Week 3 of AIMS

So after a dizzying first week of real classes, I had a fabulously relaxing weekend. Saturday was an easy recovery day for me, where I had the chance to catch my breath and refocus. Sunday evening was the very first AIMS concert, where the orchestra played "Fanfare for the Common Man" and "Also sprach Zarathustra," and Linda Watson sang some gorgeous Wagner.

The last three days I've been immersed in my classes. I've been focusing this week on "Caro Nome" and "Ach, ich liebte." I am determined to conquer "Ach, ich liebte"!!! Sra. Colon thinks that I sing it well and has been very encouraging. She has suggested to take some of the weight off my sound at the bottom of my runs, which has helped a ton. She has also been working on me rounding my sound so that there are more overtones in my notes. I have a horrible habit of spreading my mouth/sound horizontally. I need to think vertical. Looking in the mirror while singing is key for me until my mouth gets used to opening more vertically. One of the best moments of this week was when Sra. Colon said that she thinks I am very capable of having a successful singing career in Europe!!!!

There is a big singing competition at AIMS that I am entering next week - called the Meistersinger Competition - where there are two rounds of auditions and then the final 6-8 winners are chosen to sing with the orchestra in the very last AIMS concert. I need to have three songs prepared, and am still finalizing my choices with my teacher's help. Of course everyone else here is entering the competition, so my challenge is to figure out how to make my arias special and unique for my voice.

I have been cast in a few concerts, which is totally awesome! I will be singing in the Spanish music concert in a few weeks, as well as the Operetta concerts (there are four of them, plus one with orchestra that hasn't been cast yet). I am completely new to Operetta, so it's been great to learn a new and completely Austrian genre. What is not great is having to learn FIVE SONGS in one WEEK. I think I will be sleeping with the music under my pillow tonight and pray for osmosis to kick in.

Okay, time for bed! I have to wake up early tomorrow to do laundry, as I'm out of clean pants and it's supposed to be cold and rainy all week (like typical Seattle weather). I consider it a gift from the universe to help me feel love from home. :)