Twenty-plus years ago in my first year of marching band our field show was selections of powerful classical pieces, which included two from Carmina Burana, which everyone has heard even if they aren't sure they have. A few months ago the opportunity to join a local choir performing the work in its entirety came up, sort of bringing my musical relationship with Carl Orff full circle. Cantorum was joined by about as many local contracted singers and a full orchestra, on stage above the dancers of Ballet West at Capitol Theater... and I realized I was fulfilling a life goal I never knew I had. I've been to many a show at this venue but until now I'd never seen it from the other side. It was a thrilling and exhausting and unforgettable experience. It wasn't easy to learn the challenging score (luckily unmemorized, though by the end...), and it was a long two weeks of driving up to Salt Lake City almost every night (thaaaaanks, Wiiiiiife), but the orchestra and conductor were wonderful, the soloists were amazing and the dancers were exquisite, especially from such a unique vantage point. I felt so deluxe using the side stage door and getting a firsthand look at the labyrinthine behind-the-scenes/backstage world of CT and walking up and down the many dozens of stairs in an acolyte robe, and of course you can't have an experience like this without getting close with your comrades, the dancers, musicians, costumers and crew, but especially the singers. The carpool game was strong, and it was fun to spend more time with and get to know more of them better, eat food together, learning the meaning of merde, even go see a movie in between Saturday shows (Hercule Poirot, you clever man).
I'm in the show on the marquee! Amazing!!!
They were pretty serious about not posting anything before the show actually started so we were pretty excited when they released this official shot of Chase and Beckanne with yours trulys in place. I'm dead center in the middle row.
I was glad that Mom and Dad and Grandma and Van and Matt and Cortnie (not pictured, but for their 20th anniversary!) could all come and see it! It's always fun when you know someone in the audience. Thanks to BW for the comps/discounts! Sorry for the blurry picture. :/
Panorama monks! We took some pictures at call time one night, and first they said to look imposing and then they said to look pious and then they said to smile, so... that's what I did.
Getting pumped for the final sprint (marathon??) of Saturday matinee/closing night.
In the immortal words of Titus Andromedon, "I am keeping this robe." (But not really.) We loved our diligent costume ladies.
I might have sneaked one picture just after the final curtain.
And then they took one and sent it out to everyone. The dancers looked kind of naked for a good part of the production.
And one more guerrilla style, a similar shot from the 'bove. Those wires were designed to keep us from falling to our doom.
(I feel like I started to annoy people by overposting but it was a big part of my life for a solid few weeks so there you go.)
I think the feeling most of us had at the end was a strange mixture of elation and relief and melancholy, and more than one of us probably listened to the recording within 24 hours of final curtain, but it had a really great run.
It's amazing how music can get stuck in your head after a big show like this, even for weeks and (so far) months after. It was just a cool production and a cool experience, and as much as we would have liked to see Serenade (the first, choir-less half of the ballet), a good time was had by all. Thanks to Ballet West and Cantorum for helping me check something off before I even knew I wanted to or ever could!
ADDENDUM: I would also like to make known that I was not only present, but ON TIME for every rehearsal and performance in SLC*, which, for those who know me, is QUITE an accomplishment. (The carpool helped.)
ADDENDUM 2 (4 December): Did I mention this was also a paid gig? I guess that makes me a professional musician. XD
ADDENDUM 3 (21 December): Did I also mention thanks, wife? Because yes, she is so supportive of my love of music and desperate craving need for the spotlight! Ha ha, but seriously, I had a good time thinking of new treats and new places to hide them to surprise her with every night before heading to the stage. New concert tradition??
* including HALLOWEEN, where I learned I can get from my garage to my seat on stage in ~37 minutes...
We did have a great Christmas and here's a little rundown of the funtimes leading up to the Day.
In the months before, it should be noted, I was participating again in a fun local choir, and then when I went to my sister's orchestra concert and saw that they were teaming up with a different local choir to do John Rutter's Gloria, I was like, oh hey, I should go to that! And then I was like... oh hey, I should BE in that. So I looked them up and joined my third concurrent singing group (if you count ward choir, which I do) just so I could check this little number off my list:
Helloooooo, there. It's been a while.
Yes, it was glorious, and yes, I am so glad to have sung JR's Requiem, Magnificat and now Gloria. It was great to sing with the TSO again, even though scheduling conflicts prevented my sister from participating this time (though she could attend in the audience, which was fun!) and even besides the Gloria it was a reaaaaally great program of orchestral and choral music (Rutter AND Wilberg AND Silvestri AND Anderson AND Handel in the same concert??).
That did of course take up a lot of time in the evenings (thaaaaaank you Wiiiiiiife) and led to a few scheduling conflicts but I enjoyed it so I'm really glad I was able to sing in both. Ah, the life of a musician at Christmastime.
