Demo Day...Day 26

Vocalizations: 45 minutes
Warmed up at 8am this morning so I would be ready by the time I got to the studio

Breakfast:

Banana and strawberries:)

Record A Demo:
Today I went to Moonlab studios in Brooklyn to record my demo for youtube.
I was rushing around to get there on time, and it was boiling hot...and then I realized I was actually an hour early! Clearly I can't read a DIGITAL clock correctly! Anyway, it gave me time to relax before I went to record.
The backing track I used has these weird backing vocals which are a little too loud and distracting but that can't be helped. It was a change hearing my voice through a REAL microphone! It picks up everything!

We spent the first 15 minutes working on levels in the head-sets, backing tracks, my feedback levels etc. Then maybe 40 minutes of me singing. The rest of the time was spent editing. Enhancing the softer parts to match the rest of the track. I asked to hear the difference if he added in auto-tune, and there wasn't a noticeable difference, which is good. Atleast I'm singing in tune:)

Lane and me outside the singing booth

I am now officially on youtube!
It was between "Black Velvet" or "Friday" by Rebecca Black...clearly I can't match her awesomeness, so I chose to pay homage to Alannah Miles instead:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMFhsXXexRI

I still have around 9 more dance classes to do over the weekend...so fingers crossed my ankle will stick it out!
Also this morning I had a look at my stats on this blog, and it's had over 1000 views! Thanks everyone for the support, and emails of encouragement! It really has helped me...Love you xoxox

On the home stretch...Day 25

Vocalizations: 45 minutes
Songs Worked on: "A Way Back to Then" and "21 Guns"

Breakfast:

Low-fat yoghurt and Banana & Walnut Natural Granola

Singing Lesson #4:

Christian Fletcher

In my lesson we worked on Black Velvet and my mouth shape (need to stick my lips forward more!)

Had some really encouraging feedback from Christian, after 4 lessons I feel like I have already come alot further in my soprano. Got to a High F in a Lyric Soprano! woohooo...

Charitable Deed #5:

This Afternoon I volunteered at the West Side Campaign Against Hunger food pantry. Here it is set-up like a supermarket (on a smaller scale). One third of the food is donated and two thirds is purchased by the Church/WSCAH. Anyone may come and shop here, it works on a points system...the more people in your household, the more points you have to use in the food pantry. The points are allocated to each catagory e.g Every person is able to have 1 x rice, 1 x Pasta, 1 x Bread bag, 1 x cereal...then I may have 3 points to use on beans (so I may purchase 3 pkts of beans), 8 points on vegetables (so I may have 8 pounds worth of fresh vegetables or 8 tins of canned veggies, or you may split it) the other catagories are Meat/Poultry/Fish, Dairy, Fruit, Extra item. They do not ask for a referral from their guests, they believe if you have come here for help, then you must need it. I helped other customers today in working out the point system and helping them choose the right amount of things (many were non-English speaking, and some were unable to read). Then when the pantry closed I helped stock shelves for a few hours. There were boxes and boxes...I really enjoyed volunteering here! And will aim to work here for a couple of hours every week. 

The shelves to be stocked...

Packing up

I also called the Holy Apostle soup kitchen to arrange to drop off the clothes I picked up from the neighbours BUT they told me they couldn't take anymore clothes! oh no...So I asked here at the WSCAH if they needed clothing donations, and they do! Perfect:) I will hopefully get a chance to drop them off in the next couple of days.

Dinner:

Whole-wheat spaghetti with LOTS of Garlic (to keep the Vampires away, as well as help my sore throat), parsley, olive oil and black pepper

P.S. Garlic is amazing! My throat feels better already... sort of.

Also had a physio appointment today...during which I mentioned my hip was playing up. So Shannon (the physio) decided to dig her elbow into my butt cheek for the most painful 10 minutes of my LIFE!!! I thought she was going to rupture my glute, and as I held back the tears I thought "why did I even mention it?" Anyway it fixed my hip but was the pain really worth it? Im going to have bruises for a week atleast! Apparently my sacroiliac joint was out which can also effect my balance and other problems, so lucky she fixed it. But my ankle is stronger. i still need to take care of it and do my exercises but there is improvement, no swelling...yay for returning to dance!

Audition Day/return to Dance...Day 24

Vocalizations: 1 hour 15 minutes
I warmed up for 45 minutes this morning before my audition. But it was mainly my voice actually waking up! So when I got to Ripley Greer I hired a studio for 30 minutes to have a thorough warm-up of my mix/belt for my audition piece.

