Spirituals

Church from Saturday's concert.  Very traditional and very beautiful!

Tonight rounded up the last of 2 evening concerts of American Music and Spirituals.  Overall, it was a really great concert!  I'm very honored to be among some great singers!  The audience reception at both concerts was really great!  There was a lot of applause from both concerts, at times I didn't think it would end!  Goodness!  The free wine at the end was nice too! :-P    

Sunday night's performance.

I will say that preparing for this concert had it's frustrating moments, but overall, the attitude was very chill and very relaxed, and I didn't feel as "straight-laced" for this concert as I feel at others.  I think what helped is the type of music we were performing.  Sure we can all sing opera or art songs, and sing them well.  But it's another thing to sing music that you grew up with, or music that brings back memories (both good and not so good), or music that inspires you--which is exactly what these spirituals did.  It felt like each singer was singing their piece straight from the heart, which is incredibly special.  It was good to be a part of that moment.

Of course accurate intonation and rhythms are important, but if there is no heart, no feelings, it's just a pretty sound.  For instance, a guy sang "Precious Lord" which is very dear to me since I sang it at my Grandma's funeral two years ago.  Yes the singing was good, but the emotion behind it was so real, it triggered some suppressed memories, and I had to wipe some tears away.  On the flip side, another guy sang "Children go where I send thee" which reminded me of an elementary school concert I did back in the day. :)

But, anyways, it was a great concert!  I was very proud to be a part of it, and very proud of my fellow singers!

Marathon

So, this program is not really a sprint...it's a marathon!  A test of endurance!  Starting tomorrow, things are only going to get busier!!  I mean, it already has been busy for some people, particularly those that were in concerts the first week or this week.  But up until now, my schedule has been pretty manageable.  However, from here on out, it's concert craziness for everyone!
Among the highlights for the next few days:

--Headshots with photographer Devon Cass from New York!  (SO excited for this!)   He gave us a fantastic deal that couldn't be turned down!
--2 concerts of American Spiritual music: one Saturday night, one on Sunday night.  I'm singing "Fix me, Jesus" as a solo. (a la Kathleen Battle)
--Master classes galore next week, including Barbara Bonney!! (Yay!!!)  I'll be singing in one next Tuesday with Michele Crider.  I'm a little nervous since I'll be doing a "maiden voyage" of a brand new aria that I'm *still* learning this week...but it will be good to get my feet wet.
--Possibly going to sing in a Spanish concert week after next...need to talk to someone about that.  It means quickly learning a new song, but hey, I'll take another performance opportunity!

I had an acting coaching today over a new recitative that I just learned, and let me tell you, it was exciting and refreshing--I felt like I really stepped out of my box, even just for a page and a half of music, but it felt wonderful!  It was like I had tasted something delicious and now I want more!  It's not going to be easy by any means, but progress is progress, and you don't get anywhere unless you try.

I'm feeling much better, and I didn't sound quite so sickly today--yay for little daily victories!  I'm really excited for all these new things I'm learning!  I feel like I have my own little army of voice teacher, voice coach, and acting coach--I wish I could just put them in my pocket and take them with me!

Okay, it is way past my bedtime now!  Good night!

Oh, side note (and slightly shameless plug), if you are friends with me on Facebook, I've posted pictures of the Governor's reception at the Schloss Eggenberg...absolutely breathtaking building!  I wish my camera did it justice!  Check them out!

Ich bin krank...

This is going to be a quick blog post tonight.  I feel partially guilty for not writing for a few days, but I also feel partially guilty for not being in bed.  This week has started off a little less than optimal.
Let me explain: What do you get when you mix over 100 musicians forced to spend way too much time together + crazy busy schedules + lack of sleep + a completely new environment?  Sickness... a singer's nightmare.  No amount of Vitamin C could've stopped the inevitable.  All I can say is, thank goodness I brought a big box of Sudafed with me!  Europe has much stricter rules about what drugs can be sold in stores--even allergy medications need prescriptions here.  And forget about Wal-mart.  Most stores close around 6 or 7 here.  I went to a "dm" store today (which is sort of like a Walgreens), and the best "medicine" I could find were Riccola throat drops and herbal supplements.  The Sudafed is helping, but I really wish I had some Mucinex... listen to me, I sound like an addict. :)

So, I came here to sing and right now I sound like a dying cow.  It's a little frustrating.  All is not lost though. I've been able to focus on other things, like working on posture, breathing, diction, and character development.  This has definitely allowed me to have a lot of time for self-reflection, and in a way, focus on things I may have been overlooking, or have been too busy to really dig into before.  (Or, I'll be honest, things I've been too lazy to address before.)

