Week 1 at AIMS

Hi again! So it is Saturday morning, and I'm reflecting on the past five days of my AIMS program. What a whirwind! It's been a stressful week, for many reasons. I'm settled into my dorm room, and getting the hang of things around the 'heim (Studentenheim = dorm). I've met a lot of really wonderful people, all in different stages of their careers with music. Most are students in college, but there are a lot of professional singers here to get additional training. I'm really enjoying talking with the other students and hearing their stories and where they plan on heading with their careers.

AIMS is so smart; they give us this week to really get settled and oriented to Austria. The schedule has been fairly loose this week so that we don't get overwhelmed. There is a LOT to take advantage of here, and so it's easy to get overwhelmed by it all if one isn't careful. One of the best parts about this program is that I can tailor my experience here to what I need. They offer a bunch of classes, and it's up to me which ones I want to attend. My daily German class runs from 10:30-11:30. It's fun to be learning German with the opportunity to use it every day in real life situations. I participated in a Period Movement course, where we learned how to use a fan, walk on stage, maneuver a cape. I attended a seminar by Roberta Cunningham, who had a very successful career here in Europe. She talked to us about the European music system - very informative! I've also attended hours of masterclass performances by other students...

We had our first masterclass instructor this week. Gabriele Lechner had a very successful career with the Vienna State Opera (Wienerstaatsoper), and even sang with Pavarotti. AIMS randomly selected students to participate in the masterclass with her, and I was one of them! My turn came on Thursday evening. I chose to sing "Depuis le jour" because I know the song really well, but want to fine tune it to the 'breathtaking' stage. I felt some anticipation earlier in the day because my body is still getting over the last bits of cold (some sinus congestion, dry throat). But once I got downstairs, I started to get nervous. It's been a while since I've sung in front of a room full of other singers. Being nervous is the worst thing that a singer can let happen, because it causes a person to stop breathing - and singers need to breathe!!!! Anyway, so I got up and tried to take a few deep breaths and talk to myself before singing the song ("I am in AUSTRIA singing! let's make this fun!"). I sang through the song with as much as I was able to give, but knew there were spots where I didn't support as well as I should have. Frau Lechner is a great teacher, and told me that I sang the song well and have a lovely voice. She acknowledged that it was a very difficult song, as it sits on the passagio (a part of my upper voice where I 'switch gears' to get to the even higher notes) and has massively long phrases. She completely called me out on being too tense and told me I needed to relax my throat more when I took a breath at the end of a phrase. She told me more things, but I'll save you... :) Overall, I felt disappointed in my performance because I let those nerves constrict my breathing. Other students told me that they really enjoyed it - but I know it wasn't as awesome as I have sung it before. I really need to learn to relax and get through the nerves and BREATHE!

When I went to bed that night, I told myself that I needed to put my disappointment away and analyze my nerves another day, as the following day I had my hearing audition and didn't want any residual emotions to cloud that experience. Friday was a new day, and I needed to focus on being open and relaxed so that I could bring positive energy into my audition. For my hearing audition I was able to choose two pieces that I felt best showed off my voice. I chose "O quante volte" and "Ach, ich fuhl's." I walked over to the audition location (a block away) with some other students, took a deep breath, and walked into the room. The room was incredibly hot, and filled with about 30 members of the AIMS faculty. I walked confidently to the stage and introduced myself and my first song. "O quante volte" went well. I tried to convey the emotion of the character, breathe, own the space. The accoustics of the room were pretty dry, so I didn't get much sound back. Just had to sing and trust that my technique was allowing my sound to fill the space. "Ach, ich fuhl's" went well too, but I almost wish I had chosen something a bit more upbeat, since both songs are sad and slow. I will make it a point to work on more upbeat songs with my voice teacher over the next few weeks. So I felt really pleased with my audition! I was way more relaxed than I was in the masterclass.

On Sunday night all the students will get their 'real' schedules for the rest of the program, with voice teacher and voice coach assignments as well as performances assignments. I'm so excited for the real work to begin next week. :) But for now, I'm heading to the local pool to relax for a few hours (I need to have down time too!). :) :) :)

Day 1 at AIMS

Today was my very first day at AIMS, and I'm about ready to crash into bed. This morning I mailed a few things, checked out my hotel and took a taxi to my home for the next six weeks: The Studentenheim. It's a 4-story dormitory where all of the students, staff and faculty for the AIMS program will live over the summer, in addition to other residents. (Just to note, AIMS is the American Institute of Musical Studies and has been present in Graz for the past 40 summers!) Today is also the 4th of July, and ah, one of my favorite holidays. I'm sad to be missing the family BBQ and fireworks, but am nonetheless incredibly happy to be here in my dorm in Austria. :)

I was one of the first students to check in, and had the opportunity to get all set up in my room. And what a room it is. Not in a good way. LOL. It's a dorm room, so of course it's tiny, but at least it has a sink and places to stow my many things. After putting my things away, I toured the building a bit to get my surroundings, signed up for laundry time, and got my internet access all squared away.

