| (no subject) |
[Apr. 28th, 2006|11:54 am] |
I am singing Alfredo in La Traviata this summer in Italy.
That's all.
ps. A L F R E D O |
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| A bit pleased with myself |
[Apr. 2nd, 2006|01:06 pm] |
I have successfully sung the Tenor Solos to Beethoven's 9th. I am but 24 yrs old. Coleman came by himself from Marietta to see me and Beth (while Broughton and the other UGA vocal faculty members remained at their houses--not one of which could possibly be more than 30 minutes away). He roundly congratulated me, and he's a man of FEW compliments. I don't think I've ever sung for more people at once in my life--I mean, people sitting in the aisles....people STANDING FOR THE ENTIRE SYMPHONY.....choir loft full....twas grand. The chorus was great and the orchestra has VASTLY improved since 1999ish when I showed up there.
Everyone who talked to me after the concert talked about how my voice had "exploded" since my UGA days. I love knowing that it's NOT just a matter of me getting older. I can now point to solid physiological REASONS that my voice is "out" of my body and into the hall as opposed to "kept" in the throat and cracking all the time. You could say that I'm beginning to develope an actual technique--that I am now singing on something more than a zoo of nebulous metaphors bound with haywire, duct tape, and superglue. so there.
I got home last night at 2AM and was robbed of a PRESCIOUS, much-needed hour of sleep by this ass clown known fondly to all as "daylight savings time." I remembered to set my clock. But--wouldn't you know it--the POWER WENT OUT at Georgian Hills/Paradise. Thankfully Ursula (the fabulous austrian-peachtree-presbyterian-FEMALE-Tenor at church) called me to wake me up. You could say that yet AGAIN I have floated like Blanche DuBois atop the kindness of strangers....
Anyway after all the above vocal fatigue and sleep deprivation I had to sing a solo in church for....yes, count 'em.....THREE SERVICES. And I'll be a monkey's uncle if a half-dozen different people didn't come up to me and specifically tell me that they've heard big improvement in my singing just over the course of the seven months i've been at that church--and these are uppity, culturally- and musically-literate folk. (My god, i'm half-convinced that women have been turned away from that church because they dared show up to a pre-Easter Sunday services in white shoes).
Like Beth, I have placed a check mark beside one of the "Things I Must Do Before I Die" list. And i won't lie, it feels good. |
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| L O N G TIME |
[Mar. 22nd, 2006|05:43 pm] |
Ok.....for all you out there who have been holding your breath since.....oh.....LAST JUNE. Here's a sampling of my coming weeks at GSU: (btw this is basically a copy/pasting of my MySpace blog)
In two nights I accompany Sarah Gardner's (spinto soprano at GSU) senior vocal performance recital...some difficult lit that I have not perfected......and I could repeat that the recital is in approximately 2 nights.
The following weekend is Beethoven 9th at good ol UGA with Beth. that happens on 4/1. BTW, i dont' care how the diet is going at that point, I WILL be eating massive amounts of KBob the couple of days I'm in town.
The next weekend (4/8) is the GSU singers' Mozart Requiem for which I am tenor soloist. It's great music, but I haven't sung the solo part in 3 years....and I haven't cracked the score to re-learn it yet.
The week after that is holy week at church....so that's drama. Church wed, thurs, and good friday--and I've been assigned to sing a tenor aria from messiah which I don't know. Plus Coleman will be there that night cuz he's singing the baritone solos in the Faure Requiem. Hey, at least I'll be accompanied by ASO players for the aria :)
The next weekend Albert Herring opens. Dear Jesus..........
Two tuesdays after that I perform Haydn's Creation with the Athens choral society (the whole tenor soloist role which is huge--and I don't even know it). That's 5/2.
Then singing in the Tosca chorus with Atlanta Opera in late may. Walter Huff's NAZI rehearsals have started....actually I'm due at the opera center in a couple of hours.
Summer stuff: I've been waitlisted for Ohio light. Been offered Alfredo in Traviata with La Musica Lirica in Italy. Also offered Rolfe in the Sound of Music with Brevard. I'm pretty much waiting to hear back from Opera North. I want to do Herring this summer........and get paid for it.
