thing I miss about US auditions. As much as it's a huge cattle call in New York, at least you're in a room where you are 20 feet away from the auditioner and can VISIBLY see whether they like you or not. IMMEDIATELY. If they're into it, I get more into it! If they are over it, I will try EVEN harder to do something that they like...to elicit SOME kind of response via body language or soooomething.

Of course, it doesn't always happen..but the fact that you are closer makes small talk easier, makes these body language moves easier to pick up on, and generally leaves me (after most of my US auditions) in a SUPER good mood, having KNOWN that I rocked it vocally and dramatically for that DAY- no matter what the casting results are.

But here--it's like stone-faced and far away. No movement. Nothing but thank you, and then moving on to the next singer.

And even though I have Proof! (ok, iphone recording backstage loud reverb and you can hear the other singer humming under his breath towards the end of my second piece)...it just all seems like a bummer when you have NO idea whether they liked you or not....even though you DO know that you did an awesome job singing.

So yea, I'm not worried about getting feedback saying- ooooh, she cracked, she was sharp, she was flat, she ..bla bla bla.. because I know that didn't happen.

But SOME feedback would be nice. And after the immovable faces and bodies of the panel today, no questions, just thank you...and the request to hear my shortest aria after beginning with the END of Zerb (ok, it DOES make sense because they're doing Ballo in a few years, but still...there were plenty of other choices, including Queen, that were short), makes me wonder-- were they total haters? and if so, then WHY?

And, will I find out? Or will this audition go down as yet another one of those black holes-- no further contact or comments?


Oh, questions, questions. To put it another way, I came offstage feeling that I sang really really well, and then that feeling deteriorated throughout the day as I analyzed THEIR non-reactions and THEIR choice of a second piece instead of any one of my other crazy high or crazy hard pieces.
Yes, I realize this is neurotic behavior. And that it shouldn't have 'ruined' the rest of my day (meaning, no musical work, I ate some ramen noodles to warm me up, sat in the dark on the couch, wrote some emails, and was basically a waste of space until 8pm tonight), and I AM going to get up right now, put my jogging clothes on and go OUT of the house, as I had intended to do around 2pm today.

But you know what? For not being a crazy singer, this little BIT of crazy today showed me how some other people spend each and every audition they do.
So, ok, I nitpicked one audition. In a year.
Now back to your regularly scheduled coloratura filled with confidence and the F-you mentality about auditions.

getting ready...

to kick some booty.

every year...

Every year, this time of year...I read wall posts and status updates from singer friends on facebook, I see the yaptracker announcements, and my stomach starts to turn.
Why? Because, as a professional artist since 2006 with my last RAP and YAP that year, yes, the same year I got my masters degree...I am supposed to be DONE with this game.
And then I see--
what?
Friends who are WELL past my age (I'm talking 3-6 years here) auditioning as young artists!
And I start to think, wouldn't it be nice to crawl back into the cozy nest of being an apprentice somewhere for a year, being paid to have lessons and coachings and cover roles, ...and just...being PAID all year?
Of course, yes, what I'm making this year about adds up plus some more to what the salary would be from a BIG company that happens to have its finals this weekend which I HAPPENED to be invited to and turned down.

Turned down because I DID have work through 2011...when they begin the program.
But nonetheless, turned down...and now when I see what singers they ARE hearing...and see that we've done the same programs, that they are older, and I don't understand why they are singing for the program or why that program would invite a professional singer there...
I just don't get it...
and it puts me on edge.

On edge because of auditions coming up for MAINSTAGE stuff that I want to obviously rock, but with always the question lurking in the back of my mind--SHOULD I have flown back and done it? WOULD I have been able to move to this place for a year, be a young artist, and would it have somehow made my career BETTER, even though it would be taking a step BACKWARDS for a year? (Although, the association with this big house is worth a LOT)...

I just don't know. It's not for me to know, I suppose, because I am not there. I don't know if they have a girl 'my type' singing there today.. 2 others that I know approach my rep, but not as high, and a bit more lyric...

