Wow! Things are really going great!
Today I was scheduled to play for an 11am Ballet class, but I made sure to get up early anyway. It's so much easier when you can have a wake-up call!
As it turns out, Darren actually requested me to play for his two ballet classes today! What a great feeling, coming from the director of the dance department and associate festival director! Very exciting... and fun to boot!
However, I managed to catch one of Garry McQuinn's sessions on Musical Theater Business. It was quite interesting to hear the laid-back, yet astute presentation style of this Aussie. I would think that any kind of business seminar would be boring as all get out to listen to, but he did a great job making it interesting, especially sharing his own life experiences. Specifically, he mentioned partying with Metalica on a glacier in Iceland, before riding Icelandic ponies until the sun came up. Crazy.
This session built on the previous one, where he had split the audience into a few groups. Each group had come up with a show concept, and in this session he encouraged them to think creatively and imagine all the separate aspects of how to mount the show, saying, "Theater is an arena of the imagination." From house size to target audience, it was a unique look at the other side of theater.
In the evening, I got to work on the Wicked piece again. After all the work we had done the previous night making it a gentle ballad, the director wasn't keen on the stillness of it. It needed something with a little more movement, a little more "oomph". Well, let's put it this way -- she didn't have to ask me twice to "rock out on it."
Now that we were jamming out even more, we developed a problem with the traditional ending -- after the huge push toward the end, it tended to lose steam and fizzle out. With nearly 20 girls singing it, the ending just wasn't strong enough (in my humble opinion) to support that much presence on stage. So... I changed it up a little.
I added a few echo parts that stacked in to a nice, dense chord, and at the very end I gave them a powerful inverted 9Chord to wail on a cappella. I really like it, although it really does change the whole feel of the piece. We'll see! Nothing is set in stone yet, so it could all be tweaked.
All in all though, it was so refreshing to have liberties in shaping a piece and have rock-solid harmony singers! The talent here is top-notch without a doubt; and my group is mostly (if not completely) high school girls! Incredible.
7.13.2011
BTP: Day 3 (part II)
In case you were wondering, I did.
I went down to the hot tub and soaked in it for a while. Well, really it was called a "spa", which is a good thing because it certainly wasn't a hot tub. Tepid tub would have been more fitting.
Ever so, it was nice to relax for a bit! Since life has been so hectic up until today, I didn't know what to do with all that free time! I took a brief nap, which was delightfully refreshing.
Wow, I really didn't do much today.
For the first rehearsal of our first block, I taught my group of girls "For Good" from Wicked. The room had old wooden floors (painted black, of course) and was really old feeling. The grand piano in the room was ancient, but still had a nice full sound. Most of the girls knew the song already, so teaching it was a breeze! It was so very rewarding to coach them through trouble spots and expose them to new ideas; they were so willing to reach out and everything I threw at them!
We worked a great deal on blend, which is something that most musical theater kids never get to spend time working on. I split them into four groups and gave each group a note of a major chord. Then, individually, I raised or lowered various groups by half-steps so that the chord changed and went through several evolutions. Before long, they were so turned around that they had to listen!
So all in all, it was a really fun time. I had some teaching moments with them, then Dave Clemmons came in and worked with them as an ensemble to further the idea of blending and listening. Incredible stuff! He has a personality and approach that just draws out the best in a performer; very inspiring.
Tomorrow we have a Q & A session with Broadway producer Garry McQuinn, the man responsible for bringing Priscilla, Queen of the Desert to Broadway this past Spring all the way from Sydney, Australia. What an incredible experience!
I know this is redundant, but I am having the best time. I hope I still feel as capable when the workload gets exponentially greater!
7.12.2011
BTP: Day 3
Today has been a little unusual so far, in that I haven't been very busy. I am definitely appreciating this moment while I still can!
Well, after relaxing with Dave Clemmons in the "Decompression Chamber" last night, I went back to my room and stayed up for a bit to see if I would get my schedule for the next day. It was slipped under the door at 1am. Dang, those girls in the office work late!
I was scheduled to accompany a vocal class at 8:30am, which meant that I needed to be leaving here by 8:00. Breakfast came early, yes sir! It was a wonderful class though; she talked all about getting in touch with your chest voice and connecting it to your upper register to develop a nice "belting mix". Very useful!
Here's the weird thing -- after I was finished with that class at 9:30am, I had the rest of the morning and afternoon completely free. I was lucky enough to hitch a ride with several of the faculty to Publix for a much needed grocery trip. Coming away with the essentials (veggies, hummus, cereal, fruit, Coors Light, etc), I rolled back to the hotel.
