Recital 2013

It's been almost a week since my voice recital in SSC School of Music. It's been quite fun.

We started with the solo song selection around February 2013. My teacher and I went through our entire "repertoire" and narrowed the selection to one. As you may have known, we picked Send In The Clowns. Its contender is Memory (from Cats). I thought it would be easier to interpret than to shift placements so I picked SITC. We spent weeks and months planning the "attacks" for each note and trying to keep the technique in my second nature and muscle memory. I had two waterloos: the ti's and the bridge. I did most of the song in my chest voice. I can actually do the whole song in my high chest but to add color or variety and for more security and ease... we shifted placements.

All of the recitalists rehearsed the songs and choreography during Saturdays. I missed one class for one song rehearsal but I was able to make up for it. I met a bunch of kids and a few adults. I met the other teacher and the pianist as well. Everyone was really nice. It was fun to have spent some days with them.

We had the last two rehearsals at the hall itself. It was humid on the first day but cold on the second. We practiced with the blockings, choreo, and mic. I thought my performance was okay on the first day but my teacher wasn't there to confirm since she was printing the programmes. My second performance was a little less okay than the first. My teacher was there and told me that my voice broke. Oh well. It always does! Ensemble numbers were okay but we barely harmonized especially on the finale. Must had been because of singing and dancing at the same time.

Come recital day, I woke up early for my salon appointment. We went to the one in GB3. Romeo was my stylist and I loved my make up! I ate my lunch in the car and I went straight to SSC. I saw my teacher and few students already there. We waited a while and started vocal and physical warm ups. We had a lot of downtime before our numbers so we chatted and the kids played.

My performance was okay... had my voice not broken obviously. It broke not in my waterloo part but after it. In hindsight, it must have been what my teacher said a lot of times before: don't rest once you finished your high notes... lead and keep the energy until the phrase is over. I just made up and covered the break with emotions. I wanted to melt that time, really and it kind of makes me cringe everytime I remember and hear the break in my head.

Most people said that the performance was okay. Kiddos said that the message of the song came across. Hearing those from 4 different people was a joy and a big leap from my "mechanical" performance weeks before the recital. I think I've gotten over the break already and I am now looking back at the performances in happy light.

I will improve and show you all better. :)