At any rate, I have to really try and stop thinking about it despite being SO SO curious if they take a 'me'- meaning, I would have had a chance, had I gone. Maybe. Bla.

IN OTHER NON-DRIVING-MYSELF-CRAZY news,
I just practiced. It was awesome.
I won't start with the "if I can sing like THIS on THAT day" stuff, but really...
I felt really good about today, sang through all of the rep, had FUN and wasn't thinking about anything but just putting it all out there...
And that's when it works.
I have to get past all the 'crazy' around me...career wise and business wise, even though I KNOW all about it. Take it in, forget about it, and keep on doing what I know I do best.

C25k

Yes, I'm back on the wagon .... jogging.
I have written before how much I hate it. Dislike is not strong enough of a word for running when there is no bear chasing me, or when I'm not chasing down an ice cream cart (ok, ok, or the tram to the city).

But since I'm leaving town next week and I don't think there is any bikram yoga in the small city where I'll be, I decided to download the itunes app for couch to 5k...
Of course, I'm ALREADY cheating (well, not cheating, just getting ahead of myself), as you are only supposed to do it three times a week and I am trying to do it daily..
but maybe I'll just add more days of the same level instead of try to move up an intensity level every 3 days.
Sure, that seems like a good idea.

So the thing is- I actually think I jog BETTER when I'm not waiting every 60 to 90 seconds for the little bell to ring and a voice to tell me to switch from jogging to walking...
When I was jogging a BIT last month I could just go, and whenever I felt a cramp in my side (this is really the only thing that slows me down or stops me completely and it doesn't matter whether I eat, don't eat, drink, don't drink, stretch, dont stretch...it still happens every time. Right hand ribcage), I would slow down and walk for a bit.

And in this program I find myself more tired sometimes because I'm just wondering WHEN I get to WALK again!
But I am still giving it a chance.
Just hope the weather holds out for about another 5 weeks so that maybe just maybe at the very end of this all I can say that I've accomplished this task...and maybe just maybe join my husband on HIS jogs (right now he goes too fast and too far for me)...
and of course, bottom line is to remain fit.
After these THREE weddings and a week of cold temperatures, I'm up a kilo.
This is NOT bad at all, just 2.2 pounds..but it doesn't help that when it's cold I crave toast, butter...you know, warm things that probably increase the size of my caboose.

Practicing yesterday was short and sweet. Felt good at the end. Throat is all back to normal now after 2 days of being on the quiet side.
Will warm up tomorrow at 11am- around the time I'll be warming up when I have the REAL thing next week.

I'm baaaaack!

Home sweet home.
At least for the next 10 days.
After that, I'll be on the road again, but a bit closer to home than usual.
Next-gig is just ONE lil' EU country over! And being 3 hours away sounds GREAT to me, compared with an 8 hour international flight and 6 hour time zone away.

Haven't tried to practice yet because i've been TALKING and laughing and have such a ball for the past week that my voice still feels buuuustedly dry (oh yea, and the two airplanes in 5 days)...BUT today may just be the day.

It's rainy and gray and COLD and all I've been doing is writing thank you notes and tracking down every account I have ever opened to see how much red tape they will put me through to legally change my name on the account.

Time to sing.

I hope.

on the road again...

just can't WAIT to get on the road again!!

Beeecause...it's to my NEXT (and FINAL) wedding!
Leaving for the US tomorrow...will get a week back in 'civilization' (and, by definition, civilization includes listerine that does NOT cost 5 euros!)
I have a list of things that I will be bringing back, as well as that winter suitcase that I left packed in APRIL and now needs to return home to Deutschland with me.

Next gig starts in 19 days! WHAT?!
At least this time it's on the same continent and only 3 hrs away from my 'home'.

Answers for Alison...

