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prusikOur choir's November concert is a set of music for double choir. Not everything is 8 part (one piece has sections for 6 parts), but close enough. This is usually good for me because the Bass 1 part tends to be written for baritones. It solves my "too high to sing bass, too low to sing tenor" problem.
However, for this concert, even the Bass 1 part lies very low in my voice, too low to sing comfortably. I'm regularly skipping phrases or taking them up an octave. As it turns out, all the voice parts are on the low side. e.g., on most pieces, any self-respecting baritone ought to be able to sing either tenor line. So, I asked the music director if I could change voice parts. Since, the tenor 1 part isn't actually any higher than the tenor 2 part, I offered to sing tenor 1. Out of a choir of 100 voices, we have 5 tenor 1s. You can guess what his reaction was.
All that would be fine except the Bach we're doing, if I'm honest with myself, probably has legitimately tenor writing. (Again, both tenor lines have approximately the same tessitura so it's not a matter of tenor 1 vs. tenor 2.) Actually, it's not so bad. I have a relatively usable high Ab/A. Whether I can stay up there for any reasonable amount of time is an open question. However, we only get to the high Ab/A at the top of runs. If I'm focused, relaxed, and paying attention to technique, this isn't something I can't do.
Or at least that's the theory. Our last rehearsal started with a couple hours of the Bach. This included running the tenors through several pages of our most florid runs, several times in a row. The music isn't technically difficult. I was, more or less, sight-reading it. (I glanced at it once on Saturday before Monday's rehearsal.) Unfortunately, I find it hard to be focused, relaxed, and paying attention to technique while I'm sightreading. I got vocally tired very quickly. (The music isn't hard. It's just tiring, especially if you're not a Real Tenor(tm).)
However, I got through with no vocal distress. The choir director had already taceted the next few pages for everyone, letting the soloists take over. I have about a minute to rest afterwards. I suspect the Real Tenors(tm) are being punished almost as hard as me. Also, when I know the high notes are coming, I can prepare for them. I just need to be a more focused, more engaged singer in choir than I have been. It's definitely right for me to be more focused and engaged.
(Still, it would have been much easier, albeit lazier, to sing Bass 1 and end up not singing at least a quarter of the time because I don't have those low notes.)
That's one. The other one is Clarion West. I noticed that they're now open for applications.
They encourage early applications. And why wouldn't they? If I were them, the last thing I'd want is several hundred stories to come in all during the month of February. One way they encourage is that you get a break on tuition if you apply before February. Another way is to say that they sometimes accept people early.
I'll definitely apply before February. However, right now, I'm seriously overthinking which story I should send in. I'm torn between two. Their suggestion of something "powerful" and "original" is well meaning, but I'm finding it paralyzing instead. Also, I'm going to give myself a month or so to see if I can write something even better.
Plus, I still need to write the personal essay. What helps is that I actually know why I want to go to Clarion [West] and what I want to get out of it. Like singing Tenor 1 this season though, I'm convinced that it's the right thing to do, but I still wonder why I think this is a good thing to do? (I love all of my VP buds, but a one week workshop pretty much killed me. I still feel this need to apologize to everyone I talked to the Wednesday of VP since I have no particular memory of that day. 6 weeks? *gulp*)
This is all premature, of course. I haven't even applied yet.
However, for this concert, even the Bass 1 part lies very low in my voice, too low to sing comfortably. I'm regularly skipping phrases or taking them up an octave. As it turns out, all the voice parts are on the low side. e.g., on most pieces, any self-respecting baritone ought to be able to sing either tenor line. So, I asked the music director if I could change voice parts. Since, the tenor 1 part isn't actually any higher than the tenor 2 part, I offered to sing tenor 1. Out of a choir of 100 voices, we have 5 tenor 1s. You can guess what his reaction was.
