JD

To one of the greatest musicians I know.

We met in elementary school briefly, but we first really got to know each other in middle school, when we were both in Honk together.  He got the lead, and I was his understudy.  We carpooled back and forth to rehearsal every day.

To this day, we are still friends.  Our relationship hasn't changed much.  We are in the high school shows, choir, etc together.  We work well academically (English, AP World).  Even though we have radically different views on some things, we are still very good friends.

He plays piano with improvisational skills much better than mine, he sings better than I do, and he plays guitar amazingly, which I can't even try to do.  Yet there is never any sense of competition.  It's one of those things that is just accepted.

But he is a really good friend.  I think the best example of this can be seen recently, when we were at PMEA.  As I stated previously, I didn't really make any lasting friends there.  He had a group that I was always with.  Yet, whenever I would begin to feel lonely, I would always go look for him.  He made me feel welcome.  One of the biggest disappointments of the festival was not being able to room with him.  But we still had a good time.

Today we found out that we only had one day to get an application ready for the NAfME National Mixed Choir.  We stayed after school and filled it out.  I hope that both of us gets in.  I would like to go, but I couldn't stand going alone.

Does he have better friends, sure.  I can't possibly be anyone who can jam with him, I'm not in that league.  But it's nice to have him as a friend.

-NM

Free Time?

So, everybody says that after the musical is done, they have all this free time that they don't have anything to do with, right?

Definitely not this week.  I've had so much going on that I've felt almost as tired as I did during tech week. I had...

• Makeup work from PMEA All-State Choir in every class
• Having to make up gym classes by coming in before school
• Pickleball championships during gym class
• Last-minute assignments before the end of the grading period this week
• Ensemble before school almost every day getting ready for our performance Sunday (missed one for a gym class)
• Wrote a ten-page thesis section for my author paper in English
• Got back to dance class full-time... and looked terrible!
• Visited my first college
• Played with the orchestra at the middle school preparing to perform with them Monday
• Hardest AP Physics test of the year, especially after missing two days of lessons for PMEA

So the myth of having free time after musical is done is clearly a myth.  And next week may not be a whole lot better.  In fact, there have been two or three blog posts I've wanted to write that I just haven't gotten around to.

And I don't know if next week's going to be a whole lot better.  Arena Scheduling, job shadow, SATs...

-NM

PMEA All-State Choir

So, as many of you will remember from my earlier posts about a month ago, I qualified for the PMEA All-State Choir.  I was thrilled, but I knew that it would be tough, considering that Anything Goes was less than a week before.  I was definitely less prepared for this festival than the other two PMEA festivals.  In addition, my voice was still recovering from Anything Goes, and I wouldn't be able to sing as well.

Wednesday was auditions.  One of the two selections was the one part of the one song that I said to myself, "I really hope they don't pick this section!"  I didn't do that well.  My falsetto is still not great.  I knew that my other two auditions were both better.

Thursday began with results.  I told myself that I would be happy with anything in the top half.  I got 15th out of 30.  Barely made my hopes.  The first day of rehearsal, however, didn't go that well.  There was very little focus, and, being in the back row, it was hard to hear, and this only added to the chaos factor.  However, that evening, we attended a Leadership Session by Scott Lang.  As pessimistic as people were about it coming in, I thought the speaker was amazing.  He had such energy, he got everybody involved, and his points were all very true.  He got one of the quickest standing ovations I have ever seen ever.

Even though the next day, people didn't seem to like his speech, I maintained that it was good.  And it definitely had an effect.  That morning, we went to the convention down at the convention center, and that cost us half a day of rehearsal.  However, when we did start rehearsal, I believe that we got more done that afternoon than we did the entire first day.  We were all more focused, and more motivated than before.  And, when our conductor thanked us afterwards, we all gave him a standing ovation as well.

That night we went to the Vocal Jazz and Jazz Ensemble concert.  Here is my review.  The Vocal Jazz was disappointing.  The blend wasn't there, and they weren't very tight.  Also, the pieces that they did were relatively uninteresting.  Another day of rehearsal would have made the concert a lot better.  However, the instrumental jazz ensemble was really good.  They captivated the audience well, and were very fun to watch.

The next day was our concert.  It was cold, and we had to do a lot of walking around outside with no coats on.  But the concert went well.  Everybody seemed to like it.  The funny parts carried, and the intense parts were received with intensity.  I couldn't have asked for better.

It was a good experience.  I won't say I liked it as much as I liked regionals and districts for two reasons.  The first is that it was more of a commitment over more time, and I wasn't coming home every night to my family.  The second is that it was only me, JD, and RH from QV.  It is always more fun when you have more friends, and I can't say I made any lasting friends this time.  But I'm still glad I went, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

-NM

Performance Weekend

The shows went well.  Apparently our show was the talk of the town, and really made a good impression.

The moment we've all been waiting for.

The Senior Citizens show was one of the best senior citizen audiences that we've ever had.  There were jokes that they got that none of the other audiences got, and it was just a great way to start things off.

The Thursday Night crowd was really into it.  The only disappointment was that the audience wasn't anywhere close to full.  However, they still managed to get really into the show, and that was nice.

Friday night was probably my worst performance, at least personally.  I was just really tired from the entire week, and I hadn't done a really good job of taking care of my voice.  I tried not to talk to anyone, and I even shut my eyes backstage when I wasn't on.  I prayed to God backstage that I wouldn't embarrass myself onstage.  I may have been all over the place in the group dancing numbers and the group singing numbers, and I may have felt knives in my throat when I sang, but my solos sounded/looked fine.  And that's all anyone seemed to remember.  God answered my prayers.  On top of that, that evening's crowd was probably the biggest.