After all that, I joined about twenty other AIMS students for a tour of the city. Our guide took us around to some great places and gave us a short history lesson on Graz. More importantly, I was able to size up my competition! Bwahaha (evil laugh). Okay...just kidding on the evil laugh part. I was able to get to know some of the other students - where they came from, why they are here, etc. They seem like great people with a wide variety of experiences and stories. It is clear that some people really want this and others are vacationing for the summer while singing here and there. I'm in it to win it! And by 'win it,' I mean give it my all. In addition to singing the very best I can, I am here to learn how to market and differentiate myself, network with professionals in the biz, and refine my performance skills. To open my heart to my audience.

I'm excited to get started, but this is going to be an interesting week. Tomorrow is another orientation easy day, as students are still arriving and getting through their jet lag, but then we will have our hearings. By Sunday all of our hearings should be done and we will have our teacher and coach assignments and our final class schedules. Classes start Monday, a week from today! Yay! I'm ready to get to work.

Successes of the day: Ordering two meals completely auf Deutsch! :) I tried ice cream with pumpkin oil, a local specialty. I also had cheese spaetzle and goulash. Yum! Tomorrow I will stay away from the fatty stuff and stick with vegetables, otherwise I won't be able to fit into my dresses!!! :) Gute nacht!

Graz Photos

Wedding party wearing traditional Austrian clothing (bride has white top and purple/white skirt)

Dirndl galore!

The Graz Rathaus

River Mur

I'm in Graz

Alright - I made it! I'm here in the pretty town of Graz. Population: 250k. English speakers: maybe 5 (out of the 20 or so people I spoke with). Lesson of the day: Learn more German!!! It doesn't help that the Styrians speak a different dialect of German than I'm used to. Fortunately I will be taking German classes once my program starts next week.

After a night's sleep on the world's hardest bed, I got myself downstairs for a tasty breakfast of bread, meat, cheese and scrambled eggs with the other hotel guests. I'm staying on Mariahilferstrasse, which is very close to the main part of town and across from the Art Museum. On Monday I will move over to the Studentenheim where all of the students and faculty in the AIMS program will be living over the summer. After breakfast I made my way over to the Hauptplatz (main square). Since it was Saturday, almost everyone was out shopping and running their errands. Lots of energy! I sat down at the fountain and was just people-watching when I witnessed an impromptu concert. A few people started singing randomly at various parts around the square, and then cheerleaders started doing a routine while others started playing American football. All in the middle of the main square. The singers congregated and sang two songs and then they all left. It all happened over the course of 10 minutes. Random but cool. After that activity was over, a wedding party came out of the Rathaus and posed for photos by the fountain. It was so neat to see the entire wedding party (bride and groom included) wearing traditional Austrian Trachten - lederhosen and dirndls.

Another discovery: I found a department store! While I'm pretty sure I packed my entire closet into my two suitcases, there is a fabulous Nordstrom-like store in the middle of town if I need anything over the summer. Five or six stories of goodness. I found a few cute things for my daughter in the kids section, and plan on sending them to her when the post office opens on Monday. Fortunately I have been able to talk with her over Skype two times so far and she seems to be doing well. I'm bummed I am missing her first baseball season but I'm grateful she will be joining me here in Graz later this summer. How many more weeks until I can see her? Oh yes, five. :(

After touring the town, I spent the rest of the afternoon resting, organizing, and updating my blog. :) For dinner I had a burger at a cafe and *almost* made it through the whole process in German but forgot how to ask for the bill auf Deutsch. I need to keep a cheat-sheet with me.

The weather has gotten pretty cold and cloudy - a la Seattle - so I feel right at home in that regard. I'm grateful I brought several pairs of jeans and my rain jacket. The weather is usually in the 80s in Graz over the summer, so I'm hoping to see the sun again.

I plan on spending the rest of the weekend relaxing and studying my music. I want to make sure my voice is rested and ready to be at its best for my auditions next week. While sight-seeing is fun, I haven't forgotten the real reason I'm here and how next week is super important. I want to make a really great first impression on the AIMS faculty, and rock my audition. That second audition (I already auditioned to get into the program last March) will determine which voice teacher and voice coach I will be working with and which concerts I'll be performing in over the next six weeks. Big stuff, but I'm ready for it!!!

Vienna - Day 2

I woke up on my second day in Vienna feeling better than the day before. Less congestion, less scratchy throat...but wow were my legs sore! I started off the day with a visit to Schonbrunn Palace, the summer palace of the Habsburg family. It is a massive yellow complex surrounded with acres of gorgeous gardens. It said that Schonbrunn can only be rivaled by Versailles. I've never seen Versailles, but wow was this place incredible! Since I had heard that it gets really crowded at Schonbrunn, I got there right when it opened at 8:30am and pretty much had the palace to myself until the very end of my tour. I saw the many opulent imperial rooms where Empress Maria Theresa, Emperor Franz Josef and the famous Sissi (and families) lived and worked when they weren't at the Hofburg. My favorite room was the Lacquer Room, with its amazing inlaid wood floor and panels with gorgeous lacquered paintings. After the tour, I walked around the gardens in the sunshine, reflecting on how lucky I am to be here.

