Thursday, March 16, 2006

rather productive week

Today we had rehearsal #2, we singing girls. We are trying to come up with a name for ourselves, as my ensemble-mates are quite enthusiastic about taking our act on the road and we can't really call ourselves Singing Girls. It was a good rehearsal. I recorded it, which was GREAT because now we can hear what we sound like. You can't really hear what you sound like while singing. Not completely. I listened to the CD all the way home and liked what I heard, in general. nothing that can't be fixed with practice, practice, practice by ourselves and then intense rehearsal together. (Sounds fun, right? It is!) Some things I was hearing I positively swooned over, and at the other end of the spectrum, my classical voice sounds like a rusty old tin can. We are working on a Monteverdi madrigal, plus a gospel song (Note to Self: practice singing and clapping at the same time. A lot.), a sweet love song by Gillian Welch and Because by the Beatles. The girls want to sing somewhere publically in April. Yikes! (That's a happy yikes. Be careful what you wish for!)

I actually got up (okay, it was accidentally) at 7am and went for a run this morning. It's so much easier to go on my own, although I have run pushing T in the stroller and it's totally do-able. It was sunny and cold this morning; really beautiful. I got a few cheers from neighborhood buddies who probably thought they needed new glasses to see the likes of me jogging around the corner! It felt good. :)

And the real highlight of the week: yesterday I submitted a piece of writing to an online magazine. I am trying to let go of any attachment to the outcome, but of course I am fantasizing about being published and what a rush that would be. I have to take to heart everything I'm sayng about how it is not necessary that I be published to be good, that my piece might be spectacular but not what they're looking for, that it might come in a close second to another piece that's completely brilliant and that's okay. Or the editor might say, uh, this is crap. And thats okay too because I'm not crap. I am just proud of myself for doing it. I added about 300 words to something I had previously written, and spent a few hours getting it just so. I had a wicked knot in my stomach as I was typing out the email, including my bio, which is so tiny you might miss it if you blink. Then I sent it. It was a high just to send it, to be perfectly honest. It's all good. I'll do it again, whatever happens here.

Tomorrow hubbie has a pretty major gig - his band is opening up for the one and only Ralph Stanley. This week has been the closest in a long time, if not ever, to what I want my life to look like. It's been a good week.

6 comments:

McPolack said...

Awesome!!! Good for you! It's so important not to be attached to outcomes. You are inspiring me to keep at the writing and the being creative.

eliza said...

"This week has been the closest in a long time, if not ever, to what I want my life to look like."
oh my, that sounds gooood. (*wildly cheering*) savor it! drink it in. and keep walking in that direction.

isn't it weird that ralph stanley is, like, four feet tall? his voice is as tall as god.

sure wish i could be singing with you, too. what a cool repetoire.

Adrienne said...

Cool!!! Congratulations!! I'm happy that you found your motivation. Im still waiting for mine....someday. My luck I'll croak before then.LOL! I know this life isnt a rehearsal but I swear I need a fire lit under my ass. Oh when life is good, it is great!

GreenishLady said...

That sounds so good - your group has moved from a wish into a reality, and so soon will be out there! - Well done! And on sending off that piece of writing - double well-done, and best of luck with it. Have you started working on the next piece?

Teri said...

good point, greenishlady! thanks!

Anonymous said...

I am so proud of you! And for you! Way to go, woman! I am being excessive in my use of exclamation points, I know, but it's all so good. Singing, and running, and submitting a piece. A golden week indeed.