Audition Day 2
Wow, it just keeps getting better.
First item of the day was an information session for auditioners. It was pretty much useless for me as a grad student applicant, but it was amusing. I did learn two useful things: I will likely get my admission decision around the second week of March, and Meadows uses a combination of fixed and moveable do and tend towards la-minor. I found the practice rooms and did a long, slow warmup and ran through my songs afterward.
Then I was hungry. So I used my GPS thingy to find a real Texas barbecue place. I ended up at Big Al's Barbecue. I chatted with the manager a little, and had some of the best beef brisket of my life. I have leftovers in the fridge which I might raid soon. Brisket, potato salad, and baked beans. MMM. I headed back, warmed up a little more, and auditioned.
The singing part of the audition went very well. All the parts I was worried about came out just fine, and I was able to remember Virginia's advice during parts of it and really open up my sound. There was one note that was there but, for some reason, way quieter than the others. It was like all of a sudden I decided to be nervous since I really hadn't been before. I sang Fair Robin as my one selection, and they asked me to sing Aus meinen grossen Schmerzen. SCORE. That was probably my best song, but too short for me to have picked myself. Then they asked me a few questions that I don't remember, and when I asked if that would be it, they chuckled and pointed me toward a line of music on a paper on a stand by a piano. Sight singing...surprise! Then I got nervous. I'm actually a good sight singer, even on solfege, and should have done it on solfege to prevent my nervousness from screwing me up. Oh well, it's done. I did okay.
Then the opera director asked me if, since I listed myself as a mezzo, I had prepared any mezzo arias. I was caught off guard and worried, so all that came out at first was, "No." Then I blathered on for a bit about how I had never intended to pursue performance until this year (which seemed to surprise him a great deal) and had only been in one production. Then, thankfully, Virginia stepped in and apparently explained it ALL by saying, "She studies with Kathie Kelton." It was a moment, let me tell you. Then he asked me if I had any "florid" arias or anything faster, to which I replied that I didn't. He asked if I could sing arias like that, and I frankly replied, "I honestly don't know since I've never been assigned one, but I'd sure like to try." That was apparently the perfect answer, and they remarked as such. Virginia asked if I was interested in the opera program, I said I was. The opera director seemed all curious and excited and stuff, and asked me if I could stay after the auditions were over to work with him a little, to which I replied that I'd be glad to. Because, really, who wouldn't want to? Then Virginia stepped in and said that wouldn't be necessary and to let me have my afternoon. It definitely seemed to me that she intended to explain everything she knew about me to him later, and that I had her confidence. Dale, at the end, said that he loved my attitude. He said I was so open to new experiences and positive about everything. This actually really surprised me, so I said exactly what I was thinking, "Well, how else would I be?" Which apparently tickled him to death. So, essentially...I got an interview in a situation that doesn't require an interview. I am awesome at interviews.
So then I made the necessary phone calls to friends and family. But not before having a little cry session all to myself. I don't cry when I'm nervous, I cry when it's over. I drove around for a little and got a feel for the area. All of campus looks the same: gorgeous.
I had dinner with Ben and two voice grad students at a deli near campus. They had so much great information for me, mostly about teachers. We were asked to fill out a teacher request form today, and I naturally put Virginia first and Dale second since they are the two I know. Turns out that was a VERY good decision. We talked about housing, tuition, performance opportunities, classes, and the general atmosphere of the department.
And the result of all this is that I really, really, a hundred times over hope I get in. I love this place, which sounds weird and is pretty weird for me to say. I wasn't that enthused about it until I got here. Unfortunately, this means that I'll be absolutely crushed if I don't get in. And there are only 3 or 4 mezzo spots open.
Then I headed to downtown Dallas to see La Boheme with the Dallas Opera. This is a real, world-class opera company that gave American career boosts to greats like Maria Callas, Placido Domingo, Joan Sutherland, and Renee Fleming. It was quite the experience. First of all, Dallas thinks that 54 degrees is cold, so all the ladies turned up in their furs. So much fur. There were floor-length gowns, lots of sparkle, and most every man in a suit. And it wasn't even opening night! It was so awesome, though I felt SO under-dressed in a skirt, sweater, and flats. The performance was nuts. It was hands down the best staged opera I've ever seen. The set was fantastic and the voices...not just good, heart-melting. I know a lot of that is Puccini's writing, but both Rodolfo and Mimi were wonderful. Also, being in a slightly stressed state caused me to cry all through acts 3 and 4. One weird thing is that, while watching it, I thought, "If I could be in an opera of this caliber, I'd be happy with even a small part," but I also thought, "Someday, Blake should play Rodolfo." It's possible that my priorities are strange.
And now I'm back. And should go to bed. After eating some leftover barbecue!
P.S. The best opera I've ever seen, staged or not, is Billy Budd.
