Yes, I did it this year. Why? I got talked into it. I'm glad I did do it though, I just do believe that some people who talked me into it made a lot bigger deal out of it than the Cabaret deserves.
I did a tap number. Puttin' on the Ritz. My mom was will to pay Miss B for private lessons so we could get this thing choreographed and put together. I have to thank her so much for that. The number would have been terrible otherwise.
It was a hard number to do, especially considering that I was doing it on a raked stage. I mean, really especially since I was doing it on a raked stage. I almost fell once, but as a whole I think it went very well (and many thanks to NB for having my water ready to go as soon as I was done!). Even better, O was in town with her CMU audition the next day (we can hope for the best!), so she was able to come see it, which was a great thing.
The Cabaret is not a big production. It is a relatively informal evening, with a lot of relaxed acts. It is a chance for people to do things onstage that might not normally have a venue or an audience to do so. I have never done a full tap solo before. That was my contribution, and this was my chance. For several other people it was there chance. However, such a performance does not always necessarily deserve a big audience, or a lot of hype. It is small potatoes. It doesn't even deserve nerves from the people involved.
I know this is a short post, but a longer one would be contradictory to my previous point.
-NM
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Last PMEA
Well, it's always nice to go out on a good one.
Wednesday was auditions, and I knew I was no guarantee. I went in, and I wasn't exploding with nerves. I was towards the end, so I got to hear a lot of people, and everyone seemed to know their music, which I feel was one of my advantages last year. I was a little sick, and had a stuffy nose. Throughout my auditions, I felt my tone was good, and I was on the notes, but I did feel like my breathing was off, that I was taking too many breaths.
Finding out that I didn't make states was a disappointment, even if it didn't come as a surprise. I haven't been training my voice especially since last year, the placement of the festival was at a better time for more other people to have learned their music, and there's the cold on top of that. I will say I was hoping for a little better than 13th chair, but it doesn't really matter anyway. We can all hope that JD will do well.
But once that was over, the festival was a lot of fun! Great conductor, and some good music, though I feel we spent way too much time on "I am the Rose of Sharon". We put on a great concert, and got a very good reception.
The non-competetive nature of PMEA became more evident to me than ever over these past few days. For the people who got in, it wasn't just about excitement of them getting in, they also seemed genuinely disappointed when they found out that someone else wasn't going to states. The purpose of the arts is to create something special, not to compete and determine who is the best. The only purpose of auditions at these festivals is to keep the number of people involved manageable. And that's all PMEA really is. A place to perform concerts, and we audition because we all want to do it again.
I need to spend the rest of the year trying to convince more QV people to do PMEA, otherwise no one will, and it will slowly die out. Hopefully I can succeed.
-NM
Wednesday was auditions, and I knew I was no guarantee. I went in, and I wasn't exploding with nerves. I was towards the end, so I got to hear a lot of people, and everyone seemed to know their music, which I feel was one of my advantages last year. I was a little sick, and had a stuffy nose. Throughout my auditions, I felt my tone was good, and I was on the notes, but I did feel like my breathing was off, that I was taking too many breaths.
Finding out that I didn't make states was a disappointment, even if it didn't come as a surprise. I haven't been training my voice especially since last year, the placement of the festival was at a better time for more other people to have learned their music, and there's the cold on top of that. I will say I was hoping for a little better than 13th chair, but it doesn't really matter anyway. We can all hope that JD will do well.
But once that was over, the festival was a lot of fun! Great conductor, and some good music, though I feel we spent way too much time on "I am the Rose of Sharon". We put on a great concert, and got a very good reception.
The non-competetive nature of PMEA became more evident to me than ever over these past few days. For the people who got in, it wasn't just about excitement of them getting in, they also seemed genuinely disappointed when they found out that someone else wasn't going to states. The purpose of the arts is to create something special, not to compete and determine who is the best. The only purpose of auditions at these festivals is to keep the number of people involved manageable. And that's all PMEA really is. A place to perform concerts, and we audition because we all want to do it again.
I need to spend the rest of the year trying to convince more QV people to do PMEA, otherwise no one will, and it will slowly die out. Hopefully I can succeed.
-NM
Friday, February 7, 2014
MF
There are some people in the world who you are really good friends with, but you can't seem to find anything to talk about ever. MF is not one of those people.
Though I would call us pretty good friends. Granted, she seems to be one of those people who can jump into almost any conversation naturally with almost anyone, and manage to fit right in. I'm not calling her a chatterbox, for the conversations are always very civil and polite. You can always seem to have a good conversation with MF.
Just today, we were talking about a lot of things, from the Olympics, to what shouldn't be on TV, to a lot of other things I can't remember. We have good conversations. She said to me once, "I really like talking to you." I really like talking to her too. It always is an uplifting thing that I look forward to, even if it doesn't happen that often.
I can only hope that these continue. At times, I wonder how many people I'm actually going to be leaving behind when I got to college. She is definitely someone I'll miss.