I don't remember I time when I was this busy.....o i remember....i've actually been this busy since the moment I moved into my apartment in ATL.
....but I like it this way.....would MUCH rather have all this going on than be bored with nothing to do but count carbs or something...... |
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| Well howdy |
[Jun. 17th, 2005|01:08 pm] |
I am actually here in a hostel in Rome Italy (!). w t f. The place beth reserved is quite nice and clean. The shower is warm. The room is not to muggy-hot.....cuz i brought my little personal fan that I used in Ozarks. Emily, Beth, and I were jet-lagged...until we JUST woke up (12p Italy time).
I did something last night that could broadly be described as stupid. I could not sleep and it was like 3am, so the most logical thing I could think to do was to go outside and drift around the streets until I was tired. I walked several blocks and went to the Piazza del Republico (?).....camera and map in hand....and when I realized how stupid I was being--"tourist" written all over me--I went back to the well-lit train station (Termini Station) where a myriad of vagabonds were sleeping for the night, and bought a tube of pringles and a bacardi malt drink--yep, here street vendors are open all night, and sell liqor for consumption on the streets!
Anyway, when I returned, I thanked the Lord for sparing me.....God that was dumb of me.
Well, I am late to meet our GSU friends who are just arriving...then we are going to the vatican.....much more to come. Viva Roma! |
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| In exactly 5 weeks I board a plane..... |
[May. 11th, 2005|03:37 pm] |
...and I still havent' even sung through all of my parts yet--much less memorized. I got my Nico Castel book a few weeks ago, and diligently wrote in all of the IPA. Then I whited out all of the english singing translation and wrote in the word-for-word translation. So I haven't been completely slacking off. Since Fidelio (God, I'm glad that's over with!!!) I have been the musical director/accompanist for Commedia! the Musical, sang the tenor solos for the Brahms Neue Liebeslieder Walzer, and sang the solos for the Athens Choral Society's Coronation Mass and Coronation Anthems (Handel), and got hired to accompany GREASE for Jackson County High School.
OOOOO, and there's some drama associated with that!! Apparently the "usual accompanist" had to drop out a couple of weeks ago. Todd Chandler, the director of the show sends out an SOS email to the UGA piano faculty looking for pianists. I notice that the pay is good, but I screw around a few days before I replied (thinking surely someone would have already taken up the gig). So I call the guy and I'm hired. Then I'm on the phone with Emily monday night, and she's hangin' with Katie B, who overhears that I just got back from Grease practice. She asks Emily to ask me whom I'm accompanying. I tell her Jackson Co. She flips her wig because Brian Snead apparently had been hired when the SOS email was first sent out. For reasons still unknown to me, the freak show director tells Snead that the show has been cancelled due to lack of preparation. It was AFTER all of this that I was hired to accompany. So Snead calls me to see what's up, and he's furious (rightly). The guy had never even heard Brian play but he hired him over the phone, then canned him a few days later. This all happened just over the last 8 days or so. I would be out for the kill if i were brian....
Anyway yesterday's lesson with the coleminer's daugher's father went pretty well--I went to his house all the way in Marietta. What a commute. Anyway, I met the famous pooch Sam, and he definitely is one of the coolest dogs I've met. We worked the Fenton aria, which he said will be good once I figure out how to sing [a] vowels. He says the Italians like them especially bright. I have another lesson scheduled for next week. I'm gonna need it.....sometimes I feel like the best damn singer in the world.....other times I wonder how I managed to sing this long with such aweful habits. If studying with Broughton gave me such misery on a personal level, I would at least hope to have gotten something good out of it on a musical level. I could have studied with Stoffel or Pierce and progressed almost as much as I did with him. But at least all of the personal grief and drama would have been closer to nil. c'est la vie i guess.
Well, back to the kiddies...... |
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| With the catholic kiddies |
[Mar. 31st, 2005|01:37 pm] |
| [ | music |
| | peter and the wolf | ] |
I'm sitting in the music room of the jodie helen martin at St. Mary's Catholic School located appropriately in Rome, GA. (take a second to let my cornyness sink in)........ok. Now, I've tinkered around with the idea of joining up as a parapro in Jodie's classroom, but then considered that catholic tithings should go to somewhere other than mine and jodie's laziness and drinking habits. We invision ourselves arriving circa 35 minutes late everyday stumbling in with mimosas in hand...i'm being called away by jodie....brb....
