This semester I have been terrible about blogging. Dr. Hepworth, I sincerely apologize for that. To make up for the lack of blogging I am going to write one blog that will catch me up to this point. I don't want to bore anyone with the details of trying to write what has happened so far...
Since the beginning of the school year we have decided to have a semester where I could just have some fun and essentially show off a little bit. It has been so odd to not have a list of recitals that I need to be on, and 9 or 1o different songs that have to be memorized. This semester I have 2 songs that I am seriously working on, and 1 that gets worked on on when we have the time in my lessons. My Donizetti piece is my most serious piece. This is a piece that is quite difficult, but it is so expressionate and gorgeous. It allows me the freedom to try and portray this eternal love while still being technically hard enough to challenge me. I know that my biggest trial in this song is to try and make sure that all of my vowels are modified and that I am breathing in the releases to keep the vowels pure. I also have a high A which has become really pretty easy for me to hit. This boggles my mind because even a year ago this wouldn't have necessarily been true. I adore this piece and it has been so much fun to practice.
The second serious piece that i have been working on is a duet with Dr. H. This has been a blast! We are going ot be performing it on the Italian studio concert and I am thrilled. When we first started working on the duet I was concerned with the idea that maybe my voice wasn't big enough yet to since a successful duet with my teacher. It has been amazing to see that yes, it isn't as big yet, I can still be a good duet partner! I just want so badly to make Dr. Hepworth proud and to have our duet sound amazing. I am so excited to start adding our blocking this week. It is going to be a fun lesson this afternoon!
The other piece that I am working on is a graduate level french piece. This is a work that we have worked on bits and pieces of, when we get time in our lessons. It has been a really good learning tool, and I have been able to use some different techniques that I don't normally use. It has also been good because I have to negotiate through my registers a lot, which has been a huge new idea for me.
The trickiest thing for me this semester has been time management. I am doing all of my upper level Education classes and both of my practicums, so time in a practice room is limited. I have been doing a lot of score study, but to me that is just as helpful and beneficial. Overall, it has been an amazing, laid back, semester so far. Only three lessons left until the end. That breaks my heart a lot actually. It is making me tear up just thinking about it. There are a lot of things I'm not ready to leave, and my voice lessons, my voice friends, and especially my voice teacher are some of them. My biggest advice is to enjoy your time here because it sure goes by fast!
I am so proud of the progress you have made, Kayla. Now take these experiences and translate them to your own future classroom, especially when you are student teaching! Think about your struggles, what made sense to you technically, what made sense to you musically, and find different ways of expressing that when conducting choir or teaching voice lessons. Keep track of these progresses---they will come in handy when you find a younger student who truly reminds you of yourself!
ReplyDeleteYou should also keep track of these blogs---print them off and keep them safe so that 5 years down the road you can reflect on where you have been and where you are going in your career!
Keep growing, keep practicing, keep learning. These are the keys to living a successful, productive, and happy life. Don't sweat the small stuff, keep the day's activities in perspective, and don't be afraid to admit your mistakes. Your students will really respect you for being yourself and not hiding behind a degree or experience. You have "the light," Kayla. You will be a lovely teacher---I only hope to share the rest of your journey with you.
Please know that I will forever be here for you for advice, for a shoulder to cry on, and for support.
Congratulations, my dear. You definitely deserve it!
Your biggest fan,
Dr. H.