Then it was winter! We went on a cool drive-through lights show in Provo (thanks, KSL Deals) and listened to a lot of Christmas music and enjoyed delivering treats to neighbors. We also have had a lot of snow this year so I put the little humans to work.
Earning their keep at last!
The we had our ward adult Christmas party, including a talent portion, for which I engaged the services of Dad and Brok to sing Star Bright. My limited guitar skillz were more than adequate and I'm so glad, after hearing my mom and sisters sing together so beautifully for so many years, that we boys have had the chance to do the same a few times.
I only messed up the words once. I don't think anyone noticed.
We took the kids to see a live Nativity at the mall, which was fun and interesting and featured free cider and rolls and live local choirs, including one gospel group that were so into those Handel selections. The animals were present pretty early on but the human portions took a little time getting there, but when they did we had a great time and the kids were into it and it's always great to have more opportunities to talk about the reason for the season.
Live Nativity! With a camel and everything!
There was no shortage of festive wear and appropriating decor at the house:
Li'l reindeers love eggy breadies.
And then when we found out about the Yule Ball happening at a nearby event center (that is literally a castle) we had to go! We teamed up with one of my oldest friends from junior high and her new beau and picked up some nachos supreme beforehand and then headed up for all the fun times, including dancing, (terrible) trivia, animals, (literally) snacks and cheeses, fairly good HP-themed beverages, fun photo opportunities, and a Horcrux hunt (we found them all, sorry, Big V). If they do this again next year I think we might feel like going again.
Though this time we'll bring our wands (which I remembered until it was time to go). WHY OH WHY did I forget our wands? I'm a bit ashamed about it.
See?? A castle!!! It was made for this kind of event. And also apparently wedding receptions and probably proms and such. But especially this.
The week before Christmas we had our 3rd Annual Primary Christmas Concert, which is always a good time.
This is one of my favorite new traditions.
And then our Temple Square appearance concluded all my Christmas choiring (except if you count the ward choir program on the day, which I do). I carpooled with Mom and Dad.
They are so nice and good to support all my musical endeavors for all these years, including schlepping all the way up to SLC and sticking around past their bedtime (especially since they were my ride).
We had tree struggles this year since our usual outlet of Costco sold out much earlier than expected, but our Lowe's backup was all right, though it never quite stood up straight. But we bought some new all-silver decorations (and will need new lights next year, bah, don't ask) and called the result Fleur Delacour.
Redecorated just in time for the big day, and ambiance enjoyed by Sir Waffles.
Then we had Christmas Day! Of course it started out bright and early with our church meeting with the adjusted holiday schedule. I must confess that I was preeeeetty miffed when I heard about it (it's hard enough to get toddlers ready and out the door by 9 on a regular day, let alone an hour earlier on Christmas morning!) but it worked out fine, mostly because:
This is what happens when your stake decides your ward's meeting at 8 am. *facepalm* Get dressed super quick and scurry scurry scurry down the stairs!
And then we had our program and I sang O Holy Night and Santa Claus apparently came while we were gone and took down those sheets and a lovely gifting was had by all.
See, he did come after all.
And how! Super Kitty and Baby Dolly with all the trimmings!
Yayyyy for us. I'm glad that for now Santa still remembers the parents in this house.
And it was such a nice day overall and we had the usual Eve and Day traditions and were so glad dearest youngest sister and fam are back in town so they can participate.
Who needs to take a family picture?? But really, it would have been nice to take one, but this will have to do.
But really church is a great place to be on Christmas Day, early AM and all. We took time to watch the Nativity video (thank you, YouTube) and Mickey's Christmas Carol and have been making efforts to really instill in these little ones the importance of that Night and that Star and that Baby and they are really starting to get it, which is so touching. How grateful we all must be.
And then here's the P.S. you've all been waiting for. The New Year's Baby continues to grace us with a nighttime visit.
Don't laugh about the sock bouquet or the wedged-in Malt-O Meal, we were both really excited about them.
And then it's always hard to head back to work after a nice long break, but it was nice to be driving again under this banner:
Thanks to all the conspirators who aided Santa in delivering this hidden in my whale-shaped butter dish (don't laugh about that either, I'm so glad to have one with a handle, you have no idea).
And that's it for now! It felt busier than last year but still really pleasant and nice and memorable. A lot of people keep hating on 2016 and it's true there were some really awful things for a long time but overall I thought it was a good year and ended in a much better place than I ever thought possible all things considered, so I'm looking forward to 2017 with cautious enthusiasm. I'm trying to limit negative things in my life (and hopefully be less of a negative thing in others' lives) and focus on what's really important. There's so much to be thankful for and to look forward to, so that's what I'm trying to do.
