Singing High and Loud

They switched up the process for Candlelight choir this year.  Due to increasing demand, they have switched from first come-first served sign-ups to a lottery system, and now they're actually doing auditions.  They're not calling the process auditions, but "selections."  Either way, the idea that maybe there wouldn't be a tone-deaf person wailing behind me this year led me and my big fat ego to go out for it.

My "selection" was yesterday.

Of the four song selections, I originally decided to do the one that ends in a high A.  Why?  Soprano I ego, of course!  I broke out my old Candlelight rehearsal CD as soon as I signed up for "selections," and have been singing along with it on and off ever since.  Unfortunately, most of my other singing these days is of the alone in the car belting along with Christina Aguilera and Pink variety.  It turns out alternating between belting pop and singing high soprano (you know, with basically no warming up) will do a number on your vocal cords.

So I chickened out of the song that ends in the A, and instead went with the one with basically four bars of sustained G instead (from 1:23 to the end in this video, if you're curious).  I can't say I nailed it - I've got a lot more air in my voice than I used to - but I really do think I did well.  Well enough, for sure! 

I mentioned my "selection" on Facebook yesterday and got a comment that made me laugh: "You're a soprano?"  To hear me speak, you'd never guess that.  And the comment made me flash back to middle school, 7th or 8th grade.  I was auditioning for Ms. D, I believe for Small Ensemble, and she didn't even look up from the piano. 
her: voice part?
me: alto
her: (laughing, and speaking in a deep man voice to imitate me) alto

We then proceeded to do vocal scales, starting in the low alto range.  We kept going up and up, higher than I'd ever really even tried to sing.  I was aware that Ms. D was looking up from the piano, eyebrows WAY up in surprise.  Heck, I couldn't believe those notes were coming out of my mouth!  And the only reason my voice cracked and we stopped was because the girl standing next to me was laughing or making a face and it made me laugh. 

I've been a soprano ever since.

As far as singing goes, it's one of my true loves.  I'm better than average, but not great.  I still sing in the car, but rarely in front of other people.  Karaoke? Gah...no way!  I love singing Phantom more than Les Mis because I enjoy the high parts.  And I look back on that one moment in middle school as a turning point of sorts.  What if I never knew I had those high notes in me?

Anyway, just my self-absorbed deep thought of the day!

Announcements for Family and Friends

please stick around to the end (or just skip to the end) if you are just here for the tickets

For Sale: Two fabulous tickets to see Irving Berlin's White Christmas at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa. The show is on Thursday, December 2 at 7:30 pm. Face value of the tickets is over $60 each, but our price is very negotiable. This was part of our season ticket package, and we aren't going to be able to go. E-mail me if you're interested.

If you are planning on coming to see the Candlelight Processional this year, please let me know when. Show preferencing and sign-ups start soon, and I have no idea what to sign up for! The show description and narrator list can be found here. I won't be available for shows until December 7, but after that can do the 2nd/3rd shows Mon-Thurs or the 1st show on Sunday. Friday/Saturday I'm only available if Scott wants to go. (my decision, not his, we're working opposite shifts right now and his days off are the only time we see each other) If you're coming, I strongly recommend the dinner package. That way you have guaranteed seating and won't have to wait in line for an hour or more just to get a crappy seat in the back. I'm planning on trying to sing when Jodi Benson, Thomas Gibson, and Marlee Matlin are narrating, but can certainly be available on another date. Please let me know ASAP if you might be coming.

What about park admission? Thank you for asking!

For anyone planning on inquiring about free or discounted theme park tickets in 2010 or 2011, please keep the following in mind: I am given a limited number of free admits every year, and I have to physically go to the park with you in order to use them. For discounted tickets, I need to have your money in advance and have to go buy them during my time off. While I am more than happy to go out of my way for my friends and family who treat me like friends or family (especially the ones who come to see me performing in Encore or Candlelight), I am disinclined to do so for anyone who never calls, e-mails, or even contacts me on Facebook until they need something.

I'm not saying I need my ego stroked or hand held, but a Christmas card or the occasional "hello, how are you?" is a great gesture.

And if this has somehow offended you, I apologize. Setting boundaries is an important part of life, and this is my boundary.

Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you for Candlelight or in 2011!

