Two Hams X Two

Love This:

Danny Kaye and Beverly Sills

 

Natalie Dessay singing the "Doll Song" in "Tales of Hoffman". The set is AMAZING; performed outdoors with l'orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse:

Today's Tops:

  I've decided to share my top recommendations for today, 

just in case you may not have heard of one:

~Waking Ned Devine (great film, but watch out- 

there's some crazy hilarious old guy nudity, 

so make sure you watch with a guy

willing to sacrifice his own eyes

so he can tell you when to look...)

~Les Choiristes (film in French. Quite cute)

~Renee Fleming's Homage CD

~All the Harry Potter Books on CD

(Jim Dale is a fantastic narrator!!! SO good.)

~Motorcycles with sidecars

(I want one, and I'm going to get my dog 

to ride in the sidecar 

and we'll both wear the little

hats and goggles :)

~Organization

(I love it when things are organized

but I do think I need a maid to help keep

it that way...)

~Babies

(try and keep one around.

They make everything better.)

~Shane and Shane "Carry Away" CD. SOO good.

~Memory Smells.

(Isn't it amazing how a millisecond

whiff of something can bring back years 

of memories?!)

And that's all I've got for today.  

I hope you're staying dry and enjoying some Springtime,

unlike us in Texas, where it's still raining and

38 degrees...

Cheers

A Day in the Life of a young Opera Singer 2

So I'm sitting in my Boston Hotel Room debating how to best spend my day. 

90% of this day will be spent doing absolutely nothing but

resting

and

yes, more resting.

Yesterday was the first day of a 10 day audition trip.

First to Boston,

next to Baltimore.

It was quite a day.

Got up at 4:50 AM.

Got to airport by 5:55, 

all nice and checked in the proper hour early, no hitches.

Then my flight was canceled.

Boo.

Bumped up a whole hour.

Sorry mom, for having to get up that early for nothing.

So I got me a healthy bagel to munch on,

and finally boarded my plane

(after having to take a tram to a completely different terminal).

Then I land in Boston

and have the pleasant task of figuring out the T system.

Every big city has their own transportation system,

and it didn't take me too long to figure it out, 

but it sure seems like longer when you're dragging around 

a purse,

a 45 pound suitcase

and a backpack.

Makes me wonder what happened to the days when 

I was a chronic under-packer....

So I get to my hotel,

The Buckminster

(what a name)

and they give me a room. 

So up we go.

 But there's a janitor painting a fan or something.

So back down we go.

New room. 

Up we go again.

SO tired... I do NOT sleep well on planes.

Hmm... this room kinda smells like cigarette smoke...

Too tired to think.

Fall asleep.

Wake up.

Ew. DEFINITELY smokey in here.

I can NOT stay in here and expect to sing in a few days...

Down I go again.

New Room.

(By now I think I'm their fave person on the planet)

OOOOOO! 

King suite,

no extra charge,

no smokey smell.

I'll take it!

Yum, dinner next door 

Japanese.

Tastey.

Across the street to buy munchies from the convenience mart.

Don't want to have to eat out every meal.

In bed by 7:30 THIS time.

That's 6:30 TX time.

I can't remember the last time I was...

wait, no, I can

that time mom put all us kids to be in summer at like, 7:30.

We joke how awful it was since we could still see squirrels playing in the backyard...

Long night's sleep.

Feeling ok.

Continental breakfast provides fresh fruit. 

Back in my room.

Got necessary phone numbers, directions, 

and now have blogged.

Taken up my whole free hour of internet through the hotel. 

Will probably not be back on the internet until Baltimore.

Seriously,

who wants to pay outrageous fees for internet

when you're already paying outrageous fees 

for the hotel room?!

Not me. 

I'm outta here!

(Oh yeah, and Happy Valentine's Day!)

:)

A day in the life of an young Opera Singer.

"Ok so I've spent all morning getting ready, and now I'm ready.

Big Eastman live audition today...

Do I have all my stuff? (Run through checklist for the 74th time)

Yes, I do. Ok, let's go.

I love this evening dress, even if it is noon now.

Man, I feel my blood pressure spiking.

Suprisingly, my brain is very calm.

Too bad my body hasn't caught on yet...

It will, it will... deep breath..

Drink water.

Mom decided to drive me.

We got here early, always a plus! Low stress, low stress.

Where's the warm-up room?

What? Right next to the audition room?

That little room with just a few sheets of sheetrock 

between me and the current auditioner?

I think not. I'm way too loud.

The halls will do 'til accompanist gets here.

Relax.

Drink water.

Oo! Time for info session!

Do I have any questions?

Just the little one about the discrepancy on the website where

one page says I have to only sing 4 songs,

and one page says I have to sing 7.

SEVEN.

Drink water.

We'll figure it out when it's my turn in the audition room.

What? Rent for a loft apt. in Rochester is only $400? I was really expecting more...

Here's my accompanist!

Warm up together in a giant room. 

Good acoustics!

Oh yeah, feeling good.

I wish my heart would stop pounding.

Ok really now, heart. Chill.

Just a bit.

My legs aren't shaking, right?

I hate it when the legs start shaking... nothing,

no, Nothing

will stop them once they've started.

Drink water.