Audition for Off-broadway musical:
So even though it was an equity call, i woke up with the birds (no really, there are birds outside my window!) and began my vocal warm-up, then made my way to the studios downtown 1.5 hours before the call time. It paid off...I was first on the non-equity list. The audition was for "Here Lies Love" a musical featuring a Filipino cast. I figured I looked close enough...
The call was at 10am, I was seen at 11am:)

 Taking a sneaky pic in the waiting room...

The audition called for men and women ages 20-30 to sing Pop/rock or Blues 16-bars. I sang my favourite "Black velvet" (also good when I am sick, as I have sung it in...and then some!) I was actually quite nervous, I think because I am just unstable in my voice as my throat is killing!!!

I sang well and was happy with the execution. I got a smile and a "Thankyou"...and that's it. When I left I was a little unsure of what to feel. I am still unfamiliar with how the audition process works here. Atleast at home you know whether or not you get though, here it seems unclear. No one was asked to stay or anything. But I figured if I was suitable they might have asked for a second song or told me "we'll be in touch" hahaha. Anyway it's all good experience, it just reminded me of how easily you can fall into the head-space of needing justification by others to know that you've "got it!"

Today I have gone from that headspace to my current thoughts of, even if I don't have what 'they' are looking for...someone, somewhere will want to hear what I'm singing about...even if it is my family LOL

Lunch:

Extremely plain, but it's what I felt like....eggs on whole-wheat bread

Broadway Dance Center:

 Yoga with Amber Paul

Had an awesome Zen related experience...the music she played during today's class took me back to Ubud, Bali where I would do Yoga in this open studio surrounded by Rice Paddies, it was gorgeous and HOT and so peaceful. Loved re-living that feeling in class today:)

First Class DANCING on my ankle (in 4/5 weeks!)

Ballet with Peter Schabel

I avoided jumps (which was only the last 5 minutes of class), but I otherwise did all the exercises with little pain involved. I am so happy to be back in class!!! I just wanted to do everything, but kept reminding myself to be realistic and consciously pull up on my arches!

Dinner:

I'm a bit back to front today...ate fruit n' yoghurt for dinner...mainly because I felt like it!

and also I didn't have ingredients to make anything else...except pasta.

In other exciting news, I picked up 2 Garbage bags full of men's clothes today to donate, and have another family donating clothes tomorrow, so I need to 1) Organize a time to drop them to the Holy Apostle soup kitchen, and 2) Work out how to transport all the clothes...I think they should all fit in a taxi...depending how many more clothes I get tomorrow. I'm so glad people donated!!! HOORAY!!!

Only 7 days left...Day 23

Vocalizations: 30 minutes
So my throat is killing at the moment BUT I am getting closure in my chords (Yay) so I think the light exercises that I did yesterday helped because I feel like I can sing (not that I am, just going over vocal technique...keeping it light) today. I could push my voice and try my audition song for tomorrow morning but i would rather rest my voice, keep up the exercises to find closure in my vocal chords.
Even speaking today I felt as though I was really speaking incorrectly, I am tired and know that I am using my voice incorrectly at the moment when I speak. These vocalizations are a good reminder for me and make me more aware of where my voice sits in my body day to day.

Breakfast:

Low-fat yoghurt with Banana walnut granola

Broadway Dance Center:

 Pilates with Linda Farell

 Yoga with Amber Paul

Lunch:

Tuna Melt from my favourite bakery "Amy's Bread" on Ninth Ave

yummmmmmmmmmmmmm

Pilates and Yoga were great, some positions had to be modified for my ankle...It still feels unstable, but I'm hoping to return to dancing this week...fingers crossed I don't ruin my ankle any further! 

Pilates is always a challenging class as you can always make each exercise more and more intense. As for yoga, I always feel so relaxed during Savasana that I nearly fall asleep...nearly:)

So today I got a call from someone wanting to donate some men's clothes for the Holy Apostle soup kitchen (the clothing drive). I am so excited! I have to walk like 15 blocks to pick up the clothes, but I don't mind. I also got 2 bags of men's clothes from someone else in my building today...I can't wait to take them down to the Church on Friday! There's a variety of clothes from trackpants to business shirts and suits, warm jackets...useful clothing! 

I also called a food pantry today and I will be working there for a couple of hours on Wednesday afternoon. I didn't even know what a food pantry was! It's like a supermarket run by volunteers and it's open to people who can't afford to buy groceries. So they need help stocking shelves, at check-out, and other areas I imagine. The food pantry is near-by so I would like to volunteer there regularly if it works out. Also put my name down to help at a soup kitchen next week (after the challenge is over) as it is really close to BDC so I can just go and help out for the 1 hour, 15minute shift in between classes...perfect! 