I'm back I just had to give an impromptu concert and spiel about the piano to Jodie's kindergarten class. They love me.
Jodie now tells me that I have to accompany her sixth grade chorus in a few minutes.
I'm so good at teaching, but I have a feeling i'd get burnt out to quickly and end up yelling all day long and ruining my singing voice. I think grad school is gonna be a welcome thing this fall. |
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| No Ozark rejection blues |
[Mar. 29th, 2005|01:55 pm] |
So Vern and I finally communicated, and he told me that he'd love to have me this summer for Tamino or Nemorino, but that he "didn't, frankly, know if he could afford me." Apparently I told Keith Weber at my ATL audition that I couldn't/wouldn't go unless I got a full scholarship ($2500 as opposed to the $1000 I received last year). I don't remember saying that, but it' don't mattuh.
And here I was worrying about how I was gonna respond to an email saying "I know you came here last year and performed your ass off. I know you have lost weight and your vocal technique has improved leaps and bounds. But we're just not ready of another summer of boozers and womanizers like you. Besides it took you far too long to learn that "Hip, Hop! Hip, Hop!" routine as Mercury with Juno and Jupiter in Orpheus in the Underworld. Oh and there was that time in Carmen when you forgot to get your prop (the map) for "Ecoute, compagnon" and ended up having to write imaginary routes in the "SAND" onstage to comfort your comrades. Also it infuriated us to learn that you loaded your flask with real Gilbey's gin and took it on stage for consumption your last night in the Carmen chorus--the resulting intoxication causing numerous missed entrances, cut-offs, and, to be honest, newly-composed music served to the audience in at least one violent outburst. For these reasons we cannot handle any more of your bullshit for another summer. Cordially, Vern."
I'm glad I didn't here anything like that, though it might have been funny.
So I replied and told him he could take my name out of the hat for the casting, as I had already accepted Fenton this summer in Italy.
Vern Sutton.....(as one justin birdsong might say): "what a fool"....... |
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| Never had intended to join the fray, but..... |
[Mar. 22nd, 2005|11:26 am] |
here's some interesting things about Terri Shiavo: (all from www.terrisfight.net)
If Terri hasn't recovered after all these years of therapy, why not let go?
Terri hasn't had meaningful therapy since 1991, but many credible physicians say she can benefit from it.
Why can't Terri just divorce?
Terri's husband/guardian speaks for her. She cannot divorce without his permission
Does Terri have an advanced directive or any wishes about her healthcare?
Terri never signed any directive or living will and there is no evidence that she foresaw her present situation.
Why do Terri's family fight to keep her alive? Shouldn't they let her husband decide?
Terri's husband has started another family and probably has gone on with his life. Terri's family want to provide her therapy and a safe home.
Is Terri receiving life support?
Not in the traditional sense. Terri only receives food and fluids via a simple tube.
MYTH: Terri is PVS (Persistent vegetative state)
FACT: The definition of PVS in Florida Statue 765.101:
Persistent vegetative state means a permanent and irreversible condition of unconsciousness in which there is:
(a) The absence of voluntary action or cognitive behavior of ANY kind.
(b) An inability to communicate or interact purposefully with the environment.
Terri's behavior does not meet the medical or statutory definition of persistent vegetative state. Terri responds to stimuli, tries to communicate verbally, follows limited commands, laughs or cries in interaction with loved ones, physically distances herself from irritating or painful stimulation and watches loved ones as they move around her. None of these behaviors are simple reflexes and are, instead, voluntary and cognitive. Though Terri has limitations, she does interact purposefully with her environment. |
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| Tidings |
[Mar. 11th, 2005|05:26 pm] |
For those who may not know.......You are reading words typed by the tenor cast as Fenton in Giuseppi Verdi's (Joe Green's) Falstaff (!!!!) with La Musica Lirica. I got my acceptance last week, but haven't mentioned anything online because I was planning to hear from Ozarks soon, and be able to tell my journal about all of these offerings at the same time (it makes me look better that way). But alas, it's almost mid-March and still no word. I assume Vern Sutton only told Justin because he pestered Vern. Hasn't told me yet even though I auditioned over 3 months ago. Who cares? If he offers me Tamino I'll certainly be flattered (actually, i'll be kind of offended if he doesn't), but I'm pretty set on doing Italy this summer. Fenton is a great role. Hell, it's VERDI. I know it's not Otello or anything, but who knew I'd be a Verdi tenor at age 23? (in his homeland to boot).
