More Life on Mars

Here's the official Meet & Greet photo. Click it to see it big. And no, Jared is not wearing a Snuggie. It's (allegedly) a poncho. He said he got it for his mom but it was too big on her so she made him not only keep it but promise to wear it. Yeah sure, blame your mother.

And here is a playlist of some videos I took:

And yes, I'm still glowing and floating from the show, the meet and greet, the singing and the great fun I had with all my friends all weekend long.

Voice lesson tomorrow. Can't wait to tell my voice teacher all about it.

Photos, Meetings, Gifts

Ann sent me the photos of our Die Zauberflote adventure. Here's one she took of me after our picnic dinner, and then the obligatory photo in front of the sign. You can really see my hair all rolled up into a bun in the first shot.



I think I was laughing during this picture because I felt like an idiot posing by the sign.



I met with the elementary school music teacher yesterday. Refer back to this post to see why. So we showed her what Alex does with the rhythm and pitch cards, then he played around on the piano for her. She told me about the assessment for the Gifted and Talented program. The initial assessment consists of playing two sets of tones or rhythms and the child has to simply determine if the two were the same or different. Like, stuff Alex does for fun. !!!! The second part of the assessment may not apply as it involves playing major and minor scales on an instrument. Maybe he can sing them. Which means I have to teach him the vocab and make sure he remembers which is which.

Today I submitted the application/recommendation form to the school for the program. The assessment is next month. Of course I'm not telling Alex anything about it. He thinks all 5 year olds can do what he does, because, as he told me the other day, "This is so EASY!" I was talking to one of my cousins about it (and by talk, I mean, commenting back and forth on a facebook status) and she pointed out how thrilled our grandfather, aunt and her (musical) father would have been - the musical talent is still alive in yet another generation. From Klezmer in the Ukraine (my great great [possibly one more great] grandfather) in the late 1800s to the Gifted and Talented program in music (hopefully) in 1st grade in the 2000s! I'm proud of him too! (even if he doesn't get into the program!!)

Even More Layers

Well of course now I watch that video and cringe, cringe, cringe. I know, the video quality is nothing like Real Life. The horrid beginning is more horrid to me than to anyone else. Sometimes I watch and I'm like, hey, that sounds ok... and other times I'm like, Ohmygod, that note, that screech, what was I thinking. I also feel like I didn't stay in character the entire time. I can totally see my worried expression at the beginning, then other times I sort of lapsed out of it. But I guess the bottom line is: I had a great time, people applauded instead of laughing at me and I am learning a lot - I mean, just seeing how my reactions show up in my face and body - that's something I can learn from, learn to improve my stage presence. Also the bow. Had no idea what to do. Was sort of shocked at the explosion of applause and the shouts of "Brava!" (That loud one was Husband!!) So all those little things, in addition to adding layers to my vocal and singing technique, will make me a better performer in addition to a better singer. Just more layers, more layers. And some, I'm learning, you have to experience in order to even realize they exist.

To change the subject for a moment, I received the info on how to apply to be a super in Carmen. I have to send an arts resume and a full body photo. I'll have to dig up last year's resume and add the singing experience. Then I've been chatting with a friend who is a photographer and she's been giving me some tips on how to get a nice looking full-body pose that doesn't look like the camera is aiming up (or down) your nose. So if I get in, the performances are the first two weekends of Feb, with rehearsals the few weeks prior. They're all over the northern half of the state, and one is in Baltimore. Remember last February... or was that March? When I wanted to go to Baltimore and there was a huge snowstorm? Hm. Anyway, one step at time. Let's get a photo submitted and wait to hear from them.

Vacation Transport

Normally I'd make some sort of "saddle" type joke here, like maybe something about riding sidesaddle, or a caption asking where the saddle is. But seriously, does anyone ride a motorcycle in the desert in a suit? Risking a burn with a hand so close to the tail pipe? "Here, perch on this, and please don't knock it over. You break it, you buy it."

Don't know when this was taken. Found it here. Do people really buy this stuff?



Going on vacation this week so I won't be able to post for a few days. I will be able to moderate comments. No, I'm not going via motorcycle. Yes, I will try to button my shirt correctly. I will take my music with me so I can memorize the parts I still haven't drilled into my brain. Not sure what the rush is. I think I just like to pretend that I'm professional and have to memorize music before some deadline. Hopefully by actually looking at the music I won't learn it incorrectly and practice it with a mistake, as I've been known to do in the past.

ps not putting any names in the tags this time, which means, of course, that ... well, never mind.

