Lazy day...Day 7

It's Saturday and I have pretty much done nothing all day except some singing practice
40minutes singing through songs from The Wild Party "Maybe I like it this Way"
and "I Will be Loved" from I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change"...

The rest of the time I researched removalists/movers in NYC to help me move my bed, chest of drawers and a bedside table...so far I have received quotes ranging from $125-$400!!! The cheapest being only 1 person, so I would need to recruit another person to help lift my bed....what a nightmare!
Anyway that's something I can sort out once I know for sure we can get this apt!

Here was breakfast this morning:

Mango, starwberries, banana, blueberries and some 99% fat free Yoplait...It's french for mmmm yum!

I am going to dinner tonight on the Lower East Side, then to a house party in Brooklyn (a friend from school) and I'm taking a bunch of girlfriends from Oz with me. Then going to Duplex for open mic possibly...Either way thought I'd better get this blog up before I head out.

Happy Mother's Day Mum if you are reading this!

Home sweet home...Day 6

Woke up bright and early this morning to go and check out an apartment that Libby loves to see if it could be our potential new home...I think sooooooooo!!!!
We put in our application and deposit and will find out on Monday if we are successful. Like I said, apartments in New York are difficult to get...so fingers crossed this will be my new street...

After that I went to BDC to find out what I should do regarding my dance classes for my program with my injured ankle...I am taking my 2 week break that I am entitled to for my year-long course. i wanted to save a week to go to Mexico, but I will just do those classes in advance before I go. There is no point in trying to fulfill my classes with just yoga and pilates classes when I have come here to have the dance training...so i am just going to do a few pilates and vocal classes these next two weeks (so I don't die of boredom) and spend the remainder of my time packing my apt and focus on this challenge:)

I did Pilates today...

then ejoyed my homemade lunch...

Tuna salad sandwich

Got some vocalizing technique in at Kurt's 1.5 hour technique class...we worked on "Infatuation" by Christina Aguilera which does alot of jumping from chest to mix to soprano voice...so that's always a good challenge.

I then did the Vocal Performance class where I sang "When will someone hear?" from Martin Guerre....my notes that I received from this piece were to make my choices bigger (if I am performing to an arena, the people in the back row should see my intentions), and to have MORE thoughts/choices throughout the section that I performed...not just one emotion to another, but to see the internal dialogue and reflecting that the character is doing as she sings.

I came home sang for 30 minutes working on finding a pop song...still not positive which pop song I think would show off my range but I am hoping to do an acoustic version of "Grenade" by Bruno mars.

Went to dinner with Libby which was delicious and came home to write this blog and chill out...but I have jusst been asked to go out with my Mexican friends...its 10.30pm on a Friday night and I am tired...but I am going to meet up with them. Because next week they fly home:( and I wont see them again until August!!!! So sad...

Have a good night everyone xoxox

How To Succeed...Day 5

This morning I woke up... which means I am alive... which is a good start to the day!
I woke up bright and early and researched Lea Salonga (the original Kim from Miss Saigon), Audra Mcdonald from Ragtime (she has also won several Tony awards, Judy Garland, Billie Holliday,  songs composed by Gershwin, Cole Porter. I youtubes plenty of different shows, songs and artists and wanted to see what made them captivating...and one thing was a common factor...Soul...they put their heart and soul into their music, and it is seen in their face, their body and most recognised in their voices. You can't act that...and it's not something you can mimic or copy...it's from life. It is the sorrow that they have suffered or the joys they have celebrated that you can hear resonate in their voice...and that is something that I need to remember....

After a 30 minute vocal warm up (gently waking up the soprano voice) I took a shower...after which I was pretty sure I was going to faint. I am not sure what brought on the light headed feeling or the shallow breathing (My guess is lack of sleep) but I performed first aid on myself by laying on my bed and elevating my legs... It's only 10am and I'm already feeling faint, I'm so dramatic...I deserve to be on the stage hahaha.
So I packed my breakfast bowl with lots os natural sugars just to make sure it wasn't a blood sugar related dizziness...

After breakfast I went uptown to see two more apartments...they were really good but not in the most ideal locations. Real Estate in New York is all about priorities...you can have the best location and a really awkwardly small apartment, or a decent sized apartment in a not so convenient location (which is usually the more livable option...however it's the little differences between these apts in the not so convenient locations that become deciding factors)...and questions arise like "can I just store my shoes in the kitchen cupboards instead?" "Is Kitchen space more important than bathroom space?" "Where is that smell coming from?" "Could I just saw my bed in half to fit it into this randomly shaped room?"...So now we are at the stage where we are trying to just choose a place to see if it's even possible that our application will be accepted! The process of getting an apartment is possibly the most complicated thing you can do as a foreigner in New York. Mainly because they want to have access to every miniscule detail of your life (which if you live outside of the U.S doesn't count as a life apparently LOL). I feel it would be easiest to put your first born child as a security deposit on an apartment here to be in the running hahaha.

