Crush August 31, 2008

So there’s this guy. He’s really nice and he’s kinda cute and I’m developing a major crush on him. He’s a pianist in the master’s program at the same school I’m going to. He’s been very helpful figuring things out the past week or so. We went to dinner last night, then came back to my place to watch a movie (a very lame movie, which we laughed at a lot) and talked for a long time. He asked to see the music I’m singing this semester. I found it interesting watching the wheels turning in his head as he was reading the music and hearing it in his head. I wish I could do that – look at a piece of music I’ve never seen or heard and turn it into sound in my head. I’m always impressed by people who can do that.

We don’t have school tomorrow, being Labor Day and all. I have a lot of homework to do, since I haven’t touched it yet this weekend. I’ll be busy most of the day with that. Nevertheless I hope to see him tomorrow…

Golly! I havent’ had a crush like this in a long time.

Friends are good August 27, 2008

Tonight I had two new friends over for dinner. It was such a great time! We just sat and ate and talked and it was just so nice to have a conversation with like-minded people (meaning musicians). Not that we talked about music the whole time, but it was nice to be able to at all. I have felt rather isolated the last few years, with all of my musician friends being scattered. Even though we talk every once in a while and visit each other occasionally… It’s just not the same.

Anyhow… My lessons are going VERY well! Today I did something well in my lesson, and I’ve forgotten what exactly Tony said, but he just had this really huge smile on his face and he got all excited about it. And of course then I tried it again and it wasn’t quite as good, but there is definitely progress. He finally let me sing actual music today instead of just exercises, which was a relief. And now he wants me to perform it next week. Luckily te aria is Porgi amor from Figaro, so it’s familiar and not very long, which makes it easier.

The process Tony is taking with me is interesting to me. He’s taking my sound and breaking it down into it’s basic elements, such as head voice and chest voice… He isolates them, then brings them back together, and somehow it’s really helping to balance my voice out, and it’s making my high notes much easier to sing. He’s also very specific in my lessons about what he’s trying to accomplish and what I need to work on, which I love.

My diction class is SO fun! Sometimes I wonder, though, what must go through peoples’ minds as they walk past our classroom and hear us all chanting “boo, poo, boo, poo” or lists of seemingly random words, like “agree, affair, offend, jewel, variety, sofa, ago, coma.” It’s gotta sound really odd. We laugh a lot in that class.

Tomorrow is Bibliography & Research Methods. I hear it’s a horrible, but very valuable class. I’m not really looking forward to it.

Like Riding a Bike… August 18, 2008

I just got home from my first voice lesson with my new teacher. Wow! I have so many ideas rumbling around in my little head right now… He had me playing with falsetto (I’ve always thought women didn’t have falsetto) and straight tone and singing as quietly as I could and crescendoing and sliding… He had me trying things that I never would have thought of, but they worked. I was able to sing up to a high Eb without any strain, whereas for the past couple of years I’ve been struggling to sing A’s and B’s well. Craziness!

I said previously that I wished I had chosen to study at a bigger school, but I’m not so sure now. If this one lesson is any indication of how the next two years will go, I think I will be happy with this school, if only for my lessons.

Two things really surprised me during my lesson, technical issues aside. 1) He asked me NOT to practice. What?! He asked me to trust him with my voice. I can learn my music, but he asked me to mark while I sing. Interesting. But I’m willing to try it. 2) He seriously asked me if I am sure I want to teach. He said that he really likes my voice and thinks it may have professional possibilities. I was shocked. I’ve been told before that I have a good voice, but not that I could actually be a “real” singer.

Interesting. Good day. A half hour well spent. I’m looking forward to my next lesson.