A few questions asked, a few questions answered:
Nerves.
I never used to have them when I was younger (I'm talking high school here). It was only as I progressed and got to a certain 'level' that I started to realize, wow, THIS level may have something to do with my NEXT level. It was my first year as a resident artist (in a program connected with a grad school) that I realized, ONSTAGE, in the middle of the Act 1 duet, that woah-- I hope this goes well so that the next and next and next thing go well.
And My heart was beating so hard that what it sounded like to ME was that my voice was shaking too.
I felt like my larynx was going to shoot right out of my eyeballs, and everything became really thin and weird in my head.
What could I do? I was in the middle of singing, so I just kept going. What seemed like an eternity later, which was probably less than 2 minutes, my mind stopped wandering, I focused more on the character and less on the 'sound' that I was trying to hear...and then it went away.
But almost EVERY show since that show... I've been calm on the outside and nervous on the inside (inasmuch as I can't control how my heart beats before the show starts)...then as SOON as I get onstage, I am in character and there is nothing that can freak me out...and even if I start to have that 'freakout' feeling of raised larynx I push myself MORE deeply into the characterization (the "acting"), and then it's gone.
And sure enough, when I listen to that clip from grad school- you can't.even.tell that I was freaking out vocally.
So it's a mental thing. And yes, it feels like it's affecting you and that you can't sing one more note..and then, you just have to learn how to calm it down yourself.
It's something I still work on for every performance. Find the fun and the calm, and try to ignore that fast heartbeat and the 'oh man, this is really real' feeling.

On the days of shows I try to find a routine. Eat normal things and not some crazy spicy chicken sandwich (that's reserved for AFTER the show--1am from Wendy's...yummm). I go through my music (speed-through). I get to the theater early. I warm up a few hours before..all routine things to stay calm. I know my heart will start pumping faster right before the curtain and especially right before my entrance. But I try to think of 'good energy' and how I can use it for my character...and beyond that, just trust in the voice and the fact that I've done it before, I'll do it again, and as long as I love it...I'll keep at it.

Preparing for a piece.
Well, I'm doing this right now, and no, it doesn't mean I practice every day. I have gone LONG bouts without vocally practicing, but almost every day, I will do SOMETHING that is considered studying. Whether it's marking up a score with a highlighter, doing IPA, doing translations, going through the words to something I'm trying to memorize in my head or testing myself by writing them down on paper...it's a combination of vocal preparation as well as mental preparation.

Getting something into my body 'vocally' can happen at any time and for any reason...sometimes I study bits of the role every day (study, not sing..just play the melody and harmony)...sometimes I have to sing it over and over and over, and then it's there.
But by the time it's 'showtime', or, rather, first rehearsal time...it's always there. Sometimes "magically", meaning, I don't FEEL like I had to actually sit and memorize notes and words, and sometimes it was note-plunking and playing memorization games with myself on the airplane.

'Nothing to do' is very often misleading. The shows that I have to learn music for are not until March and April, but... if I do nothing now, I'll have a LOT to do later.
So I TRY to do a little each day. And when I can't take modern music anymore, I switch to going through my old audition arias. Or I listen to some things on youtube. Or I google what other roles I could be learning or singing or looking into...which always leads me on a 'rabbit hole' kind of online chase and ends up taking half of the day.

So yes, I have 'nothing' to do for a while since my next show is Magic Flute and I have already sung it (nothing 'new' to learn except some dialogue), BUT I do always try to think a bit ahead and somehow get some daily 'practice'-- vocal, mental, translating, listening..just being around the art.

Hope that helps!

more coachings

Had another really good coaching this morning. Got through act 1 of upcoming modern opera...which is easy note-wise, but not math-wise...so I had a 'conductor's' view of how the beats would be broken up- 4/4/3 (11/8) or in ONE, which is really written out as a FAST 6/8...ahhh...yes, it hurts my head but I'll eventually get it.

And then I sang through Doll and Queen. HIS opinion- start with queen. I'm not sold on it YET, even though it's easy as pie for me...it's still not everyone's cup of tea (vocal weight-wise)...the F's will be there each and every time, and so will the CLEAN runs, and so will the GRACE note before the cadenza that leads UP to the high F's (which, frankly, I have only heard dessay and damrau EVER sing,..but, ok..moving on)...I don't sound like a vengeance/death-eater Russian Lyric soprano with freakishly high extension that SOMETIMES hits F's and sometimes hits E's.. .

