"Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything." ~Plato

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Summertime and the Livin' is...

no longer busy!  :) 

It has been one crazy summer vacation.  Soooo much to do!  And all of that finally culminated in my voice recital this past Friday evening.  Waking up on Saturday was a bit surreal - it's all done!  Just five more days of work and I'm home free.  Well, I have 4 days to get all of my school supplies together and I move in on Wednesday September 1st.  But it's still a liberating feeling.

Don't get me wrong though!  I have most definitely enjoyed everything I have done this summer.  Like I said before, Girl Scout Camp was fun and fulfilling.  I'm looking forward to next year!  My Psychology class was super interesting and pretty darn easy.  I ended the quarter with a 99%... but I think some of that had to do with how much I enjoyed reading the textbook.  :)

Opera Week deserves its own paragraph!  It was such a blast.  Everyone was super talented, but we also all improved.  Most of the workshop focused on the acting side of performance, as opposed to the technicalities of vocal production - a welcome change from what might have been expected!  It was exciting, as a lot of the people there are PLU students and/or will be in the opera Semele that PLU is putting on in J-Term.  Talk about some early cast bonding!  haha.  It was also great to find a friend in Dr. Brown.  He worked with Yoshi and I on our scene and it was so much fun to put together.  I had just never really gotten the chance to know him beyond seeing him at singing functions last year.  I also had a great time really getting to know my friend Mary, who drove us to PLU and back everyday (and to Seattle on that Thursday to see Tristan und Isolde).  We both studied voice with Kerstin O'Shields for 6 years and ended up at PLU together, but we never really were more than aquaintence-friends.  Well that changed pretty quickly.  Somewhat sadly, she's headed to Central this year instead, but we're determined to keep in touch.  It's also because of her excellent taste in music that I need to add Regina Spektor, Paramore, and Florence & The Machine to my iTunes.  :)

The success of the Opera Workshop helped open my eyes even more to the singing world.  But I've kind of decided that this year will be my time of exploration and my chance to really decipher whether or not Music Ed is the right road for me.  I'm looking forward to my Music Ed classes, and seeing what it's all about.  I'm also really excited for the opera and experiencing more of that type of performing.  I have faound that I really love singing classical.  Contemporary and musical theatre is fun, but it feels so much better singing classical and, in some ways, easier to connect with emotionally.  So, my current status regarding my future: we shall see.  :)  (But isn't that everyone's really?)

My last and final major project this summer was my voice recital.  It went over quite successfully, in my opinion!  :)  I sang a total of 14 songs - 8 classical and 6 contemporary/musical theatre.  2 of the classical pieces were duets.  The entirety is posted on my brand-spanking-new Youtube channel!  www.youtube.com/user/ErinMWhite  I hope everyone enjoys the videos and I look forward to sharing more in the future.

So, now onto 5 more days of KCDA (there has been a 10 day countdown... heh), 4 days of "rest" and "relaxation" amid inventory assessment, shopping, and packing for school, and back to PLU I go for sophomore year!  I can't wait!  Especially because I am rooming with the fabulous Stephanie Bivins!  :D  I'm sure there are plenty of crazy videos, pictures, and stories of our adventures in the year ahead!  Woot woot!  haha.

Love&Harmony,
<3 Erin