Voice Lessons-Spring 2012

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!

Senior Recital-Week 11

Yay for being healed from being sick!! I had a great lesson today and it felt so nice.  We got to really get picky about some things and I am so excited.  I honestly think that Il Pescatore Canta and My Life's Delight sounded the best today that they ever have and I am thrilled! 

I am also thankful that Jesse came into my lesson and that we finally got to work together with Dr.  Hepworth. We really got to nail down some of the inconsistencies in the language that we were having, and that makes me feel better.

I think we are going to have a ROCKIN' recital!

Senior Recital-Week 10

This week my lesson was frustrating because I was just getting over being ill.  For me to have my voice sound so badly a month before the recital is  irritating.  I did have some really good rehearsal time with Mr. Phil today, and Dr. Hepworth I hope you feel better.

Senior Recital-Frustrations of a Senior

I am so frustrated right now.  I can't really sing all that well and I am so congested that I can't feel if I am singing as resonantly as I should be singing.  I am trying to get the sound behind my teeth and make my teeth "rattle", but I am still not sure if I am doing it correctly.  I just want this recital to be perfect.  It's just one of those concepts that I'm not sure if I am fully grasping, and being sick on top of things isn't helping all that much.  That's why tomorrow I am going to the doctor to help that part of the problem.  Here endeth the rant of a frustrated senior.

Senior Recital-Week 9

This week we came back off of a four day break.  I am so frustrated because I wanted to be fully rested and have my voice feeling better.  Instead, I am really dry, still vocally tired, and have a cold on top of everything.  It's starting to upset me.

In lessons today we worked on trying to get the resonance of the voice right behind the teeth.  It is a concept that I think I have a grasp on, but I am going to have to work on it in practice time to really get it solidified.  I really think that it will make a world of difference in the Italian piece.  Now it's time to get busy. :)

Senior Recital-Week 8-Jury Week!

I have to say that I am pretty happy with myself.  I got my Italian memorized and it is making life so much simpler.  I got to sing on the Showcase Recital and I feel like it was the best I had ever sung my aria.  I am still really really nervous for the jury, but I keep telling myself that we'll be fine...and low and behold Jesse and I both were fine!  I feel like there were things that I could have done better, but that's what practice is for.

In my lesson it was very laid back and it was really nice, and much needed.  I enjoyed that we went through and picked through things.  it is really nice to be to the point where we can really delve into all of the details. It's been a successful week.

Senior Recital-Week 7

This week we had a good lesson.  I feel a little discouraged with myself because I didn't feel like it was the lesson I wanted to have before my jury.  I think that I may just be a little hard on myself sometimes, but I think that's how I will make myself a better performer.  I am also discouraged because I feel like I am vocally tired all of the time.  I am even not singing a lot and doing a ton of score study.  Oh the anxiety!