Also got a text message from my sister Bo this evening saying how much she loved my youtube of singing at Duplex. She and my nephew watched it a couple of times and she even cried...(i'm hoping because it was good hahahaha). I didn't make the youtube public as I wanted only the people following my blog to see it, especially as it wasn't my best performance. Having my sister say I did a great job means more to me than one million strangers saying I did a great job, and it makes me so happy to have her support. I am glad I am making her proud! Love you sis xoxox

The city that never sleeps....Day 22

Vocalizations: 30 minutes

I am definitely sick... the glands are up and I feel like my throat is closing in on itself... Not congested, just inflamed with an awesome asthma-style cough! So I took it easy on some sirens, trying to achieve closure in the vocal chords...It was REALLY hard, I was certain I wouldnt have a voice at the end of today. lip trills, hums, all in a mezzo area. When I'm sick both my soprano and lower register's are the first to go.

Live Performance
So in the early hours of the morning...approx 2am I sang at Duplex Cabaret Open mic night in the West Village. I was hoping that my voice would stay with me...atleast till the end of the song, as I could tell it was starting to go last night when It was hurting to talk, let alone sing.
Anyway I sang "A Way Back to Then" from Title Of Show. This is a brand new song, so I had not really sung it in yet, but I like a challenge so I just thought "oh well, what have I got to lose? other than my voice?" I had some timing issues with the accompanist (my fault, not his) but we recovered together. He is amazing, I don't know how he sight-reads...but he does!!! Also I forgot the lyric in the first line...AND I went flat on some notes hahaha...wow! maybe I shouldn't be sharing this performance!
Well, you live...you learn! I need to modify the shape when I belt higher so I don't slide under the note.
I was sick, I sang...and here it is:

If you want to watch it, copy and paste this youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kDL0KxzNsk

Got home from Duplex at 3.10am, only to wake up at 5.30am to volunteer for:


Charitable deed #4
The Pancreatic Cancer Walk "Purple Stride Manhattan". I left at 6am got on the wrong train, ended p in Harlem (I was clearly sleep deprived!!!) Caught another 2 trains and ended up in the right place Riverside Drive on the UWS. I was originally on the Registration table, then moved to T-shirt distribution, then back to Registration. There was a huge turn out...so much so that we ran out of EVERYTHING! T-shirts, ribbons, placards (that walkers/runners would wear that read "I am walking for..." and they would write the name of the loved one who was battling pancreatic cancer or lost their life to pancreatic cancer. It was a shame that not everyone got a T-shirt (as there was a sea of purple) but on the upside, the were hundreds of people so I hope they raised their goal of $460,000!

The park at 6.30am 

 So quiet and gorgeous...

 Registration check-in
(Did I mention it was freeeeeeeeezing?! Hence the layers of clothing and jackets underneath my volunteer T-shirt)

 Just before the walk begins..

The crowd was down the entire drive:)

Dinner:

Spinach and ricotta pie with baked veggies from Gigi's on 72nd and Amsterdam:)

My thoughts today...

The event today was massive! But not organized very well, I think they under-estimated how big the turn-out would be, even though hundreds pre-registered online. I feel like this challenge is pulling me in a direction that I never saw coming. I feel inspired by not only the great causes these events are being co-ordinated in aid of...but the amount of people happy to reach-out. The walkers, the volunteers... everyone! I really want to somehow be a part of this. I want to find a cause or a way in which I can give back, contribute, educate or fund-raise to keep this part of me alive. Everyone feels compassion and it is here at these events that you truly see it and feel it.

I want to find where my passion is (other than singing and performing) what area that this kind of charity work will keep me motivated and driven to do more? I am probably not making any sense...but I want to look at where I am heading in 5 years time. I want to be associated with events or charites or causes that will truly help people, not a short term fix, but a long-term solution to some of the biggest problems homelessness, sex-trafficking, hunger...I'm not deluded into thinking that I can single handedly fix these issues, but I do believe that we need to reach out and help one another more than we do. Humanity has turned from being a community and helping one another to survive, to being survival of the fittest, making it a competition...it shouldn't be, but it is. I don't know how I (as a single person) can help, but I want to, I want to find a way in which I feel that I am contributing to others, to a community. Being in an industry that is all about how "I" look, how"I" sound...it's not going to be fulfilling unless I can give back, and take a step outside of my bubble and see the "big picture".