First item of the day was an information session for auditioners. It was pretty much useless for me as a grad student applicant, but it was amusing. I did learn two useful things: I will likely get my admission decision around the second week of March, and Meadows uses a combination of fixed and moveable do and tend towards la-minor. I found the practice rooms and did a long, slow warmup and ran through my songs afterward.
Then I was hungry. So I used my GPS thingy to find a real Texas barbecue place. I ended up at Big Al's Barbecue. I chatted with the manager a little, and had some of the best beef brisket of my life. I have leftovers in the fridge which I might raid soon. Brisket, potato salad, and baked beans. MMM. I headed back, warmed up a little more, and auditioned.
The singing part of the audition went very well. All the parts I was worried about came out just fine, and I was able to remember Virginia's advice during parts of it and really open up my sound. There was one note that was there but, for some reason, way quieter than the others. It was like all of a sudden I decided to be nervous since I really hadn't been before. I sang Fair Robin as my one selection, and they asked me to sing Aus meinen grossen Schmerzen. SCORE. That was probably my best song, but too short for me to have picked myself. Then they asked me a few questions that I don't remember, and when I asked if that would be it, they chuckled and pointed me toward a line of music on a paper on a stand by a piano. Sight singing...surprise! Then I got nervous. I'm actually a good sight singer, even on solfege, and should have done it on solfege to prevent my nervousness from screwing me up. Oh well, it's done. I did okay.
Then the opera director asked me if, since I listed myself as a mezzo, I had prepared any mezzo arias. I was caught off guard and worried, so all that came out at first was, "No." Then I blathered on for a bit about how I had never intended to pursue performance until this year (which seemed to surprise him a great deal) and had only been in one production. Then, thankfully, Virginia stepped in and apparently explained it ALL by saying, "She studies with Kathie Kelton." It was a moment, let me tell you. Then he asked me if I had any "florid" arias or anything faster, to which I replied that I didn't. He asked if I could sing arias like that, and I frankly replied, "I honestly don't know since I've never been assigned one, but I'd sure like to try." That was apparently the perfect answer, and they remarked as such. Virginia asked if I was interested in the opera program, I said I was. The opera director seemed all curious and excited and stuff, and asked me if I could stay after the auditions were over to work with him a little, to which I replied that I'd be glad to. Because, really, who wouldn't want to? Then Virginia stepped in and said that wouldn't be necessary and to let me have my afternoon. It definitely seemed to me that she intended to explain everything she knew about me to him later, and that I had her confidence. Dale, at the end, said that he loved my attitude. He said I was so open to new experiences and positive about everything. This actually really surprised me, so I said exactly what I was thinking, "Well, how else would I be?" Which apparently tickled him to death. So, essentially...I got an interview in a situation that doesn't require an interview. I am awesome at interviews.
So then I made the necessary phone calls to friends and family. But not before having a little cry session all to myself. I don't cry when I'm nervous, I cry when it's over. I drove around for a little and got a feel for the area. All of campus looks the same: gorgeous.
I had dinner with Ben and two voice grad students at a deli near campus. They had so much great information for me, mostly about teachers. We were asked to fill out a teacher request form today, and I naturally put Virginia first and Dale second since they are the two I know. Turns out that was a VERY good decision. We talked about housing, tuition, performance opportunities, classes, and the general atmosphere of the department.
And the result of all this is that I really, really, a hundred times over hope I get in. I love this place, which sounds weird and is pretty weird for me to say. I wasn't that enthused about it until I got here. Unfortunately, this means that I'll be absolutely crushed if I don't get in. And there are only 3 or 4 mezzo spots open.
Then I headed to downtown Dallas to see La Boheme with the Dallas Opera. This is a real, world-class opera company that gave American career boosts to greats like Maria Callas, Placido Domingo, Joan Sutherland, and Renee Fleming. It was quite the experience. First of all, Dallas thinks that 54 degrees is cold, so all the ladies turned up in their furs. So much fur. There were floor-length gowns, lots of sparkle, and most every man in a suit. And it wasn't even opening night! It was so awesome, though I felt SO under-dressed in a skirt, sweater, and flats. The performance was nuts. It was hands down the best staged opera I've ever seen. The set was fantastic and the voices...not just good, heart-melting. I know a lot of that is Puccini's writing, but both Rodolfo and Mimi were wonderful. Also, being in a slightly stressed state caused me to cry all through acts 3 and 4. One weird thing is that, while watching it, I thought, "If I could be in an opera of this caliber, I'd be happy with even a small part," but I also thought, "Someday, Blake should play Rodolfo." It's possible that my priorities are strange.
And now I'm back. And should go to bed. After eating some leftover barbecue!
P.S. The best opera I've ever seen, staged or not, is Billy Budd.