Oh we are finally into the meat of our classes! It is finally the time that I can get to work and learn so much from this place. I've been ready for this for so long and now its finally here! The work I did in high school has really paid off this first semester for sure. I feel very ahead of the game in most of my classes aside from Diction for Singers. But I really do feel like this is what I need to do with my life. This is the work that I am passionate about and enjoy doing.
Today in theory we went over how to transpose music. Our teacher, who I am not all the impressed with, is making us (Us as in them because I learned a MUCH easier way.) count intervals to transpose. It sounds like that is easy but how easy is it really if people don't even understand the construction of a major scale? No!! It makes NO sense to count intervals if you don't even understand how scales work. So I raised my hand after people struggled with trying to realize that concept and said, "Can't we do this by solfege? Everyone in here understands solfege and not the construction of scales." Then without being told, I ran up to the board and notated both. I have been so frustrated with how he teaches and how he NEVER explains anything in a simple way. If I had not taken theory before, I would be so frustrated and mad!! Im paying you tuition to take your class and to learn and understand. That goes both ways, and I feel like he's not holding up the other end of the deal. Anyways, at the end of class some people said they really appreciated what I said and that it helped them out a lot to think about it in that way. I also got two peoples numbers so that they could call me if they needed help. That at least means I understand it, right? I am counting down the days until I can take the "Test Out Exam" and get out of that terribly terrible class. I just pray that those kids will figure it out on there own or that Bro. May becomes an easier teacher to understand.
BoM is going well as is both of my choir classes and I'm excited for the progress I have made already from that class. I love both of these teachers and really enjoy going to there classes.
Tonight I had my first group vocal lesson with Sis. Ashby and also my first master class for vocal methods. This is all apart of the Music 155 class. There are four parts to this class; 1. Monday Master Classes which is basically a chance to perform in front of your classmates to be critiqued. 2. Wednesday, which is a vocal anatomy class. 3. Group lessons. These happen every other week with a group of three and one faculty member. 4. Individual vocal lessons which happen once a week for a half hour. Today was my first group lesson which was fun I suppose. I met some friends in my major (Finally!!) and worked on forming vowels. We also worked on expanding our diaphragm as we sing. I apparently have a big issue with this and this is mostly from my TERRIBLE posture. It's frustrating to have to spend so much time getting my body in place so that I sing correctly. I am going to guess that 94% of the time that I sang in high school and the past was incorrect. It's beyond frustrating for me. But I knew when I got here that that would be something I really struggled with fixing and I hope that as the semester continues and I work more diligently on it, I will get better. We also had master class for the first time and today because no one was prepared to sing a solo, we each sang a verse from our favorite hymn. I picked hymn #100 because I mostly like how it resonates for my voice. I went first so that I could just prove my worth. This is kinda a side note, but since being here, I have been very compelled to prove that I deserve to be here. So I felt like I just needed to get up there and sing! So I went first said my name and where I was from (Which BTW, everyone like freaks out about where I live. I never knew Walla Walla was so foreign to people.) and then I sang! And boy did it feel good to be praised! Everyone shared with me how much they loved my voice and one boy in the class even asked if we could sing a duet in church. It feels so good to be praised. Twenty people went after me and I don't want to be vain, but I think I am sitting in a good place right now. It just feels good to finally feel like I belong here.
It's been a long day. We stayed up WAYYYYY too late last night talking and bonding with my wonderful room mates and so today has been insanely hard. I'm ready to take a nap and sleep tonight for sure!
Happy singing!!
Love, Courtney Griggs
Monday, January 13, 2014
Friday, January 10, 2014
Ending the First Week.
Wow. Can I just say this has been the busiest and craziest week of my life! I am beyond exhausted and already ready for a vacation.
