A Taste of Real Life, or "I Have So Much Music to Learn!"

I confess, this post has potential to sound like a "kids today -- geroffamylawn!" missive -- 

But really it is simply a dose of reality for young (or any) people thinking that they are interested in pursuing the life of a professional musician who is a sole or equal-share breadwinner in a household.

I am leaving out people who have a "day job" or for whom music is part-time work.  I don't have experience in either area!

Instead, I am simply opening a window into the amount of music that has to be learned/practiced/memorized/taught in an average week when music is a full-time, living-wage job.

Funny thing about music -- though I do need some periods of silence to clear my head, I find that the more deeply I am into learning and practice, the more I want to listen to other artist's work.  Not just to clarify pieces I'm working on but also to hear different and fresh things that have no relation -- during the week I charted I was obsessed with the remarkable pianist Jeremy Denk, and listened to everything he has recorded, from the Bach Goldberg Variations to Legeti and Ives.  Amazing work.  I also became acquainted with "Honeymoon in Vegas," getting my all-important Jason Robert Brown fix.

This is an average week of music from Sunday morning through Saturday night.  It was not a performance week (aside from Sunday morning, which I treat with the same intensity and preparation as a performance) and I do not have the same memorization requirements as a stage performer -- but I make up for the lack of memorization by having to learn more parts!

Some pieces are repeated -- practicing and score study is a different experience than actually rehearsing, as is score study from practicing on piano, and each process takes up separate time.

SUNDAY!

(Lim needed a sub for Handbell Choir so I rehearsed once in the morning and then played twice)
Handbells:  
Revelation Song
Cornerstone

Singing on Worship Team (These are memorized, performance ready, and done for two services)
Light the Fire Again
I Need Thee Every Hour
10,000 Reasons
Let the River Flow
The Wonderful Cross
Overcome

Practiced to Conduct/Accompany Young Frankenstein (Selma Performing Arts)
Roll in the Hay
Man About Town

Vocal Coached (This means I have learned the song, accompany, and coach)
Sebben Crudele
Art Thou the Christ
Butterfly Kisses
Maybe
We're All In This Together
Happy Working Song
Reflection
I Wish I Could Go Back to College
Just Once
I Want You Back
Killing Me Softly

Piano Lessons 
Worked through 6 beginning songs from the Nikolaev Book

MONDAY!

Practiced to Conduct/Accompany Young Frankenstein
Listen to Your Heart
Surprise
Frederick's Soliloquey
Please Send Me Someone
Puttin' On The Ritz

Score Study/Rehearsal Prep to Conduct Broadway Concert (Fresno Grand Opera Chorus)
(Entire Program for run-through)
76 Trombones
Lida Rose
Sweet and Low
Till There Was You
Pick a Little
Goodnight Ladies
June is Bustin' Out All Over
This Was a Real Nice Clambake
If I Loved You
You'll Never Walk Alone
Tonight
America
Somewhere
Maria
One Hand, One Heart
At the End of the Day
I Dreamed a Dream
People's Song
On My Own
Bring Him Home
Les Mis Finale
No One Mourns the Wicked
The Wizard and I
One Short Day
For Good
Defying Gravity
Popular
The Phantom of the Opera
Angel of Music
Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

Vocal Coaching
I'm Yours
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
Bushel and a Peck
I Dreamed a Dream
Learn Your Lessons Well
Riptide
Little Black Rain Cloud

Piano Lessons
3 Short Nikolaev Pieces

FGO Rehearsal
Conducted run-through of above program, cleaning rehearsal in second half


TUESDAY!

Vocal Coaching
In quelle trine morbido
Je suis Titania
Je suis encor tout etourdie
Seize the Day
Poison in My Pocket
Still Hurting
Much More
Honey Bun
Goodbye Until Tomorrow
Ani hava selet
On My Own
I Have a Dream
Alma del core
Younger Than Springtime
You Have to be Carefully Taught
My Girl Back Home
Route 66
Heidenroslein
A Dreamer's Holiday

Piano Lessons
6 Short Nikolaev

Practice Young Frankenstein 
Together Again
Roll in the Hay

Conducted/Accompanied Kids' Bach Passion of St. John Rehearsal
#1 Lord, Lord
#7 Chorale

WEDNESDAY!

