you realize you're a music major when....

Good evening (or good morning...),
I'm obviously procrastinating finishing my essay on environmentalism and Eco-terrorism, but who wants to do that!? Actually, my paper is my inspiration for my post today.

I've had an epiphany kind of a day.  As I was getting ready for school I felt myself dragging, but then I realized I had renewed my Spotify premium membership and I had my fabulous Florence + The Machine/Gotye/Kimbra/Erato/Billie Holiday mix on my ipod and I lept out of bed to turn on my music and once the music was on, I stopped and I wondered "does anyone else get this excited for music?"  So do you?

Again, music was my force tonight.  As I was trying to write this paper I didn't want to write, and make myself focus I couldn't find the right music.  I need something new.  Something I can analyze and discover it's nuances and fall in love with the lyrics but nothing was working so I went back in time and remembered my favorite music to do homework to high school (that wasn't Lord of The Rings - because that is and will probably always be first in my book).  Run Lola Run.  If you haven't heard this music - find it.  It's amazing.  Here is one track:

Anyway, the film is amazing as well, but I just find it strange (and maybe it isn't and I'm over thinking things) that music drives my life so much, especially when I don't realize it.  I'm surrounded by music all day for homework and class work - you'd think I wouldn't want any more but silence is scarier.  Especially when silence is comprised of a cluster of pitches created by your fridge and the flashing light on your computer monitor and the light above the sink. 

I don't know if this is important to anyone, i think I just needed to write something I care about that didn't make me depressed about the environment. I look forward to hearing people's thought on Lola.

Oh! And the title of today's post came from me standing in my dinning room, about to walk into the kitchen for some water, but I couldn't walk till the "drop" (I believe it's called) in the Dub-Step song I was listening to.  Also, awesome!

PLEASE IGNORE THE CREEPINESS OF THE VIDEO - I don't know what's going on.  I just like the song... Don't judge!

Well, i guess that's it for now.  I did want to write about my AWESOME voice lesson today, but that will have to wait for another time, hopefully after I've slept and finished this paper.

Ta!
~A

music-land

Hello friends,
(Okay, I have no idea how to start these blogs and that just feels a little creepy- "Mr. Rogers"-ish/"Bob Ross" -ish kind of greeting (can you tell I was a PBS kid?) Any suggestions?)

I realized I haven't actually given you an idea of "all this music I'm doing," and I thought I would.  I'm studying music at school - LOVE it.  In fact, I have a small recital on Friday October 19th for our "performance lab". I'm only singing two pieces, "When I am Laid In Earth" by Purcell from Dido and Aeneas (yes, I had to look up how to spell that...), which is a Mezzo operatic aria, and I'm singing Gia il sole dal Gange by Scarlatti.  I think I am the most nervous I've been in a long time for this mini-recital because this is the first time I'm performing as a "mezzo".

For years I had teachers telling me I was a soprano and then last winter, my new teacher confirmed my beliefs that I am a mezzo.  This may not seem like a big deal for most, but when you're constantly being told you are something that you know you are not is really hard. I couldn't sing soprano repertoire comfortably, and I didn't sound like other sopranos, and all that made me feel like I was just a bad singer and didn't try hard enough.  So, to have someone say, "No, you're not wrong, you're just not using your instrument to it's full potential" is pretty earth-shattering.  To me, it felt like I was trying to write with my left hand even though I'm right-handed.  I got the job done, but the struggle to get there and the end result was not anywhere near as beautiful as I wanted.  And the work to get it done meant I couldn't focus on what I was working on (if that makes sense).  So, anyway. Long story short - in less than a week I will be singing with a new instrument and I'm a little terrified.

Other music-y things I'm doing:
CHOIRS!
-Johnson State Chorale (which has nothing to do with horses, no matter what my sister says)
-First Baptist Church Choir
-Bella Voce
-Cantiamo (a division of Bella Voce)
Performances!
I don't have many performances on the radar right now.  the few I have are listed as follows:
-October TBA: Bella Voce will be singing in a joint concert with the Essex High School Kaleidoscope choir and I'm so happy to say that I got the solo in that concert!! I am so excited for this song (although there is rhythmic clapping....eek!) and it's GORGEOUS!
-December 1st and 2nd: "Rejoice and Sing" holiday concerts for Bella Voce and Cantiamo.  They will both be at First Baptist Church, Burlington at 8pm and 3pm respectively.
-December 16th (I think....) JSC Holiday Gala. This year the JSC choirs will be having a ticketed holiday gala concert event to raise money for the choirs and choir scholarships offered by the department.
...And that's it for this Winter, for now.