All that would be fine except the Bach we're doing, if I'm honest with myself, probably has legitimately tenor writing. (Again, both tenor lines have approximately the same tessitura so it's not a matter of tenor 1 vs. tenor 2.) Actually, it's not so bad. I have a relatively usable high Ab/A. Whether I can stay up there for any reasonable amount of time is an open question. However, we only get to the high Ab/A at the top of runs. If I'm focused, relaxed, and paying attention to technique, this isn't something I can't do.
Or at least that's the theory. Our last rehearsal started with a couple hours of the Bach. This included running the tenors through several pages of our most florid runs, several times in a row. The music isn't technically difficult. I was, more or less, sight-reading it. (I glanced at it once on Saturday before Monday's rehearsal.) Unfortunately, I find it hard to be focused, relaxed, and paying attention to technique while I'm sightreading. I got vocally tired very quickly. (The music isn't hard. It's just tiring, especially if you're not a Real Tenor(tm).)
However, I got through with no vocal distress. The choir director had already taceted the next few pages for everyone, letting the soloists take over. I have about a minute to rest afterwards. I suspect the Real Tenors(tm) are being punished almost as hard as me. Also, when I know the high notes are coming, I can prepare for them. I just need to be a more focused, more engaged singer in choir than I have been. It's definitely right for me to be more focused and engaged.
(Still, it would have been much easier, albeit lazier, to sing Bass 1 and end up not singing at least a quarter of the time because I don't have those low notes.)
That's one. The other one is Clarion West. I noticed that they're now open for applications.
They encourage early applications. And why wouldn't they? If I were them, the last thing I'd want is several hundred stories to come in all during the month of February. One way they encourage is that you get a break on tuition if you apply before February. Another way is to say that they sometimes accept people early.
I'll definitely apply before February. However, right now, I'm seriously overthinking which story I should send in. I'm torn between two. Their suggestion of something "powerful" and "original" is well meaning, but I'm finding it paralyzing instead. Also, I'm going to give myself a month or so to see if I can write something even better.
Plus, I still need to write the personal essay. What helps is that I actually know why I want to go to Clarion [West] and what I want to get out of it. Like singing Tenor 1 this season though, I'm convinced that it's the right thing to do, but I still wonder why I think this is a good thing to do? (I love all of my VP buds, but a one week workshop pretty much killed me. I still feel this need to apologize to everyone I talked to the Wednesday of VP since I have no particular memory of that day. 6 weeks? *gulp*)
This is all premature, of course. I haven't even applied yet.
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no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 04:22 pm (UTC)I was thinking about applying, but it couldn't be until 2010. And frankly, although I'd worked out the money thing, it's looking like I won't be able to afford it anyway.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 05:19 pm (UTC)I have started saving up for it though. I think I ought to be able to do this financially. (I've already suggested to the people who own the top two floors of the house that next year might not be the best year to do the major renovations they had planned.)
This makes my plans for 2009 a bit up in the air. (e.g., can I go to WorldCon? Not if I go to Clarion [West].) It may end up that I apply (again) in 2010 with you.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 05:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 06:59 pm (UTC)It's not just that I haven't figured out how to pick the reader up by his shirt, slam him against the wall, and force my story into his head, or beguile the reader such that he's eluctably drawn to my writing. It's that I don't know how one figures out how to do that without trying and failing, a lot. I'm fine with that. However, that requires I recognize, "Hey, this is better." I don't always recognize this, and it's not like anyone gets the editorial feedback to point out what's working and what isn't.
One of my revelations going to VP was that I was completely off-base with respect to my strengths and weaknesses as a writer. I think I have a better fix on this now. However, where ever I am right now, I'm clearly not there. And I don't see how I can get there by myself.
[Note: This isn't a criticism of my beta-readers in any way. I value every crit I get. They're incredibly useful. However, ultimately, I really do need to figure out how to do this by myself. Clarion [West] is definitely one way of getting there. Of course, while I'm trying to get in, I'll find other ways. That way, if I never get in, I'm still making progress. Trial and error is actually working out far better than I had expected.]
no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 12:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-15 09:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-17 05:13 pm (UTC)-Barbara