Well, then I went back to the USF campus because I had intended to eat the free lunch at Embassy Suites and then come back here, but due to a transportation glitch I missed my window of opportunity, so I got a ride back here and settled for some milk and cereal out of a hotel coffee mug.
So now I have 4 1/2 hours until I go back to BTP, and I have serious inclinations of soaking in the hot tub/pool for a while.
7.11.2011
BTP: Day 2
So today was a big day -- even though the top, most talented 200-225 kids are accepting into the program, they are still auditioned in the very beginning to see where their skills are best comparable. In other words, we have singers, dancers, and actors. All of them are excellent in at least on of these fields, but not necessarily outstanding in all three. They spend a very tedious day cycling through every single person a series of auditions: tap, ballet, jazz, acting, and singing.
But before I get into that, I'll start with the beginning. After breakfast, all the faculty and students gathered in the black box theater for a Faculty Introduction. Basically, there was stadium seating where 225 of the best upcoming musical theater talent was sitting, and there was a long row of chairs facing them. This was where we were to sit. So I sat down in this big long line of chairs as a "faculty" member, although I might as well have been sitting in the audience with the kids. My fellow colleagues, I have now learned, include a Professor Emeritus from USF; A timeless, classic tv/film star and original "Little Red" in Sondheim's "Into the Woods"; various vocal instructors with studios in Seattle, Miami, Dallas, L.A., and NYC; one of the biggest music directors and casting agents on Broadway; and so many others that it makes my head spin to even attempt to remember it all. So yes, they went down the line and we each introduced ourselves and talked about where we come from and what we do. To say the experience was surreal is an ultimate understatement.
After the meeting, we split up and went to our specific stations for the day. Acting people listened to monologues, vocal people listened to songs, instrumental people helped prepare singers for their auditions, and dance people watched dance. This is where I went -- Ballet and Jazz. I was assigned the task of accompanying the ballet auditions. Secretly, this was a tremendous relief for me, as I believe I've already mentioned. And let me tell you, it was such a wonderful experience!
The dance auditions were in one of the dance studios -- a tall, open room with black marley floors and a wall full of mirrors, of course. Sunlight streamed in through short, stubby little windows that lined the top of the exterior wall. I was playing a grand piano in the corner; a little clunky and with the bench chained to the piano itself, but grand nonetheless.
The combination was four 8-counts of an easy waltz feel. I began playing the underwater theme from Super Mario Brothers, but was encouraged to play different music if I wanted to mix it up for myself. I began to very quickly build an excellent rapport with the dance faculty who were present, especially the audition choreographer and demonstrator. He was lively, fun, and full of energy... but man oh man could he move. In fact, everyone in that damn room was built like a G.I. Joe. In an effort to keep things entertaining, I modified all of my ballet audition music for each of the seven groups that came through. Some favorites were "Billie Jean", "Summertime", "Bad Romance", and "Stairway to Heaven". Not your typical ballet music.
I don't know how ballet accompanists are typically, but apparently I'm something else because they all seemed so impressed by everything. I mean, it's four 8-counts in 3/4 time! If you can play a little ditty and keep an even tempo, it ain't that hard! I'll take my wins where I can though, so all in all I was totally lucky to be there rather than sight-reading the hardest music in the world.
Then tragedy struck: one of my knitting needles broke! I love my Knit Picks Zephyr interchangables, but one of the tips snapped. Now, that's not the first time that this has happened, but Knit Picks has the best customer service of any company I've ever dealt with ever. They have already insisted that I call so that they can send me a replacement, and that was simply based on a tweet that I sent out! Awesome company.
The meal situation is quite satisfactory, in my opinion. In previous years, all the kids stayed in dorms with those awful foam mattresses and everyone ate at the cafeteria... which was somewhere. Now, all the kids stay in the Embassy Suites, and lunch and dinner are both catered there! The line-up seems to be some kind of salad, cold cut sandwiches, and a couple of hot options. Today for lunch we had mac and cheese with chicken nuggets, and for dinner we had roasted potatoes and delicious broiled chicken. Oh yeah, and it's free. Holla! Yeah, I can deal with that!
So after dinner, I caught a ride back to the studios and had about half an hour to kill. Then of the kids came up to the office where we were and was stressing because the pianist who agreed to help him with prepare for his vocal audition wasn't there, and he had to sing immediately when the dinner break had ended! I offered to help, and despite the fact that his music was a little tough to play, I loved helping him!