I will say, and some of you won't be surprised by this at all (I know my family wasn't), but after taking almost a year hiatus from jazz gigging/performing jazz, I've come to the conclusion that I can't live without it.  I love jazz and singing it gives me a creative outlet that I can't find anywhere else.   So, with that being said, if there are any musicians looking to gig, please get in touch with me.  I would like to get back in the swing of things sooner rather than later.  Also, if anyone knows of any good clubs that I should apply to, please let me know.

Well, I guess that's it for now.  I leave you all with butterflies in my stomach for tomorrow I conduct (in front of an audience, per-say) for the first time.  It's just a short song for the Benediction response in church, but it's quite exciting and nerve-wracking and  so many other emotions I can't describe.

I'll let y'all know how it goes I guess.

Think good thoughts for me tomorrow -
love, love!
~A

p.s.
Thank you ALL so, so much for reading this blog.  It means so much to me and makes my day when I hear someone has read it.  You're all wonderful.  Stay wonderful!

Amazing designer!!

Hey kids,
So I just wanted to share with y'all this great find (I think....I haven't bought anything....YET *wink wink*).  As I start looking for my senior recital dress (which I know is more than a year away, but nevertheless...) I stumbled upon the label IGIGI.  I have been mostly a Lane Bryant/Dress Barn/Torrid girl for several years, but thorough Lane Bryant I found this label and the dresses are GORGEOUS!  Not only that, the way the website is designed is ingenious.  For each dress there is the "shapestylist" tab which tells you which body type would look best in the dress.  If your not sure which body-type you are, the website will explain and then tell you which dresses would look best.  As if that wasn't enough the website uses plus-size models (thank you) and tells you what body-type they are, what size they're wearing and how tall they are.

I'm very wary of online shopping because you can't try stuff on, you don't know they've altered the clothing to fit the model, how the model is proportioned compared to you and once you order it, generally if it looks okay most women won't go through the hassle of returning it, whereas in the store you have to walk out carrying it and can make good (or, at least, better) judgments.

Here are two gorgeous examples of dresses for my body-type (the "figure eight"):
The "Michelle":

The "Garbo":

If you like what you see, head to THIS amazing website!!

    And remember kids - just because it fits doesn't mean it will necessarily look good.  Always make sure your clothes make you feel as good inside as you look outside (Lord, I hope that makes sense...)

Love love!
~A

The beginning

Hello ALL!

So, a blog you ask? What is this blog?  I have no clue.

The title is the only thing I know. I am a "dreamer", as some horoscope book just stated of my "birth day" (I also, apparently, don't have patience for people with low self-esteem, which I'm sad to say is totally true...).  And as a dreamer, I dream big.  I want to be a diva - not a self-made "diva", but a true diva (the difference, I learned from my voice teacher, whom you will learn much more of, is a true diva is a woman who is a powerful singer.  A woman people want to do things for out of love and respect.)  According to Merriam-Webster a diva is "a usually glamorous and successful female performer or personality."  Well, I would say that's just about right where I want to be.  

This blog is going to do several things, I hope.  I want to share my performance opportunities (as both an aspiring opera singer and jazz singer), my struggles and triumphs as a performer in a pretty small state and my style.  I know it's hard being a college student and looking nice everyday, but, again, as my voice teacher said, "dress like the diva you want to be" (maybe not in such a hallmark card way, but it's how I'm choosing to remember it) and it's also hard being a big girl finding clothes that look good and make YOU (the wearer, not the observer - that would be weird...) feel good.  

This summer, while housesitting, I saw an episode of "Girls" on HBO (AWESOME show!!) and in one episode a girl from the main character's college was at her book release party and the main character said that it was no wonder she was doing so well after graduation "she wore lipstick to class".  I wear lipstick to class and I hope that holds true.  I know that's a lot of power to put into a cosmetic, but it's a pretty damn important one. 

Well, here's to the beginning.  There will be ups and downs, I'm sure, but, if nothing else, this will be a way for my grandmother's to know what's going on in my life in case I forget to call them.... 
Love love!
~A