-NM
We met during the middle school play that we were in together during my 7th grade year, her 6th grade year. There was no grand story of meeting, as there really isn't for most people. We talked, had a good time both that year and the year after during Sound of Music.
A year off, and then we're back in the high school show together for the past three years. And more memories are shared with that. It's such a nice thing, to have something in common that you can talk about with someone. Add the past two years of PAC to that, and it almost becomes inevitable that we would become friends, even if not the greatest of friends.
Just today, we were talking about a lot of things, from the Olympics, to what shouldn't be on TV, to a lot of other things I can't remember. We have good conversations. She said to me once, "I really like talking to you." I really like talking to her too. It always is an uplifting thing that I look forward to, even if it doesn't happen that often.
I can only hope that these continue. At times, I wonder how many people I'm actually going to be leaving behind when I got to college. She is definitely someone I'll miss.
-NM
18
As I suspected.
Less than half the people who were viewing my blog at this time last year are viewing it now. Honestly, I'm surprised it's not even lower, but who knows why that could be?
Of course, the amount of views I get is directly related to the number of posts I put up. More posts = most views. But viewers?
It doesn't surprise me that I'm losing people, really. I am posting less and less, and the posts I've been putting out have been of pretty low quality. Most of this is due to the ten thousand other things I have going, and the fact that I've prided myself this year on actually sleeping as much as I should be.
I don't blame the people who have left for leaving, and I realize that I am preaching to the choir here, but just felt like it had to be said. To the 18 of you who are still with me (5 from QVMS, 8 from QVHS, 1 from another high school, 3 from college, and 1 who either doesn't know where they are or didn't respond), thank you for sticking with me. I appreciate it.
-NM
Less than half the people who were viewing my blog at this time last year are viewing it now. Honestly, I'm surprised it's not even lower, but who knows why that could be?
Of course, the amount of views I get is directly related to the number of posts I put up. More posts = most views. But viewers?
It doesn't surprise me that I'm losing people, really. I am posting less and less, and the posts I've been putting out have been of pretty low quality. Most of this is due to the ten thousand other things I have going, and the fact that I've prided myself this year on actually sleeping as much as I should be.
I don't blame the people who have left for leaving, and I realize that I am preaching to the choir here, but just felt like it had to be said. To the 18 of you who are still with me (5 from QVMS, 8 from QVHS, 1 from another high school, 3 from college, and 1 who either doesn't know where they are or didn't respond), thank you for sticking with me. I appreciate it.
-NM
Monday, February 3, 2014
A State of Disconnection
What is happening?
I don't know why I suddenly am bothered now, but I hardly see some of my closest friends anymore.
Granted, this was always going to be the case with several of them. The college kids go off to college, and the people who are going to move away are going to move away, and the middle schoolers are still going to be in middle school. But what about the people who I should be hanging out with every day in high school?
Where does it start?
Does it come from the fact that it seems like I have almost no classes with any of my closest friends at all? That I instantly lose a link of conversation during school that they all seem to share?
Does it come from the fact that I've always been a quiet person? From the fact that whenever there are group conversations going on, I'm always left alone? The one person who it seems isn't contributing?
Does it come from the fact that I'm simply just out of modern pop culture? That I don't following meaningless TV shows and bad musicians, and therefore lose several points of conversation there?
Does it come from the fact that I have so much I do outside of school that I hardly see anyone outside of school and school-related activities ever? I can't even remember when the last time I met with a friend from school just for the sake of spending time together.
What ever is it? And what is it for? Is this preparing me for the ultimate social knife that's going to sever everything when I go to college? Should I be separating or moving in? And then there's the fact that someone mentioned prom to me, and I have absolutely no plans for that yet.
What ever am I going to do?
-NM
I don't know why I suddenly am bothered now, but I hardly see some of my closest friends anymore.
Granted, this was always going to be the case with several of them. The college kids go off to college, and the people who are going to move away are going to move away, and the middle schoolers are still going to be in middle school. But what about the people who I should be hanging out with every day in high school?
Where does it start?
Does it come from the fact that it seems like I have almost no classes with any of my closest friends at all? That I instantly lose a link of conversation during school that they all seem to share?
Does it come from the fact that I've always been a quiet person? From the fact that whenever there are group conversations going on, I'm always left alone? The one person who it seems isn't contributing?
Does it come from the fact that I'm simply just out of modern pop culture? That I don't following meaningless TV shows and bad musicians, and therefore lose several points of conversation there?
Does it come from the fact that I have so much I do outside of school that I hardly see anyone outside of school and school-related activities ever? I can't even remember when the last time I met with a friend from school just for the sake of spending time together.
What ever is it? And what is it for? Is this preparing me for the ultimate social knife that's going to sever everything when I go to college? Should I be separating or moving in? And then there's the fact that someone mentioned prom to me, and I have absolutely no plans for that yet.
What ever am I going to do?
-NM
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