You see, all of these kids want to be here. At $3500 a pop, they better freakin' want to be here. But generally, they are all so very appreciative, courteous, and eager to learn. I was happy to help him (as well as a young lady who was in the same predicament). It's such an amazing feeling, being a unique part of a program like this where I maintain my individuality and have artistic freedoms, but can also rely on others with comparable abilities and experiences (or in my case, who are way out of my league).
Tomorrow I begin working on my first project with a choreographer, casting/staging/rehearsing/arranging "For Good" from Wicked. I can't wait!
But before I get into that, I'll start with the beginning. After breakfast, all the faculty and students gathered in the black box theater for a Faculty Introduction. Basically, there was stadium seating where 225 of the best upcoming musical theater talent was sitting, and there was a long row of chairs facing them. This was where we were to sit. So I sat down in this big long line of chairs as a "faculty" member, although I might as well have been sitting in the audience with the kids. My fellow colleagues, I have now learned, include a Professor Emeritus from USF; A timeless, classic tv/film star and original "Little Red" in Sondheim's "Into the Woods"; various vocal instructors with studios in Seattle, Miami, Dallas, L.A., and NYC; one of the biggest music directors and casting agents on Broadway; and so many others that it makes my head spin to even attempt to remember it all. So yes, they went down the line and we each introduced ourselves and talked about where we come from and what we do. To say the experience was surreal is an ultimate understatement.
After the meeting, we split up and went to our specific stations for the day. Acting people listened to monologues, vocal people listened to songs, instrumental people helped prepare singers for their auditions, and dance people watched dance. This is where I went -- Ballet and Jazz. I was assigned the task of accompanying the ballet auditions. Secretly, this was a tremendous relief for me, as I believe I've already mentioned. And let me tell you, it was such a wonderful experience!
The dance auditions were in one of the dance studios -- a tall, open room with black marley floors and a wall full of mirrors, of course. Sunlight streamed in through short, stubby little windows that lined the top of the exterior wall. I was playing a grand piano in the corner; a little clunky and with the bench chained to the piano itself, but grand nonetheless.
The combination was four 8-counts of an easy waltz feel. I began playing the underwater theme from Super Mario Brothers, but was encouraged to play different music if I wanted to mix it up for myself. I began to very quickly build an excellent rapport with the dance faculty who were present, especially the audition choreographer and demonstrator. He was lively, fun, and full of energy... but man oh man could he move. In fact, everyone in that damn room was built like a G.I. Joe. In an effort to keep things entertaining, I modified all of my ballet audition music for each of the seven groups that came through. Some favorites were "Billie Jean", "Summertime", "Bad Romance", and "Stairway to Heaven". Not your typical ballet music.
I don't know how ballet accompanists are typically, but apparently I'm something else because they all seemed so impressed by everything. I mean, it's four 8-counts in 3/4 time! If you can play a little ditty and keep an even tempo, it ain't that hard! I'll take my wins where I can though, so all in all I was totally lucky to be there rather than sight-reading the hardest music in the world.
Then tragedy struck: one of my knitting needles broke! I love my Knit Picks Zephyr interchangables, but one of the tips snapped. Now, that's not the first time that this has happened, but Knit Picks has the best customer service of any company I've ever dealt with ever. They have already insisted that I call so that they can send me a replacement, and that was simply based on a tweet that I sent out! Awesome company.
The meal situation is quite satisfactory, in my opinion. In previous years, all the kids stayed in dorms with those awful foam mattresses and everyone ate at the cafeteria... which was somewhere. Now, all the kids stay in the Embassy Suites, and lunch and dinner are both catered there! The line-up seems to be some kind of salad, cold cut sandwiches, and a couple of hot options. Today for lunch we had mac and cheese with chicken nuggets, and for dinner we had roasted potatoes and delicious broiled chicken. Oh yeah, and it's free. Holla! Yeah, I can deal with that!
So after dinner, I caught a ride back to the studios and had about half an hour to kill. Then of the kids came up to the office where we were and was stressing because the pianist who agreed to help him with prepare for his vocal audition wasn't there, and he had to sing immediately when the dinner break had ended! I offered to help, and despite the fact that his music was a little tough to play, I loved helping him!