Beth is going. So is Gerald from Cosi, so is Heather, and so is Mighty Dwighty (w. dwight coleman). While there I hope to get a good head-start on our working relationship. I've had two lessons with him so far, and it's been pretty good news. My third will be next Thursday right before one Laura T. Chester. Then my audition will be 3/25 (two weeks from today.....and i have no clue what to audition with....). I've gotten TONS of good vibes from Coleman, and he has really put my at ease--"it's only a formality for you," he says. I think he can also get me a good assistantship--hopefully one sizeable enough for me to not have to take out another loan. I'll just be glad to live in Atlanta with ol' John Arnold. He's very good people.
I'm sitting in Sharon Morrow's office at Parkview High as i type. Today is literary, and it's as boring as hell. Last year there were mega fireworks--as the co-ordinator was about as organized as I am Peruvian. The best way to suck the life out of an event is to put one Joyce Edwards in charge of it--which they have this year. I've been drafted to play for some last-minute performances.....hey, whatever, after today I will no longer be indentured to Joyce (I owed her for letting me take that trip to the Grove Park Inn back in early Dec.).
Well, i have to hang around to accompany Brigadoon performance #2. Kinda makes me die a little bit, but whatever dies will soon be revived when I get back into town to party with Justin and JODIE HELEN, whom I haven't seen in months. Tomorrow more Brigadoon. Sunday afternoon more brigadoon (but as I walk out the door I'll pick up a check for LOTS of money.
I'm starting to feel better now...... |
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| Coleman hits a buzzer shot |
[Jan. 25th, 2005|02:58 pm] |
Just as I was at my wits end about my recent vocal "predicament" (AKA up-close-ear-drum-shattering resonance which unaccountably diffuses before the third row of the audience hears it AKA probably a simple problem that I'm blowing out of proportion [more below]) W. Dwight Coleman, having come to see Cosi on what I considered my FAR INFERIOR performance of the two, tells Elizabeth Leigh Cooper Wynne that he would basically kill his favorite pet to have me in his studio at GSU. The said mezzo tells Coleman about what Clay considers to be his specific problem. Coleman responds: Oh, I know exactly what to do about that. Beth calls and tells Clay. Coleman calls him a few hours later. He left a very kind message to which i havent' had a chance to reply. I'm soooooo excited.
Rewind a bit. Saturday matinee was my opening performance of Cosi Fan Tutte. It was pretty good, but I was having problems with cracking (that's not surprising to most of you who havent' heard me in months). I thought I had the problem nailed. Even my voice teacher in the audience was very surprised as I have probably cracked a total of 2 times in the course of 13 lessons. I think it was basic lack of support. I had a much better show on Sunday, but Shirley only heard me on Saturday. She and I talked on the phone and she told me that I was drowned out pretty significantly by the other cast members, and that she had come expecting to hear me "peel the paint off the walls" ala I sing in lessons weekly with her. Problem: the space for my lessons= a-quake with resonance due to all hard wood+vaulted ceiling; 14th Street Playhouse=*completely acoustically dead*....no, really. It could be compared to UGA's Black Box--but worse. Apparently I didnt' allow enough resonance to be heard like I should be. Shirley admits that this perplexes her, and that really bothers me. I told Rachaele earlier that I don't necesarily mind letting Shirley experiment with me, but I sho don't wanna pay for it. Coleman, on the other hand, believes he has a solution. It remains to be proven whether or not he actually can fix the problem, but according to Beth he knows what the solution and is eager to try some remedies on me.
Bottom line: I'm about to leave work and charge my phone so I can have a nice chat with him. I'd already been toying around with the idea of living in Atlanta with the Guglielmo from my cast (John Arnold, a bass-baritone already in Coleman's studio) and making somewhat of a name for myself there. Perhaps this time next year, I will have already completed a semester of grad work.....who knows.......