Being a Music Major is not as easy as you may think it is. It is a lot of work. It's a good work though, it's very enjoyable. I feel very small here sometimes. Walla Walla is such a small town and has a much smaller community of musically inclined people. Here, it's a very competitive and everyone is talented. I used to feel very talented in Walla Walla, not in a snobby way, but I knew the insides and outsides of the music community. Here, I feel very lost. Today as I was walking home from choir, I felt a little discouraged just because I really don't know what I'm doing. When you become a music major here, you kinda have to learn the ropes by yourselves. I miss knowing what I am doing all the time. It's just going to take some getting used to I think. There are going to be days when I get discouraged I'm sure, but at the end of the day, I love what I am doing here. I love what I'm learning and I love this place! It's where I'm supposed to be.
Anyways, today was a pretty chill! I have two classes on friday and both are choir. I love my fridays. And I adore my choir teacher. She's phenomenal. She really pushes you to be your best. And she's always positive. My first choir class of the day has about 135 people and she manages to have a positive attitude even though half of the class could care less. I wish more people appreciated the hard work that music teachers put into there job. My poor Music Exploration teacher gets absolutely no credit for being a good teacher. I feel bad for him because, true, he does teach the most boring class but he also has the same passion for music that all of us have. Appreciation is something that I PRAY people will have for me when I become a music teacher. It's a very hard occupation and since being here, I have gained a whole new respect for music teachers.
My diction for class has been insanely difficult but really informative. I think it will be easier once I understand IPA. I think I am slowly getting there. It's a lot easier once you take the thinking out of it and just write how the word sounds. This is what my name looks like in IPA!
kɔrtni grɪgz
I've been working on a lot of Hymn Transcription this past week for theory. It's SUPER tedious and a waste of time but it gives me the chance to practice notating. I don't really need the practice for transposing but I definitely need the practice for notating music. So I've been spending time on that as well.
Im happy that the easy week is finally almost done. I'm ready for the meat of the semester to begin. It's about time to get started! Because once I get started the sooner I can teach!! AHHH!! Can the future be here now? :)
Until next time,
Love, Courtney Griggs
Being a Music Major is not as easy as you may think it is. It is a lot of work. It's a good work though, it's very enjoyable. I feel very small here sometimes. Walla Walla is such a small town and has a much smaller community of musically inclined people. Here, it's a very competitive and everyone is talented. I used to feel very talented in Walla Walla, not in a snobby way, but I knew the insides and outsides of the music community. Here, I feel very lost. Today as I was walking home from choir, I felt a little discouraged just because I really don't know what I'm doing. When you become a music major here, you kinda have to learn the ropes by yourselves. I miss knowing what I am doing all the time. It's just going to take some getting used to I think. There are going to be days when I get discouraged I'm sure, but at the end of the day, I love what I am doing here. I love what I'm learning and I love this place! It's where I'm supposed to be.
Anyways, today was a pretty chill! I have two classes on friday and both are choir. I love my fridays. And I adore my choir teacher. She's phenomenal. She really pushes you to be your best. And she's always positive. My first choir class of the day has about 135 people and she manages to have a positive attitude even though half of the class could care less. I wish more people appreciated the hard work that music teachers put into there job. My poor Music Exploration teacher gets absolutely no credit for being a good teacher. I feel bad for him because, true, he does teach the most boring class but he also has the same passion for music that all of us have. Appreciation is something that I PRAY people will have for me when I become a music teacher. It's a very hard occupation and since being here, I have gained a whole new respect for music teachers.
My diction for class has been insanely difficult but really informative. I think it will be easier once I understand IPA. I think I am slowly getting there. It's a lot easier once you take the thinking out of it and just write how the word sounds. This is what my name looks like in IPA!
kɔrtni grɪgz
I've been working on a lot of Hymn Transcription this past week for theory. It's SUPER tedious and a waste of time but it gives me the chance to practice notating. I don't really need the practice for transposing but I definitely need the practice for notating music. So I've been spending time on that as well.
Im happy that the easy week is finally almost done. I'm ready for the meat of the semester to begin. It's about time to get started! Because once I get started the sooner I can teach!! AHHH!! Can the future be here now? :)
Until next time,
Love, Courtney Griggs
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Day 2; I'm tired.
I thought I would have time to blog last night but I have been so tired and busy that this has been my first break for a while. It's insane how crazy being a music major is. It's fun work, just a lot of work as well.