I'm really gonna have to go to the ladie's room later with all this water..

Glad no one can hear my thoughts so they won't hear that last part..

not really ladylike...

just true.

How much longer?

ooo I'm next.

eek.

EEK.

It's ok.

I feel calm in my brain.

Body is still behind.

Poor heart.

I feel like I'm in that really uncomfortable state when 

you're getting your blood pressure taken, and it lingers on the tight setting.

Yep, body all in turmoil just like that.

Could I have prayed over this audition any more?

No.

Drink water.

Glad my mind grapes are clear.

I just said mind grapes.

Talk to the nice people in the hall.

Oh Matt is here! And Dean!

Nice to be auditioning with friends. What if we end up schooling together again?!

Fun.

Drink water.

Door's opening.

Here we go.

SWEET! 

I only have to sing the 4 songs.

Sheesh, so that extra emergency lesson working the extra 3 was kind of a waste...

Oh well.

First song, here we go.

I love French! Glad I'm starting with the easiest one.

Ok get into character.

Just singin' about the flowers and woods.

Deep stuff.

ack, did I just say Le when I should'a' said Les?

Good thing I haven't broken character.

Just keep singing. You love those flowers and woods.

One down, 3 to go.

German next.

Drink water.

Remember to release the tension on those passagio notes.

Release, but keep strength and energy full.

Singing is such a fun, yet difficult contradiction.

2 down. 2 more.

Drink water.

Alright! English aria. I've got this.

Who's my character- Blanche DuBios

What's my thought process- I've lost my young husband, 

lost my estate, much of my dignity,

live in complete denial,

must have this man understand and love me anyways, 

surely he'll understand in spite of my senility. 

Got it. Now sing.

Last note. phew. Not bad, Annie.

Last song!!

Italian aria.

Now I'm a woman falsely accused of killing my baby boy and mother,

and am going crazy in jail.

It's kind of fun to play a crazy person!

Final note!

Done.

Out of character.

Just me now, just Annie.

All done.

My heart hasn't busted out of my chest yet, 

my legs didn't shake,

I had great high notes, even passagio passages,

stayed in character well, moved as my characters gracefully, 

and shared yet another big moment with my accompanist and mom.

Sweet mom came and actually sat outside... waiting for me now!

She gets so nervous, but came anyway to listen instead of sit downstairs.

I'm a lucky gal.

WOOHOO

All done!

Won't hear anything about acceptance till mid-March.. boooo.

But I'm done!

Auditioning really isn't as bad as I thought it'd be!

So great preparation really is everything.

Feelin' pretty good.

Thanks, God.

Now to lunch with the family, who are taking me to lunch just 'cause they're proud.

So lucky.

All in a day's work.

Man, I love this."

Recap 2

NEW YEAR'S EVE!!

In my mind, New Year's Eve is somewhat of a big to-do.

Friends, parties, fun.

The past several years, New Year's has been not exactly that:

Maybe a little fun watching the ball drop with Avery,

but no parties, 

and no outside-the-family friends.

Not that I'm complaining; I mean, I'm not really your "partying" kind of gal, 

so it's ok.

But this year, I was doin' something different, I decided.

So I was completely stoked that I was doing stuff with my girlfriends, sister, and new bro.

Out to dinner at The Cheesecake Factory:

Afterwards, Lydia, Toni, and I decided to make "Puppy Chow" to eat while we watched the NYC goings-on.

Ingredients and excitement:

Lydia's way of mixing the sugar with the chocolate gooey goodness:

MmmMmm!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!

Recap 1

COOKIE TIME!!!!!!!

For the past 10 or 11 years, the gals in my family have made

Christmas Cookie Tins

for family friends, as Christmas gifts.

THIS YEAR,

   I decided to make only 2 kinds of cookies,

as opposed to previous year's 5-6 kinds,

   for my friends and fellow teachers.

With mom's school schedule being so full,

and my own work schedule being packed out, 

simplicity was my goal this year.

My sister came to help, however,

and had other plans.

So together, we embarked on making 4 different kinds of cheery goodness:

Peppermint Candy Cane Cookies

Pecan Sandies

Sugar Cookies,   

and

Gingerbread Men

Cookies are a wonderfully delicious treat,

but there's nothing to sober up the niceness like a pile of butter...

... next to all of the other heart-healthy ingredients.

The finished products taking over the counter-tops:

YUMMY!

And then, to top it all off, I was stuck cleaning up the entire mess all by me onesy.

What a MESS.

Now I remember why I only wanted to make 2 kinds.....

:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!

 

I realize this salutation is a bit late, perhaps,

 but in my mind Christmas goes through New Years day.

I just love this time of year!!

Christmas day was so nice- 

My married sister and her hubby,

 along with married brother with wifey and baby, 

   and we spent the whole day having fun and food and gifts and music and puzzling,

and watching the baby have so much fun with his new gifts.

(Actually, he liked the boxes they came in, mostly..)

Christmas is so much more fun with a baby around.

Here are some very random videos for you!

These guys have a lot of time on their hands:

And this one is so outrageous that I can't believe I'm posting it.

I usually hate these kinds of things,

    but something about it made me laugh so much... 

so, sorry if it ruffles your sensibilities... :)