(no subject)
So um, updates.
Amy threw an Oscar/birthday party. It was awesome. We had to draw scenes from our favorite movies and she deemed mine the best. I drew Carrie.
Rugby continues to stress me the fuck out. We had our first game today. I did okay.
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Work has been out of control steady. I've been both playing and temping, which is fantastic, now it's just a game of waiting on checks.
Alex tapped me to play put-in rehearsals for "Bring It On" which is pretty AMAZING. I got the score and had to learn damned near the whole thing in a week. Unfortunately I had very little access to a piano. I paid $30 to practice for 2 hours on Wednesday, before I figured that that was going to be financially unacceptable. Finally I just decided to buy some batteries for my roommates rinky-dink little keyboard and I just woodshedded on that. At the very least it was useful for helping me learn the forms of songs.
Alex wanted to meet with me to go over the songs (as always) so Friday I went down to his place and played through the score. I was so nervous, and I knew that the shape these songs were in were nowhere near where I wanted them to be. Weirdly enough though, Alex gushed over how great it all sounded, thanks so much for preparing everything. He got pretty effusive actually, talking about how great it was that I could play this stuff so close to how he wanted it to sound right out of the gate, how he could tell I'd been working hard on it and listening to the board recording he sent me, how he couldn't think of anybody he'd sooner ask. I mean: wow. Unexpected. He also really opened up to me, talking about his family and showing me pictures of his last trip to Cuba. I guess we're becoming old work-buddies at this point.
So I have that next week, and I'm already starting to book gigs into May. Pretty exciting times. I'm kind of disappointed that I've come up empty-handed with my quest for a summer stock gig. I'm sure there's something I'd be able to do. Whether it be hopping back on a cruise ship for a little while, or maybe even a touring gig. It's something to think about anyways.
I'm sure it'll be nice to get out of the city when it's UNSPEAKABLY hot, which I'm sure it's going to be. Like step outside and burst into flames hot.
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Work keeps picking up, really. My new contact ML is referring me for next to everything it seems like. I'm going to be playing piano for the Outer Critic's Awards at Sardi's next month. MY GOD. SARDI'S. And then I got offered a showcase at AMDA which is going to be rehearsing weeknights for a month at $575/week. Unfortunately I'll have to miss a month of rugby practices, but I can't turn down that opportunity, not to mention the fact that I'll be able to do gigs during the day (ideally) and earn even more.
Speaking of day gigs, it's so funny. The temp agency asked me back. I'll be going in tomorrow just to do some data entry. I think they might be having me come in every few weeks or so, which is just fine with me. Nothing like steady gigs.
Also, my piano teacher in Florida wants me to teach his grandchild piano. Which is a BIG responsibility! At this point I'm not even sure how to fit this into my schedule, I'm getting so busy.
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Today I was scheduled to play auditions from 10 to 6, but they only needed me for the first 30 minutes after which I was off for 2 and a half hours. I wandered down 34th Street, noticing how even with my time off, I tended to forget I lived in the greatest city in the world. I managed to catch some of that awestruckness I had when I first moved to New York. Macy's was having a Brazilian flower show, so I walked through there along with a stream of bluehairs. I walked down to Uniqlo and wandered through the men's section. They're really pushing linen right now, which doesn't really appeal to me. I like how it feels like I'm shopping in the future though. Next I ate my peanut butter sandwich in Herald Square, basking in the spring-ness of the flowers blooming all around me. Then it was a leisurely walk though Koreatown, which only makes me more determined to plow though some korean barbecue soon.
Back at the audition studio, I played for about a half hour of West Side Story work sessions.
And that was a day's work. What a trip.