Yesterday started with theory again... Joy. I have the homework for that class done until next friday night. And I have a hundred percent. Its awesome, it just seems like such a big waste of my time. I just feel like I should have been able to test out so that I could actually be spending my time on learning new things instead of suffering through stuff I learned in middle school choir. An interesting thing happened in that class though. Bro. May, our teacher asked our 63 person class who knew what solfege was. About 30 of us raised our hands and the rest looked so confused. I was literally shocked and my jaw dropped. Ive just grown up with solfege under my belt. I felt so bad for the kids that didn't know what that is. Its so crazy to me! I thought it was the universal language. Today though, we were in class and talking about intervals and one of the girls sitting behind me was asking about perfect intervals. The teacher didn't know how to explain other then that it is tradition. I was taught that yes, it is tradition but also that those are the tones that while singing they become overtones. Also, whether they are inverted or in there original chord state, they will always become perfect and they won't be switching between major and minor. Anyways, they just said it was tradition and I felt like there was so much more then that.
Next I had THE DUMBEST CLASS IN THE WORLD. Music Explorations. This class is basically just an informational class about music and what a music major entails. IT IS LITERALLY THE DUMBEST CLASS EVER AND REALLY DUMB AND I HATE IT.
At ll:30 I had a diction class and let me tell you, this is going to be the hardest class of the semester. It is ridiculously hard. In two weeks we have the whole IPA language (Phonic Language) memorized! This class is a class that is usually only offered to kids after there first semester. So this is a class wayyyy ahead of where I am, and although I can TOTALLY do it, it will just be a lot of work. It's a very interesting class and I am excited for what I get to learn in that class.
Then we had dance and.... That will be interesting is all I am going to say.
Side notes: I am singing Second Soprano in University Choir and First Soprano in Women's Choir!!! Beyond STOKED!! YAY SOPRANO!!! I just got done with the call back audition and I can tell you that I feel VERY out of practice as a first soprano... Im just a little nervous about it all but I am finally done singing alto for awhile :)
Well thats all for today. I'm exhausted and have IPA to memorize.... Here begins the foretold no social life for Courtney.
Love you all,
Courtney Griggs
Monday, January 6, 2014
Day numero uno: Completed!!
College is all about firsts. And today I completed one of the many firsts I will have; My first day of the semester! Although I didn't have all my classes today, I figured I would write in depth about the classes I did have so that when I have classes tomorrow; I can give them as much credit as I give these ones. :) So as I listen to my favorite Eric Whitacre pieces, I will write :)
The day started early at 9:00 AM. I am still not used to that time.... It's much to early for my liking. I started with Basic Musicianship. This is a beginner theory class that you can't test out of you annoyingly. A lot of the material was stuff I knew before I even took choir. Luckily, if you have an A or A- by the end of Week 4 you are allowed to take a test to let you skip the rest of the semester of this class. This could mean that I wouldn't have to wake up so early anymore! :) Along with this class being so early, I had to sit by a kid who told me that the: "Music program here is super competitive and I will so beat you out of the opening spot for the major." and he kept asking me questions ALL of class like where do was and what 8va meant and like really stupid questions that you should know before you decide to invest your life in music. I just want to be there to pass, not to be a free tutor. So pray that I don't flunk this class for the sole reason so that I can sleep in later. :P
After that I made my way up to the Taylor Building where all of the religion classes are at. I have a teacher that is very strict about Cell Phones not being used and attending his class. We pick our grade at the end of the quarter. He said he doesn't give grades because it doesn't benefit him, Jesus is the one for grading. I thought that was funny.
11:30 was my first choir of the day. This choir is University Choir! This is the big mixed choir and has about 140 people. I really love Sis. Ashby. She is very good at what she does and very good at handling the class. We just did some basic singing to figure out what part we would be singing for the semester. After that we were handed our first piece of music for the semester! The pirates of Penzance chorus!! We sing it all in February; just 6 weeks away!! We will be having soloist come from New York to sing with us. I just can't even express my excitement. It will be great. :)
Usually I would have a second choir class at 2:00 but it wasn't held today so that Sis. Ashby could finish auditions for this choir. So you will just have to wait to hear about that one later. :)
I had a break then after University Choir and got to sit around and be lazy and talk to my Mom and Nathan. Being lazy is still one of the best things in the entire world. :)
Finally, my last class is Music 155 which is a combination of voice lessons and the anatomy of how your voice works. It's apparently a very hands on class. Tonight was just an information meeting and we got to get to know some of the vocal coaches that will be teaching us.