I realize that I have had some setbacks in my life, and my tiny resume is almost laughable.  However, I have to constantly remind myself that I can NOT change anything that has already happened.  I can't dwell on the "coulda-woulda-shoulda's" or I will continue to dig myself into a hole.  When I first arrived here, I thought that I was not at the same level as everyone else, but I had to keep telling myself, everyone's story is different.  Some people go to colleges with big opera programs.  Some were blessed with an insanely talented voice from a very young age.  Some have been to several summer programs.  Some have studied with big-name teachers.  Some have pressing health issues.  Some have Master's degrees.  Some didn't even study music until very late in life.

I just have to keep telling myself that I am exactly where I need to be.   It's hard, but I have to keep telling myself.  I am where I am for a reason.  Are there things I wish I could've done differently?  Of course.  Too late to change now--the only choices I have are to keep pressing on and keep growing and learning...or change careers.  And I'm not about to go down without a fight! ;)

Okay, enough late-night reflection.  It's time for sleep.  Tomorrow is another chance to succeed.  Hopefully my voice will find it's way back to a healthy state very soon! :)

Music, thou heart's desire

Today, I had the pleasure of attending a master class by the great singer Christa Ludwig...who I only heard about this morning. (oops)  I don't know much about her, but her knowledge and experience is astounding! (You can be certain I will be on YouTube or Itunes to find out more about her) I also had the pleasure of hearing a young bass-baritone named Marcus.  He first sang a piece in German, and I didn't recognize it, but it was absolutely breathtaking.  His sound was so rich, so beautiful, and it sounded completely effortless.  I'm not sure if he was so emotionally involved in the piece, or if he had a personal connection with the piece, but after he finished singing, he was wiping tears from his eyes. The audience responded with thunderous applause, while Christa walked up to him and put her arms around him and kissed his cheek.  When the applause died down, she asked him if he had any contracts with any opera companies, and to everyone's surprise, his answer was no.  He said he had won the district level of the Met competition twice, but never made it further, which again shocked us all.  Someone who could sing like that and NOT have a contract...surely these judges have cotton in their ears?   A boy from Tennessee with a voice so rich, it made everyone just melt.  And I don't mean in the "dreamy, swoony, teenage girl" way of melting.  Melting as in, the feeling that you can be so wrapped up in the music, suspended in time, you forget where you are, and your soul just melts away, taken up into song.   THAT kind of melting.  I wish I could explain it better.  He then went on to sing "Hai gia vinta la causa..." from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro.  That's how a real man sings the Count.  'nuff said.

So, I take my inspiration from this guy today.  I know I personally don't have a voice like that, but it's not always about the national recognition, or the opera contracts.  Yes, those are wonderful, and jobs are certainly necessary.  But this is why we do what we do: To share gifts and the talents we are given, to share the music that touches us, to draw out emotions otherwise suppressed, and to bring us all together for a common love and passion.  I may feel frustrated with my progress at times, particularly this week, but I have been given a gift, a passion, and an opportunity not many others have.  And for that, I am thankful!  I don't know what life has in store for me, but as long as I have music, I think I'll be just fine. :)

I bet Christina is making some phone calls tonight to get this boy some auditions.  My best wishes for him!

More lessons await this week...I'm so tired, I hope I can drag my butt out of bed in the morning!

Gute Nacht!

Meat Spread

“Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” --James Beard 

I would consider myself a very picky eater.  I don't like tomatoes (unless they are mashed up into a sauce), onions, peppers, cucumbers, and the list can go on.  However, I am finding myself to be more adventurous when it comes to food and tasting new foods, which I credit to my addiction of watching Food Network.  After all, food is a HUGE part of a culture--as mentioned in the quote above, it's common ground.  Everyone has to eat.  Now, whether or not you like that cuisine is a different story.  For instance, at breakfast we are given a somewhat traditional European breakfast with bread, cheese, coffee, fruit, and of course something that I like to call "meat spread."  Now, my friend Colby is German and grew up eating this stuff.  To me, any meat that comes pre-packaged in a vacuum-sealed spread is suspicious.  The ONLY canned meat I have ever eaten is when my mom used to make corned beef and potatoes when I was little.  So Colby told me to try some at breakfast one morning, and to let her know what I thought.  Okay, challenge accepted.  Try something new.  So Saturday morning I put some on a corner of my bread slice, took a bite and... 

barely swallowed it.  It was nasty, I can't even describe it. It left an awful aftertaste that not even strong coffee could wash away.  In reporting back to my friend, she admitted that it wasn't the best meat spread she's ever had, but she didn't mind it and still liked it.  She said I probably just couldn't get over it, and she's pretty much right.  Like I said, something about vacuum sealed meats in a gelatinous form...I can't do it.  Well, my dinner that night more than made up for it.  I have posted to the left, a picture of the delicious Goulash I had at a restaurant called the Gösser Bräu, which serves traditional Austrian food. It's a concoction of meat and potatoes, almost like a stew.  And then for good measure, a frankfurter, fried egg, and pickles were thrown in too.  Deliciousness!  And beer-- I don't drink beer at all, but I had to try it, and it's not bad...as seen by my face in the above picture.