You see, all of these kids want to be here. At $3500 a pop, they better freakin' want to be here. But generally, they are all so very appreciative, courteous, and eager to learn. I was happy to help him (as well as a young lady who was in the same predicament). It's such an amazing feeling, being a unique part of a program like this where I maintain my individuality and have artistic freedoms, but can also rely on others with comparable abilities and experiences (or in my case, who are way out of my league).
Tomorrow I begin working on my first project with a choreographer, casting/staging/rehearsing/arranging "For Good" from Wicked. I can't wait!
7.10.2011
BTP: Day 1 (part II)
Ok, so I just got back from our initial musicians' meeting. It was great getting to meet all the other music faculty and staff, as well as go over what the general plan of attack would be!
I wasn't going to add another entry today, but I simply must. First off, while we were having our meeting in Panera, a cluster of tables right next to our cluster of tables was doing something that was totally bizarre. Well, to everyone except me; they were spinning! All four of them had drop spindles and were just going at it! It has been a while since I've come upon someone else's knitting/spinning/crochet group, and that was totally cool! I knew the perfect way to broach the subject and introduce myself, too:
"So, y'all are doin' Tour de Fleece?"
Jackpot. Teh ossim, I haz it.
The second reason why today is epic awesomeness is all about one of the other musicians. She seemed so familiar, but only vaguely. As I started to listen, I slowly put the pieces together. She recognized my phone number as an Alabama area code, which prompted me to ask how she knew. Turns out, she's from a town that is about 20 minutes from my hometown! Then it was the way she was so comfortable doing rock, blues, and country music. Then it was the way was always picking up shows in New York, and it finally dawned on me: I'd met her before.
"Did you play for 'The Wedding Singer' on Broadway?"
My first trip to NYC, that was the show that my friend took me to see! We got student rush tickets, which were right in front of the orchestra pit. After the show, I peeked over and said how much I enjoyed the show, and asked her how she got into this kind of thing.
"Well, I'm from north Alabama, so I just played in lots of rock bands and built up my chops that way."
She couldn't remember how she was supposed to have known me -- she asked if I had played in the pit with her, or if she had met me at the stage door after the show, and a series of other scenarios. Funny, I always remembered what she said about staying involved and just keeping playing; I never thought I'd ever actually meet her! And now I'm working with her.
Crazy. Small world crazy.
I wasn't going to add another entry today, but I simply must. First off, while we were having our meeting in Panera, a cluster of tables right next to our cluster of tables was doing something that was totally bizarre. Well, to everyone except me; they were spinning! All four of them had drop spindles and were just going at it! It has been a while since I've come upon someone else's knitting/spinning/crochet group, and that was totally cool! I knew the perfect way to broach the subject and introduce myself, too:
"So, y'all are doin' Tour de Fleece?"
Jackpot. Teh ossim, I haz it.
The second reason why today is epic awesomeness is all about one of the other musicians. She seemed so familiar, but only vaguely. As I started to listen, I slowly put the pieces together. She recognized my phone number as an Alabama area code, which prompted me to ask how she knew. Turns out, she's from a town that is about 20 minutes from my hometown! Then it was the way she was so comfortable doing rock, blues, and country music. Then it was the way was always picking up shows in New York, and it finally dawned on me: I'd met her before.
"Did you play for 'The Wedding Singer' on Broadway?"
My first trip to NYC, that was the show that my friend took me to see! We got student rush tickets, which were right in front of the orchestra pit. After the show, I peeked over and said how much I enjoyed the show, and asked her how she got into this kind of thing.
"Well, I'm from north Alabama, so I just played in lots of rock bands and built up my chops that way."
She couldn't remember how she was supposed to have known me -- she asked if I had played in the pit with her, or if she had met me at the stage door after the show, and a series of other scenarios. Funny, I always remembered what she said about staying involved and just keeping playing; I never thought I'd ever actually meet her! And now I'm working with her.
Crazy. Small world crazy.
BTP: Day 1
I'm sitting here eating a depressing salad from Wendy's.
What a way to start an exciting new life experience! Clearly, I fail at story-telling. But really, this salad is pretty damn depressing.
Aside from that, though, things are looking pretty good! I had an easy flight into Tampa, no stress at baggage claim, and I was picked up by Kim and whooshed to the hotel! She's super-nice, by the way. Even though my room wasn't ready when I initially arrived, I met with Mary, who walked me through the basic format of how the first day was going to play out.
I'm not going to lie, this experience has been one big whirlwind getting into it. I was at the right place at the right time, and it just so happened that the right people were there and I did all the right things. I've been so busy worrying about tying up loose ends before this trip that I haven't had a chance to really let it set in. Hurray! I'm going to be working side by side with some of the biggest, bestest, smartest, talentedest people in the musical theater world! Go me!
