To Didi: Your post really touched me. Isn't it just amazing how comfortable we can get with certain situations (like always being accepted into the ensembles) and then "poof"...the rug is pulled out from under. It's also curious that we don't deal with our feeling but rather, try to make ourself believe that it wasn't that big of a deal. Then, when we least expect it, we're an emotional mess. WOW Once, I entered a competition and after singing in several categories from art song to classical folk song to sacred, it was apparent to even my teacher that the adjudicator just didn't care for me. Her comments were always the same and she said something like, "I just continue to shake my head wondering why you choose repertoire with high notes when you struggle with head voice". I had been singing soprano for about 5 years with many compliments from not only my teacher but others who had heard me doing solos. By the 3rd critique I began to choke on the high notes until I thought it best to withdraw from the rest of the competition. My teacher advised me to dig in and show her I could do it and after much persuasion, we decided that I should do my Broadway category (my strongest, I might add). Well, out of 10 people, I was dead last and one fellow had a memory lapse with his words and another girl got an attack of nerves so bad that her voice cracked several times. I was destroyed! It took 6 months for me to come back but thank goodness I had a wonderful teacher who knew how to handle me. At the end of the 6 months, I marched into my lesson one day and plunked my Handel soprano arias book down on her piano. I sang "So shall the lute and harp awake" and as my teacher looked at me with tears in her eyes, all she said was "Welcome back. Now...don't ever let anyone do anything like that to you again!" I guess I'm glad this happened because it certainly did make me stronger and through the process I now believe that not being chosen is usually completely subjective and not for reasons of talent or whether or not the audition was successful. It takes a long time to get to that place, though. We all have to believe in ourselves. If we don't, why should anyone else??? Jacqueline www.tbmall.com/slightlyoffbroadway (gifts/costumes/classes & more) Read my articles at: www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/musical_theatre and www.musicaltheatreinfo.com
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