I am excited about my future. |
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| An honest-to-goodness compliment from the pope |
[Jan. 11th, 2005|02:19 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  happy | ] |
For the sake of fairness, I'll paste below a genuinely kind note Dr. Broughton sent me today re: cosi.
__________________
Bravo!
I am very proud of you and pleased for your successes! They will be many if you remain humbled before the Lord.
GB
__________________
I appreciate that very much. |
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| Things I wish I knew!!!!!!!! |
[Jan. 7th, 2005|10:05 am] |
1. What Parkview Theater dept. is mounting and when.
2. When Athens Academy is doing Little Shop
3. Whether or not I can participate in the chorus of Fidelio with Atlanta Opera (i.e. whether or not they can put up with my conflicts.)
4. Whether or not I got Tamino at Ozarks.
5. When BETH's Suor Angelica is (!)
Other news: Cosi is coming along nicely. The singing is pretty much first rate. My performance dates are set. TAKE NOTE!!!
The performance is in English, but will be performed with orchestra. The production is very traditional. Venue: 14th Street Playhouse in Atlanta. Call me if you need directions or more details. Oh, tickets are kinda expensive; they range from $20-$25. Tickets can be purchased online H E R E. Another plus: Katie Baughman is Despina in my cast! It's been fun hanging out/rehearsing with her.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS (and say a prayer or two for me. as of today, i'm 60% memorized, and the show opens two weeks from tomorrow (!)). |
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| Operatic Manna from above |
[Dec. 20th, 2004|03:23 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  excited | ] |
Picture this:
Friday during lunch at Primary School, I'm tending first-graders as they cannot be contained since it is the day before Christmas break. My phone rings; it's an unfamiliar number. Caller leaves message. I check my messages later to hear: "Hi, I'm Eric so-and-so from Capitol City Opera. I got your number from Ben Pruitt, who told me that you were interested in auditioning for one of our Ferrandos in our up-coming Cosi Fan Tutte. Give me a call if you'd be interested in auditioning."
.....I'm confused thinking "surely they've cast the thing already-as it OPENS NEXT MONTH!!!!!!!!"
....after a few hours of phone tag, we talk and he says that one of the Ferrandos (it's double-cast) has MS, and has been disabled, and they need a replacement tenor. I say "hell, yeah!" and we plan an audition Saturday. Not 24 hours after that conversation
I signed a contract to perform Ferrando with Capitol City Opera.
Tech week begins JANUARY 17TH!!!! I need to have all of the music (approximately 1,904 ensembles, and 387 recitatives) learned and memorized by the end of the break. Thank God it's Mozart and at least it'll be performed in English. It's a frickin' huge role! I'm glad I have no big plans for the break! First rehearsal for me is definitly tonight at 7 in Roswell. Luckily Ben Pruitt is the other Ferrando, and he's done it before, so maybe I can get some pointers from him. Also, he has a recording in English--the same translation we're using (Shirmer).
God dropped this one right in my lap, and I'm so excited!!!! |
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| Surprise surprise |
[Dec. 10th, 2004|12:17 pm] |
You Are a Capitalist Republican |
Money makes your world go round - and it's no surprise that you always vote your wallet.
You're financially successful (or plan to be), and your agenda is low tax and pro business.
You don't get fired up about abortion... but mention capital gains tax, and you go crazy.
You want government to be as small as possible - and to stay out of the way of business.
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| $300 later..... |
[Nov. 30th, 2004|12:56 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| | happy | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Mannheim Steamroller | ] |
Since mid-August I've doled out around 300 smakeroos to my voice teacher (at 50 bucks a pop). I really think it's paying off. I played the recording of Katie Raults recital for Justin a little over a week ago, and his first comment was "I can definitely hear a marked improvement just since the summer." That made me very happy. I played the same thing for Shirley, my teacher, and she was impressed as well. Tonight I'm sqeezing in another voice lesson before Ozarks audition on Sat--which has been moved up from 12/11 (argh!!!!). Now instead of having another week to diet and practice, I have to sing an audition after having been out of town for 3 days (more about that below), AND after having rehearsed the Messiah tenor choral parts with FUMC Athens a few hours sat. morning.
