16 days and counting

Dear Readers,

Thank you to Jeff, Mr. Moore, Will, Dr. Starkweather, Greg, Prof. B, The Lowes, Ms. Wong and everyone else involved. What an exciting and didactic experience Tuesday's WUGATV taping was!!

The WUGATV recording ran smoothly yesterday and I've spent the last several hours listening to the audio track. I have ambivalent feelings about critiquing 70 min of my singing, it is an arduous and unenviable task. I wish I had sung each piece 100 times and could choose a take with no errors, oozing art, teeming musicality. On the other hand, the smiles and support from those involved really made this recording session worthwhile. Not every student is offered the opportunity to be filmed for the TV station and I learned very important lessons:

In a setting like the one on Tuesday:

Stop when you make a mistake or error - it's ok.

Do several takes, everyone is there for you to do your best - it's ok.

Don't second guess yourself during your music - get through every song it might be the best take.

Don't be afraid to take a 5 - 10 min break.

Bring a bottle of water/food with you.

Be comfortable, there really is no pressure at this point.

I've made a list of the best takes and sent my opinions off to compare with those of Prof. Burcinal and Greg Hankins.  Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that all is well and they can start editing the clips -  the plan is for the show to be ready to air by the end of the summer... more on that when I am actually told a date. 

Otherwise:

I am leaving Athens for home (NYC) on Sunday. Then leaving home to Rome (italy) on the 15th. 

In addition to Rodolfo, I have made a binder filled with the following music to sing in italy:

Dalla Sua Pace/il Mio tesoro

Com'é gentil

Quanto e bella/Una Furtiva

É la solita storia

De Miei Bollenti

Che Gelida

I also plan to bring:

Liszt Petrarch Sonnets

Ideale

Core 'ngrato

Is there anything Italian that you think I should work on or would like to hear me sing?

Ach so fromm (M'appari tutt'amor) ?

Spirito Gentile

Ecco Ridente?

Michaelangelo Sonnets B. Britten?

Until next time,

Joe

It is very strange to write about myself... the narcissism and self-regard make me a little uncomfortable, your thoughts? Anything that you're interested to know or to read about... maybe I'll post something more neutral next...