Vocalist.org archive


From:  Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Date:  Sat Jun 2, 2001  3:33 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] How we get "in the zone"


Vicki Bryant wrote:

> As I approach a full length solo recital next week, I've been trying
> to decide how to occupy myself all day without wearing myself out
> (I've got the whole day off, and the recital is at 8:00 pm).

> What do you all do to keep your sanity on a heavy performance day?

What I do (did) is go the hairdresser in the AM. That takes
up several hours, because my guy in in DC, and I live in
Virginia. Then I have a late, good-sized lunch, because I'm
going to need fuel for energy, but I don't want to eat too
soon before singing.

Then I go my bedroom, turn off the lights (though it's
daylight, so there's light to see by), close my eyes, and
mentally go through the entire recital, beginning to end. I
have my music at hand and check out anything I need to.

Then I vocalize for a little while, but don't sing a note of
the music I'm singing at the performance. Then I do other
stuff, like read, watch TV, put on opera CDs, listen to the
radio, until it's time to get dressed and head out the door.

When I do my warm-up before the recital is when I go over
parts of the music I'll be singing - singing the beginning
of each song with the accompanist is great if there's time.

Peggy


--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...

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