performance

GTT

This past weekend my cousin visited, and while at dinner she and I got to discussing performances we had participated in as children. The more we chatted, the more humorous I realized one of my most early shows must have been.

After playing head angel, my next performance was as Lena Mayfield in a school production of Dorothy Gail Elliott’s Gone to Texas, an “historical musical of 1836″ that strives to showcase the ethnic diversity of early Texas (Anglo, Black, Mexican, German, Caddo, Mississippian) and every child in the school thanks to large chorus numbers. My casting in the show occurred in an unexpected manner. One day, while sitting in Mrs. Fleming’s third grade class, I received a packet delivered to me by main office courier. It had a pink slip attached to the front stating I would be playing Lena Mayfield in the spring show. The attached packet was the script and score. I was to report to the cafeteria (in which our … Read more »

Bach Blurb

Yesterday I performed “Ich folge dir gleichfalls” from J.S. Bach’s Johannes Passion as part of the worship services at Boston’s Old South Church. The other members of the ensemble were good friend Sam Ou, cello, and young parishioner Will Palmer, flute. It went well, I think. I was confident in my performance, had a good time while singing and feel the piece was well-received by the members of the congregation, including an interactive baby in the second pew that freely gave commentary. Minister Nancy Taylor thanked me for my contributions at the end of the service with kind compliments. Nice!

postscript: I neglected to mention that our ensemble performance was preceded by a ringing cell phone prelude. Most apropos of a church service, don’t you think?

Allegro?

A week ago I sang the Allegro from Mozart’s Exsultate, jubilate as part of one of the services at Old South Church. After having had a brief stint with Crud and not having sung the four days immediately preceding, I was quite pleased with my performance and looking forward to my big audition later in the week.

While I feel my performance wasn’t perfect (some of the onsets were not clean), after four days of not singing and hardly talking I thought the outcome was adequate and could not have been much better given the circumstances. There was a low-quality audio version of the performance available at the Old South web site that I listened to as part of my preparation for the big audition so I could recall how I felt during this performance The recording is here if you want to listen as well, but place the slider approximately here … Read more »

Of Mind and Memory

It’s amazing to witness the way the mind and memory operate. I was riding the bus this afternoon when suddenly, for no apparent reason and with no obvious cue (perhaps it’s all this focusing on performance I’ve been doing), I began to recall concerts I had participated in as an undergraduate student–concerts I have not thought about in some time.

Internationally-renowned operatic soprano Gilda Cruz-Romo was a faculty member who coordinated concerts each semester in which students could sign up to present one aria in order to obtain public performance experience. She would decide the order of performance and frequently the concerts were two hours (or more!) in length. I made it a point to participate in every one I could and I think I still have the programs to prove it.

I remember the first conversation I had with her. To participate in these concerts, one had to make an appointment and visit her in her studio … Read more »

GTT

Bach Blurb

Allegro?

Of Mind and Memory

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