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I haven't posted in a while, and will sporadically post for another month: In addition to a very full teaching schedule, I have had nightly rehearsals from 6-10 for a musical, Galveston, with Masquerade Theater. I am very excited about the production, and all the relevant ticket information is posted below. I get to play the chief villain which is a LOT OF FUN! In other news, my high school students just finished district auditions. This could be a banner year; so far, two students have called and informed me that they made 1st CHAIR (ranked the highest) for their voice section. Congratulations to everyone who sang and I will post the full results next weekend!  It is that time of year again: High School auditions for the Region and State choirs!
The first round for most of my schools is the District audition. It essentially serves as a way to reduce numbers for the Region auditions because there are SO many talented young singers in this area. Just as an example, I believe there were 120 Soprano IIs in the DISTRICT auditions alone last year. However, I have to say that the guys this year really have it rough. For District, the men have two learn two FAST pieces in GERMAN. Normally, there is only one foreign language at District auditions, and it tends to be slow. All my guys find their tongues tied trying to learn these pieces, so here are my handy tips to learn the German selections. 1) Listen to the CD pronunciation. Trying saying each phrase, listen to the CD, and correct any mistakes. Repeat until absolutely confident in your pronunciation. 2) Speak the German in rhythm at gradually faster tempos. This MUST be done at a slow tempo first to ensure no bad habits are created. Gradually increase the tempo until you can speak the piece in the correct tempo without any troubles. 3) THEN, put in the melody. Pitches are ALWAYS the easiest part of the process, so this should go much quicker. There you are! DWS This is going to be long, but I think it is important.
If you have done well in life, I think almost everyone can point to a great teacher, coach, or school administrator who helped them along the way. I had NUMEROUS men and women who helped me along the way, and I am so grateful for their help. Mrs. White - my 2nd grade teacher. I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world (can a second grader have a crush? ;). She fostered in me a love of reading that has consumed years of my life. Ms. Janey Hall, junior high choir director - the stereotype of an artist - crazy, disorganized, off-the-walls funny. Naturally, as a Type A personality, I loved her immediately. Even though we were opposites, she made choir the greatest class ever, and made junior high bearable. Mrs. Glenda Casey, high school choir director. Even though I only had her for a year (she retired to follow her husband's career), she taught me that you didn't need to be big and powerful to be a strong person. This little lady (and I do mean little) could COMMAND the attention of 50 high schoolers without even trying. Also, a brilliant teacher of music. Counselor in high school: Unfortunately, I only worked with this man once, and cannot remember his name. Most people are surprised that I was bullied quite badly my junior year of high school. Running in crying, he took me into his office, calmed me down, and then proceeded to teach me how to stand up for myself. While I was still the same skinny kid, he taught me that most bullies back down once they see resistance, since they pick on those who aren't willing to defend themselves. And finally, three voice teachers: Dr. Oliver Worthington, Dr. Bruce Cain, and Dr. Timothy Jones - while all valuable in teaching singing, what they taught me outside the classroom was far more valuable. Worthington helped me in the scariest part of my singing career, in which everything seems out of reach. Cain was the model of a kind gentleman that I can only hope to emulate. And to Dr. Jones - perhaps the finest example of what it means to be a professional. To end, I would love to create or find a website where former students could post these tributes. I think teachers (especially in the elementary and junior high schools) often feel undervalued and need to hear that once you get past all the ugly nonsense said in the media, there are a lot of people who love them for their help in forging their characters. DWS |
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