I chose "Vanilla Ice Cream" and "Still Hurting" for my two selections, and my main goal was to show off versatility as a singer. The two pieces are contrasting in tempo, style, era, and subject matter, which I felt strong about. I've ALWAYS wanted to sing "Still Hurting", even though it's a bit of a cliche piece....but I knew that I could own it in a way I've never seen done before.
The first performance was solid, however I was SO nervous knowing that my buddies were out there. Sometimes your friends are the hardest crowd to sing for. It was a torrential monsoon outside, so I was just thrilled that all my friends actually showed up! Afterwards, I had this surge of power and confidence, a total rush. Dad always says, "ride that high"....and I'm still riding it. There weren't any real industry contacts there, but this was an excellent opportunity for me to get a recording of myself and a video reel started.
The second performance was a little more dramatic, as I woke up sick as a dog. I was freaking out...feeling completely pressured that Dad had flown up from Raleigh specifically to see it, and that I wouldn't get the money back from my ticket sales if I canceled. I emailed all my voice teachers pleading for help, and everyone told me to cancel.
Regardless, I took a serving of Dayquill and a healthy serving of Ibuprofen, and a long hot shower where I warmed up and got a feel for the voice. My throat was sore and my glands were swollen, but it didn't hurt to sing, and as I slowly warmed up, there were only two notes in the voice that were really challenging. Both the top and bottom where there without extra effort. Since it didn't hurt, I decided to go through with it! And what a lesson in singing and taking the reigns it was!
Right before going on, I took a moment to realize, "Okay, you just can't push, and you have to rely solely on the air flow." I took some words and slightly closed the vowel where I normally wouldn't have in the middle voice, but it worked! It totally worked! The sound wasn't abnormal, and the audience was feeding me laughter and I was eating it up and feeding the fire. My high B at the end of "Vanilla Ice Cream" was actually even better than the first performance, where I was so nervous I let it slip out of the mask! Wahoo!!!! Some of the notes in "Still Hurting" were a little crackly because of the sick, but again, I knew I couldn't push, so I didn't, so other phrases that were challenging before where much easier!
I am so proud of myself for going through with it, and after listening to the recording, I'm even more proud. I made an educated assessment of my voice, and my classical training just kicked in and took over. All I had to do was trust my physical instincts and go with the breath. I have NEVER been more thankful for all my work with my teachers from high school and college!
So, first gig down! Next stop....audition, audition, audition some more!