The day is coming to a close thankfully because I am definitely tired after such a long day. Im trying to be a really good student and do my homework every night because getting behind in the music program is insanely hard to catch up. I have to be on my A game at ALL times. No being lazy anymore in classes.
Thats all for now :) Im sure that I will have stuff to talk about because my schedule is COMPLETELY different tomorrow. :)
Happy singing!!
Love, Courtney Griggs
The day started early at 9:00 AM. I am still not used to that time.... It's much to early for my liking. I started with Basic Musicianship. This is a beginner theory class that you can't test out of you annoyingly. A lot of the material was stuff I knew before I even took choir. Luckily, if you have an A or A- by the end of Week 4 you are allowed to take a test to let you skip the rest of the semester of this class. This could mean that I wouldn't have to wake up so early anymore! :) Along with this class being so early, I had to sit by a kid who told me that the: "Music program here is super competitive and I will so beat you out of the opening spot for the major." and he kept asking me questions ALL of class like where do was and what 8va meant and like really stupid questions that you should know before you decide to invest your life in music. I just want to be there to pass, not to be a free tutor. So pray that I don't flunk this class for the sole reason so that I can sleep in later. :P
After that I made my way up to the Taylor Building where all of the religion classes are at. I have a teacher that is very strict about Cell Phones not being used and attending his class. We pick our grade at the end of the quarter. He said he doesn't give grades because it doesn't benefit him, Jesus is the one for grading. I thought that was funny.
11:30 was my first choir of the day. This choir is University Choir! This is the big mixed choir and has about 140 people. I really love Sis. Ashby. She is very good at what she does and very good at handling the class. We just did some basic singing to figure out what part we would be singing for the semester. After that we were handed our first piece of music for the semester! The pirates of Penzance chorus!! We sing it all in February; just 6 weeks away!! We will be having soloist come from New York to sing with us. I just can't even express my excitement. It will be great. :)
Usually I would have a second choir class at 2:00 but it wasn't held today so that Sis. Ashby could finish auditions for this choir. So you will just have to wait to hear about that one later. :)
I had a break then after University Choir and got to sit around and be lazy and talk to my Mom and Nathan. Being lazy is still one of the best things in the entire world. :)
Finally, my last class is Music 155 which is a combination of voice lessons and the anatomy of how your voice works. It's apparently a very hands on class. Tonight was just an information meeting and we got to get to know some of the vocal coaches that will be teaching us.
The day is coming to a close thankfully because I am definitely tired after such a long day. Im trying to be a really good student and do my homework every night because getting behind in the music program is insanely hard to catch up. I have to be on my A game at ALL times. No being lazy anymore in classes.
Thats all for now :) Im sure that I will have stuff to talk about because my schedule is COMPLETELY different tomorrow. :)
Happy singing!!
Love, Courtney Griggs
Sunday, January 5, 2014
The first weekend is almost over!
Thats right! Its finally almost over! I have been beyond swamped this weekend with moving in, orientation, auditions and so much more! I am so incredibly blessed to be here in this BEAUTIFUL place. I feel like I haven't even had a moment to breathe. Every day I feel more and more exhausted but it has been a fun exhaustion. :)
I know that I have family that wants to know everything that I have done this week so here is the blog post to get you most informed. :)
We got here Thursday night around 6:30 and went straight to the rental house that is right down the street from the Snow Building (Music Building). We went grocery shopping, and also went down to the Snow Building to get me signed up for the many auditions that I had this weekend. I swear the Snow Building is a maze!! You can get lost so easily in there its insanity!!
Thursday night was a little emotional. I was nervous for the day ahead and missing friends back home. I'm very attached to all of my friends back home and I feel like I've lost all of them. The blessing of it all though is that we live in a day and age that allows us to still talk even from hundred of miles away. :) It makes everything feel less lonely.