Anyway after apartment hunting I went to BDC and took 3 classes: Yoga, Flexibility and Pilates (I just want my ankle to heal so I can start dancing again!!!!!!) Because most of my classes will be with the same teachers, i will take photos with them toward the end of this challenge...but here is my BDC card with the date stamped to prove that I did the classes...

After class I got a call from Bear (also known as Michael...who is Polish but secretly wants to be Irish...with his Lord of the Dance footwork and fake Irish accent hahahaha) anyway he had a spare ticket to see How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying for tonight's show...So I bought it off him and went to see it with him...

WATCH 1 LIVE PERFORMANCE

It was fantastic! The choreography was brilliant! And Daniel Radcliffe actually surprised me with his comic timing...he is a very likable character. So that was a nice way to end my day and help me realise why I am here in NY, and doing this challenge...I need more shows, more inspiration to remind me of the big picture. I'm becoming side-tracked with the little things...finding an apt, having an injured ankle etc. But i can still keep doing other things to help me achieve my ultimate goals of being in musical theater. I can still sing, and expand my knowledge, my repertoire, my range, my confidence, my diction, tonality...I could write pages and pages of ways I could further develop my voice. The point is that no-one can do it but me...I have to make sure I am giving it 100% in every way possible...vocally, physically AND mentally.

For dinner I made this:

Ravioli with baby spinach, mushrooms, spanish onion, pasta sauce, avocado and some parmesan cheese on top...I may just be the next masterchef hahaha

I'm sure there will be a light at the end of this tunnel...Day 4

A rainy day in New York...

Had 30 minutes of vocal warm up, my voice is starting to show fatigue...due to my lack of sleep over the past few weeks....so I'm being kind and just doing gentle vocalizations to wake up the voice. Worked on soprano section from "Because" from Across the Universe.

Here is the lunch I prepared, made with delicious (NON SWEET bread...it's really hard to find good bread here!)...Lettuce, spanish onion, provolone cheese, Italian salami...mmmmmmm

Then I went up to Harlem for my first singing lesson with a new teacher Christian Fletcher (new to me, not new to teaching...just to clarify hahaha)

He is exactly what I was hoping for...he has a strong classical background with a sound knowledge of musical theater and pop and how I can adapt the vowel sounds from classical into theater. I had stopped taking vocal lessons 2 years ago in Australia due to the nature of the shift work I was doing...My voice has changed so much since then! It used to be Soprano and light...now its belty/mix and I can barely get to a high C comfortably...well now I know what i want! I want to strengthen back to my FULL range. Keeping the belt and the low notes, and making the soprano as crisp and gorgeous as I can. 

Christian was encouraging, he told me about his extensive background in singing Internationally, the mentors he has had as well as the many students he has working on Broadway. He assured me that he will not 'pat me on the head and tell me i'm doing a good job' if my technique, placement and quality of sound is not where it should be. I did a number of scales on different sounds and vowels so he could hear where my voice was at. I then sang through "A Way back to Then" from Title of Show. I felt like I was just yelling out the belty parts and he confirmed that it sounded that way, but after I corrected my mouth shape and the shape of the sound it was in such a good place. A safe place for my voice, and then I knew...yep this is the right singing teacher for me!

After my lesson I walked down towards the physio appointment I had scheduled. With time to spare I stopped at Starbucks (which vaguely resembles REAL coffee) and wrote pages of notes from my singing lesson. I hope to get alot of repertoire before my next lesson. Christian suggested some traditional songs from Gershwin, Judy Garland and Cole Porter to work on the jazz tones in the lower part of my voice...I'm so up for it!

Then the physio appointment...apparently I have a grade 1-2 sprain in my ankle...The worst being 3. And I cannot dance on it for 4 weeks!!!!!!! I then start stressing about my program (as I need to dance to complete it...and I am only 3 months into the program!)....Nothing I have control over though...STUPID ANKLE!

I then went and viewed 3 more apartments...the search continues...

Then I went to rehearsal for the showcase and told everyone that I can't dance, which means that I can no longer do the "Telephone Hour" piece as it is all dancing. This nearly pushes me to tears...as we have been rehearsing for weeks!!! But anyway I will just stand side stage in the wings and sing. GUTTED!

I know there is a lesson in all of this...somewhere. I am just waiting for it all to be clear to me...

Then dinner with Libby...Salmon and veggies

So there's my day in a nut shell!

I am an emotional wreck and it's only Day 3!!!