So it is quite late...I am very sleep deprived, and I want to (as cliche as it sounds) make the world a better place hahaahha...I want to make my life significant, I think the only way that can be possible is by affecting the lives of others... I am not sure how I (personally) can do that, but I will discover it.

Like I said before, this challenge is changing me...

Fight for Air Walk...Day 21

Daily Vocalizations- 30 minutes
mainly technique...getting sick and not getting full closure in the vocal chords. Didn't go to full on this afternoon with scales as the chords were not closing entirely. Sirening and puppy whimpers got them to close. But the reality is I'm getting sick:( ACHOOOOOOO!

Charitable Deed #3- "Fight for Air Walk" volunteer (7am-11am)


Saturday Morning-Woke up at 6am to be downtown in Battery Park by 7am.
Of course the train that I needed was canceled, but using the bus service i still made it there at 7am.
I received a volunteer T-shirt for the "Fight for Air Walk"- a 5km walk to raise money for the American Lung Association and raise awareness about asthma, lung cancer, air pollution and to promote the smoke-free parks and beaches law in NYC (that begins Monday!)

I helped in setting up tables and helped to distribute T-shirts to the walkers that had raised over $100 for the Lung Association, and other Walkers were able to purchase them for $10.
there were alot of people wearing photos of loved ones that they had lost to lung cancer or other respiratory related disease, many of the walkers were asthmatic and others regularly walked for the cause. Was a really good atmosphere, and a gorgeous day! Really enjoyed the New York experience today:)

Charitable Deed #3

 Fight For Air Walk volunteering

The fellow T-shirt distributers

Let the Walk begin...Was a good turn-out!

When I came home I started researching walks that I may like to volunteer for (or participate in) in the future as the experience I had today was awesome! I want to volunteer for a walk on June 18 for Brain Tumour Research. I recently lost a friend who had a brain tumour, he was only 27 and the most down-to-earth, awesome guy. I would love to volunteer/walk for him. As he loved New York too and would always Tag me when he took photos of a Chanel store in NYC:)

Anyway, the point is...this challenge is opening my eyes and heart to so many different causes and ways I can help others. I love it! I would like to make a personal commitment to continue the charitable deeds when this challenge ends. The fellow volunteers are all kind-hearted and the energy is always refreshing. It is a good way to spend your time...

Oh and on my way home on the tremendously long subway ride, there was a Mariachi band! complete with piano accordion!!! It was fantastic:)

I am unfortunately getting sick, which is great timing since I am doing my live performance tonight and recording my demo on Monday. But if I've learnt anything over the past few weeks...it's don't sweat the small stuff. Everything will come good:)

Speaking of small stuff! This is my flatmates ironing board, I think it is the funniest thing I've ever seen!

No that's not a gigantic iron...it's a teeny tiny ironing board!

But she still managed to iron all of her clothes on it:)

Auditions...Day 20

Ahhh only 10 days left!

This morning I got up at 7am...
Started Vocalizations at 8am for: 30 minutes
(worked on waking up my entire voice,  Soprano and mix AND Belt)
Later in the day Vocalizations for 40 minutes
Worked on: "Rita's Tune"
Total vocalizations = 1 hour 10 minutes

Went downtown to the Addams Family Musical Audition for the Broadway show...
Signed up just before 9am...

So enthusiastic at sign-in...

Anyway we were all sent away and told to return at 10am... Then at 10.15am we were told that only Equity would be seen BOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! It was an equity call (an American thing, kind of like a Union) but sometimes they will still see non-equity. Not this Time! Damn... so then I heard that In The Heights were having auditions a few blocks down. I though hey! I'm vocally warmed up, I could maybe pass as Latina, why not? When I got there there were 3 Large rooms and hallways FILLED with people ready to audition... I waited in line to sign in for 30 minutes...

The Hallway leading to the room to sign up... 

and I wasn't even close to getting to the front when the girl in front of me told me that it wasn't even to get a time...It was the 4th page of "Alternate's" list. Which means that IF they get through the 10am, 11am, 12pm and 1pm list...they MAY see Alternate's...pffft I knew I had no chance of getting in today. They are having an open call in a few weeks that I may go to.

In the meantime I still have an Industry Audition to do for the challenge...and 10 days left to do it!!!!!

But it's New York...something will come up:)

Healthy meal:

Salad- endive, watercress, gorgonzola and walnuts mmmmmmmmmm

at Cotta bar/restaurant (on the upper west side)

Tomorrow I'm volunteering at 7am downtown So early!!!!!! hahahaha but it's for a good cause...

stay tuned xoxo