I'm on tour this week with Opera Playhouse, a Chicago based educational outreach company. The group's director is Linden Christ, and she is from central Illinois (Peoria area) so every year she takes the group down to her hometown for a tour. We will be performing 8 shows in different venues over 4 days. This morning is our first performance, for her church.
I look forward to writing about the cute questions children had about opera this week! Last year we had some gems...I can't wait to see what this year brings.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Finally Approaching Violetta....
So, I had an audition today with a small opera program up in Wisconsin. They had held regular auditions in Chicago last weekend, but I was away in Boston, so I contacted them and they generously agreed to hear me (and Jon) in a private audition.
We trekked up to Lake Geneva, admiring the fact that there is a place COLDER than Chicago in the winter, and got there in a timely fashion. And I warmed up and went in and sang.
The only thing that was different in this audition from all the others is that I was singing for a role that I normally wouldn't sing for. Violetta in La Traviata. Violetta is one of the most challenging roles in the Lyric Soprano repertoire, because she has to sing distinctly different types of arias/ensembles in each act. In Act I, with her aria 'Sempre Libera,' she sings in the style of a Lyric Coleratura - which I am, so it wasn't that hard for me to sing today. However, in Act II she sings more of a Spinto repertoire - a Spinto is a very heavy, intense, singing that sits lower than the range of a Coleratura. And in Act III, Violetta sings a Full Lyric aria - a very powerful voice that has to carry over heavy orchestration, with many sustained notes that are sung just above the staff. And her character is just as complex - Violetta is a whirlwind of emotion, sickness, vitality, love, hate, jealousy - she goes through SO MANY changes as the opera progresses, and it takes years for someone to really get inside her head and portray her convincingly (though many singers have succeeded!)
I did not go into this audition asking to be cast as Violetta. Rather, I'd like to "cover" her (similar to an understudy - I get to sing in some rehearsals and am present for all staging and music rehearsals that Violetta is involved in). The artistic director was very, very, very nice - one of the nicest people I've ever met in this business. She heard me sing Violetta's first aria and said "well, you've got the voice for it, you've got the body for it, you know what you're doing." I'm proud of myself for having a realistic expectation of this job, and I think she recognized that I had a good sense of where I am in my career and what I could get out of her program. While she didn't promise me the role, she did commend me highly on my audition and say she'd be in touch within a few weeks!
Great audition, good day - I wrapped up the evening by watching Yasuko Oura, Mark Crayton, and Susanna Phillips in concert. They presented an evening of "The Tudor Queens" - music that focused on Elizabethan poetry and the letters of the Wives of Henry VIII. It was beautiful - Susanna is an artist that I admire very much, a similar fach (voice type) to mine, and a treat to see in concert.
We trekked up to Lake Geneva, admiring the fact that there is a place COLDER than Chicago in the winter, and got there in a timely fashion. And I warmed up and went in and sang.
The only thing that was different in this audition from all the others is that I was singing for a role that I normally wouldn't sing for. Violetta in La Traviata. Violetta is one of the most challenging roles in the Lyric Soprano repertoire, because she has to sing distinctly different types of arias/ensembles in each act. In Act I, with her aria 'Sempre Libera,' she sings in the style of a Lyric Coleratura - which I am, so it wasn't that hard for me to sing today. However, in Act II she sings more of a Spinto repertoire - a Spinto is a very heavy, intense, singing that sits lower than the range of a Coleratura. And in Act III, Violetta sings a Full Lyric aria - a very powerful voice that has to carry over heavy orchestration, with many sustained notes that are sung just above the staff. And her character is just as complex - Violetta is a whirlwind of emotion, sickness, vitality, love, hate, jealousy - she goes through SO MANY changes as the opera progresses, and it takes years for someone to really get inside her head and portray her convincingly (though many singers have succeeded!)
