What a weekend...
So I'm really hyper, but also extremely tired. Hyper = way too much Valentine candy *read: Hershey's Kissables. Tired = crazy weekend.
Let's delve into this weekend, shall we?
Went to Reinhart College for the Georgia National Association of Teachers of Singing competition this weekend. I, obviously, was in the senior women's category, but that's for much later in this tale. Hannah, Afton, and I left around seven and got there at 9:30ish. Plenty of time to unload our stuff and get into bed. Brittany had to ride up later with our accompanists and ride back with me because she had rehearsal until late which one of our pianists (Janie Lee) was directing. We were to leave the key at the desk, she'd ask for it, then get into bed, too.
Oh, but they overbooked and gave away our rooms!! Four rooms that I know of were given away to other people, including ours, whose reservation we called and checked on THE DAY BEFORE!! So they redirected us to a "comprable" Super 8 motel. I'm sorry, but when you're going from the Holiday Inn Express (their answer to the Hilton) to a Super 8 Motel (where they leave the light on for ya), "comprable" is NOT what can happen! And it was another 20 minutes away! But, we went - us and another group of three from our school. Brittany ended up sleeping on the couch in the pianists' room (Coleman had already checked in for them).
When we got there, it was TRASHY!! Outside entrances aren't always bad, but when you're all girls (we did end up having one guy in our number, however), and it's full of drunk construction workers who knock on their window to say hello as you pass, you tend to feel a tad paranoid! The room in which I slept smelled like barf - you know, that AWEFUL smell when you meet a smoker who doesn't bathe - even though they told us it was "nonsmoking" - as in "no one's smoking in it right in this very minute". We had aweful attitudes for a while, and several people called on our behalf to chew the poor receptionist at the Holliday Inn a new one. She should be quite reqular by now. However, optimism prevaled, we made the best of it, I slept like a baby, and woke up to drive the twenty minutes (which would have been 8 at the other place) to the competition.
The competition. In my audition, I was only really connected with the first one. For some reason, when they asked for the Handel, something in me went, "Are you SERIOUS?", especially after they had me use up 7 of my 15 minute audition with it! But, this was the first state NATS in which I've been COMPLETELY well, and I PLACED! YAY! I got second in my sub-category to Brittany (the one from my school who was supposed to room with us). Second means you go to the run-off where it's between you and the top person in your sub-cat as well as the top two in the other one. Laura Peacock, my dear friend from GHP, with whom I roomed last year at state NATS, turned out to be the top in the other one, as well as another girl from Mercer. So it was the Columbus State Cougars vs. the Mercer Bears, and we all rocked the house in finals! It really felt good that we all did our best, all liked eachother, new eachother, and appreciated what we were all doing. I sat down after I sang my Bolcom song, and Laura goes, "I haven't heard you sing in forever! You sound amazing!", and I was like, "You too! You rock!" Meanwhile, Brittany's getting up to blow the roof off the place with her Elijah aria. It ended up that Laura won, which I'm SO happy about. I could honestly say the same thing if Brittany won, though, and, ofc, if I won...;) It always feels better, if you have to lose, to loose to someone who really cared about it, is really classy, and was absolutely amazing. Laura ended up winning the Musical Theater portion the next morning, too! This is such a boost for her, going into grad auditions, facing a whole new kind of uncertainty. She was definitely on cloud nine, and I was so happy to see her there!
So, in state NATS, subcategories seem to mean a lot, b/c that's where you get the money. Fifty for first, thirty-five for second, and twenty-five for third. So, if we're counting all subcategory wins, fifteen people from CSU placed out of a possible fourty. So, as I say every year after NATS with chest swelled, we just kinda rock. There's nothing that can get my school spirit going like a voice competition -- forget basketball!!
That night was awesome because Afton's dad got on the phone and didn't get off until we had a room at the Holliday Inn - and weren't paying for either night. YAY Mr. Hawkins!! We (Brittany, Afton, Hannah, and I) hung out for a really long while, going to Cracker Barrel, talking about really deep stuff - like the end of the world, taking Little Hannah (the new cuteasabutton freshman whose roommate for the night had gone out with her boyfriend) to get dinner and Starbucks. Didn't get to bed till 1 - the first time our group has been able to do that at a NATS, because it was the first time at least one of us had not placed first, having to rest up to sing on the winner's recital. And, if you ask me, Afton and Hannah were ROBBED! And that's all I'll say about that.
I woke at 8:24 and COULD NOT go back to sleep, so I went downstairs, had breakfast with Coleman - always interesting experiences, informal times with my teacher - me, with my hair/entire self not washed, he in his sweats. The girls finally woke up, and we ended up agreeing to take Janie Lee home since the Mary (the other pianist for our studio) didn't have anyone on the winners' recital. Such a funny person, that Janie Lee. It's so fun to be around faculty/staff when it's not a formal situation - when they let their guard down, you realize that they really do think of you as a fellow adult. And you feel like you've earned that recognition. After we dropped Brittany off, Janie Lee asked me what I wanted to do ultimately with Germany, my degree, etc. I finally gave the most honest answer I could: I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I've reached the conclusion that I'm a smart person who can do many things, and if, after I've fought tooth and nail for it, this isn't it, I'll be fine. Life will go on, and I'll make a difference some other way, and, right now, I'm okay with that. She looked at me and said, "You know, I think you'll be fine, Gwendolyn." Getting that from her meant so much.
Tonight has been devoted to 1/2 the chinese takeout I got, one too many handfuls of Hershey's Kissables, and the online streaming video of the shows I had to miss last week - Heroes and Grey's Anatomy - both cliffhangers! Good grief! I won't say any more about that, especially in case you missed Grey's. Go see it! www.abc.go.com
Let's delve into this weekend, shall we?