Friday started bright and early when we moved me into my very own apartment!! I live at the pines (My address is 140 West 2nd Street South Apt 4. Rexburg, Idaho 83440) with my best friend Alaina Weimer! We are suffering on bunk beds every night and we hit our heads every morning trying to get out of the worst possible invention of man kind; bunk beds. I unpacked all of my clothes into our walk in closet and JUST finished unpacking the rest today... Don't judge we had a very busy weekend! Friday continued with a lead into the "Get Connected" Program here on campus. We started by meeting our I-Team and then went to the welcome talk by President Clark. That was my favorite part!! Then I had to rush over to the Snow building and auditioned for Choir! Sister Ashby and she will be my choir director for both choirs I am in. The audition went well and I sang, "When I Have Sung My Songs" which is the second song I sang at state. She enjoyed my singing and how I tell stories when I sing. I also did some ear training stuff with her and some basic sight reading. After the audition was over she told me that I for sure had a spot in Women's Choir (Im in two choirs; University which is non audition and Women's Which is audition. These Choirs are similar to Concert choir and Treble Ensemble back home) but she was unsure which voice spot she wanted me to sing. She said that she tends to have lots of people singing 1st Alto and 2nd Soprano and that the parts she had a hard time filling were 2nd Alto and 1st Soprano. She said I will probably be singing one of those parts. So who knows! Ill either be singing the bottom or go back to singing my favorite part; first soprano. :) After that we had some time to ourselves for dinner and I ate a sandwich.... I haven't been the best eater since Ive been here. :P Finally we attended the New Student Talent Show and I literally almost passed out from exhaustion. Its been insanely busy! So, we came back home showered and jumped right into bed.
Friday night also happened to be the night that I said goodbye to my parents. My dad gave me a blessing and then with tears in all of our eyes we said goodbye. Missing them all very much but I know again, that we have the technology to talk and see each other all the time if need be.
Saturday came early and I honestly did not enjoy Saturday's activities but did enjoy talking to the head of the Music Department and asking her a couple of questions. She kept saying all the things that I have heard countless of times about my major and what to expect and that it is HARD! She said people who choose a music major will live in the Snow Building the entire time they are here at BYU-I. I felt a little like a music nerd during that class because I tended to answer all of her questions and knew what was going on. I was shocked by how many kids wanted to be performing majors or education majors in the music program that don't know how to play the piano. Here, you are required to take a piano class every quarter. This will be quite challenging to them I think. The other part of Saturday that I really enjoyed was my Audition for Voice Lessons!! Because of the limited amount of practice space and limited teachers, each person signed up for vocal lessons must audition to get into vocal lessons. I was a little bit more nervous for this one just because it seemed like the pressure was so high. I went into the audition room and Brother Olsen is exactly like Mr. Rossi!! Like, almost to a tee. He was very kind and we chatted about my background of music. After we chatted I handed my music to the Pianist (Again, I sang the same song as last audition) and sang for him. After I was done singing he said that he had sang that at his wedding! How nerve-racking!! He said that I had a well trained voice and that I was well ahead of where I needed to be freshmen semester. He recommended that if I had room (Which I do!!) to take a class about diction and such which is usually only offered to third semester kids. At this point I was already BEYOND thrilled with what he had said but he added that he usually coaches the older kids but that he takes a couple freshmen under his wing and he was going to consider taking me!! AHHHH!!! I was so excited and floored! I hadn't even really warmed up or anything and felt really good about it all :)
Saturday night was I-Night which is basically a giant party much like my senior graduation party... Just bigger. I was so exhausted by this point that I don't really remember much of what went on there and what I enjoyed. It was a good one time thing :P I don't think I'll be going next semester :P
Today has been my first day of church in the YSA 77th Ward! And let me tell you, it was SO NICE not playing piano. SO NICE. I got to sing for the first time in a longggggg time. Im excited to be here with these people. They all seem to have open welcoming arms. :) Aside from church we have a had a pretty lazy day finishing unpacking and sitting around.