I did not go into this audition asking to be cast as Violetta. Rather, I'd like to "cover" her (similar to an understudy - I get to sing in some rehearsals and am present for all staging and music rehearsals that Violetta is involved in). The artistic director was very, very, very nice - one of the nicest people I've ever met in this business. She heard me sing Violetta's first aria and said "well, you've got the voice for it, you've got the body for it, you know what you're doing." I'm proud of myself for having a realistic expectation of this job, and I think she recognized that I had a good sense of where I am in my career and what I could get out of her program. While she didn't promise me the role, she did commend me highly on my audition and say she'd be in touch within a few weeks!
Great audition, good day - I wrapped up the evening by watching Yasuko Oura, Mark Crayton, and Susanna Phillips in concert. They presented an evening of "The Tudor Queens" - music that focused on Elizabethan poetry and the letters of the Wives of Henry VIII. It was beautiful - Susanna is an artist that I admire very much, a similar fach (voice type) to mine, and a treat to see in concert.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Guns Blazing!
I made my way down from Chicago to Indianapolis today, and flew from there to Boston. This week's lineup is a bit intimidating, but I think I can handle it:
-a school audition tomorrow
-a summer program audition Sunday
-a residency program audition Monday
-another summer program audition Wednesday
AND
-ANOTHER summer program audition Friday.
Stressful? Yes. Exciting? Definitely! I am pumped. I've been going over and over my music and am starting to psych myself OUT instead of UP, so I've put aside my audition binder for the evening, and plan to spend the rest of the night watching funny TV with Jon, my parents, and Livvie, my dog.
-a school audition tomorrow
-a summer program audition Sunday
-a residency program audition Monday
-another summer program audition Wednesday
AND
-ANOTHER summer program audition Friday.
Stressful? Yes. Exciting? Definitely! I am pumped. I've been going over and over my music and am starting to psych myself OUT instead of UP, so I've put aside my audition binder for the evening, and plan to spend the rest of the night watching funny TV with Jon, my parents, and Livvie, my dog.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Happy Birthday to Jon!
So today was Jon's birthday. We celebrated by getting haircuts for our upcoming auditions, and having people over for cake and beer. Which was delicious.
I managed to squeeze in yet another audition this Wednesday, which feels productive. I also have been able to sing just about every day for the past week without vocal fatigue or hoarseness. I FINALLY feel as though I've recovered from the vocal issues that have been plaguing me since the summer. Just like people with back problems take months and months to heal, so do singers with vocal problems. It is next to impossible to completely stop use of your vocal cord muscles. You just have to be incredibly patient...not one of my strong suits...and wait for your body to heal.
So I'm reveling in the happy feelings of a healthy voice, and raring to go for this week....one audition Wednesday, and then a string of 4 over the weekend. Woo-hoo!
I managed to squeeze in yet another audition this Wednesday, which feels productive. I also have been able to sing just about every day for the past week without vocal fatigue or hoarseness. I FINALLY feel as though I've recovered from the vocal issues that have been plaguing me since the summer. Just like people with back problems take months and months to heal, so do singers with vocal problems. It is next to impossible to completely stop use of your vocal cord muscles. You just have to be incredibly patient...not one of my strong suits...and wait for your body to heal.
So I'm reveling in the happy feelings of a healthy voice, and raring to go for this week....one audition Wednesday, and then a string of 4 over the weekend. Woo-hoo!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A tough coaching
So, riding my "someone wants me in their show!" high, I went to a session with my amazing awesome coach* this afternoon.
And was promptly humbled once again.
One of the reasons I love my coach so much is that she will not accept anything less than "performance quality" of the pieces I am working on during my session. Today was no exception. In addition to corrections of diction and phrasing, I am supposed to sing these pieces with proper emotion and artistry. I, like some of my colleagues, occasionally fall in the habit of focusing entirely on what we are sounding like and how are vocal mechanism is working. So acting falls by the wayside.
Unfortunately, this habit is a TERRIBLE one to have when you are in the middle of a slew of auditions. When you are in front of an audition panel, they expect that, for the pieces you are presenting, you have all of the technical aspects worked out to the point that you can push all of that thinking from your mind and become the character of the aria/song that you are presenting.
