The Show Must Go On

I sang in my first jazz showcase. Some things went great, some not so great. It sort of bothers me that I paid an accompanist for his rehearsal time and he still made a mistake--a big one. And then I made a mistake based on some of those mistakes. I have learned that I have to remind the band of things we discussed even if I did had a rehearsal the day before. I am a perfectionist. I wanted everything to go off without a hitch. But it didn't happen that way. Instead, it was an imperfect document of where I am now, things I need to work on and things that went well. I've learned that I have to choose my songs even more wisely. I've learned that I have to be even more memorized. I've learned that for being a conductor, I have to learn how to stand up for myself in front of a jazz combo and take control of the music rather than let them hijack something into a direction I don't want to go.

A friend of mine made me feel really good about the mistakes I dealt with that evening.
Friend: You did really well, you have a great voice. How long have you been singing jazz?
MissD: Two months.
Friend: You're in a transition. You'll be fine. You just have to let go of that perfectionistic tendancy.
MissD: Yes, that's true. In classical music everything is regulated note for note, jazz is much freer. I just have to learn to roll with it if things don't go my way.

How does this apply to choir? Kids need to understand all of these things too. They need to realize that it takes more rehearsal than anyone thinks it takes. You have to know a song hot, cold, rainy, while a tsunami hits or while a tornado approaches. When you are a kid, you think you know everything. You think you know it, but you've only heard it. You think you know it, but you forget a few words. You think you know it, but you aren't always singing in tune. Finally you know it, but you must also be able to interpret. Choir is just as much of a learning experience as performing. What keeps songs fresh is that each day you must find within yourself yet a new way of singing it and new way of connecting with the text.

And lastly, I have to think about what I'm going to do with the rest of my time while I'm substitute teaching. Not only are these activities going to be music related, they will also need to be profit oriented. At least that's the hope!!

Summer Plans

I got a little inspired lately. Originally it was someone else's idea, but now it's mine. I'm going to start a vocal jazz band.

I trained as a classical singer, but to be honest, I now find opera boring. I don't really understand how this happened. My whole life used to revolve around opera. An opera company came to my school and did a Gilbert and Sullivan show. I have been in Gilbert and Sullivan productions. I was bored. They performed well, but I couldn't shake the fact that my butt hurt too much to sit through it any more. Most of my students had already gone to class. There were only two left. They were entranced and I knew they would behave. I left the performance to get some lunch. At one time I would have starved for opera.

I feel like I have so much money now. I don't really. I just don't blow all my money on private voice lessons. I feel like I have so much time. I don't really, it's just that I don't lock myself into a room to practice my songs to prepare for auditions and performances like I used to. I'm happier in some ways.

While I was living in New York, I also started getting into jazz standards and musical theater a little bit more (again). But I don't want to do musicals anymore either. Not only am I the wrong type physically for what I want to sing, modern musicals kind of stink. In addition, then you are trapped into a month of instense rehearsals plus an intense run of 8 shows a week. It royally stinketh.

I was thinking of starting a 3 woman acapella choral group, kind of like the anonymous four. I might still do that. I could also get a women group together for caroling and do a christmas concert.

But what I really want to do now is jazz like Diana Krall but without the keyboards. I want to put a vocal jazz group together. I did get some of my inspiration from spending time at a jazz concert and from dating a guy who is in a vocal jazz band where they sing and play their instruments. Well, I don't play anything well enough, and that was his idea--to have a women's group that would tour with his band. I decided to name it the Four Coeds when he asked me what I would call the band. I like the name. I'm keeping it. I was in college for a really long time, so that's why I thought of it. The idea to have the women play their instruments was his. I don't really want to do that. I mean the rest of the girls can, but I want to sing lead. The guys in Sha-na-na were a combination of guys who just sang and guys who played instruments. It could be like that. They also wore gold lame suits. Gosh they were/are? cool. Plus, most of the groups have just a bunch of guys. Maybe there is a MARKET for a women's vocal jazz group.

Or I can sing solos like Michael Buble and Josh Groban.

PLUS, it will really help my social life. I realized way too late that the things I liked are populated with women and gay men--opera and teaching. If I branch into jazz, I will be meeting alot of straight guys. I wish I had realized in music school that was where the straight guys were. I might have switched way back then. In any case, I have lots of options with my summers off. Being single without kids leaves a whole world open to me. I might as well get out and have some fun with it.

Another bonus: I can call it professional development.