Will have to get a few other opinions in the meantime, but I will still try to continue my daily (except for weekends) warming up, practicing, AND music-learning on my schedule.

Next week: American wedding (#3)

rue-tine

As in, I have not been very successful at it this week...but I DID do my situps and pushups today.
I am going to yoga tomorrow night. Really.

two week countdown

Wedding #3 (to the same person, for the third time)- is in 2 weeks! That means I'm flying to the US in LESS than 2 weeks! That means LONG LONG LONG lists of THINGS that I want from EVERYWHERE need to be made, so that I can buy said things, instead of having them shipped here and THEN pay import taxes on them, or just buying the things here for twice as much as they really cost...I'm looking at YOU, listerine!

In other news, my fitness regime is on 'hold' for a week ... ahem....
And the only thing I really want to do is switch off between eating dark chocolate and salty pretzels for the entirety of the day...
Oh, and ice cream for dessert.

Amazing.

I am going to practice. Now. Ready for it? I'm pressing publish post. And then turning on the keyboard...and NOT checking my email accounts or fb or the nytimes.
for realz.

coaching1

Coached the 'opera' act of Zerbie yesterday and it felt so so good.
When I practice this by myself with no piano accompaniment, or should I say my CRAPPY attempt at piano accompaniment WHILE singing really hard stuff, it's really hard to hear where the line is supposed to fit sometimes. But when you have all of the RIGHT notes around you, it turns into a piece of cake.
There is that ONE cadenza after the 'recitative duet section b/w Zerb and Harle that I still don't have in my ear perfectly. The B# is the LEADING tone (yea, sure I'll remember that in my head when I'm most likely STANDING on my head singing it).

Anyway, now I suppose it's onto the first act. Which is WAY more recit-y and talk-y, and oh, what? I say something on that page? thanks.

Also should PROBABLY look more at upcoming modern-thingamajig, and I will. Really.

I LIKE having work to do, and I LIKE doing work with other people- ie, coaches.
It makes making music so much more of a mutual growth process..rather than me sitting on my butt trying to figure out how to change from 3/4 to 11/9 every other measure.

Although, I do remember the summer before my yearlongRAP apprentice program when I learned all three of my upcoming roles (Oscar, Lakme, Olympia, oh yea, and Barbarina) entirely by myself all summer long (while sitting at the beach of course), with no coaching except AFTER I had already learned and memorized it completely.

So I know I can do it on my own, I just prefer to have the detailed input AS I'm still fresh in learning it, rather than after I have 'sung' something into my throat and head for an entire summer.

NOW that it's past noon again and I'm still in my pjs AND the sun seems to be shining, I will attempt an outdoor activity...possibly jogging. Haven't done that one in a LONG time.

Here...I...go... ?

whew

Ok momentary craptastic practice session seems to be over as of yesterday.
Had a lovely hour of feeling good, free, and easy, just as life and song should be.
Today I have a coaching and I'm hoping that what I've learned so far will fill one hour of singing...
It's pretty much the large and in charge section of Zerbinetta 2nd act.

Also, I KIND of learned three out of the EIGHT sentences that I need to know for my next Koenigin dialogue.

ALSO, I DID NOT go to yoga at all this week, but I DID do situps and girly pushups for 3 days in a row, and ride my bike for about 40 min. LEISURELY...so, no REAL workout, but I'm still trying.

And shockingly, instead of bouncing around on the kg scale when I eat some bruschetta or other BREAD like substances, I'm staying the same and even going a bit down..which is encouraging.

Other music- I TRIED to look at the modern opera, really I did. Counting hurts.
And I know I have to do this one all on my own because no one here has coached it or been involved in a production of it to help me out before. It will be a really.really. long haul.

And audition arias- I sang through doll and chacun. It's possible. JUST possible.
But would I start doll from V.2 ? It's so LONG and repetitive. And drama-less.
Hmm.

Off I go to start my day (at noon).

hmm.

blergg....

well HELLO there, craptastic practice session. We have not met for SUCH a long time. Guess what? I really really dislike you.
All I wanted to do was have an easy warm up and maybe sing through the "opera" act of Ariadne.
But no, you decided for some reason that my voice wasn't going to ever feel warmed up, so even after I moved on to the Strauss I could feel that things weren't free. Yes, they were coming out of my mouth, and yes, they were on pitch. But I couldn't DO anything with them, and it did not feel lovely and easy and free.

