Just goofing off with the new webcam, singing along to videos on YouTube. Here's one from yesterday... a few bad notes but overall better than before the lessons... especially with the yucky sore throat... I used to think this entire song was too high for me... So this was just before the laryngitis set in...
What's embarrassing is that the words are right there on the screen and I still forgot them and mixed them up with another English version of this duet I know... oops... and I sort of lose it after the 1st half... but I'll put myself out there and post it anyway.
I made another one today... I was going to post it but it's mostly me singing poorly, swallowing and cringing and clutching at my throat!
Ok I'll be quiet now...
Once my voice is back I'll do another. I promise.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Recurring theme: Alone to the Opera!
You know, you only live once and who knows what could happen tomorrow. We all know people who wake up feeling fine and suffer a tragic accident or are diagnosed with a fatal illness... so not to be morbid... ok it's too late for that... but anyway... keeping that in mind...
I'm still kicking myself for not seeing Juan Diego Florez in Miami when I went to Florida last month. I came home the morning of his performance. I knew he was going to be there but forgot all about it when I booked the flight. So... Yeah I know I'm going to see him in Chicago in March... but he's also going to be in La Fille du Regiment at the Met in April and May. Almost all the shows are sold out. Just for fun I was poking around on the Met's website and found a few tickets availalbe for some of the shows. I almost got a ticket for May 12 and realized in time that he won't be in that particular performance! Whew! So I found a single ticket in the second to last row of the orchestra for Friday, May 2nd, and I thought, what the heck. I asked a couple of people if they wanted to go and of course they didn't, so once again I'm on my own. I'm going to the Met on a Friday night! In May! By myself! I look at it like, I probably got a better seat (2nd to last row???) than if I tried to find two seats together. The great thing about going alone is, I can do what I want when I want. I can wait at the stage door afterwards (with who knows how many others...) or not. I know I'll probably do that in Chicago, unless the weather is horrible. Three winters in Minnesota has prepared me for just about anything though... So once again the question is... what to wear? I guess I have time to decide... and two operas to attend before then!
On a totally different note, so to speak, I've had a nasty throat virus the past three weeks. Today I woke up with laryngitis. It hurts to talk... forget about singing. I sing all the time... it was hard today not to ... then I'd grab my throat and croak to a halt. My next voice lesson isn't until Saturday, Dec 1st so hopefully my throat will have healed by then.
Here are some fun videos I've been singing along to with Alex. I can't decide if I love the bananas in this first one, or if they frighten me...
and
and an earlier version:
Which version do you like better? I can't decide, though I'm leaning towards Madelyn Kahn and Grover...
I'm still kicking myself for not seeing Juan Diego Florez in Miami when I went to Florida last month. I came home the morning of his performance. I knew he was going to be there but forgot all about it when I booked the flight. So... Yeah I know I'm going to see him in Chicago in March... but he's also going to be in La Fille du Regiment at the Met in April and May. Almost all the shows are sold out. Just for fun I was poking around on the Met's website and found a few tickets availalbe for some of the shows. I almost got a ticket for May 12 and realized in time that he won't be in that particular performance! Whew! So I found a single ticket in the second to last row of the orchestra for Friday, May 2nd, and I thought, what the heck. I asked a couple of people if they wanted to go and of course they didn't, so once again I'm on my own. I'm going to the Met on a Friday night! In May! By myself! I look at it like, I probably got a better seat (2nd to last row???) than if I tried to find two seats together. The great thing about going alone is, I can do what I want when I want. I can wait at the stage door afterwards (with who knows how many others...) or not. I know I'll probably do that in Chicago, unless the weather is horrible. Three winters in Minnesota has prepared me for just about anything though... So once again the question is... what to wear? I guess I have time to decide... and two operas to attend before then!
On a totally different note, so to speak, I've had a nasty throat virus the past three weeks. Today I woke up with laryngitis. It hurts to talk... forget about singing. I sing all the time... it was hard today not to ... then I'd grab my throat and croak to a halt. My next voice lesson isn't until Saturday, Dec 1st so hopefully my throat will have healed by then.
Here are some fun videos I've been singing along to with Alex. I can't decide if I love the bananas in this first one, or if they frighten me...
and
and an earlier version:
Which version do you like better? I can't decide, though I'm leaning towards Madelyn Kahn and Grover...
Monday, November 19, 2007
Getting Better All the Time
The singing lessons continue. I can definitely hear an improvement!! Both Jim and my teacher say that I sang well before and now I'm better. I can hear it sometimes.
It's funny but my favorite thing so far are the warm-ups! I can sing warm-ups all day. Although singing songs is fun too. I've started a standard Italian piece called "Star Vicino."
A couple of weeks ago I was with some friends and one of them was trying to remember a song. I thought I knew what it was and sang a line or two. She said, "Wow! You have a really nice voice!" and then, "Oh but wait, you sing opera." I thanked her and said, "Uh, no, I don't sing opera except alone in the car when no one else can hear me! I listen to opera... "
Speaking of that... yesterday Alex and I went to see the Opera New Jersey - Young Artist Program performance at an assisted living center in Jamesburg. I think we were the only non-seniors there who didn't work for the facility or the opera. We stayed for most of it, until Alex got restless. It didn't help that these two women in our row of seats kept showing him silly key chains and making funny faces with him.
Romeo at the Met: December 12.
It's funny but my favorite thing so far are the warm-ups! I can sing warm-ups all day. Although singing songs is fun too. I've started a standard Italian piece called "Star Vicino."
A couple of weeks ago I was with some friends and one of them was trying to remember a song. I thought I knew what it was and sang a line or two. She said, "Wow! You have a really nice voice!" and then, "Oh but wait, you sing opera." I thanked her and said, "Uh, no, I don't sing opera except alone in the car when no one else can hear me! I listen to opera... "
Speaking of that... yesterday Alex and I went to see the Opera New Jersey - Young Artist Program performance at an assisted living center in Jamesburg. I think we were the only non-seniors there who didn't work for the facility or the opera. We stayed for most of it, until Alex got restless. It didn't help that these two women in our row of seats kept showing him silly key chains and making funny faces with him.
Romeo at the Met: December 12.
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