Okay, enough food talk!  I'm here for music, not food!  In regards to the music side, all of the singers in the program have received our schedules, voice teacher, and vocal coach assignments.  From here we hit the ground running.  I have 2 voice lessons, 2 vocal coachings, at least 1 diction session, Stage Artistry, and Audition Training Seminar classes each week, and we are welcome to do some Operetta sessions if we wish.  Um...yes!  Operetta got it's start in this country, so why not indulge?  I just hope I'm prepared enough for this--it's going to be a lot packed into 5 weeks!  Let the marathon begin! 
One more thing to mention (I promise it's relative, but it's a music nerd thing, so skip this if you wish) So when we travel on the city buses, right before we get to each stop, there's a little melody that plays over the loud speaker before it announces each stop.  The melody sounds exactly like the first 5 notes of the piece "Mein Herr Marquis" from Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss.  So now that melody is forever engrained in our brains.  While at chorus rehearsal today, we learned 2 songs for an upcoming event: "America the Beautiful" (which we all know) and an Austrian song "Dachstein Lied" which I think is their anthem.  While singing, I recognize part of this song, and I realize the opening to the song is the melody we've been hearing on the bus!!   Then it made me wonder if Johann Strauss was inspired by this melody when he wrote "Mein Herr Marquis"...hm....maybe when I'm not so tired I'll do some more research on that.  I love music nerd moments like that!


Well, classes begin in the morning, so I'd better get some sleep!  Gute Nacht!

Graz: Day 2

I was going to take the time to post more pictures, but I am just plain exhausted!  It seems like I have been going non-stop since I got off the plane!  Nevertheless, today has been my first full day in Graz and it is a very beautiful city!  After breakfast, I joined other AIMsers for a tour of the city.  We walked around for 2 hours, looking at the beautiful architecture, the bustling squares, and  a clock tower in the mountain side that's just begging to be climbed!  (and will be, just not today)  We also saw an exquisite Catholic church that was so beautiful, I couldn't help being a little camera-happy!

After the morning tour was lunch at the University where we will be eating every weekday. Following that was a nice jaunt to an afternoon of orientation meetings and walking to the store for a few groceries.  (My bag was at 49.5 pounds, so I had to leave my shampoo and conditioner at home, lest I be charged $50 for an overweight bag!!)  After that, I walked around with my friend Colby to look for some place to eat for dinner.  We walked and walked and walked, and unfortunately it started to rain.  (Graz seems to be hot in mid-day, and rainy in the afternoon)  Despite my tour of the city, I still got us a little lost, but we ended up finding a nice Italian restaurant in the Hauptplaz and I had a rather large, but good, pizza that I will nom on tomorrow! The waiter was thankfully patient with me trying to order in German.  I did manage to ask for "Leitungswasser" or tap water, which is actually pretty good here--and it's free almost anywhere you go.  After dinner, my friend and I walked around and just had to stop for gelato...yummmmy!!!! :)  I see lots of people walking around with ice-cream, and it's well needed, especially since few (if ANY) buildings have A/C.

Speaking of learning German, I start my first Beginning German class tomorrow!  I'm kind of excited to start learning Germany so I can actually feel confident when I want to order food or make a purchase.  I'm pretty good at memorizing vocabulary words, I just don't know grammatical rules and sentence structures.  Sometimes I kick myself for not taking French or Germany in high school instead of Spanish.  Spanish serves me okay in America, but had I known this was the career path I was going to take, I would have opted for other language choices.  Oh well! :)  

I don't remember the name of this church, but it's only a small
part of it's extravagant beauty!

Well, tomorrow is a day of master classes, rehearsals, and orienations, so I'd better turn in for the night! Gute nacht!!

Statue in the Hauptplatz

Ugh, packing...

If there is one thing you should know about me...I despise packing.  And I always OVERpack (okay, so that was 2 things.)  There's something incredibly stressful about packing up your belongings and carting them thousands of miles away.  It really comes down to this: what do I absolutely NEED and what can I live without for 6 weeks? Unfortunately in my case, I would much rather be too prepared than not prepared.  To prevent those of us from packing our entire closets, bathrooms, and kitchens, airlines have established a 50lb weight limit...much to my dismay.  Thus, my goal is to fill a very large suitcase and a carry-on for the rest.  *crosses fingers*
But, equally stressful is the fact that we have to have formal/semi-formal outfits for performances...gowns take up a lot of space!  Clearly airlines don't think about the fact that I am 1) female and 2) a musician. :)

If any experienced (particularly international) travellers have any advice, my ears are open!

In other news, my roommate wants to get a cat so she won't be lonely while I am gone...if anyone would like to rent my room for 6 weeks, let me know! ;)

yeah...this is is pretty much me.