I'm Back!

Time to get back to this thing.

It's weird. I started this blog to feel more like a working singer, to chart my ups and downs, really examine the "process" and hopefully come away a more insightful musician.

Well, this past month, I've TURNED INTO a working singer. I now have:

-a studio of 20 students, ages 6-adult
-a section leader position at the best church gig in the city (relatively speaking, I"m sure, but getting to do the solos for the entire Bach Christmas Oratorio is a pretty legit job)
-a position in the city's premiere small vocal ensemble (first concert is NEXT WEEK! I'll be soloing for Menotti's "Landscapes and Remembrances." visit www.vaecinci.org for tickets and information)


The flip side of this new work situation is less time for auditions, less shows and roles to list, and less time to pursue any other avenues of life. Planning/having a wedding this summer is also reducing the number of auditions I can do this year. And the result is an overwhelming sense of relief. I definitely work better when I give myself limits and parameters. I'm probably doing about 10 auditions and 4 comps this year.

One competition was last week. Though I didn't win, I made the finals, and gave a very solid performance - one that was probably a little safe because it was TOO solid. However, proving that I can solidly sing an aria that gave me problems 2 years ago has bolstered my confidence and now I know I can sing more difficult repertoire for audition season.

Throughout my education and the years following, the one thing I've lacked is a sense of calm. My comments from judges are often "looks worried," "frantic," "lovely voice but working too hard." Now, as I enter the middle years of the middle stage of this career, I feel as though I"m finally achieving a sense of calm and poise on stage. It's slightly less exciting, maybe, than working 4 random jobs just to make my schedule free enough to fly to different cities every weekend, but the trade-off of having regular lessons and coachings and actually SINGING several hours daily to earn a paycheck is well worth it.