“What’s the play this year?” “What part are you trying out for?” “Are you nervous?” “When’s the show?” “You would be great in that role.” These are the conversations between theater geeks like me, as auditions approach. Auditions –in front of trusted teachers or in front of unknown judges – are nerve wracking. That’s when Deb Smith steps in. On Sunday, October 23, Deb “Zuke” offered a class for her vocal students so that they could learn what a “real audition” was like from two theater professionals, Kristin Reeves and Bruce Winant. The day was not so much about vocal technique, but about meeting these two amazing adults who gave me a new perspective. Initially I thought that everything I did had to be perfect, but the Kristin and Bruce taught us that theater people are everyday people. They joked and told stories about their worst mistakes on stage, including when Mr. Winant went on a Broadway stage ten lines before his cue. I also learned that -- because they were so down to earth -- I might be able to do theater too -- through attitude and confidence. If I had to a give a message based on Sunday’s class, I would tell other students not to be nervous before their auditions. Instead, take a deep breath and be confident in all the practice time you invested. Speak to yourself after the tryout and say, “Nailed it!”
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To echo or imitate someone else is one of many paths to finding your true self as an artist. But at what time should you stop and take another road? If you pay attention to what you are writing or the way you are singing, you will know in your heart if you are being honest or you are trying to copy someone. If you keep circling back to imitation, maybe that’s your signal to work on your head. Do you hate the way you sing? Do you judge what it is you’re writing about? What are you hiding from in yourself?
It’s called growing pains for a reason. Some days are simply harder than others to get motivated and take care of biz. I had one of those days this week. The coffee wasn’t working so I supplemented it with my zuketeas blend, Wake Up, Wafflehead!
Did it work? Well, I laughed when I balanced Mr. Bill’s dog on the cup! The laughing made me feel more awake and I had a productive day. Oh, and the tea was delish! Sometimes life feels like Groundhog Day and you repeat the same routine day after day. Pause and find something to smile about. Stay present. Being in the moment is all the inspiration you need to wake up. Take a look at this photo. That’s the vacant face I see with school kids around this time of year. Homework, band, AP courses, play practice and extracurricular activities suck the life out of you.
By the time you make it (if you make it) to a lesson with me you are drained and lifeless. My maternal instinct is to give you a hug and make you a cup of tea and tell you to cry and let it out. What can you do to maintain a crumb of sanity? Hum. Yep, hum. Think about it. When you’re sick you moan. When you’re happy playing with a puppy you make cooing noises. At an exciting football game you may let out a exasperated cry when your team lets you down. We need to release our pent up emotions with sound so we don’t blow up and burn out! If you feel like a lifeless mannequin from overwork, start humming! Ahh, to go back in time when mom would pick out your outfits and put food in front of you to eat. Or to the time when teachers told you what you needed to memorize to pass a test. How about when crayons came only 8 in a box? Can someone please just wrap me up in a blanket and tuck me into bed?!
We stress ourselves into a frenzy when making decisions. We talk things out with those we trust. We research and read until our eyes are blurry. We cry, we laugh, we freeze up. We work ourselves into an unhealthy frenzy. Someone tell me what to do!! Stop! Look at the photo I posted of the tree. Those branches are all coming from the root of that tree. Whatever decision you make will not change the essence of who you are. It’s only a branch. The decisions you make during your life will form a beautiful tree. That branch will serve you well until you make your next decision. Decisions aren’t dilemmas. They are branches to help you grow. |