So I was thinking about my technique - should I flip over that note, do I have enough breath to make it through this phrase, how long should I take on this cadenza - all that noise in my mind of things I should have decided BEFORE I brought these songs in for coaching. But I hadn't. So of course my acting went away. Luckily my coach was there to bring it back, and I got through the rest of the hour somewhat convincingly.
The session made me think a lot about how off balance a singer's training can be. Throughout undergrad and graduate training, you think it's ALL about those tiny 3/8" muscles in your throat. And you coddle them and fret over them and worry that they won't turn into the Next Big Thing, and you don't learn one important fact about the "real world" of opera - it's ALL about how you are on stage. Confidence, definitive acting choices, and carefully thought out character development. If you believe you are the Next Big Thing, you just might be. But you have to work SO HARD on being a Singing Actress - not just a singer.
I have about 10 days to turn into one of those.
*quick clarification - a "teacher" of voice is one who works on your vocal mechanism and technique, a "coach" is someone who works with you on diction, style, and interpretation. Although the best teachers and coaches work on both. My coach is definitely a best.
And was promptly humbled once again.
One of the reasons I love my coach so much is that she will not accept anything less than "performance quality" of the pieces I am working on during my session. Today was no exception. In addition to corrections of diction and phrasing, I am supposed to sing these pieces with proper emotion and artistry. I, like some of my colleagues, occasionally fall in the habit of focusing entirely on what we are sounding like and how are vocal mechanism is working. So acting falls by the wayside.
Unfortunately, this habit is a TERRIBLE one to have when you are in the middle of a slew of auditions. When you are in front of an audition panel, they expect that, for the pieces you are presenting, you have all of the technical aspects worked out to the point that you can push all of that thinking from your mind and become the character of the aria/song that you are presenting.
So I was thinking about my technique - should I flip over that note, do I have enough breath to make it through this phrase, how long should I take on this cadenza - all that noise in my mind of things I should have decided BEFORE I brought these songs in for coaching. But I hadn't. So of course my acting went away. Luckily my coach was there to bring it back, and I got through the rest of the hour somewhat convincingly.
The session made me think a lot about how off balance a singer's training can be. Throughout undergrad and graduate training, you think it's ALL about those tiny 3/8" muscles in your throat. And you coddle them and fret over them and worry that they won't turn into the Next Big Thing, and you don't learn one important fact about the "real world" of opera - it's ALL about how you are on stage. Confidence, definitive acting choices, and carefully thought out character development. If you believe you are the Next Big Thing, you just might be. But you have to work SO HARD on being a Singing Actress - not just a singer.
I have about 10 days to turn into one of those.
*quick clarification - a "teacher" of voice is one who works on your vocal mechanism and technique, a "coach" is someone who works with you on diction, style, and interpretation. Although the best teachers and coaches work on both. My coach is definitely a best.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
And the high continues!
So I was right about doing well at that audition...the director called me today and asked if I would like to perform the part of Yum-Yum (the lead role)! I said yes, of course, and did a happy dance down the street which made people look at me as though I were crazy.
It is for THAT crazy awesome feeling that I keep auditioning. People in the business think that a good average for a young artist is landing 1 job for every 20 auditions. Which is about where I'm at. As soon as I got home, I checked my email and saw that I got a rejection from a different company. It's not a big deal, but it's enough to keep me humble and, in a way, makes me more grateful for the job offer I've been granted.
So...first plug of many for this show:
Chicago Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company presents The Mikado
March 12 and 13, 8pm, March 14, 2pm
Goodspeed Hall, University of Chicago, 1010 E. 60th Street
Hope that some of you can make it. And now I'm off to learn the music!
It is for THAT crazy awesome feeling that I keep auditioning. People in the business think that a good average for a young artist is landing 1 job for every 20 auditions. Which is about where I'm at. As soon as I got home, I checked my email and saw that I got a rejection from a different company. It's not a big deal, but it's enough to keep me humble and, in a way, makes me more grateful for the job offer I've been granted.