I still attempted to sing through the big sections, but now...my throat is tired, I'm tired, and added to that it's been gray rainy and COLD out! Where did the summer and the sunshine go?

Please come back, summer, and maybe when you return you can bring back that NICE practice feeling again--hopefully tomorrow.

kthanksbye

my maybe schedule

2.5 weeks until I leave the country for more celebrations in the US.

In the meantime, I need to do the following things as often as possible.

Tues/Thurs 10-11:30 Bikram (which really means 9:15 to 12:15 with the bike ride to and from included.

All days- new regime of situps and pushups...and by NEW I mean, what I was doing in April/May daily until coming back home and only doing bikram and biking.

Generally- biking my 45 minute route.

That was body work.

Now music work:

--Dialogue for new Zauberfloete. I know this shouldn't take too long, but I have to start memorizing and practicing again, since the version I'm currently doing is super-cut and changed from the next production I'll be singing.

--Warm up and audition aria review. Get super comfortable with rep that is always on my list but that hasn't been asked for in a WHILE. Still thinking about starting with French these days...we shall see.

--Relearn an opera in English. Sang it in French already. Must re-wire the brain, learn the words and dialogue in English. Ouch.

--NEW crazy opera. This is the one I really have to sit down and study. It's not going to just pop into my head. Count, write in the counts, memorize the counting...and the rhythm that changes every other measure.
Words seem to come easier..I just need to know when to come in and how long to hold each note! Ha.

--FUTURE- spend some QT with 'Zerb and the gang'...first, order the VOCAL score (which, I have SOMEWHERE in the US but my mother can't seem to find to mail it to me), then the normal- mark the part (actually in this case PARTS since it's a role and a cover), and let the games begin.

In truth, I have MORE than ample time to prepare everything..but since my next 2 jobs are Koenigins, I have let a taaaad bit of time go by without really prepping as seriously as I would if I was leaving for an engagements in less than a month.


Now all I have to do is actually stick to some of the above instead of look at wedding pictures!

bliss

Happily hitched, back in FF, taking the weekend to take a vacation from my vacation, and then I promise I'll really start working on all those things that I'm supposed to start working on.

don't judge

Ok, so I got a manicure today. I had NO idea how to tell them not to use those cuticle cutter thingies in German so I just pointed and said bitte nicht mit das ding hier.
and I MAY have paid 5 euros for eyebrow tweezing. Yes, me, the girl who is the anti-girly girl and does everything herself.
I shouldn't AND don't care about this stuff on a regular basis...but somehow this 'you only get married once' thing..well, in my case 3 times..HA..is starting to sink in!

So- I spent twenty Euros and now I'm hoping that I don't do anything silly to mess up my nails before Sunday. I give myself about ... 12 hours before I mess it up somehow.

E.nough about weddings and getting pretty and packing for one week of fun with family on the beach with a wedding ceremony thrown in for good measure.

What I SHOULD be focusing on in the next weeks is actually-
GERMAN AUDITIONS fall season take 2!

Last year I arrived at the very end of August, and had 2 auditions the first week of September, and got an offer from the 2nd audition.

This year I have work from mid-September to the end of October, and I know that will prevent me from doing some auditions...BUT I'm really hoping to get on the ball and sing for as many European houses as possible.

Repertoire.
I think I'll stick with what works but I really want to find the right 'starter'.
Fille isn't done here that much, and I don't think a high G in a piece that Germans don't like or know that well is as impressive as something they are more familiar with.
HOWEVER, Zerbie is long (as usual), and Koenigin is up in the air what with fach preferences an all.
DurchZ shows a bit more 'maid-like' secondadonna tendencies, so I'm not sure about that anymore either..
Doll? Perhaps start with the 2nd verse and then let THEM decide.

Ciao for about a week and a half-- when I get back from the motherland, the wedding, and the beach.