And then it dawned on me -- I would have to sight-read 200 auditions on my first day. FML. Still, I can't complain; I was flown down here, housed in a fabulous room (with two beds?), and paid generously for something that I love to do. Life is pretty great.
After talking with Mary, it turns out that I will be working the dance auditions all day long, rather than the vocal auditions. She had reservations about placing me there, because the ballet portion would be comprised of improvisation. "Would you be comfortable, say, improvising ballet-esque waltz music?" She gave me a concerned expression.
Faced with the option of sight-reading 200 selections of some of the most difficult music out there and making some 'pretty' shit up?
So life is extra great. Monday looks like "Variation on an 'Underwater Theme'", a la Super Mario Bros.
All in all, everyone I have met so far is nice, welcoming, a little intimidating (in a good, daunting way), and energetic. I may spend some time in the pool's hot tub this evening before it gets CRAZY tomorrow. Working from morning until 10pm every day will be quite the experience!
Also? I started a sock on my flight. Toe-up, US4 circs, with Knit Picks sport-weight Felici yarn in "Chimney". I'm doing a bubble-like slipped stitch pattern that I'm developing, but between work and my side job of writing percussion parts for my friend's ensemble in Colorado, I might not have much time to work on it.
What a way to start an exciting new life experience! Clearly, I fail at story-telling. But really, this salad is pretty damn depressing.
Aside from that, though, things are looking pretty good! I had an easy flight into Tampa, no stress at baggage claim, and I was picked up by Kim and whooshed to the hotel! She's super-nice, by the way. Even though my room wasn't ready when I initially arrived, I met with Mary, who walked me through the basic format of how the first day was going to play out.
I'm not going to lie, this experience has been one big whirlwind getting into it. I was at the right place at the right time, and it just so happened that the right people were there and I did all the right things. I've been so busy worrying about tying up loose ends before this trip that I haven't had a chance to really let it set in. Hurray! I'm going to be working side by side with some of the biggest, bestest, smartest, talentedest people in the musical theater world! Go me!
And then it dawned on me -- I would have to sight-read 200 auditions on my first day. FML. Still, I can't complain; I was flown down here, housed in a fabulous room (with two beds?), and paid generously for something that I love to do. Life is pretty great.
After talking with Mary, it turns out that I will be working the dance auditions all day long, rather than the vocal auditions. She had reservations about placing me there, because the ballet portion would be comprised of improvisation. "Would you be comfortable, say, improvising ballet-esque waltz music?" She gave me a concerned expression.
Faced with the option of sight-reading 200 selections of some of the most difficult music out there and making some 'pretty' shit up?
So life is extra great. Monday looks like "Variation on an 'Underwater Theme'", a la Super Mario Bros.
All in all, everyone I have met so far is nice, welcoming, a little intimidating (in a good, daunting way), and energetic. I may spend some time in the pool's hot tub this evening before it gets CRAZY tomorrow. Working from morning until 10pm every day will be quite the experience!
Also? I started a sock on my flight. Toe-up, US4 circs, with Knit Picks sport-weight Felici yarn in "Chimney". I'm doing a bubble-like slipped stitch pattern that I'm developing, but between work and my side job of writing percussion parts for my friend's ensemble in Colorado, I might not have much time to work on it.
1.05.2011
smoke gets in your eyes
"smoke gets in your eyes"
they say
but I never understood from where
from a lone cigarette
smoldering, clinging to its
last
long
ash
or from a distant brush fire
reminding us of our
transience
washing the air with crisp, fresh destruction
like a muddy watercolor
I never understood that phrase
until I looked back
remembering
trying to revive long-dead memories
trying to reinvent the past
a warm glow like a campfire
a soft sting, blurred lights
like electric dewdrops
smoke gets in your eyes
should I not look?
I'll close them
tightly
fiercely
forever
until next time
they say
but I never understood from where
from a lone cigarette
smoldering, clinging to its
last
long
ash
or from a distant brush fire
reminding us of our
transience
washing the air with crisp, fresh destruction
like a muddy watercolor
I never understood that phrase
until I looked back
remembering
trying to revive long-dead memories
trying to reinvent the past
a warm glow like a campfire
a soft sting, blurred lights
like electric dewdrops
smoke gets in your eyes
should I not look?
I'll close them
tightly
fiercely
forever
until next time
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