Hell Week is Over

[Ladyhawk]

Hi All,

I'm done with hell week.

Yesterday, I over-practiced and thrashed my voice a bit. During my audition last night, I did just fine on "He Shall Feed His Flock," but had some issues with "O Thou That Tellest." Usually, I do just fine on that piece, so it was frustrating. I'm not sure if I did well enough to win a solo. I won't know unless I get a call-back. I was kicking myself last night, but there's only so much I can do when my voice is thrashed. I am learning to let go of those times when I don't do as well as I would like. It's hard, but I think I am learning.

Today we had a voice class recital just across the street from my apartment. Had I known for sure where it was, I would have just walked. My voice was still thrashed, but I did okay, considering. I guess I'm more upset over messing up in front of good musicians. I want to be respected by other musicians, I guess. The wife of my voice teacher is probably the best soprano I've ever heard, most definitely professional quality, better than anyone I've heard on recordings. After I was done with "He Shall Feed His Flock," which I performed well, she did say it was nice to hear a "real" alto voice. There aren't many true altos. If I can get my voice under better control, I could be in demand as a soloist.

A lot of people tried out for the Messiah solos, so I am not sure what my chances are considering I screwed up. I heard several really good sopranos. A few altos I know were showing up as I left. I think the person in charge is going to have a hard time choosing who gets to do the solos. In a way, I'd be just as happy if I didn't get picked because then I wouldn't have to deal with more stage jitters. :) I had enough stage jitters this week.

Yesterday, I got an "A" on my in-class piano recital. I've discovered the piano is a less finicky instrument than the voice. The voice can get thrashed (and you can't fix it). The voice can get sick. The voice responds to how well hydrated you are, what medications you're on, etc. It's a finicky instrument, but I'm determined to learn it better.

Now, if you don't mind, I think I would just like to crash and burn. Whew! I had two papers, two recitals and an audition this week. Even if I didn't do perfectly, I think I should be proud of myself for managing to do it at all. Not long ago, I would never have had the energy.

Take Care,

Ladyhawk

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Ladyhawk!

You have more than earned the right to crash and burn!

YOur week sure does sound like the week from hell, too.....

Hope you're feeling much better these days......

Let us know how you did on the audition, OK?

Rest yourself, my dear......:loveya: :hug:

[Ladyhawk]

2. Thanks!

I took a nap, woke up long enough to eat. Now back to bed. :)

Thanks a bunch, CP. Take care.

[ChoralScholar]

3. Good for you...

Take care of that voice. I remember all too vividly how it was. Two Two-Hour Marathon Christmas Concerts, and then 14 nights of Madrigal Feastes. It's the singer's time of year, is it not?

We have a concert December 6, and my Beginning Girls are singing at the State Capitol on the 8th. I'm working my kids' voices pretty hard.

Anyway, congrats on the termination of hell week. :)

[Ladyhawk]

4. Thanks! And yes, you know how it is. :)

In college, we practiced almost three hours Monday through Thursday and only got credit for four semesters. I stayed in choir all four years and still managed to graduate at the top of my class. The tours across the country were fun but grueling. We went to Kansas and back, up to British Columbia and back, down to SoCal and back. We missed school and our grades suffered for it, but it was wonderful!

Good luck on your concert on December 6 and I hope your beginning girls do just fine at the capitol. The voice is a fickle instrument, is it not? :) I'm sure you'll go through the drill of making sure the kids wash their hands a lot, drink lots of water and know not to use things like Chloraseptic on their throats. I put just a smidge of lemon juice in the water bottle I carry around to keep gunk off the vocal cords. The vitamin C probably doesn't hurt, either. :shrug:

As a singer, surgery on my neck at the end of April was especially scary for me. I was told there was a 5-10% chance I would lose my voice. To me, this would have been completely unacceptable. Luckily, no nerves were damaged during surgery...whew! I couldn't swallow or speak very well for a few weeks, but everything seems fine now. I've used this semester of voice as "rehab." My voice teacher has made me go very slowly and won't let me sing a particularly challenging Brahms piece, "Von ewiger Liebe." Oh well. :D There will be another time, I suppose.

Today I hardly spoke at all today except to let my parrot know I'm still alive. I did a lot of sleeping. :) Tomorrow I'll check the pipes to see how it's going. :)

I still have two more vocal recitals this year. I still don't know if I'll be singing any of the alto solos in Messiah, but hey, if not, that's fine. Fewer jitters. ;)

Take care of those kids. After college, it's never quite the same again. We spent hours and hours practicing, getting it just right. We toured. We had fun. These days "adult" choirs meet once weekly and I took a "bye" this semester to get my voice in shape. Tell the kids to enjoy every minute they can. I certainly did, from second grade until I graduated from college. :) It's probably the best thing that permeated my life.

[ChoralScholar]

5. Brahms will still be there when you are healthy again.

Thanks for the encouraging words.

Where did you do your Undergrad singing?