Sunday, January 15, 2012

Day 14: Enjoying the process

My friends and readers!

I took a couple-day hiatus (audition, work etc) and I can honestly say I really missed writing here. The past couple of days have been a whirlwhind of things for me.

On Wednesday I had a voice lesson and it was just a glorious continuation of the discoveries I made the week before. Not only do I feel that my technique is becoming secure, but I feel that I am understanding singing from the business side of things. It isn't until you are immersed in the operatic singing world that you understand what its like. I am so thankful to know more and more people each time I attend an audition or a concert.

On Friday I had my audition for the Highlands Opera Studio that takes place in August in Haliburton, ON. It is a fantastic program headed by the well-known Canadian tenor Richard Margison, and his wife and co-artistic director, Valerie Kuinka. It was so lovely to show up there and see so many familiar faces, I even made new friends. I was chatting with someone about how fun auditioning actually is now, because its like a reunion every time. Valerie and Richard really make the auditioning process worth your while. Not only do they listen to you, they give you a large amount of feedback while you are in the room. These are no "drive-by shooting" auditions. Here is a recent article about the program and about why it was established in the first place:

 http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/Singer+raises+opera/5998729/story.html

I was very nervous to do this audition because I was living in my own head and determining what the outcome would be. Then I remembered what I had read in The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: it is about the process, not the outcome. It is so important to enjoy the process. I am so thankful I did just that. It was an amazingly positive experience and a privilege to sing for Val and Richard.

After my audition, it was so nice to spend time with three of my favourite people in the entire world and have dinner with them. Two of them are singer friends, and my university roommate and close friend. I consider myself so lucky to know them because they are all beautiful strong women. We had dinner at my absolute FAVOURITE Toronto restuarant called Fresh at Bloor and Spadina. It is a vegetarian restaurant that makes some of the tastiest dishes and smoothies I have ever had. I think my friends are going to start getting sick of that place because I always ask if we can eat there.

Last night I had the privilege of seeing Opera Hamilton's Popera at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton. I have briefly met two out of the four singers that were involved and it was great to see them in action. I was incredibly impressed with how the Opera Hamilton Orchestra sounded. A personal highlight for me was baritone Phillip Addis singing the Count's aria (Hai, gia vinta la causa) from Mozart's Le Nozze. I'm telling you, if there was any role in the operatic repertoire that I could sing--ignoring voice type and gender--it would be the Count. I would kill to sing that aria. As my friend Jan would say, "It's one of my shower arias." Maybe one day I can make a gimmick out of that...reversing genders in opera. It would prove to be a very interesting show I think!

I definitely took the weekend to relax and I may have had a forbidden treat or two, but onward and upward I sometimes say (hopefully soon it will be always). I still fight with myself on being stuck in the past and regretting things...but I'm working on it. Tomorrow is a new day. Until then, a lovely quote for you to ponder:

"Courage allows you to run your own race. Courage allows you to do whatever you want to do because you know that it is right. Courage gives you the self-control to persist where others have failed. Ultimately, the degree of courage you live with determines the amount of fulfillment you receive. It allows you to to truly realize all the exquisite wonders of the epic that is your life. And those who master themselves have an abundance of courage."

3 comments:

  1. Hard to look forward when for some reason its easy to look back (catch myself doing it all the time). I don't know why either, because it takes more energy. Much respect to anyone in the music business.

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  2. Thanks for the last quotation... I really needed that one right now.

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    1. You are so welcome, Jen! Sometimes we just need to hear the right words to remind us that our instincts are correct :)

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