To Didi:
Your post really touched me. Isn't it just amazing
how comfortable we can get with certain situations
(like always being accepted into the ensembles)
and then "poof"...the rug is pulled out from under.
It's also curious that we don't deal with our feeling
but rather, try to make ourself believe that it wasn't
that big of a deal. Then, when we least expect it,
we're an emotional mess. WOW
Once, I entered a competition and after singing in
several categories from art song to classical folk
song to sacred, it was apparent to even my teacher
that the adjudicator just didn't care for me. Her
comments were always the same and she said something
like, "I just continue to shake my head wondering why you
choose repertoire with high notes when you struggle with
head voice". I had been singing soprano for about 5 years
with many compliments from not only my teacher but others
who had heard me doing solos.
By the 3rd critique I began to choke on the high notes
until I thought it best to withdraw from the rest of the
competition. My teacher advised me to dig in and show
her I could do it and after much persuasion, we decided
that I should do my Broadway category (my strongest, I
might add).
Well, out of 10 people, I was dead last and one fellow
had a memory lapse with his words and another girl got
an attack of nerves so bad that her voice cracked several
times.
I was destroyed!
It took 6 months for me to come back but thank goodness
I had a wonderful teacher who knew how to handle me.
At the end of the 6 months, I marched into my lesson one
day and plunked my Handel soprano arias book down on
her piano. I sang "So shall the lute and harp awake" and
as my teacher looked at me with tears in her eyes, all she
said was "Welcome back. Now...don't ever let anyone do
anything like that to you again!"
I guess I'm glad this happened because it certainly did make
me stronger and through the process I now believe that
not being chosen is usually completely subjective and not
for reasons of talent or whether or not the audition was
successful. It takes a long time to get to that place, though.
We all have to believe in ourselves. If we don't, why should
anyone else???
Jacqueline
www.tbmall.com/slightlyoffbroadway
(gifts/costumes/classes & more)
Read my articles at:
www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/musical_theatre
and
www.musicaltheatreinfo.com
Have fun at:
www.geocities.com/sloffbrdway
"There's no business like show business"
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