Went to Reinhart College for the Georgia National Association of Teachers of Singing competition this weekend. I, obviously, was in the senior women's category, but that's for much later in this tale. Hannah, Afton, and I left around seven and got there at 9:30ish. Plenty of time to unload our stuff and get into bed. Brittany had to ride up later with our accompanists and ride back with me because she had rehearsal until late which one of our pianists (Janie Lee) was directing. We were to leave the key at the desk, she'd ask for it, then get into bed, too.
Oh, but they overbooked and gave away our rooms!! Four rooms that I know of were given away to other people, including ours, whose reservation we called and checked on THE DAY BEFORE!! So they redirected us to a "comprable" Super 8 motel. I'm sorry, but when you're going from the Holiday Inn Express (their answer to the Hilton) to a Super 8 Motel (where they leave the light on for ya), "comprable" is NOT what can happen! And it was another 20 minutes away! But, we went - us and another group of three from our school. Brittany ended up sleeping on the couch in the pianists' room (Coleman had already checked in for them).
When we got there, it was TRASHY!! Outside entrances aren't always bad, but when you're all girls (we did end up having one guy in our number, however), and it's full of drunk construction workers who knock on their window to say hello as you pass, you tend to feel a tad paranoid! The room in which I slept smelled like barf - you know, that AWEFUL smell when you meet a smoker who doesn't bathe - even though they told us it was "nonsmoking" - as in "no one's smoking in it right in this very minute". We had aweful attitudes for a while, and several people called on our behalf to chew the poor receptionist at the Holliday Inn a new one. She should be quite reqular by now. However, optimism prevaled, we made the best of it, I slept like a baby, and woke up to drive the twenty minutes (which would have been 8 at the other place) to the competition.
The competition. In my audition, I was only really connected with the first one. For some reason, when they asked for the Handel, something in me went, "Are you SERIOUS?", especially after they had me use up 7 of my 15 minute audition with it! But, this was the first state NATS in which I've been COMPLETELY well, and I PLACED! YAY! I got second in my sub-category to Brittany (the one from my school who was supposed to room with us). Second means you go to the run-off where it's between you and the top person in your sub-cat as well as the top two in the other one. Laura Peacock, my dear friend from GHP, with whom I roomed last year at state NATS, turned out to be the top in the other one, as well as another girl from Mercer. So it was the Columbus State Cougars vs. the Mercer Bears, and we all rocked the house in finals! It really felt good that we all did our best, all liked eachother, new eachother, and appreciated what we were all doing. I sat down after I sang my Bolcom song, and Laura goes, "I haven't heard you sing in forever! You sound amazing!", and I was like, "You too! You rock!" Meanwhile, Brittany's getting up to blow the roof off the place with her Elijah aria. It ended up that Laura won, which I'm SO happy about. I could honestly say the same thing if Brittany won, though, and, ofc, if I won...;) It always feels better, if you have to lose, to loose to someone who really cared about it, is really classy, and was absolutely amazing. Laura ended up winning the Musical Theater portion the next morning, too! This is such a boost for her, going into grad auditions, facing a whole new kind of uncertainty. She was definitely on cloud nine, and I was so happy to see her there!
So, in state NATS, subcategories seem to mean a lot, b/c that's where you get the money. Fifty for first, thirty-five for second, and twenty-five for third. So, if we're counting all subcategory wins, fifteen people from CSU placed out of a possible fourty. So, as I say every year after NATS with chest swelled, we just kinda rock. There's nothing that can get my school spirit going like a voice competition -- forget basketball!!
That night was awesome because Afton's dad got on the phone and didn't get off until we had a room at the Holliday Inn - and weren't paying for either night. YAY Mr. Hawkins!! We (Brittany, Afton, Hannah, and I) hung out for a really long while, going to Cracker Barrel, talking about really deep stuff - like the end of the world, taking Little Hannah (the new cuteasabutton freshman whose roommate for the night had gone out with her boyfriend) to get dinner and Starbucks. Didn't get to bed till 1 - the first time our group has been able to do that at a NATS, because it was the first time at least one of us had not placed first, having to rest up to sing on the winner's recital. And, if you ask me, Afton and Hannah were ROBBED! And that's all I'll say about that.
I woke at 8:24 and COULD NOT go back to sleep, so I went downstairs, had breakfast with Coleman - always interesting experiences, informal times with my teacher - me, with my hair/entire self not washed, he in his sweats. The girls finally woke up, and we ended up agreeing to take Janie Lee home since the Mary (the other pianist for our studio) didn't have anyone on the winners' recital. Such a funny person, that Janie Lee. It's so fun to be around faculty/staff when it's not a formal situation - when they let their guard down, you realize that they really do think of you as a fellow adult. And you feel like you've earned that recognition. After we dropped Brittany off, Janie Lee asked me what I wanted to do ultimately with Germany, my degree, etc. I finally gave the most honest answer I could: I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. I've reached the conclusion that I'm a smart person who can do many things, and if, after I've fought tooth and nail for it, this isn't it, I'll be fine. Life will go on, and I'll make a difference some other way, and, right now, I'm okay with that. She looked at me and said, "You know, I think you'll be fine, Gwendolyn." Getting that from her meant so much.
Tonight has been devoted to 1/2 the chinese takeout I got, one too many handfuls of Hershey's Kissables, and the online streaming video of the shows I had to miss last week - Heroes and Grey's Anatomy - both cliffhangers! Good grief! I won't say any more about that, especially in case you missed Grey's. Go see it! www.abc.go.com