Im so excited for tomorrow and the adventure that I'm going to have!! Music is awesome and i just can't get over how right it is for me to study music here. :)
Love you all!
--Courtney Griggs
I know that I have family that wants to know everything that I have done this week so here is the blog post to get you most informed. :)
We got here Thursday night around 6:30 and went straight to the rental house that is right down the street from the Snow Building (Music Building). We went grocery shopping, and also went down to the Snow Building to get me signed up for the many auditions that I had this weekend. I swear the Snow Building is a maze!! You can get lost so easily in there its insanity!!
Thursday night was a little emotional. I was nervous for the day ahead and missing friends back home. I'm very attached to all of my friends back home and I feel like I've lost all of them. The blessing of it all though is that we live in a day and age that allows us to still talk even from hundred of miles away. :) It makes everything feel less lonely.
Friday started bright and early when we moved me into my very own apartment!! I live at the pines (My address is 140 West 2nd Street South Apt 4. Rexburg, Idaho 83440) with my best friend Alaina Weimer! We are suffering on bunk beds every night and we hit our heads every morning trying to get out of the worst possible invention of man kind; bunk beds. I unpacked all of my clothes into our walk in closet and JUST finished unpacking the rest today... Don't judge we had a very busy weekend! Friday continued with a lead into the "Get Connected" Program here on campus. We started by meeting our I-Team and then went to the welcome talk by President Clark. That was my favorite part!! Then I had to rush over to the Snow building and auditioned for Choir! Sister Ashby and she will be my choir director for both choirs I am in. The audition went well and I sang, "When I Have Sung My Songs" which is the second song I sang at state. She enjoyed my singing and how I tell stories when I sing. I also did some ear training stuff with her and some basic sight reading. After the audition was over she told me that I for sure had a spot in Women's Choir (Im in two choirs; University which is non audition and Women's Which is audition. These Choirs are similar to Concert choir and Treble Ensemble back home) but she was unsure which voice spot she wanted me to sing. She said that she tends to have lots of people singing 1st Alto and 2nd Soprano and that the parts she had a hard time filling were 2nd Alto and 1st Soprano. She said I will probably be singing one of those parts. So who knows! Ill either be singing the bottom or go back to singing my favorite part; first soprano. :) After that we had some time to ourselves for dinner and I ate a sandwich.... I haven't been the best eater since Ive been here. :P Finally we attended the New Student Talent Show and I literally almost passed out from exhaustion. Its been insanely busy! So, we came back home showered and jumped right into bed.
Friday night also happened to be the night that I said goodbye to my parents. My dad gave me a blessing and then with tears in all of our eyes we said goodbye. Missing them all very much but I know again, that we have the technology to talk and see each other all the time if need be.
Saturday came early and I honestly did not enjoy Saturday's activities but did enjoy talking to the head of the Music Department and asking her a couple of questions. She kept saying all the things that I have heard countless of times about my major and what to expect and that it is HARD! She said people who choose a music major will live in the Snow Building the entire time they are here at BYU-I. I felt a little like a music nerd during that class because I tended to answer all of her questions and knew what was going on. I was shocked by how many kids wanted to be performing majors or education majors in the music program that don't know how to play the piano. Here, you are required to take a piano class every quarter. This will be quite challenging to them I think. The other part of Saturday that I really enjoyed was my Audition for Voice Lessons!! Because of the limited amount of practice space and limited teachers, each person signed up for vocal lessons must audition to get into vocal lessons. I was a little bit more nervous for this one just because it seemed like the pressure was so high. I went into the audition room and Brother Olsen is exactly like Mr. Rossi!! Like, almost to a tee. He was very kind and we chatted about my background of music. After we chatted I handed my music to the Pianist (Again, I sang the same song as last audition) and sang for him. After I was done singing he said that he had sang that at his wedding! How nerve-racking!! He said that I had a well trained voice and that I was well ahead of where I needed to be freshmen semester. He recommended that if I had room (Which I do!!) to take a class about diction and such which is usually only offered to third semester kids. At this point I was already BEYOND thrilled with what he had said but he added that he usually coaches the older kids but that he takes a couple freshmen under his wing and he was going to consider taking me!! AHHHH!!! I was so excited and floored! I hadn't even really warmed up or anything and felt really good about it all :)
Saturday night was I-Night which is basically a giant party much like my senior graduation party... Just bigger. I was so exhausted by this point that I don't really remember much of what went on there and what I enjoyed. It was a good one time thing :P I don't think I'll be going next semester :P
Today has been my first day of church in the YSA 77th Ward! And let me tell you, it was SO NICE not playing piano. SO NICE. I got to sing for the first time in a longggggg time. Im excited to be here with these people. They all seem to have open welcoming arms. :) Aside from church we have a had a pretty lazy day finishing unpacking and sitting around.
