freude

The person who sat next to me tonight at chorus rehearsal is probably the best singer I've ever sat next to, EVER. Someone told me she just graduated from UIC, so I guess she's around 22. Anyway, she was so good, arrr, this is exactly why I joined, to be trained and inspired and given a reality check. She is my new goal. ARRR. It's the EASE, how EASY a high B flat is for her, and amazing sound.

[Warning: rambling to follow] THEN... there was a surprise placement audition to determine soprano 1 and soprano 2. OK not a "surprise" like an evil pop quiz, more like, Hey all the sopranos are now gonna sing so we know who can do what. In front of each other. Run by two girls (one of them my new goal). If you know me, you know why this is a big deal--I'm overly shy, twitchy, hang-nail bitey, nervous laughy. This is not the best thing that can happen to me. I am usually completely spent after an audition just from the 5 days of mental preparation. This usually does not apply to placement auditions because you are already "in." But in front of your peers? They were letting us size each other up, how evil. Although logically it is a good thing that I didn't know about it beforehand or I would've had a nervous breakdown. Anyway, we had to sing the first 3 lines of "My Country 'Tis of Thee," starting on C, then D, then if they think you can keep going, you do E (which yields a high note of A). I don't even know why they had to do this, I already had a placement audition with the conductor. Anyway, I was so nervous I totally squeaked and creeked between notes, major lack of breath support, had to clutch my diaphragm, which I HATE, I always need to push it with my hand when I'm nervous. Anyway, for those of you just dying to know: Soprano 1.

I think there are only like 5 soprano 1's, erm, there aren't even that many sopranos, like maybe 25 on a good day (more altos), which is unusual. Which I normally would think is cool, because then I feel like they need me, it's not like I'm just taking up another seat. Except there are only like 5 soprano 1's. There is a descant (especially high) part in one piece, and my new goal sitting next to me was singing it, and I was singing it, and she high-fived me afterward, but it was bad because... she rocked! I sucked! OMG SHE ROCKS. CRAAAAAP, I'm gonna be her (because I don't believe I can beat her).

And for anyone in the know or who did choir with me in high school... one of the pieces we are doing is "Choose Something Like A Star" by Randall Thompson, which is amazing, which I did in high school, I did some really amazing ones in high school, the two "O Magnum Mysterium" pieces (Vittoria and Lauridsen (sp? x 2)), ahh.

I am so frustrated and pumped up right now to pull out the old tapes of voice lessons to start practicing. I know I need a voice teacher. I've contacted two who for various reasons, I'm probably not gonna be seeing. The last person I'm gonna contact is a total hotshot "by audition only" teacher in Glenview (a big plus), whom I am guessing will cost more.