Joy Joy Joy Joy

Tonight is my first Candlelight rehearsal of the season. I'm looking forward to getting my voice back in shape...and hopefully this year I'll actually perform in a few shows! When are you coming to see me?

No Joy

Yesterday was a pretty slow day for me. Thank God! Recently my Mondays have been filled with car appointments and other nonsense, leaving me with no day to just... be. I did have Candlelight rehearsal last night. That was about the extent of my excitement.

We are at the point now in rehearsals when they become less fun. Instead of running 3 songs a night, we run 3 songs, and then run the rest of the songs that need work. This pretty much guarantees that we will sing the first line of Joy to the World at least 5 times. Why? Because the choir (non-auditioned) has a talent level I'd rate as moderate. And the bone head who arranged this song thought it would be a great idea to have this moderate group of singers do a down scale a capella. It's almost always flat by the time we get to the word "world," and painfully so by the time we get to "come."

Needless to say, Joy to the World no longer brings joy to my world. I checked YouTube, and couldn't find one single clip of this particular song. That speaks to me about the popularity of this particular tune. But since I was on the site anyway, I found O Holy Night. Sure, the video is blurry, and taken from behind a pillar, but the audio is ok. Enjoy!

Is It Time for Bed Yet?

I'm tired and my day hasn't even started yet. That's probably not a good sign of things to come.

Oh well - 4ish hours of work and 2 hours of rehearsal, and then I can come home and stare at the TV.

I think I'm just mentally tired from thinking about everything that needs to be done in the next 6 days. Today is going to be one of those "take things one day at a time" days, or my head is going to explode!

Blink and You Missed Me!

Have I mentioned that I got into Candlelight this year? Well that was last week's exciting news from the home front. This morning I got up just in time to sign up for rehearsals online.

The last time I did Candlelight, the rehearsals were Mon/Weds/Fri over a 10-week period. You were expected to make 10 rehearsals. It worked out well, even for people who work nights, because you could do rehearsal on your night off. This year, the rehearsals are allll over the calendar. And since I'm skipping the first week (it's all organizational "welcome to the show" crap and not a lot of actual singing) and the third week (because I'll sort of be out of town), two of my weeks have 2 rehearsals scheduled. I have mostly Monday nights, with some Tuesdays and Wednesdays sprinkled in where there was no Monday (or where a double-up was required) (or both).

I can't wait for the time when we get to pick up our music. I'm going to get my hands on the rehearsal CD and immerse myself in the soprano part of all those great Christmas songs.

Yippee! I'm so excited!

F

This morning at 8am, sign-ups opened for Candlelight. They take the first 300 people to sign up for each vocal part. Last year, soprano filled up in 16 minutes.

...what are the chances that this year it won't have filled up in the first 4 hours?

Yeah, I forgot to set my alarm, and didn't wake up until noon.

F F F

Blowing out the Candlelight

This evening was my final Candlelight Processional of the year. I picked up my certificate and pin when I handed in my music, and was pretty happy to be throwing my robe in the bin for the last time after the show. Don't get me wrong - I've had the greatest time - but after being crammed in with 70 of your closest friends, under stage lights, trying to keep your knees from locking and your voice from cracking on the high notes, you need 10 months off!!

We spent the afternoon in Epcot with Mom and Pastor Bob and Janet. Janet's birthday was on Monday, so when I made the reservations for lunch (at Coral Reef...again) I put "celebrating Janet's birthday" in the comments. Imagine all of our surprise when she was presented a personalized menu at the beginning of the meal! I think maybe we'll go there for my birthday next year! They also put a candle in her dessert, which had a chocolate scroll screen-printed with Happy Birthday. And there was no obnoxious singing...which is also a definite "plus."

Unfortunately, it's the week between Christmas and New Year's, and the park was packed. Don't believe me? There was a 45 minute wait for Journey into Imagination. That's usually a walk-on. We didn't even bother trying for Soarin' because the tip board had it posted as a 130 minute wait. Ugh! So we ended up not doing any rides at all. That sucked a little, but we had a fun time regardless.

Scott and I were talking tonight about going to see Fantasmic some time next month once the people have all gone home. We're also contemplating Sea World passes for next year. I guess we'll see how that goes. What I really want...more than anything else...is a nice long cruise. I want to eat all night and lounge all day, and I want to be completely stress-free for 4 days or more. Is that so much to ask?