Now Playing -
white noise.
Now Eating -
nada.
Now Feeling -
outh. My thongue hurths.
Now Tweeting
- Melanie
A Mighty Wind was much fun. And this guy was all over the movie. Considering what a slacker I thought he was way back when we did children's theatre and a production of A Christmas Carol in the early '90's, I'm impressed he's come this far. But then again, I thought the same when I did A Chorus Line with this guy. People change.
The movie wasn't quite as over-the-top hysterical as Guffman, but I think that's more a matter of the subject. I don't think folk music's as ripe for spoofage as community theatre. It's too earnest an art form.
Tonight was my last Garcia Girls. Thank you, lord. Of course, I chomped down on my tongue in my sleep and could barely get a complete sentence out unmangled. Not conducive to reading aloud. Ah, well. And it'll be nice to retire the dress I've been wearing for a spell.
It's weird; when I do something like these readings, or the Christmas caroling, anything that intense in a short span of time, my vocal stamina really increases. I notice it during lessons. Okay, so it's not weird, really - it's like building strength by lifting weights. It's very obvious to me as I'm singing.
Now, I sing every day, in some form or another, but I don't really "practice" per se. As in, going through an entire "lesson" by myself on tape. I have to admit, I�m not very conscientious about it. [I'm sure my mother wouldn't like to hear that, in the way mothers get about lessons. I�m not quite sure what my voice teacher will think when she reads this, but I think she�ll understand.] I don't feel I have to be...my lessons regularly run 2 hours, and that's a pretty thorough workout each week. Anything else is just gravy. And believe me, I get plenty of gravy. I'll sing through select parts of a tape as a warm-up for either a rehearsal or a show. And of course, sing along with the radio or a cd. I have this theory; people either have vocal cords like spider webs or steel bands. I�m lucky. I have steel bands. I have never lost my voice. Sure, there�ve been times when it�s been very tough to sing because of congestion due to illness. My sinuses are my particular bugaboo - you look at me wrong and I get a sinus infection. But my cords themselves have never given me a lick of trouble. And I've found that, like any workout, the more I sing the stronger I feel. The better I'm able to project. And the more varied the types of music I sing, the more flexible my voice becomes. I�m lucky in that I can "imitate" the singers I like without doing any damage. Mostly because I know my limits. I have a big range, but I know my strengths and my weaknesses, and don't try to push past what I'm capable of. I'm in the best vocal shape of my life right now, and it's a great feeling. To be able to fill a theater with sound. To have the director and music director tell you without hesitation that you sound great. A fellow cast member asked me over the weekend if I was going down for some open call they're having for a tour of The Lion King. When I said no, he couldn't get over it.
"Why?"
"I have a day job...."
"So? Do you have a family?"
"I have a husband...."
"If I didn't have a kid, I'd be there in a second!"
It's just not where my life is right now. I don't have that "edge" anymore. Or the stamina to shlep around the city toting music and dance shoes for hours on end. To wait for hours in the lobby of a rehearsal studio and then only get to sing eight bars. Any connections I had are pretty much dried up. This is what I do now. I can still live vicariously through my friends. And I am still using the degree I earned in some small productive way. And yeah, I may be pretty good for out here, but put me in the city and there are thousands of girls just like me. And better, and younger, and fitter and far, far less jaded.
This is what I do. And if I can do it to the best of my ability, and have others enjoy it, and enjoy it myself and be able to find it in some small way fulfilling...well, that has to count for something, doesn't it?
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a very fine cat indeed - Friday, Jan. 17, 2014
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this is how it is - Friday, Feb. 24, 2012
a very late last year's wrap-up - Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2012
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