Lucretia Nerves

Ahh there is nothing like PMS coinciding with an opera adventure. It has this great way of clouding my judgment, causing me to fear the worst and take offense where none was given. PMS, that is, not the adventure. In short, it (PMS) makes me clinically insane. Luckily to those around me, I'm dangerous only to myself. (Please do not ask Husband his opinion as he would no doubt disagree and then I'd have to be all offended and then I'd forget why I was offended but it wouldn't matter because PMS does that. And heaven help him if he asks if I'm premenstrual.) Actually, now that I think about it, operatic adventures infect me with their own brand of insanity. It's a good thing Banawoman will be with me on Friday to slap some sense into me. Because I know that while I have posted the photos and links to articles and and interviews, I have been studiously avoiding the tiny fact that I am going to be there, in the theater, in the 4th row, on Friday. There. I've said it. I am going to see an opera about how a woman's life is ruined because some dude rapes her to prove a point. And I know that there's more to the opera than that - there's the whole religious thing, and no doubt a political spin - but it's bound to be upsetting. The whole idea makes me nervous. And then not to mention the unmentionable. People are on me to get another picture and I am on those people to leave me alone and let me leave the unmentionable alone. Talk about insane - I get the feeling that that entire entourage thinks I'm fragile in that, "Be gentle, she's going to blow!" way. And I also think that that entire entourage should know by now, from the last three months of blog posts that they've been reading, that I'm not, I don't and I won't. Either way, it's in everyone's best interest if I avoid the whole "new photo" opportunity.

There, was that cryptic enough for you?

Fashion (non) Emergency!!!!

Ohhhhhhmygosh. I just realized I have an Opera Adventure coming up and I still don't know what to wear. Like it matters, I hear you say. Yes it matters!! I don't care if I wear a coat until the house lights go down and put it back on the moment they come up - I'll know what I'm wearing under that coat!! And chances are it'll be too hot for a coat. Going to the opera is more than just the music - it's also the outfit. And, of course, the earrings, but that I can figure out once I decide what to wear.

So... the brown outfit I wore in Florida?

The long flowered skirt with the good old black top? Can't find the pic to link to.
Here:


The purple-ish skirt with the gold old black top?

The blueish dress? (arm-candy accessories not included!) Look here for the full-length view. I know I should have used that link in the first place, but I wanted an excuse to link to the other photo. Photo... photo... no no no there will be no photo unless I am asked to pose for one. Meaning there will be no photo.

Getting back to the important stuff - my train of thought about what to wear...

The little black dress? Wait I can't squeeze into that anymore... never mind. That's actually a tank-top dress with a long-sleeved black t-shirt underneath.

At this point I'm leaning toward the brown. Unless, of course, I find some fabulous thing on sale somewhere between now and then. So like I said, it's the brown.

Thanks for reading - not much of an emergency after all.

Twitter: The Gift that Keeps on Giving

HGO posted a couple Brief Encounter pics at their Twitter account. Click the pic to go there and make it bigger... you know the drill.




Hey, are those supers I see in this photo??? Excellent. We loooove a director who uses supers:



Ok, this should keep the "Where's the Gunnstuff" people happy for now. 2 Gunnposts in one day.

Waiting for Twitter to turn from Gift to Annoyance. Wow that's cynical of me. Funny, I'm suddenly in a cynical mood. Go figure. Hopefully tonight's voice lesson will knock it out of me.

Twitter from Houston

Helloooooo Gunnfans. Houston Grand Opera has posted another rehearsal pic to their Twitter account:



Click the pic to go to their original posting where you'll have the option of seeing the larger-than-life, I-can-see-all-your-pores-and-that's-not-a-good-thing version. And try not to snicker that the photo section of Twitter is called "twitpic."

And yes, that means I remembered my Twitter password! Find and follow me there - I'm trying to figure out if/how to link new blog posts to the updates.

A Brief Glimpse

Houston Grand Opera is presenting a world premiere next month of a new opera called A Brief Encounter, based on a film adaptation of a Noel Coward play. Buccaneer that he is, Nathan Gunn is of course portraying the male lead. And lucky us, HGO has posted a rehearsal pic for his loyal fans (and anyone else who comes across it) to see. Go ahead, follow that link and then click full size for the larger than life, grainy, I-can-see-all-your-pores version. Or just look here, for I borrowed their photo.



No briefs there. Or boxers either, in case you were wondering, and I know you were.

Mr. Gunn's costar is soprano Elizabeth Futral. Yeah, I've never heard of her either but that means nothing. I'm sure she's fab or she wouldn't be singing the part.

And while I was poking around on HGO's Twitter site, I bit the bullet and made my own Twitter account. Look for me there. Of course I've already forgotten the password I came up with so don't hold your breath for updates.