Im so excited for tomorrow and the adventure that I'm going to have!! Music is awesome and i just can't get over how right it is for me to study music here. :)
Love you all!
--Courtney Griggs
Friday, June 28, 2013
The new girl in town!
When you become a performer, you begin to fall into doing the same thing. You practice, you perform, you say goodbye. I think each performers likes to have some sense of consistency. We like to KNOW what's going on. We don't like the unknown. When we perform, everything has to be in perfect alignment for it all to work and be stress free. And even then there is lots of stress involved.
Along with finding solstice in the schedule being the same, we also bond with those around us. You find those special sets of performers and you move in with them. You become your own little pack. When one of you is in a show or a performance, the others are up there with you. Performers like knowing each and every person around them and being able to trust in what the others actions are. It takes guts and strength to believe in everyone. You become whole and can't live with flaws.
One time I did the show, "The Fiddler on the Roof." In that show, there are three daughters, one mother and a very eccentric woman named yente that make up with girls leads. The actors gathered in the auditorium to await casting. We each knew who would play the daughters and who would play the old crazy lady but we had no idea who would play golde, the mother. There were three or four girls hoping that they would be cast but there was no clear winner. 2 of the girls were returning to this theatre and director. The director knew what he was working with and what to expect from there acting choices. So naturally when the most unexpected person was cast, we were floored! Who casts a nobody; and outsider.
She ended up doing an absolutely marvelous job but it took time for us to accept her as one of our own. Learning to open up to others ideas is a huge part of being an actor or a musician. It's not an easy lesson, not is a particularly fun one, but nonetheless it is one we all must learn. 
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
The Music Bucket List
We all have one... And we all need one! Everyone I know has a bucket list... I have one of things that I just generally want to do with my life but I also have another one that I started when I was really little. Over the years I have added to this list... Rewrote it and crossed off items. This list is my musical bucket list. On this list, it has everything that I want to perform, see and hear before I die. Some of these are far fetched, and some were easy for me to mark off, but I still have such a long way to go. They say that if you write something down, you are more likely to do it. So here we go. The ones with an asterisks by them have been completed!
My musical bucket list:
1. Audition for American Idol (or any singing show really)
2. Sing "I Dreamed a Dream" in a performance.*
3. Be in an acapella group.
4. See Wicked*
5. Play Fantine from Les Miserable on Broadway.
6. Play Maria from Sound of Music
7. Perform in a Jazz Concert*
8. Learn how to play the guitar
9. Learn how to play the Organ.*
10. Go to an Opera.
11. See Phantom on Broadway.
12. Meet Julie Andrews
13. Meet David Archuleta.*
14. Perform "The Girl in 14G"
15. Teach voice.
16. Direct a choir
17. Sing the National Anthem at some big stadium. (This gets a half asterisks... I sang with my chamber group but didn't do a solo.)
18. Be in the Walla Walla High School Chamber Singers.*
19. Marry a musician.
20. Go on tour.
21. Go to London to perform.
22. Getting a standing ovation for a solo.
23. Go to State.*
24. Sing back up for a famous person.
25. Hear Sara Barrielles in concert.
26. Meet Eric whitacre
27. Perform "Leonardo Dreams of his Flying Machine"
28. Perform "Magnum Mysterium."
There is my list... I think I forgot a few here and there but here's to finishing these dreams! (:
Love,
Courtney
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