Monday, August 22, 2011

VOICE

So, if anyone didn't already know, I auditioned for the voice this summer!  I told Rosalie I would blog about it... so I'm finally getting around to it (a month later).

My dad and I were watching the Voice season 1 and Carson Dayley says, "Do you think you have what it takes to be on the Voice?" and I said, "yes.." and then Carson told me to go online and sign up for an audition day.  So I looked at my dad and said, " I think I have what it takes."  and he says (basically), "I know you have what it takes.  You are beautiful, you have been taking lessons, you know all about that music stuff; the only thing standing in your way is you."

I think that is true in a lot of aspects in my life.  I always doubt myself and tell myself I can't do it.  If I never try then I can't fail.  But on the other side of that, if I never try I can never succeed.  One night when doing dishes with my dad he looked at me and said, "You could do a lot more if you would stop telling yourself you can't."  That's the theme for the year for me.  I CAN!  I can audition for a national singing competition and I can do my best there! 

When I checked online, the auditions were going to be in Tennessee the same weekend that I was already going to be about an hour from Nashville.  So I said... it is most definitely a sign that I need to do this!!  I made my musician profile and started preparing songs for my audition. I decided to sing Thunder Rolls and Almost Lover (click the links to hear the originals if you don't already know the songs).

My dad and stepmom rented a hotel that was a block away from the auditorium where the auditions would be held.  On the day of the audition I was so nervous!  But I kept singing to myself a line from eminem's "Lose Yourself."  It goes: "He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready to drop bombs." and that was my mantra.  I acknowledged the fact that I was nervous but decided that to do my best I needed to fake confidence until I felt it.  I decided that I wasn't going to let my nerves get in my way.  If I left the audition feeling like I had done my best, it wouldn't matter if it was a yes or no.

There were sooo many people there.  It was very calm though, not chaotic at all.  We waited in line outside until the doors opened then we were put into 8 lines.  They scanned our passes and then sent us to another line.  They took each line up to the seats where we sat and waited.  10 people were taken at a time to the audition room.  The audition room wasn't really a room at all, they had set up black cloth against the wall to make a little room.  When we walked into the room we all sat down.  The producers were super friendly.  We stood up one at a time and sang a verse and chorus from one of our songs.  I chose to sing "Almost Lover."  I got up and sang my heart out.  I did the best I could.  They told me, and the rest of my group, that I wasn't what they were looking for. 

And you know what, I do not feel any regret.  I am so glad that I auditioned.  It was such a great experience! 

been a long time since I rock and rolled

Okay.  Monday.  First day of school.  Piece. of. Cake.  really though.


6am: wake up to a text from my manager regarding my schedule for the week.  Not exactly what I wanted, but we worked it out and it should be good from here on out.
7am: bike to the gym to meet Amanda :)
7:30-8:20: run 4 miles.  that's right!  farthest I've ever ran in my LIFE!  I feel awesome!
8:30 get ready for class
9:15 done getting ready...  what the heck do I do for the next 45 minutes?  I run down to the SUB, see Jacob Diller there!  great reunion.  Pick up some text books and then head to the practice room for a quick warm up.
9:45 bike to the Library for my SPED class.  It's a distance learning class so we're basically skyping with a class from Twin.  It's pretty neat.
11:00 done with class....  2 hour lunch?  what?  decide to head to the FA to practice some more, run into Jacob Diller yet again!  I found out we're pretty  much neighbors and can have slumber parties! :)
12:00 lunch with Amanda.
1:00 choir for 20 minutes (just the beginning of year blah blah stuff)  (tangent:  Chamber auditions are on thursday!!! and there are like 10 sopranos auditioning.. that means 4 or more girls are going to be cut!!! o.O  scarrrrrrrry!)
1:30 bike home.

what a busy day huh?  haha yeah right!!  gonna be a great semester, but I'm sure I'll find something to stress out about! :)

L