After Schonbrunn, I slowly made my over to the Kunsthistorisches Museum to see the Habsburg's world-class art collection but realized I had left my ticket back at Christina's apartment. Argh! :( Since I didn't want to pay for a ticket again and my feet were hurting, I chose to lay down on the lawn in the Maria Theresien Platz (large park next to the Museum with a huge statue of Maria Theresa) and enjoy the sunshine while studying my music.

After my little break, I walked over to the Naschmarkt which is a market with produce stands and yummy places to eat. I meandered through the stalls, and was reminded of the Pike Place Market back home. Succulent cherries caught my eye at one stand, so I motioned to the vendor that I wanted a handful (he didn't speak English and I have no clue for 'handful' in German). When he asked for 6 EUR (about $8.70), I thought I had been swindled due to the language barrier. I glumly paid and made my way to lunch at a sushi stand. Food was decent, and I took another opportunity to study my music and rest my feet (I'm thinking I might need to invest in another pair of shoes over here). Christina later told me that all the produce in the Naschmarkt is expensive, so she didn't think I was taken advantage of. Just normal prices for cherries in early summer at the Naschmarkt. Good to know.

Christina was able to get off work early, so we met up and headed home to relax a bit before my transit to Graz via train. Since there is no way I was going to manage the U-bahn with my two gigantic suitcases in tow, I called a taxi to take me to the Bahnhof (main train station). I managed to catch the right train and arrived in Graz at 10pm. Another taxi (with a hilarious driver), and I made it to my hotel! Thank goodness there was an elevator to take me to my fourth-floor room!!! After a long and wonderful day I blissfully crashed into my bed, grateful to have been able to spend a few days with my childhood friend in the wonderful city of Vienna, and excited for the next stage of my adventure - GRAZ!

Vienna Photos

The delicious Sacher Torte and Eiskaffee

Here I am standing on the back balcony of the Schonbrunn Palace, overlooking the gardens

This is the front of Schonbrunn Palace

Inside the beautiful and ornate Stefansdom, where Mozart was married

Yay! Here I am inside the Vienna Opera House! :)

Inside the main courtyard at the Hofburg Palace. The imperial apartments are on the third story on the right.

So many delicious things to eat!

Hallo aus Wien!

Hi everyone! I made it to Vienna on Wednesday night after a very looooong set of flights, and have spent the past two days sight-seeing around this beautiful city! I unfortunately caught my daughter's cold the last day before my flight out of Seattle, so I've been struggling through the sniffles and a cough since Tuesday. It's rare for me to get a cold and the timing is terrible BUT I'm not worried because I gave myself an extra week in Austria before the start of my program in case something like this happened. I wanted to be able to adjust to the time difference and get over anything if I got sick on the way over here. Thank you, intution! :) I feel a bit better today and can vocalize just fine without straining so I'm confident this won't affect me next week. Whew!

To sum up the past few days: I love it here! The city is just gorgeous, the people are friendly and there are a lot of great things to see and do. Yesterday was jam-packed with fun stuff. I rode the U-bahn into the city center with my friend Christina (she and I were friends in middle school and she has graciously let me stay with her while I'm in Vienna). After she went off for work, I made my way to the Hofburg Imperial Apartments to see the incredibly lavish residence of the Habsburgs, and then I went to the Treasury. Wow, there is some serious bling there! The crowns and ceremonial clothing are incredible. What a dynasty.

After walking the palace, I headed to lunch at a Polish cafe where there were slices of bread with about 30 different varieties of various toppings. I didn't understand most of the description cards (my German is still a bit rusty), and the line was long, so I just pointed to a few, smiled and paid. They were very tasty, even if I wasn't completely sure what I had. :)

After lunch I headed to the Opera House for a tour. The official opera season ended last night, so I unfortunately wasn't able to catch a show, but it is going to the top of my list for next time I visit Vienna. The opera house is absolutely stunning, and what a history it has! I joined an English tour, and we saw the reception rooms, the main staircase, backstage, and of course, the main hall. I was sitting in the third row and had to pinch myself for actually being there and knowing that some day I might be singing on that stage. What a thrill!!!! Visiting the Opera House made me even more motivated to do my best in my opera program over the summer. I really want to get on that stage and knock 'em dead.

After that - to celebrate - I had my very first Sacher Torte! I sat down at a table at the Sacher Cafe (right behind the opera house), and gave my order completely in German. I was feeling a bit proud about it...until the server brought back my Sacher Torte (chocolate cake with apricot jam and whipped cream) and what I thought I had ordered as an iced coffee (Eis Kafe) but was really a gigantic parfait glass filled with ice cream, coffee and whipped cream on top (and a few cookies inserted because I needed more calories). Whoops! Oh well...at least it was a tasty mistake. :) After my filling dessert I headed to Stefansdom to try to burn off the million calories I had just consumed.

Stefansdom is the city's most impressive cathedral. This was the place where Mozart married his wife, attended Mass, and had his funeral. What history! So incredible. Finally, after a very long day getting to know some of Vienna, I took the train home, ate dinner, played games with Christina's 10 year old daughter and had a great night's sleep. What a day!!!!