The Saturday matinee was actually comparatively good... for a Saturday matinee.  The crowd laughed, and you could tell they were into it, even if the audience was only a little more than half full.

The Saturday night crowd was a little disappointing.  Not only was the audience not full, but you could tell that a lot of the audience had seen the show before, and knew the jokes and expected the impressive moments.  However, it was still nice to see that so many people liked the show enough to come back and see it a second time.

The cast party was moving.  Around midnight, we all settled down for the traditions.  My superlative was "Most likely to make someone else's day", and I somehow have to attribute this blog to part of that.  Also, listening to the senior speeches, it made me realize how many more people I owe so much to that I've never given the credit.  That in these last few weeks before they go away, I need to do my best to become closer to.

-NM

Diagnosis: Tech Week

Definition:  Tech week is the acquired syndrome caused by no virus, bacteria, or fungi, but merely from a week of work on a high school musical production without ceasing

Symptoms can include, but are not limited to:

• Lack of sleep
• Failure to turn in homework assignments
• Possibly drop in grades
• Offset eating schedule (specifically eating dinner at around 3:00)
• Diet consisting of only Wendy's, Subway, Giant Eagle, and Asian Star
• Remnants of mic tape on side of head and back of neck
• Loss of free time
• Loss of ability to sing unless on stage during performance

Tech week comes in annual cycles.  In addition, it is highly predictable when it will be acquired, and it is possible to make provisions ahead of time.  It is more prominent among high school than any other age group.  Normally, about 40 or 50 people will be diagnosed annually, and normally around late March or early April.

Unfortunately, Tech Week has no known cure but to let the week pass.  However, the recovery process can produce symptoms of its own, and this is commonly called Post-Musical Depression (PMD).

Symptoms of PMD can include, but are not limited to:

• Free time that you don't know what to do with
• Desire to see friends
• Desire to make jokes about a specific musical
• Overall disappointment that Tech Week is over

-NM 

Blow Gabriel, Blow

If you asked me a week ago how our show looked, I would have said it looked terrible.  The cast was not focused, and nothing looked good at all.

We were once heading for hell
We were once heading for hell

Then we realized how bad it was, and we took steps to fix it.  Make it better.  Held extra rehearsals.  Make the most of the rehearsals that we had.  Do everything possible to keep the energy high.

But when we got to Satan's door
We heard you blowing on your horn once more
So we said "Satan, Farewell"

The show looks really good right now.  Granted, some of the technical aspects are still working themselves out, but yesterday's rehearsal was a success!  The energy was great, and everyone who saw the rehearsal was really impressed!

And now we're all ready to fly
Yes, to fly higher and higher
Because we've gone through brimstone and been through the fire
And we've purged our soul and our heart too
To climb up the mountaintop and start to
Blow Gabriel Blow
Come on and blow Gabriel blow

This show could really be something.  The potential now is really high, and it is starting to reach it's full potential.  To be all that it could be.  Only one thing remains.

We want to join your happy band
And play all day in the promised land
So blow Gabriel, blow!

-NM

JR

I realize that I've written about very few guys.  There are a lot of guys that I intend to write about, but the moment has never been right.  Now it is.

I met JR during Crazy for You.  He was a lead, and I was in an ensemble that interacted very little with that lead.  However, we still talked, and things were accomplished.  I would call us friends from that year on.

In the past few days, we've had a few conversations that have lasted a while.  On Monday, when he held an extra rehearsal for principals, we stayed afterwards and talked about the show, and many things that contributed and hurt progress.

Today, at lunch, we officially declared war with Mr. B over possession of the keyboard.  I won't say what we did.

Backstage, during rehearsal, we had a long conversation about a ton of stuff.  This was nice.  Then I regretted it afterwards, as it caused me to miss my cue in the following scene for the second day in a row.

He is just someone that I can talk to.  There are very few people in the world who I can have a normal, civilized conversation with.  He has a wild side, but he has it under control.

I'm going to miss him after this year.  He has proved to be a good leader, and I think the musical will suffer from his absence.  Not only that, the addition he makes to the soprano section will be missing from chorus and ensemble.  And I'll lose someone to talk to.

-NM

Spring Break 2013

I went to FL.  We stayed from Wednesday to Sunday, and flew back Monday morning.  The following list is a list of what I learned during this time.

• Sometimes going along to help with J's baseball practice is actually fun, though it can get boring.
• Expensive restaurants are expensive for a good reason, and are worth it a lot of the time.
• The weather in FL isn't always perfect for swimming.
• Reading by the pool is actually very relaxing, and is a good excuse for not getting in the water.
• I can't play golf well.
• I can play miniature golf well.
• Lent can make people eat some disgusting things.
• It is possible to overwork someone who's trying to run a race.
• It is possible to collapse to the ground tired while running a race.
• Sometimes doing what is natural is the right thing to do, and although you may take it for granted, other people may not.
• It is easier to emotionally hurt someone than physically hurt someone, and the emotional can hurt more.
• I am bad at picking Final Four teams.
• There is such thing as a bad church choir.
• It is possible to have fun on a see saw, especially if it is built for four.
• The only way to survive a plane ride is to have a good book and a window seat.

If I said everything I did, the post would never end.  I don't have time to write such a post, with the musical coming up so soon (and believe me, that show needs a lot of work).  Just ask me if you have any questions.

-NM