Where are you from?

I hate this question. I know I've talked about it here before, but it’s a tough one for me. Growing up in the military and the daughter of two military brats, I don’t have a “hometown” in the usual sense. And yet, I often have to come up with an answer, as organizations love to have the information for programs or donor info or their records. In the past couple of years I’ve listed NYC; Athens, GA; and Boulder, CO, as “hometown,” since they all are, in a way. The website for the 5 Boroughs Music Festival lists my hometown as “Everyville, USA.” I love that one…

But I had a revelation last week: When one follows sports teams from a certain city, when one cares so much about seeing said teams that she goes across the street and hangs out at the sports bar alone on a Saturday or Monday… does this mean one is “from” that city? Hmmm. Maybe I’m from Colorado after all!

GO ROCKIES!!!!!

Get out your brooms, ya’ll.

I am not the only one

Women all over the blogosphere are stoked for the arrival of football season! This post at GFY made me so happy...

GO BRONCOS!!!

Crossing Over

Two sports related opera moments from the past few days:

Out with friends, I overheard a tenor talking about “the Mets,” something about “the Mets next weekend.” Of course it’s not even close to baseball season, but I turned around and said, a bit disbelievingly (and excitedly), “Oh, are you a baseball fan?” He and the baritone he was talking to looked at me incredulously and said, “Not those Mets – the Met Council Auditions! As in, the place you’re working? Those Mets!”

Oh. Yeah, right. Those Mets…

Then today, watching Indianopolis miraculously triumph over Baltimore (sorry, Ariadne!), every time I would see “S. McNair” on some statistics blurb, I’d think, “What’s Sylvia doing here?”

Oh, I just crack myself up sometimes! A dork in so many ways...

I promise that I have also been studying and working on updating my bios. More on that tomorrow. After the Seattle-Chicago game…

Extremes

Denver is reeling this week, and I’m not talking about the fact that the Broncos aren’t in the playoffs. Darrent Williams, the young cornerback, was killed on New Year’s Eve in what appears to be a random case of club violence and drive-by shooting.

When I watched the Christmas-miracle of a game last week, my dad pointed him out, saying, “I’m really looking forward to watching this guy develop.” He was a talented player, obviously, making some exciting plays, but it was also clear that he was a good man. His smile was big and his good-nature came through from the field to our living room. When I saw the headlines, I was sure they must be talking about another player. But they weren’t. I bet there aren’t many people in Denver who care about the playoffs anymore…

For a beautiful tribute and a Buddhist perspective on murder, please visit Denver-based James at The Buddhist Blog. “May we all be more mindful of our actions that we might not water the seeds of anger and violence in ourselves, others and in our greater world.”

And for something on the other extreme of the human spectrum, my brother shared this story from today’s New York Times: A Man Down, a Train Arriving, and a Stranger Makes a Choice. What a hero! “I don’t feel like I did anything spectacular.” Well, let me assure you, Mr. Autrey, when the majority of stories in the papers are tales of the depravity of humanity, your actions were spectacular.

More from Gothamist: "...it ain't about being a hero, it's just being able to be here and help the next person."

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming…

Opera and Football

This guy gets it!

There are moments watching both that make my spine tingle. Todd Heap's touchdown catch to beat the Chargers and Diana Soviero's gripping solo last March in Dead Man Walking come to mind.

I would add that last week's Monday Night Football game probably aroused passions not unlike those in a fiesty La Scala audience. If you saw it, you know what I mean. If you didn't, well, time to start watching football! Talk about a catharsis. Wow.

I love it!! Go Broncos!! (And Bears, too, of course... everyone's rooting for the Bears.)

A day off

It has been a delightful day, and it’s only 3:00. I slept in (a good thing, too, since I didn’t “come down” from the post-competition high until about 1am), got a latte from the cart in the lobby, ate a makeshift breakfast from the groceries I bought on Thursday, and watched a bit of the Missouri-Nebraska game (sadly, once I stopped watching, the Huskers stopped playing…). After a short meeting with the finalists at the Hult Center, right across the street from my hotel, I was released into the unseasonably beautiful Oregon afternoon. Sunny and 65º, perfect weather for perusing the Saturday Market. I found some real treasures, giving me a head start on my Christmas shopping. This evening I think I'll grab some dinner and see a movie, then try to head to bed early. Nice to have a "day off!"

So, more about last night. I was first again, as they kept the same order from the morning. Not an ideal spot, what with 23 other singers to come after you and potentially erase any impression you might have left on the judges minds. But since they got to hear us twice in one day, a nice set-up, the effect of going first was negated a bit, I think. One bonus of being first is that I got a few minutes in the green room with the pianist, Daniel Lockhart. Turns out he’s played for the West Coast Opera Auditions for the past few years, and I told him my awkward tale of this year’s audition! Had a good laugh about that, once again. We also looked through the music for my aria, and I pointed out the things to watch out for, i.e., getting a little “Viennese” on the first few “Ha ha ha”’s. Getting to have this conversation in detail off stage was great, rather than tossing the music at him on stage and saying, “Watch me here, and try to meet up with me here, and …” while hurrying to my spot to sing. It gave us both a level of comfort that carried over into the performance. It really felt like we were a partnership performing and sharing, not two strangers trying to muddle through. And he’s playing again tomorrow!

I have to say I enjoy singing Adele in German more than in English. There are just more fun and naughty and flirty words to play with! Even if the audience doesn’t speak German or have titles, the text is easy to play up and give them the general idea. For the first time, I was truly comfortable with the coloratura at the end, taking my time to really breath and set up each different section as a different sort of “laugh.” It was fun! And finally, as if a culmination of all the work I’ve been doing these past few months, the high D at the end was everything I wanted it to be. It was if Nina was there with me, in one instant telling me all the things she’d helped me with this summer: open your throat, connect the high note to the lower note, let that note vibrate! It felt so good. Now if I can just get that feeling to connect on Eflat and E, I’ll be in like Flynn.

The judges for the semi-finals were Jonathon Field, Pamela South, and Erie Mills, a coloratura soprano of much renown. I actually thought at one point, while singing, “Ms. Mills surely has sung this role; I wonder what she thinks!” She will also be on the panel for the finals tomorrow, along with two new judges. A carry-over from the semis is a really good idea; she can contribute information about the full performance of the singer, not just the few minutes the other judges will have seen.

The other finalists are two mezzos, one baritone, one bass, and six sopranos! Most of the sopranos are lighter voices; rep for the finals includes “Caro nome,” Manon’s “Gavotte”, the Silver Aria, and Nannetta (me, big surprise!), with “Ain’t it a pretty night?” and Rosalinda’s Czardas (Fledermaus) being offered by the heavier lyrics. Oddly enough, no real “fireworks” pieces were chosen (the arias were chosen by the judges, and while we were allowed to give our opinions, very few people changed their assigned aria). I thought about asking to sing “Glitter and be Gay,” but then I thought that I should ride the wave of success that Nannetta seems to be bringing me!

Thanks for all your kind words. Hope you’re having great weekends, too!