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.

I've spent a lot of time this week revisiting Les Cloches. We're working on getting the foreign language memorized. I feel like it's coming a long. I have my lesson on Wednesday this week, which is kind of a blessing in disguise. I think I've elected to sing Moonfall again on recital so that I'm more confident when I pull out one of the others. Especially since I didn't get my rehearsal with Mr. Phil last week and no lesson today.

I'm also working on To One Who Passed Whistling Through the Night .... longest title ever, still ... and I am falling more and more in love with it. I'm going to get a recording of it from Mr. Phil this week. I need that to go through with the accompaniment and make it all line up.

I think I'm making improvements. My consistency is better. I'm learning to like my rep (finally) and I think it's successful.