Coughing Through the Oldies

Welcome to the sick house. Luckily it's not the kind of virus you can catch from reading a blog. We have all had some version of "what's going around." Had to skip my voice lesson this week, not because of my chronic coughing-up-a-lung cough, but because the evening before I was up at 3am with Alex and his over 103.1 degree fever. I say "over" because I took it with an ear thermometer, and that thing registers us as having body temps of 95 when we're healthy... so who knows what his temp actually was? He's doing much better now except for his coughing-up-a-lung cough that seems to be much worse for him than it is for me. My poor little future opera-singer baseball-player astronaut.

I've been going back on my own and revisiting many of the songs I learned with my previous teacher, to try and apply all I've learned since then. It's interesting because my body falls into the same old habit of how I sang those songs when I learned them, even though I know proper technique and what I need to do to make them ring out on top of the air. So then I go back and do them without consonants, and note by note, to make sure each and every note is getting on top of the air. And then still, when I try to sing it, I sometimes slip back into bad habits here and there. Mostly at the beginning or end of a phrase. Like it takes me a few notes to get up to where I want to be, and then I let down early. So I then go back and force myself to pay extra attention, over and over, so I can relearn the songs the correct way. Maybe one day (when I'm home alone) I'll record myself singing one of them. I really want to retry Gretchen am Spinnrade. Of course I have no idea how to pronounce most of the words, which sort of puts a damper on learning it... But I'll get it.

At my previous lesson I started learning "The Sun Whose Rays are all Ablaze" from the Mikado. Gilbert & Sullivan!! Learning it for real!! How fun!! Here's a sample so you can hear how it sounds.

As we were going over it, the next student was out in the foyer and heard me. She commented on how much I've improved since she last heard me sing. People keep saying that - I know it's a compliment and I do take it as such, and thank them graciously, because I truly am thankful, but it does sort of make me feel embarrassed at how bad I must have been before, for so many people to comment on how much I've improved. I know they don't mean that either, but it does cross my mind. And while it does make me wish I had started studying voice years ago, I'm also so very grateful for having started when I did. And I can never express how thankful I am for Alex's early childhood music teacher for putting me on that path.

Dressed for the Dress

I want to start off this post with a huge THANK YOU to Divavixxen for generously offering me her two free passes to the final orchestra dress rehearsal of the Mikado. I went last night and it was FABULOUS! Divavixxen was great. What a voice! Beautiful full mezzo, the kind of sound that gives me that Why can't I be a Mezzo-itis bug. She has great comic timing and drew many many laughs from the audience. She owns comedy. I’d love to see her in a dramatic role one day.

But let's back up for a moment. The adventure begins, of course, in the preparations. I narrowed down my shirt options to two. They were both in the basement, freshly washed. One was in a super-heavy laundry basket of clean clothes in the basement. The other was “lay flat to dry” and was doing so on the drying rack. I knew it wouldn’t be dry in time so I took a chance and tossed it into the dryer on fluff. I brought the other shirt upstairs and put it on the dining room table. The rest of the afternoon passed with its normal craziness. Then it was time to get ready. I put on my skirt and thought, hm, both shirts are downstairs. I know we have windows all around and the front door is open to the screen door, but what are the chances that someone will come by if I dash down in my bra? Mind you, I’ve lived there 10 years and this would be the 2nd or 3rd time I’ve ever come downstairs scantily clad. I dash to the basement and the one shirt is still wet. “Fine,” I thought, “I’ll wear the other.” Back up I go... and I can’t find the other shirt. I knew I brought it up, but where the heck did I leave it? About 10 seconds later I hear a “Hello?” And look up to see my next-door neighbor at the door. He’s in his 60s and is one of the most socially awkward people I know. I looked up just as he saw me. He covered his eyes and turned away in embarrassment, stammering that he just wants to drop something off. Meanwhile, I had forgotten that I wasn’t wearing a shirt...I look down, realize, and crouch behind a chair. He was so embarrassed. I’m such a terrible person, I was just trying not to laugh. Poor guy. Husband came to the rescue and I moved a few papers on the table to find my shirt buried underneath. So I was already in a giggly mood before I even left the house.

The performance was great - SO FUNNY!!! What a talented cast. The music and lyrics are so much fun, and they rewrote some of the words to make it relevant. It was HILARIOUS. As I said, Divavixxen ROCKED. She later informed me that it was the guy who played the Lord High Executioner who rewrote the lyrics. Apparently he’s done the role like 30 times so he’s got a flair for keeping it up to date.

Afterwards I ran into the guy who sang Romeo when I supered in it. He’s the lead in Abduction this year. He’s so sweet. The first words out of his mouth: We miss you! Argh! I know! He said that the opera is so funny that he has to keep himself from laughing so he can sing. So of course I said I’d come see it. Then he said he has a few free tickets for Lucia for tonight, am I interested? Hell yeah! Free opera tickets! Of course I can’t find anyone who wants to or is able to come. Story of my life. Well I’ve gone alone to the opera more than I’ve gone with others so, off I go tonight, alone to the opera. Thanks “Romeo!”

Now I all I have to do is figure out what to wear... and remember to get fully dressed before coming downstairs.

"You Know What to Do"

So said my voice teacher when she called to give the sad news: She didn't have enough enrollment for summer for the school to give her a room. I could go to her but she lives too far away - something like 45 minutes. I could also go to another teacher over the summer. She said that she's not worried about me taking the summer off from lessons because she knows I practice... "You know what to do..." is what she said.

But now, since she's not teaching Thursday evenings, she'll come with me to the final dress of Mikado next week.

What to wear, what to wear... always a dilemma with my ever-expanding waistline. (from eating too much, not from pregnancy. I'm not pregnant.)