Justin and I were discussing the audition and he was talking about his reservations. Since then I've been thinking, "gee, what if i were still with broughton plowing along with damaging vocal technique? what if I had not been able to trim myself down physically, as my steady job-life has facilitated?" The career advice offered by the artistic director this summer was exactly two-fold: fix your technique (unify registers and stop manufacturing, specifically) and lose weight. Were I still in UGA, I probably would have regressed vocally and gained weight. How sad is that? Gaining weight is to be expected while in college, but why is it a sure-fire prediction that continuing to study in the voice department of uga will cause you more harm than good after a while? I'm just thankful (again) that i'm gone.
Other matters.....Thanksgiving break was great. I took a voice lesson last Tues night, and headed straight from there to Hartwell to visit my grandmother. While there I began a novel by William F. Buckley called "The Redhunter." It was about the life, times, and many travails (many self-inflicted) of Joseph McCarthy ('tailgunner joe'). 'Twas a great read--finished it last night. Also, I had nothing to do on Wednesday since my grandmother had to work, so I went and rented the first two discs of Six Feet Under, season 2. I cannot quite articulate to this journal exactly how much I LOVE that show. I think it's a combination of cool storyline, great plot twists, excellent script, and STELLAR acting. Also during the break, I did some Christmas shopping, watched the first half of "Angels in America," and did some grunt work related to my up-coming Christmas musical at church.
Now, the best news. Today is my last day at work for the week. Tomorrow, I leave with Parkview Chorus for the Grove Park Inn in NC. Joyce Edwards is practically dragging me along. Wont' be too bad, at least that bundle of personality and good times, Jason Myers, will be there. We'll be sight-reading some Chrimus music to be performed in the lobby there. Also there will be a banquet and a tour of the Biltmore House included (!!!). Oh, I get paid to be gone for the three days. Ha. Take that, Walton County tax payers! Hmmm....that wasn't very Republican of me, was it?
Oh, speaking of Parkview,Cinderella was a huge success. Sharon Morrow, director, has told me that not only does she love working with me, she wants to hire me for any/all musicals she plans for the Spring ($1,000 a pop). Also, The Wizard of Oz is the only planned musical. One (possibly 2) has yet to be announced, and she told me she was open to my suggestions (!). Hmmm what would I like to accompany?........... |
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| Out of nowhere |
[Nov. 16th, 2004|12:54 pm] |
....after treading water for nearly 3 straight, boring, months, I have a lot on my plate (this was moreso the case around Friday than it is now). Seriously though, every weekday since August, I've woken up every day at 7:15 am and traveled to school where I babysat 21 kindergardeners until 3:30. Until I went to see Derek and Laura and my friends in Louisianna over fall break, that was my life. Since then, I've been scrambling around to learn the piano score for Cinderella, which I'm playing for Parkview High's drama department. Dell Hitchcock conned me into singing both the tenor solos and the tenor choral parts from the Bach Magnificat and some other shit. The Athens Choral Society and the Gainesville Chorale combined for the occassion. Every night last week was taken by a rehearsal for either Cinderella or Magnificat, and the concerts were Saturday night in GAinesville and Sunday afternoon in Athens. I wasn't nervous at all going into the concerts until sunday afternoon, when I looked into the balcony of Beech Haven Baptist Church and there sat Gregory Renee Suzanne Louise Broughton alongside Mitos Andaya. Oh, then in the 5th row back sat Shirley Brumbaugh, my current voice teacher. Allofasudden, i'm nervous. It went well with the exception of my dropping a beat, and singing one beat ahead of the orchestra for about 3 measures. Shirley told me later that probably no one noticed.
Then there was last night--Katie Rault's senior recital. I'd been contracted months ago to sing a love duet from Manon. When she asked me, I found a score and noticed some A's and Bb's, and said "um, absolutely." It almost wasnt' even an accurate representation of my voice. It was better, because my part was relatively small--but show-stopping. I was able to sing my lungs out here and there without having to "save up" for, say, something big ten minutes later--as would be the case if I were actually singing the role. Anyway, it ended with she and I in a "scream a high Bb in each other's face" contest--which i reluctantly had to let her win 'cause it was her recital and all.....