Vocal Coaching
 Honey Bun
Where is Love
In My Life
A Brand New You
Seize the Day
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
Wonderful Guy
Twin Soliloquies
Another World
Part of Your World
Route 66
I Had Myself a True Love

Young Frankenstein (Conducted/Accompanied Rehearsal)
Together Again Finale
Deep Love Finale
Hang the Doctor
He's Loose Reprise
Surprise
He's Loose
Together Again
Please Don't Touch Me
The Brain
Happiest Town in Town
The Law
Roll in the Hay


THURSDAY!

Vocal Practice
St. John's Passion Contrapuntal Chorus Pieces

Vocal Coaching
I Always Knew
Another World
Watch What Happens
Circle of Life
Maybe
Once Upon a Dream
On My Own
Backson Song
Into the Woods Narrator Parts

FGO Rehearsal
Conducted run-through of above program, then heard 21 solo auditions


FRIDAY! (MY DAY OFF!)

Practiced to Conduct/Accompany Young Frankenstein
Roll in the Hay
He Was My Boyfriend
Puttin on the Ritz
Together Again
Life!


Accompanying 
Do Re Mi
Little Black Rain Cloud


SATURDAY!

Rehearsal for Bach St. John's Passion
Sang Alto of all chorus sections

Vocal Practice
Learned/Memorized "Love is War" for Sunday Service

That is...  Wait for it....
OVER 250 PIECES that I was responsible for in one week!  

To be honest, it even scares me... but you just can't think about it -- another musician friend who has an equally ridiculous schedule advises "focus fully on what you are working on at the time and be sure to schedule in down time -- and when practicing, take a break if your brain can't absorb anything else."

As they say in "Avenue Q" -- this is real life -- You're gonna love it!   

A Singer/Conductor's December........

 It is So Very December!

Fresno Grand Opera Christmas on Van Ness Concert

I saw a post on FaceBook the first week of December that said "ahhhh, December... Holidays, rest and recovery, fun with family, relaxation... OH WAIT! I'm a musician!

Definitely rings true for me.  But what a great month regardless!
First on the performance list was my Students' annual "Christmas Convocation."  We have a public master-class type Convo every month, but twice a year we polish things up, invite friends and family, and perform.  The Christmas one is hugely fun, and this year was as diverse as "I Want a Hippopatamus For Christmas" to Jason Robert Brown's "Christmas Lullaby."

Two days later:  Fresno Grand Opera Chorus' Christmas on Van Ness Concert!
This was fabulous this year!  Not only did I get to conduct a great chorus but also got to bring a group of my best students to perform as a Youth Ensemble.  They FGO peeps asked for something "Fresh and Different" from the kids -- so we gave them one traditional-ish "Christmas Canon" based on the Pachelbel Canon and also sang "Better Days" by the Googoo Dolls.  A bit of a risk in a somewhat highbrow concert, but very well received!

It's going to be aired on Valley PBS the Sunday before Christmas at 1:30 and on Christmas Eve at 11pm -- but here it is on YouTube also!  Fresno Grand Opera Christmas on Van Ness 2014

The second weekend was filled!  Sang and played with Christ Lutheran Church's choir and handbell choir at the Visalia Christmas Tree Auction Friday night.  Swanky event!
On Saturday I got to watch two fantastic performances:  The COS Dance Show, which is the "final" of the students in the dance classes at COS.  My daughter was in Ballet 1 -- and has learned so much!  Very fun to watch her.  We slingshotted out of that theater to Visalia First Presbyterian for the Messiah Sing-Along, conducted by my friend Paul Raheb and bass solos by my favorite baritone.  Highlight of that bit of the evening was my 13 year old son's scandalized face during "The Trumpets Shall Sound," since I had sung a very disturbing rendition of it including the words "and the baby shall be changed" many times a day for three kids!  The music was incredibly enjoyable, too. :)

Last night was my younger daughter's first of two Christmas dance recitals -- she's really growing, too!  Beautiful to watch her and got to see a three year old class as a bonus... wayyyy too much fun!

Coming up: Watching one more dance recital tomorrow...  prepped an amazing group of about 50 kids for the Tulare County Symphony Holiday Concert on the 20th... Friends and Family Concert for a Senior Group on the 21st... and all the music for Christmas Eve at Christ Lutheran.

I love my work, no doubt -- but a musician's December is not for the faint of heart!  Many rehearsals go into every performance, large or small, and regular student schedules go on regardless!

Christmas Day we will sleep in, stay in our jammies, and eat birthday cake for my daughter.  Maybe the day after I'll start score studying Tosca... :) ♥

Brown paper packages tied up with strings... a theater family's Christmas Tree!