Day Three/ A Life Lesson

Wednesday:

Welcome to day three of my senior project. Though it was a short day with little variety, it was here that I learned a very important lesson. During my 10 am coaching session with Martha Guth (See previous blog) I performed a French selection,  Lydia by Faure. Before I even began, I was a little uneasy, not necessarily because I was nervous to be in front of Martha, but more because I had not sung Lydia in quite some time. Suffice to say, Lydia did not go well. Aside from the technical problems; breath support, vowel shape, etc., I did not have command of things easily fixed. For example, I had some incorrect notes and rhythms. Despite these hurdles I was able to push forwards and improved a lot on the piece given the allotted time. However, the life lesson I referred to earlier has more to do with a conversation I had with my sponsor Kristofer Johnson (my voice teacher). He made me aware of the fact that I can not go into a coaching as unprepared as I was earlier today. Next year I will be among other singers who are as talented if not more talented than I. I cannot rely solely on my talent. I must always be more prepared than other singers if I want to be hired and then re-hired. I must hone my skills and pay attention to details. I can no longer expect my talent to get me by. There are more lessons to come. Tune in tomorrow.