This week will feature more nightly Cinderella rehearsals. I have to drive an hour each direction to practice, but this is fine, because during the entire drive I'll be thinking about how great it'll be to log on to my bank web site and see $1000 more in my savings account not to be touched until I move out again. Oh, the Choral Society paid me $200 to sing the Magnificat.....that was nice. Now Bruce Nunally wants to pay me just to come sing tenor in the choir for their up-coming Messiah--another $300 or so dollars.
....this and many other things contribute to why I'm glad to not be enrolled in dreary college classes.
:) |
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| Clearly the best man (of the two) won |
[Nov. 3rd, 2004|12:53 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  relieved | ] |
| [ | music |
| | Story Time in Mrs. Pledger's Room | ] |
I'm not very surprised by the result.
Abroad, we are doing the right thing. I think Bush realizes the vast disappointment simmering in the hearts of 48% of the electorate, and will judge future military actions in Iraq with more circumspection. I'm sure intelligence reports will be more accurate. My opinion regarding foreign policy these days: If France is sad, I'm happy.
Domestically, government will grow--only at a slower rate. Republican representatives should should grow a pair and pass the fair tax proposal thereby dispatching the IRS for good. It's gathering momentum slowly. In the end I'm pessimistic, and the only consolation in this election result is that government growth and power will not expand at the rate the Souffle was proposing.
BETH, let's be good sports and at least offer to purchase Barbara Streisand (BS)'s ticket for the airline of her choice--one way trip to live in a superior European country of her choice. |
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| Summer programs 2005 |
[Nov. 2nd, 2004|12:52 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  determined | ] |
| [ | music |
| | screaming kindergardeners | ] |
Following is a list of my options for Summer Opera programs. These are the places I'm applying to.
Ash Lawn Fesival: (Butterfly and Annie Get Your Gun)
--I would absolutely love to sing Goro in Butterfly--my favorite opera. Probably would not be interested in this program were they not performing Butterfly.
Brevard: (Barber of Seville, Rigoletto, Sweeney Todd, and HMS Pinafore)
--Nothing in Sweeney, Barber, or Pinafore appeal to me, but Rigoletto has a great charater tenor role in it, which I believe would be fun to play. Also, some people this summer told me that the Duke might not be completely out of the question--but I'm probably a fool for even thinking I'd be considered.
--I might, of course, be offered more G and S with Pinafore.....accepting/playing lead tenor in Pinafore would be an absolute last resort. Fortunately they have a late application date.
New Jersey Opera Theatre--Summer YAP: (Barber, Figaro, and Massennet's Cherubin)
--Nothing in Barber or Figaro interests me. I researched the Cherubin and found 2 character tenor roles that look fun. The real reason I'm considering applying there is that my friend Sam from New Orleans was really excited about maybe landing Cherubino in Figaro, and Justin possibly wants to shoot for Figaro or Count in Marriage. Another plus: performances are in NYC, and the program isn't outrageously expensive.
Opera in the Ozarks: (Die Zauberflote, Rusalka, and Into the Woods)
--Tamino, of course, is my main goal. Since I've been singing seriously (5-6 yrs, I guess), tons of people along the way have told me that Tamino would be my first big role. The main coach from Ozarks--who will undoubtedly return as the German coach for Flute--gave me a lesson the last day at Ozarks, and after I finished singing through "Dies Bildness" she told me that I had "the ideal sound" for the role right now. To my surprise Vern Sutton, artistic director, met with me at the end of the Summer and told me he'd be interested in hearing me auditioning with the aria--especially the last page, AKA the most dificult page of tenor literature. I think my chances are pretty good considering that Tamino will surely be double-cast, and if I'm not the absolute best Mozart tenor voice they audition, maybe runner-up status will be good enough :). I will go ahead and mention that I will take grave offense if I'm offered Monastatos instead. Rusalka has nothing. I would love to be involved with Into the Woods, but I'm not going to an opera program solely to sing musical theater.
