We do the weird stuff.
I have been completely bogged down in, not homework, but choir concert prep for the last week or two. The SFU choir has suffered dwindling numbers the last few years (a bunch of different reasons I won't get into now) and as a result haven't had a particularly great turnout at any of our concerts. BUT, this semester we're doing a selection of the nerdiest music ever. Duel of the Fates, from Star Wars Episode One, the Spiderman theme song, Double Trouble from the Prisoner of Azkaban movie, John Williams is the Man, aaaand a medley of songs from Dr Horrible, arranged by Melissa, our conductor.
AKA BEST CONCERT EVAR.
Basically, we're hoping to attract a much bigger crowd to this show than usual. Not that many people on campus will see a poster for a choir concert and think, "hey, cool, a choir concert, I should totally check that out!" but we're hoping DR HORRIBLE and other nerdy music will attract, well, a particular type of crowd. Usually the only people under attending on the facebook event page are people in the choir, but this time, as of this morning, there are 101 people listed as attending. FAR high numbers than usual.
So basically, before the winter concert, I stupidly volunteered the information that my roommates were art students doing graphic design...so I got elected to do the posters. For that concert, I had ONE night to whip something up, but this time, I've had a few weeks. Basically, it would look like crap without bifocals.
After I finished up the poster, I had to make black and white handout versions, and then the program, which turned into a WAY bigger project then the posters. I'm also in charge of getting everything printed, etc etc.
Anyways. Doing all this, I feel like I've been living and breathing this concert for the last few weeks. We've never been this intense about a concert before. We're really expecting to draw a lot of attention, so we've set up stuff like a facebook fan page, brand new website, etc. I just hope we actually get the turn out and interest we're hoping for. SO much work has gone into this from so many people.
Anyways, as for the concert itself, it should be awesome. I hope. Rehearsal last night went really well. It was a really good HARD WORK kind of practice, which I LOVE. Dr Horrible did NOT feel ready to perfom next week though, which I'm worried about. I’m also starting to get a little...concerned about my solo.* Not in the stage fright sense, but just...worried. At rehearsal last night I just COULDN’T GET IT LOUD ENOUGH. No matter how hard I tried. It’s not a big solo, (Groupie number 1, it’s just three or four lines spread out through Perfect Story) but basically I’ll have a line, and then the other groupies come in for half a line-ish...if you know Dr Horrible, you know what I mean. I can’t get my solo line loud enough, but I CAN get the soli part. I think there are a few possible causes:
1. My voice was shot. We ran Duel of the Fates at least twice, and I was singing HARD. It’s a seriously belty song. I spend pretty much the whole song in the high D-high A range, and there are a LOT of long, sustained, fortissimo, CRESCENDOING high F’s. And I LOVE SINGING IT, so I might be overdoing it a bit. This would do anybody’s voice in.
2. It’s not quite in my comfy range. My lines are G-low B, aka LOW for a first soprano. When I’m doing the harmony with the other groupies (the part I CAN get loud enough, I’m up around a D-B. (Though, now that I think about it, this can’t be it, cause that is exactly where my break is, so those notes are MUCH harder to sing.))
3. I’m subconsciously nervous. I don’t FEEL nervous, but that would make sense why I could sing the part with the others.
I really hope it’s just that my voice was shot. That is easily fixable. The subconscious-nervousness is a LOT harder to fix, especially because it would probably be WAY worse in the actual concert.
At any rate, I’m going to work on my breathing a LOT this week. (anyone know any good breathing exercises???) I’m hoping that should help.
(*Yeah, if you didn't hear about it on twitter, I was peer pressured into auditioning for a solo. I auditioned for a groupie part (I knew I wouldn't be able to get Penny; ever single other girl auditioned for her, LOL!) and I was SHOCKED when I actually got it.
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NOTE: Those of you who go to SFU, please let me know if you see this poster up around campus! I'm really curious. I've already seen THREE at Surrey today, and I only handed out the posters to people last night!