So the day started off on a good note...
Had a working toilet today (always a good thing)
and a healthy breakfast of berries, banana and lowfat yoghurt...

 

Following breakfast I went to a showcase rehearsal at BDC...

We did our vocal warm up as an ensemble, then went through "I've Seen All Good People" several times, first without staging to work on our haarmonies...then with staging. There were a few people missing but it still sounded strong vocally and the guitarist came for the last 45 minutes which was helpful to clarify tempo etc. (Vocalized for 1hour, 45 minutes)

Anyway...I planned to take Yoga and pilates today (which are both great classes, but I really miss dancing!) I had 2 hours until class so I walked home which is about 20 minutes from the studio. And my ankle started aching AGAIN... Got home and had a nap...I'm so drained at the moment. I cannot wait until the Showcase is over so there are no more extra rehearsals and hopefully will have found an apt by next week too. Anyway I overslept my nap and missed both classes...of course!

I don't think I should be walking on my ankle anyway let alone doing down-dog and other random yoga positions. I have my ankle strapped, but I really just need to see a physio to find out what's wrong with it...This is week 3 of not being able to dance on it AND IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY!!! What if I can't dance on it for another month or more???? I will be so upset... 

So I have a physio appointment booked for tomorrow then they ring to tell me that It will be more expensive than I had anticipated (as it is supposed to be a free consultation for dance students, so anything more than free is totally out of my budget at the moment). Then I started stressing about not being able to afford to go and I looked up my health insurance which is not good coverage at all! Then remembered I also have to pay for my singing lesson tomorrow, as well as see a few more apartments AND fit in class at BDC...and then I broke down....not like a car...more like an emotionally unstable, stressed out, injured dance student feeling the pressures of not having an income in a ridiculously overpriced city....(and breathe)

 In my bubble of emotional turmoil I started thinking 'if it's between fixing my ankle and doing the singing lessons to complete this challenge which should I do?' I of course think the singing lessons because I am primarily a singer, but I did come to NY to hone in on the dancing... also I do need a working ankle for walking. So the tears kept coming... I am an emotional wreck and it's only Day 3!!!

I then began researching other physical therapists, most are quite vague on what they charge (between $100-500) I have never appreciated the Australian Health care system more in my life!

Officially too hard to figure this out at the moment... better do something to distract myself...the laundry!

After doing my laundry I start thinking now is a good time to begin packing up all my things (as I need to move out next week 14th May) but i don't know where I'm moving just yet. But what do I pack? all the winter clothes? the weather here is so sporadic i don't know what I will need over the next week and a half haha...oooh that reminds me I need to organise a removalist!

So instead of packing, I just start venting...I mean Blogging and the physical therapist calls me to tell me they will see me tomorrow (I'm guessing that means they had a change of heart? or they really like the Aussie accent) either way, atleast something worked out today...even if it's the same thing that got me worked up in the first place. I love this city, I love my life in this city and I know how fortunate I am to be doing what I'm doing here... I just got a little overwhelmed today. It's days like today I really need my family and friends... I miss you all so much!

Ok I have finished venting...

Hope your day was alot less emotional than mine... And for the record, I'm not usually like that, it's just adjusting to a new lifestyle here. Gone are the days of the 3am wake-up call, the donning of the uniform, strutting through the airport and sipping on cocktails by the hotel pool...

and Hello to having everything I've dreamed of at my fingertips. I wouldn't change it for anything, not even on a day like today!

(*as a side note...I remember someone telling me that it can be scary and intimidating to be close to achieving your dreams...I used to think "yeah right, why would that be scary?" but I think I know what they meant...if you had a dream or goal that you had aimed for your entire life, there are so many reasons to be afraid...to be afraid of not making it, of failing, of achieving your goal and then what do you do? where do you go from there? I believe that if you are fortunate enough to be facing that dream, if it's within reach...GRAB IT! You may just fail, or you may succeed. Either way you will know that you did the best that you could to achieve your dreams...and that is called Living... Truly Living!)

TTFN xoxo

such a random day..Day 2

So I literally RAN home so I could get this blog up before midnight...and I am perfectly aware of how LAME that sounds!

Here were the days events as they unfolded (most are totally irrelevant to the challenge but I would like to give you some insight to the randomness of today)...

12am last night...Discovered the toilet was blocked in the apartment and I was unable to use it...
12.02am called the building to book a maintenance man to come and fix blockage, they would arrive at 7am (no sleep in for me!)
7am wake up in anticipation of maintenance man...also really needing to pee by now...
7.30am Try to call maintenance again but my phone is out of credit!!!!
8.15am My bladder may explode!!!!!!
8.30am research some charities to volunteer for to try and take my mind off the lack of bathroom access
9.30am maintenance man shows up...fixes toilet in 1 minute (not even)
10am My flatmate is still asleep , but this is the only chance I have to vocalize today...She can sleep soundly to my GEE, GEE, GEE, GEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! 30 minutes of vocalizations to the tracks I purchased Yesterday:)
10.30am Leave for the day
11am Buy phone credit
12pm Pilates class at BDC...I was so sleepy, but man I woke up after the first set of hundreds hahaha
1.30pm Lunch with Libby at a healthy mexican restaurant (I didn't know there was healthy mexican food, but there is! And it was Fantastic!