Opera North: (Tosca and The Gondoliers)
--I would really like to sing the character tenor role in Tosca. The location appeals to me--New Hampshire. I guess I just love Puccini to a fault. Regarding The Gondoliers, I'm just not ready to reprise my legendary Marco--did it in 2002 and 2003. I won't go here unless it is to sing Spoletta. A negative--the nearest audition places are Knoxville, TN and Greensboro, NC.
*following paragraph is based on gut feeling. Ignore at will*
I predict (this is totally a WAG) that I'll be accepted to Ash Lawn, Brevard, Ozarks, and maybe the New Jersey thing. Opera North is highly competitive, and holds massive auditions in the New York area. I just don't know what casting standards/competition exists at Ash Lawn and New Jersey. Maybe it's foolish to assume I'd be accepted there. If I get Tamino in Ozarks, all other bets are off. If not, I believe that my best bet is with Brevard. I suppose it's anyone's guess.
What are you people planning for next Summer? |
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| My never-to-be-humble opinion on election 2004 |
[Oct. 28th, 2004|01:26 am] |
There are 5 days left, so here it goes. I'm commited to voting for George Walker Bush because he's risen to the challenges presented to him. Al Gore would not have met the Islamist-Jihadist situation with the balls that Bush did. Democrat friends, you are all so predictable. When Bush first talked about capturing Bin Laden "dead or alive" you said that America shouldn't be surprised at all that they were attacked--hell, we deserved it for acting like we were somehow or another superior to nations which confine their women to a wardrobe of, um, 1 burkha. Bush was just being a cowboy drunk with excecutive power. Then the polls said it was ok to go after Bin Laden, so you softened. Next stage--Iraq. We are now supposed to believe that North Korea and Iran are a greater threat to our national security, yet, you superior Democrats decried Bush's state of the union address some years back when bush declared them an "axis of evil." Bush was just being a cowboy again. Oh, then we actually decide to take action--balsy action, a war--against the one country of the three that our intelligence confirms is the greatest threat, and whose strategic geographic location lends itself most to regime change. What do you do then, democrats/John Kerry? You employ that tenth of your brain that actually works, and you vote to authorize the president TO PRE-EMPTIVELY strike the Hussein regime. Then the legions of skanky, lice-infested, unclean-since-the-sixties, protestors come out of the woodwork. Some HUGE MISSTEPS/MISJUDGEMENTS do indeed occur by the pentagon/bush administration. We then use their missteps to undermine the original goal--the goal that YOU agreed with, but which became vastly unpopular among your liberal, mangy, base for the presidential primary. Democrats are plagued with indecisiveness and spinelessness. This base required that you vote against the financial assistance to make possible your earlier vote. You bow to the exremes of your party and vote against it. Howard Dean, Michael Moore, and all of the above-mentioned fools are now happier. Now....several months later......any good news from Iraq is supressed, and all bad news appears in BOLD in the nation's leading news outlets.
Democrats, if you are at ALL honest in your anti-war stand, you will NOT vote for John Kerry. Remember, he voted for the war, he is on record supporting regime change both verbally and with his congressional vote. He admitted just recently that he'd vote for it again knowing the same things we know today (that there are/were no WMDs). Do you realize what this means? He would have taken the coutry to war just as Bush did on the same information. He proposes NOT A SINGLE significant change in the prosecution of the present war. Vote for an honest anti-war candidate, or don't vote at all. To paraphrase Cheney's words "if you can't stand up to Howard Dean, just how the fuck can you stand up to al qaida?" Voting for John Kerry is just fine. Suspecting that he has the metal to take on serious national security threats before they kill 3000 more of our innocent citizens is utter foolishness. But then again, i've never expected much from democrats. Go ahead, act intellectual and sophisticated. Join student protests alongside ignorant college undergrads who probably couldn't name 4 of the 7 supreme courts justices. Wear adorable pins and post cute little flyers around your college campuses. Write sophomoric bromides in chalk on your sidewalks. Vote for a true anti-war candidate. Write yourself in. Just be honest for chrissake. John Kerry is not anti-war. He's stradling whatever fence it takes to get elected.
P.S. Not that i'm at all interested in being 'fair and balanced', but I have to confess my love for Teresa Heinz Kerry......dont' ask....i think i just love a loose cannon.
:) |
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fattenor's journal