So...first plug of many for this show:
Chicago Gilbert and Sullivan Opera Company presents The Mikado
March 12 and 13, 8pm, March 14, 2pm
Goodspeed Hall, University of Chicago, 1010 E. 60th Street
Hope that some of you can make it. And now I'm off to learn the music!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Good Audition = Good Day
So I had an audition today for an operetta and it went really well. I sang, and then they (the audition panel) asked me to read some lines from the script. This is good because they were only asking people to read if they were impressed with their voice and considering them for a lead role. I was super psyched to make an impression on them, and think that I did - they were laughing the entire time I was reading, and at the end said "that was so funny...in a good way!" So I was happy.
And this happiness leads me to the conclusion that I let my general outlook and attitude be affected/based on how I think I'm doing at auditions. This is a little troubling - I'd like to have a stable somewhat positive emotional level at all times in my life, regardless of how I perceive I'm doing career-wise. I think that comes from making auditioning just another part of my "job", like performing or lessons or teaching. It's hard to convince yourself of that, though, because there is an adrenaline rush from auditions that sets it apart from the other aspects of the career. It's great to feel good about an audition that went well, but I wish that auditioning didn't affect my mood so much - positively or negatively.
For now, though, I'm riding the high.
And this happiness leads me to the conclusion that I let my general outlook and attitude be affected/based on how I think I'm doing at auditions. This is a little troubling - I'd like to have a stable somewhat positive emotional level at all times in my life, regardless of how I perceive I'm doing career-wise. I think that comes from making auditioning just another part of my "job", like performing or lessons or teaching. It's hard to convince yourself of that, though, because there is an adrenaline rush from auditions that sets it apart from the other aspects of the career. It's great to feel good about an audition that went well, but I wish that auditioning didn't affect my mood so much - positively or negatively.
For now, though, I'm riding the high.
Friday, January 8, 2010
No Friday is complete without a rejection letter
Friday seems to be the day for rejections...I've heard it's also the day that an employee is most likely to be fired. I'm not sure if it's to give the week a neat little wrap-up or if employers and directors of companies think that you'll be sad for a minute and then go out and party all weekend and feel better. Anyways, today so far I've received one rejection and one wait-list from companies.
Some of us CANT go out and party all weekend because they have an audition on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Onwards and upwards!
Some of us CANT go out and party all weekend because they have an audition on Saturday and one on Sunday.
Onwards and upwards!
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Back to Life, Back to Reality
I leave Cedar Rapids and Jon tomorrow :( and go back to Chicago. And my work set up for this month is disturbingly unclear at the moment....I know I have a couple of shifts at the restaurant and lots of rehearsal for my upcoming outreach tour, but other than that....I have NO IDEA. Hopefully I will start hours at my new job and maybe cantor for a Friday night service or two at my synagogue.
However, to put a positive spin on the month of destitute poverty ahead, I have 6 auditions coming up! :
Jan 9th - Gilbert and Sullivan company of Chicago and Bay View Music Fest (the same program I did last summer)
January 22 - Chautauqua (another summer program)
January 23 - BU DMA audition
January 24- Seagle Music Colony (another summer program)
and
January 25 - Indy Opera (resident artist position with Indianapolis opera)
so I could look at this month as a way to really work on my audition rep - this past week has felt AMAZING vocally...I think because Jon and I are sleeping in basement...no windows for sun to wake me up in the morning, so I've gotten ridiculous amounts of sleep...I think there's something to the whole take-care-of-your-body-for-good-vocal-health thing.
Time for self-discipline to kick in.
However, to put a positive spin on the month of destitute poverty ahead, I have 6 auditions coming up! :
Jan 9th - Gilbert and Sullivan company of Chicago and Bay View Music Fest (the same program I did last summer)
January 22 - Chautauqua (another summer program)
January 23 - BU DMA audition
January 24- Seagle Music Colony (another summer program)
and
January 25 - Indy Opera (resident artist position with Indianapolis opera)
so I could look at this month as a way to really work on my audition rep - this past week has felt AMAZING vocally...I think because Jon and I are sleeping in basement...no windows for sun to wake me up in the morning, so I've gotten ridiculous amounts of sleep...I think there's something to the whole take-care-of-your-body-for-good-vocal-health thing.
Time for self-discipline to kick in.
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