Lettuce, tomatoes, spanish onion, chicken, some sort of cheese and a jalapeno dressing on the side...Soooooo GOOD!!!!
3.10pm Apartment hunting with Libby...we saw a "3 bedroom" apt...it was nice. It had a washer/ dryer IN the apt which is always a bonus in this city...however what they classify as bedrooms I would call a walk-in wardrobe...It's almost like hey, if you can outstretch your arms in a  room, it can be called a bedroom! I liked the place, but my bed definitely wouldn't fit in the room (and it's a double...not even a queen bed!) But we need to find a place in the next two weeks so can't be too fussy...
Evening...not so interesting until...
11pm..ish I got in the elevator of my building and the guy in the lift randomly says: "can I ask you something? I should've said something to this girl tonight. It's my last night in NY and she told me tonight that she likes me, we've only known each other for 3 weeks...but, I should've said something shouldn't I?"
Me (as i stepped out of the elevator on my floor): "do you have her number?"
Random guy: "Yes"
Me: "then call her and tell her now"
Random guy: "Ok I will, Thanks" (elevator doors closed)...Chanel saves the day, and finds love for two complete strangers hahaha (damn it! i'm supposed to find myself a husband, not match-make for everyone else).

Oh and somewhere during the course of the day I bought some fruit to get me through the week...yummmmmmmmmmmm! All this for $7! What a bargain LOL.

So, I'm on day 2 and I'm already worried about my 5 charitable deeds...i researched several different organizations...from sex trafficking abuse, to soup kitchens, animal shelters, nursing homes, children's hospitals...most places ask for a minimum 6 month commitment with 20 hours a week! who has that kind of time to volunteer? I am impressed with all the people that give up their time. What about those of us who study? can't I do a random good deed? Do I need to commit to a long term thing? Anyway, it's something i need to do a lot more research into. I found a soup kitchen where I can volunteer for 3 hours in the evening (which I REALLY want to do! I think it would be a very humbling experience, to help me appreciate the fact that i can afford to buy food) and I would love to volunteer at a children's hospital or somewhere where I can interact with children but they all require applications, references and probably social security numbers...
The search for charities continues...
In the meantime, it is 11.29pm...and I need some beauty sleep

until tomorrow,
Buenos Noches xoxo

Let the games begin...

So today I started my 30 day challenge with an early wake up....

The Singing;
I got up around 8am (which is early for a Sunday) I waited about 2 hours before I began a gentle warm up...I've been taught that the voice takes ATLEAST 2 hours to wake up naturally (like any other muscle). So I started with some scales on a hum, then as my voice was feeling warmer progressed to Ng, and did sirens to help blend the top, middle and chest breaks. as well as wimper's (my favourite excercise, I can always tell where my voice is at when I practice my puppy wimpers...sounds strange because it is!)
I also purchased the Daily Vocalizations CD which is designed specifically for warm ups and strengthening technique (female and male specific) which will make my 30 minutes of practice alot more productive and focused (http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/kurtrobinson is where I purchased and downloaded it).

The Eating:
I started off the day with a bowl of freshly cut strawberries, rasberries and blueberries (which was all I had left in the fridge)...topped with low Fat yoghurt and slivered almonds...yummmmmm!

Best breakkie... P.S I only had one bowl of fruit...just showing you how delicious the berries look before topped with yoghurt hahaha. And yes I chose a meal that would colour co-ordinate with my Blog page:)

After I spent my day searching the East Village for a costume for todays tech rehearsal at Symphony Space...I made my way to the theater to rehearse our pieces. I'm in 3 vocal pieces all in very different genres, with all different harmonies.
It's a great chance to work with harmonizing in an ensemble whilst doing choreography. And I really enjoy the pieces.
I'm singing in -Telephone Hour from Bye Bye Birdie
                      -Because from across the Universe
                      -I've Seen all good people by Yes
Perform them at two shows which take place next week. Very excited...we have been doing lots of rehearsals to have these prepared so I hope our hard work pays off.

Day 1 went well...I know what areas I want to work on in my voice...my mix to head voice.
And I hope I can find a song to work on in the next couple of days. Not sure if I should go rock or musical theater but I need both for various auditions...so I had better hurry up!

day 1 down! only 29 to go....