Naxos has become my new best friend this week. I have made a playlist of my entire recital, except the quartet at the end. I've been using it to listen to whenever I have free time. To refresh on old music, to learn and score study new music. I used it while working out the other day. It was kind of hte perfect idea ever! :) Loved it.

Aside from that, I feel like I've got a good start on rep. I have some challenging music this semester, but it's nice that a lot of it is repeated because of a recital semester. I am just so determined to make this wonderful. I want to make this an awesome culmination of my years of study at WSC. I feel like there has been so much growth and that enables me to do things I would have never dared to do before.

As for practicing, I have been focusing a lot on the new stuff. Recital today was Dein Blaues Auge, which was livable. I wasn't overly happy with it. I felt like I could have used more confidence (hmmmm...) and more personality/characterization. So I don't know about that. I am feeling a little nervous about the Recitative on the Bach piece. But I think it will come. I haven't even dared to touch the ornamentation yet on the return to the A section. That can be next week's battle.

I'm most nervous for Von ewiger Liebe... but I truly think that's just because I haven't had as much time to live with it as some of the others. I love the piece itself, though. So I think that will motivate me to work hard and understand/get it.

That's all for now. :)

New Semester

So far, for my senior recital semester, we've looked at repertoire. I'm really happy with the mix of old and new we've come up with. It's all very challenging, but it's going to be so much fun to learn. I've made copies of what I have to give to Mr. Phil and I start rehearsing with him this week as well. I already signed up to sing on studio for the 18th, so I'll probably sing something from last semester. Either an English or a German or French. I have options. Or "Must the Winter", which I haven't performed in a while.

That could be fun!

I figure I need to start off strong. My recital isn't too far off. It's weird to think I'm almost done. It's going to be busy, but it's going to be great. I know it.

That's it! My voice Notebook for Fall of 2011 is complete (except printing off my blogs). I'm registered for my senior recital next semester. I'm nearing the end of this journey, and it's kind of scary.

Things to remember for jury:

• Stay calm. You know this. 
• Big mouth, dangit! 
• Crisp Consonants.
• You're a rockstar. Show it. 
• Breathe off of the release and low. Take your time with it. 
• MORE TEETH! 
• Something will probably go wrong, it's how you recover that matters. 
• You've been trained well, put it to good use, and you will be successful. 

I think I'm going to do okay. I ran through everything in the practice room and feel very strong. My voice is a little out of control right now - I think it's rebelling from constant use between Madrigals, end of semester practicing, and gala. I'm trying to focus on some more listening and score study between now and my jury on Wednesday.

Overall, it's been a great semester. I've worked so hard! I've come so far in such a short amount of time. It's refreshing to have music be just fun. Which is what it is right now. I'm excited. I love it.

Madrigal Dinners have officially killed me. Recital this week had some interesting words, I think I let a mess up at the beginning get to me - I missed my entrance - but by the end, I'd remembered my technique and I finished strong. I am just vocally tired.

For my main practicing, I've been using choir and madrigals to really focus on technique. Outside of rehearsals, I've been listening. Naxos = best friend.

My lesson this week felt amazing. It's good to just sing and enjoy it. I feel like I'm getting to the point where it's natural to just sing and have fun with it. The technique is almost becoming second nature. Though, I've found when I think that way too much, I get lazy with it. I don't know.

I'll just keep trucking. But I'd love to rest my voice for a while.

I finally have the Standchen memorized! Keep listening, but it's going so well. It's a little scary with Thanksgiving here, but we had a great time as a family, so I'm feeling ready to go for the end of the semester. I'm thinking a lot about "'Tis Done!" and I don't know if it's going to be ready. I know Dr. H gave me the choice, so I might have to decide against it.

Aside from that, I've been working on my voice notebook and, in the practice room, primarily technique. I've been working on my 'ah' vowel, again. I feel like I'm still having some issues keeping it forward. It's easier if I can put an [i] before it.

I don't know much else to write about. It's Thanksgiving, but it doesn't change that I need to work. It's a good semester, though.

I'm too hard on myself. That's the conclusion I have come to in life, and I don't know what to think for sure. I mean. I sang well on Tuesday, and I had more than one person tell me it sounded good. And I smiled and said thank you, but I found so many moments that I would like to go back and redo. I looked at "Sento nel core" again today and kind of started to fix some of that.

I'm going to work really hard on the forward [i] warm-ups and transitioning that into an "ah" because I think that's what's giving me that forward consistency. And teeth. Lots and lots of teeth.

Memorization is coming along well on the German. The Standchen is coming along, I think, and after my lesson, I get it more. I just need to think of the translation.

I am pumped for a senior recital next semester...things are good. Things will continue to be good.

Thanks for all of the help and encouragement, Dr. H!

All right, so. This was a relatively successful week. My Make up lesson on Wednesday went pretty well. I'm starting to grasp the concepts of space and teeth. At the choir concert last night, I felt myself thinking "skinny & teeth" over and over. Every time I saw a note that was even relatively high I forced myself to be grounded in the technique I have spent nearly four years learning. It's amazing. Amazing, I tell you, to see it pay off.

Tuesday recital was awesome. It took some convincing from Dr. Hepworth because of a few nit-picky things I found in myself, but I'm really proud of that performance. It meant the world to hear her tell me she was proud of me. Thank you for everything, Dr. Hepworth! I wouldn't have been able to sing that way if it weren't for you.

We're working more on foreign language and "To One..." (insert long title here). I'm feeling more confident on everything except the "Standchen". (I know that's one of those a's with two dots, but I don't know how to type that on here. sorry...) I just can't understand it. I don't know if that makes sense. I'm planning on running it with Mr. Phil in my rehearsal, though. Maybe the accompaniment will help? Although, from looking at it, I think it might be very easy to fall into the Phil-Trap.

I'm getting more and more excited about "'Tis Done! I am a Bride" every time I practice it. I'm glad I made the decision to push myself for the Bb at the end rather than stick with comfort. I think that's going to make me a better performer and help me to realize that I'm capable of things I never imagined.

I'm leaning toward "Sento Nel Core" for Recital on Tuesday. I'll have that decision made soon, though. Probably after I rehearse with Mr. Phil in an hour.

So far so good, I think. Just a lot of words to wrap my tongue around.