gettin' my kicks in two-thousand-O-six
2006 is nearly up. Let's take a look back, shall we?
In January, I began my last semester of grad school, and, hopefully my last semester of school...period. My Pink Flamingos virginity was broken. A good high school friend looked me up and we caught up on the lost years. The music world and I celebrated Wolfie Mozart's 250th birthday! *high-pitched giggle here*
Mozart's January birthday seemed to continue into February at the St. Louis Symphony, where I attended my first Mozart Requiem ...with the incomparable Christine Brewer. With an upcoming production of Susannah on my plate, I grew my first beard...an embarrasing sight beyond measure. Near the end of the month, I attended Joe & Adam's recital...then got famously drunk at the recital reception...then blogged about it mid-stupor.
March was pre-occupied with rehearsals for a satisfying production of Susannah at Wash U, but I also found time to get up to Chicago and see a top-notch Der Rosenkavalier with Susan Graham en travesti.
I started off April with my Masters Recital, which featured Massenet, Tchaikovsky and Loewe works. I spent two back-to-back weekends in good old Quincy, Illinois: the first as a get-together with close college friends; the second spent seeing Fiddler on the Roof at my alma mater. At the end of the month, I passed my piano proficiency exam!!! *sigh of relief*
May heralded a great milestone...graduating from Washington University with a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance. At the graduation ceremony, I sang the Wash U Alma Mater in the presence of former British PM John Major (oh, and several thousand others). Before graduating, I celebrated Nate & Stephanie's wedding. Plus, I had my best. visit. to. Uncle. Bill's. EVUH! noooo phil!!! don't eat meeee!! i'm just a pancaaaaake!!!
By June, I couldn't live off the "University tit" anymore, so I applied to a temp agency which has kept me working moderately steady to this day. A few weeks after its demise, I mourned the loss of an old couch from undergrad. Oh, and my car got stolen in the Central West End...
...but it was recovered in Wellston on the fourth of July. My association with Union Avenue Opera continued as I sang in their critically-bashed production of Le nozze di Figaro. I survived CrazyAssStorm 2006. Other than all that, I was generally a bum, living only for my newly-purchased Netflix subscription.
In the sweltering month of August, I turned a quarter of a century old...and realized how old I've gotten when I discovered that I would become an Uncle again. La Boheme filled out the month, and I had a blast with the cast and crew.
September was quite uneventful to be honest. Can't win 'em all, I guess.
As October rolled around, a visit to Pere Marquette (complete with fried chicken, leave-changing-watching and book-reading) was in order. I remember seeing the documentary Jesus Camp and got very angry. Went to Chicago again...where I saw the painting Ameican Gothic for the very first time at the Art Institute. However, I was really up there to see Deborah Voigt dance with seven veils and make love to a severed head in Salome. The whole Salome experience made me "need a cigarette" afterwards...artistically speaking...hehe!
The end of October and beginning of November was my "wedding singer" period. I sang the wedding mass for my college friend Sarah, then did a solo at a wedding one week later. It was a short-lived period, but to any future bridezillas out there: I'm available to croon!!! Seriously!!! I also bid adieu to Solano Hall. *tear* I went into musical-theatre-nerd overdrive when I saw Spamalot ...twice! Oh, and in a bittersweet turn of justice, the 17-year-old that stole my car only got Probation...oh well...
December was crazy at my church job. We cut another CD (hymns & spirituals) while rehearsing frantically for a performance of the Bach Magnificat...and we sounded great. Bias? Yes! Christmas was hot and cold for me this year. I ended the month with a near-religious experience: witnessing Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls. I've rarely cried at films, but her solo mid-film made me tear up a little bit. In the words of my friend Joy (present with me for the movie): "She gonna win!" (The Oscar, that is...)
That's my year, folks! I'm off to Elise's place for New Year's Eve. Shall I tell her about my dream??
In January, I began my last semester of grad school, and, hopefully my last semester of school...period. My Pink Flamingos virginity was broken. A good high school friend looked me up and we caught up on the lost years. The music world and I celebrated Wolfie Mozart's 250th birthday! *high-pitched giggle here*
Mozart's January birthday seemed to continue into February at the St. Louis Symphony, where I attended my first Mozart Requiem ...with the incomparable Christine Brewer. With an upcoming production of Susannah on my plate, I grew my first beard...an embarrasing sight beyond measure. Near the end of the month, I attended Joe & Adam's recital...then got famously drunk at the recital reception...then blogged about it mid-stupor.
March was pre-occupied with rehearsals for a satisfying production of Susannah at Wash U, but I also found time to get up to Chicago and see a top-notch Der Rosenkavalier with Susan Graham en travesti.
I started off April with my Masters Recital, which featured Massenet, Tchaikovsky and Loewe works. I spent two back-to-back weekends in good old Quincy, Illinois: the first as a get-together with close college friends; the second spent seeing Fiddler on the Roof at my alma mater. At the end of the month, I passed my piano proficiency exam!!! *sigh of relief*
May heralded a great milestone...graduating from Washington University with a Masters of Music in Vocal Performance. At the graduation ceremony, I sang the Wash U Alma Mater in the presence of former British PM John Major (oh, and several thousand others). Before graduating, I celebrated Nate & Stephanie's wedding. Plus, I had my best. visit. to. Uncle. Bill's. EVUH! noooo phil!!! don't eat meeee!! i'm just a pancaaaaake!!!
By June, I couldn't live off the "University tit" anymore, so I applied to a temp agency which has kept me working moderately steady to this day. A few weeks after its demise, I mourned the loss of an old couch from undergrad. Oh, and my car got stolen in the Central West End...
...but it was recovered in Wellston on the fourth of July. My association with Union Avenue Opera continued as I sang in their critically-bashed production of Le nozze di Figaro. I survived CrazyAssStorm 2006. Other than all that, I was generally a bum, living only for my newly-purchased Netflix subscription.
In the sweltering month of August, I turned a quarter of a century old...and realized how old I've gotten when I discovered that I would become an Uncle again. La Boheme filled out the month, and I had a blast with the cast and crew.
September was quite uneventful to be honest. Can't win 'em all, I guess.
As October rolled around, a visit to Pere Marquette (complete with fried chicken, leave-changing-watching and book-reading) was in order. I remember seeing the documentary Jesus Camp and got very angry. Went to Chicago again...where I saw the painting Ameican Gothic for the very first time at the Art Institute. However, I was really up there to see Deborah Voigt dance with seven veils and make love to a severed head in Salome. The whole Salome experience made me "need a cigarette" afterwards...artistically speaking...hehe!
The end of October and beginning of November was my "wedding singer" period. I sang the wedding mass for my college friend Sarah, then did a solo at a wedding one week later. It was a short-lived period, but to any future bridezillas out there: I'm available to croon!!! Seriously!!! I also bid adieu to Solano Hall. *tear* I went into musical-theatre-nerd overdrive when I saw Spamalot ...twice! Oh, and in a bittersweet turn of justice, the 17-year-old that stole my car only got Probation...oh well...
December was crazy at my church job. We cut another CD (hymns & spirituals) while rehearsing frantically for a performance of the Bach Magnificat...and we sounded great. Bias? Yes! Christmas was hot and cold for me this year. I ended the month with a near-religious experience: witnessing Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls. I've rarely cried at films, but her solo mid-film made me tear up a little bit. In the words of my friend Joy (present with me for the movie): "She gonna win!" (The Oscar, that is...)
That's my year, folks! I'm off to Elise's place for New Year's Eve. Shall I tell her about my dream??