The fall music-making shake-out

It's been a whirlwind last 24 hours. I received an email early yesterday with casting for the upcoming Opera Colorado production of Madama Butterfly. It listed first names only, and I didn't see my name, so I was confused as to why I received an email telling me that scores were ready to be picked up and contracts ready to be signed. I replied and found out that they had erroneously listed me as "Elizabeth." They had cast me after all.

Thus began the craziness of seeing whether or not it would work. I was surprised to have been cast since I had already notified them I would be out of town the weekend before the show opens. I think they had forgotten, though. I emailed back a list of my conflicts, including two misses in the first week for the Loveland Opera Theatre gala and three the weekend before the show when I am speaking at the NATS regional conference in Nebraska. They replied that it was too many rehearsals to miss, but that they would keep me in mind for the spring productions.

So, I am disappointed because I was excited to make the first cut this time around and I was excited to sing with them again - it was so much fun when I sang with them in April - it was also great to be surrounded by musicians of my caliber or better. But I was also nervous because it would require withdrawing from my choir because the performances overlapped. (Yes, this sounds like a no-brainer, but it's complicated.) I was prepared to do this, but it wasn't going to be pleasant.

So, it's all shaken out and the fall will find me singing with Loveland Opera Theatre and two choirs. The spring is still totally up in the air on all fronts, but it will work itself out in its own time.

We grow 'em big

For some reason, mushrooms grow in our back lawn. I wish we knew if they were edible, but as we don't know, we are not eating them. This particular one caught our attention on Sunday afternoon because of its tremendous size. Actually, Eric thought it was a baseball at first. It kind of reminds me of those big "golf ball" towers at Buckley AFB.

Then this morning... less than 48 hours later, it had opened and was even bigger! Now it reminds me of the canopy on a children's ride at the fair.

And as long as I was out there, I decided to take some pictures of the flowers. This one, I think, makes a stellar wallpaper. :-)

Some thoughts on performing under pressure

Singing and gymnastics have a lot in common: Both are very physical activities requiring tremendous stamina and motor coordination combined with aristry. As performers, both have to keep their bodies in optimal condition in order to perform their best, and they struggle with the effects of nerves on their performances. As one who often performs poorly under the pressure of competition, it has been educational for me to watch the Olympic gymnastics finals on TV. The best of the best (i.e. Liukin & Johnson) are careful what they allow themselves to pay attention to during a competition and are often seen closing their eyes as part of a routine to focus their thoughts and calm their nerves. They are also known, according to commentators, for being exceptionally able to "live in the moment" and are less affected by recent and/or significant setbacks and disappointments -- skills which are probably linked to their ability to focus their thoughts. These qualities make them very successful. Others, like Alicia Sacrimone, are more like me, lacking in these skills. Our technical and artistic skills enable us to compete in venues where we consistently perform below our ability because we are overly concerned with the importance of the event and the consequences of mistakes.

Figure skating is in the same boat with singing and gymnastics as a sport requiring both athleticism and artistry, and it has similar examples of grace under pressure. My favorite is that of Sarah Hughes, Olympic gold medalist in women's figure skating in 2002 - she was in fourth place heading into the final program behind three powerhouses in the sport. Assuming she was out of contention for a medal, she decided the pressure was off and just tried to entertain the audience, while the powerhouses, each knowing the smallest mistake could cost them a gold medal, made significant careless and uncharacteristic mistakes. A commentator stated, "For Sarah, it wasn't about the result; it was about the performance." And it earned her a gold medal. In the end, it's not about who is the best skater, but who out of a handful of world-class skaters performs best under unfathomable pressure.

I have worked on telling myself that these events (i.e, the Met auditions) are not important and that I am not trying to accomplish anything "special", I'm just there to repeat the "same old show" that I do day after day in the studio. This helps, but I am still working on convincing myself, I think, because most of my best performances show up in the privacy of the studio. Tim Galway's book, The Inner Game of Tennis, offers a great deal of insight on this matter, as well, which again, I have yet to fully internalize. Book knowledge of these concepts is not surprisingly insufficient.

For the record, I have won more track (running) events than I have singing events -- and I have competed in more singing events than track events, albeit at a much higher level.

SCC delivers and God reigns/rains!

Eric and I attended the Rockies game this afternoon for the purpose of hearing Steven Curtis Chapman sing the post-game show. The man is an incredible witness with an amazing sense of humor, even after all he has been through in the last 2+ months. And something I have always appreciated about him is that he doesn't sing his songs in concert the same way he sings them on the albums - he varies them according to his mood at the moment, sometimes changing lyrics to fit the environment or current events, sometimes just playing with timing, rhythm & melody. It keeps things especially interesting and real.

We had an unplanned intermission due to the rain. It was kind of humorous at points. Steven was so intent on getting his important message songs squeezed in before the storm that he changed the concert order and kept singing and playing as the band and crew covered the stage with plastic. They eventually even covered his keyboard with a tarp as he continued to sing and play! He joked, of course, that when he prayed that God would reign over the concert, he should have specified the spelling. When the rain passed, probably 1/2 to 3/4 of the audience remained for the conclusion of the concert, which included the song that he has sung at every concert of his I've ever attended, the song he wrote for his wife, the song that I sang for Eric at our rehearsal dinner, "I Will Be Here."

Apples & Oranges

I just finished watching the Chapman family on Larry King Live. Only yesterday, they appeared in a pre-recorded segment on Good Morning America with Robin Roberts. Having never watched either interviewer before, I was surprised by the contrast in their approaches. Roberts was clearly moved by the Chapmans faith and suffering; her questions were phrased sensitively and served the Chapman family's desire to glorify God. Contrastingly, King was ambivalent; his questions were blunt and he seemed to be seeking the "sensational" story. His attitude suggested that he was barely even interested in the interview, let alone the Chapman family. For that reason, the latter was difficult for me to watch. It has occurred to me, however, that the Chapmans made a wise choice in which programs to grant interviews to (and these were the only two television interviews - there will be an article in People magazine later this month): Because of the contrasting nature of the two interviewers, the two programs attract different demographics - they were able to reach many people who would not otherwise encounter their faith in such an exposed setting. I also think that it's a good thing the Larry King segment was live -- it gave the Chapmans much more control over their message by not allowing the station to cut, paste, twist or distort their responses. GMA did a beautiful job editing their segment on the Chapmans, but I would not trust LKL to do the same.

Steven Curtis Chapman is appearing at Coors Field on Sunday to sing a concert following the Rockies game. Eric and I have tickets and are looking forward to the concert.