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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Sing Sing Sing

It's been really hard finding good practice time with little Hannah screeching her brains out whenever I sing above a G. Consequently, I'm behind on my memorizing, and getting nervous at my two upcoming performances, the first at a wedding, the second at Marugamemachi's crystal dome. Here are the programs for each:

Megumi's Daughter's Wedding - Dec. 20th:
In My Life - The Beetles
The Water is Wide - American folk song arr. Mark Hayes
Someone Like You - from the Broadway musical Jekyll and Hyde

Pretty eclectic, I know. Those are the songs they chose. I gave them lots of options!

Candlelight Concert- Dec. 23rd:
Broadway/American Folk
Shenendoah - American folk song arr. Jay Althouse
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes - from the Broadway musical Roberta
Summertime -
from the Broadway musical Porgy and Bess
Opera
Poor Wandering One - from Pirates of Penzance
Song to the Moon - from Rusalka
Christmas
Ave Maria - Schubert
O Holy Night - Adolphe Adam
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming - Traditional German melody arr. Mark Hayes

I would have done more opera and art songs, but something tells me my audience will appreciate this program more than Poulenc, Wolf and Strauss.

So I have my hands pretty full. I did manage to get in a good practice session today. I left Hannah in the living room watching Lady and the Tramp (no, I don't do this often), and I moved my "studio" (ha) into the computer room, which is somewhat sound proof. Of course I peeked in on Hannah every 10 minutes or so to make sure she didn't catch on fire or anything. She was an angel. I suppose she just likes to whine when I'm in the room with her. Maybe she figures "Hey, you're here, why not?"

I'm kind of bummed none of the teachers will be there for my Christmas concert. Everyone's (understandably) leaving the day vacation starts, which is 3 days before the concert. Oh well. I would say they can watch the video, but we all know how lame home videos of recitals and performances are. As happy as I am with my accomplishments, I just can't ask someone to sit through 2 hours of Pirates of Penzance while I repeat all the lines to them because the sound quality is so poor and it's already hard to understand the words in opera. I've tried showing it before and it's always a downer for me. I swear I remember it being better than that....

I've also felt . . . intimidated? jealous? amateur? seeing some of my friends who've continued their vocal study at the Masters level. Most of them are now auditioning for and landing roles in professional opera companies. I miss the theater. Concerts are well and good, but they don't hold the same magic. I just have to remind myself that I'm living the life I want to live, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. I don't need to be a "big deal" to anyone but my family. I love where I am, and I'll find a way to keep music in my life - on my own terms.

4 comments:

Katie said...

I hope you do make a recording of your performances and post it up here! All of us state-side would love to see, even if it wouldn't be as quality as live. :)

Samantha said...

This is so great you're doing this though. But I feel the same way sometimes, until I remind myself the same thing- there really is nothing I'd rather do. I want to cry thinking about having a job and having to put Zara in daycare, and I know even when I get frustrated, I'd much rather be married with a baby than married without her, or than be not married at all, so same thing- this is where I want to be.

Did you know my BA is in theatre? I wonder if I ever saw you around the HFAC.

I would LOVE LOVE to see the video!! Post it!! Break a leg or both!! If I were performing tap I would be sooooo nervous. I have always been jealous of people who can sing :(

Suzie said...

Well, don't worry, I can't dance to save my life. I did know that you majored in theater - we have SO much in common, it's uncanny. I was only at BYU for 2 years, and VP majors usually don't hang out much in the theater dept., though I would have liked to do some musicals. I just don't have a great belting voice for college theater.

Sigh. I GUESS I'll post a video. But only if it doesn't completely suck.

Aileena said...

I am so glad that you are keeping up your music. I wish I could come to your concerts. Always keep that going. As long as you continue to do it, it stays with you