Something I have noticed lately is that holidays and time off mean a lot more when you actually have to leave your house to go to work, and this year Thanksgiving break was just the thing. It was so nice to (sleep in and) spend more time with my peeps and eat together and be thankful for each other.
There were various festivities this year. First, of course we had the T-Gives treatment in Thanksgiving, which was a big hit. I try to pick songs the kids might not know that well (or at all) totally on purpose, because there are so many songs we just don't get to ever sing. Not on my watch!
We said if the feathers were all plucked he would get eaten. Lucky thing, we ran out of time both times.
Next was a fun potluck lunch at work, which was a big success. Everyone signed up for things and some went above and beyond to make the real deal (I will say that my gravy was worth the wait). It's fun to work in an office so I can finally participate in these sorts of things that I heretofore had only heard about afterward. We all ate too much (of course), but we were glad it was two full days before actual Thanksgiving so we wouldn't be burned out, as if.
It was amazing! A full Thanksgiving spread.
Don't forget the pie! I can personally attest that at least 2/3 of this was delicious.
Maybe I collected this plate of seconds just to take this picture, and then again, maybe I didn't.
Then came the actual day! It was bright and clear and cold and very nice. In years past my sister has organized a Turkey Trot event, but as time has gone by things have been busier or we've opted for other happenings, so when I asked and found out there wasn't anything planned this year, I decided to plan my own! I like a T-Gives morning run, so even if it ended up being a couple of people or even just myself it would be fun. Despite the cold, a great group of family (including out-of-towner visitors Emily and the trips!) met at the trailhead and took more or less my usual run along the trail and back. It ended up being just about 3.5 miles, and Katy (who insists she's not much of a runner) pulled ahead in the end to beat me and Little Miss. Some walked, some ran, some biked, some went the whole length and some turned around whenever they felt like it, and there were treats and overall I think it was really fun for all. (Not to mention FREE.) New tradish?!? I'll bring the Costco pumpkin streusel muffins again...
Baby's first 5K!
Not a bad turnout! Thanks for coming, everyone! Same time, next year?
She's thrilled as you can see.
(And yes, I did just write that on the path with sidewalk chalk, along with the mile markers as I went along.)
Then of course dinner! I actually took a few pictures this year, amazingly. Everything tasted delicious and I tried to remember to take a minute to be especially grateful for my kith and kin and foodstuffs.
Interesting groupings! The Boy loves seeing his cousins, but he especially loves Uncle Matt.
This one is so cute it deserves to be posted all on its own.
This is just about all The Boy was interested in during Thanksgiving dinner (and of course in a different cup every time). He will learn. I put my foot down when it came to the Sprite Zero.
And then we had a quick photoshoot with Cami!
WHAT MY BABIES ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AND YOU TOO WIFE.
Then to round things out with a churchish bookend, I did a musical number of Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, and decided to callback to Appleton and rock this nice touch of bling, gifted from some of my dear elder buddies as I was heading home some seven (!!!) years ago.
And that's about it. It's a very nice season, the one in between Halloween and Christmas.
Story time: Once when I was a senior in high school, our first-year choir teacher introduced us to a requiem by one John Rutter, a then fairly unknown-to-me English composer. Singing Rutter's Requiem was a marvelous experience that has stayed with me, lo, these 15 years. I still listen to the CD I bought at the time on a semi-regular basis. After high school I was in Men's Chorus all through college, and ever since then (almost ten years!!! OoO ) I haven't really sung in a great choir. I've conducted a few ward choirs that are actually quite good, but it had been almost a decade since I actually had the chance to sing in one, and even longer than that since I was in a mixed one.
SO, when some friends (that I made in my Men's Chorus days and have stayed in touch with over the years) announced that a great local choir they're in was looking for a few new singers to boost their numbers for an upcoming performance with a local orchestra, my interest was piqued. When they mentioned this orchestra was the Timpanogos Symphony Orchestra, which group I have heard perform many a time over the last few years, as my sister is one of their regular violists, I was further intrigued. When I noticed the program was Beethoven, along with a certain masterwork by the aforementioned John Rutter, it clinched it. (Though I should say that The Wife's support and especially encouragement is what really clinched it.) I emailed to set up an audition, I was invited to participate, and for a couple of months I went to weekly rehearsals with the Deseret Chamber Singers to learn Rutter's glorious Magnificat.
Seriously, who can write harmonies like this man?
It's always so great to sing with a really good choir, and it was so much fun to get together every week and do just that. (And not to be in charge of it, ha.) I looked forward to every rehearsal and it was good to reconnect with old friends, make some new ones, and better get to know people I'd only heard of or met in passing. And then, just last weekend, after a few joint rehearsals with the orchestra and/or soloist (and some scavenging of all the parts to make a concert-worthy tuxedo), we were all ready to go in our fancy concert black and we sang/played that Magnificat like no tomorrow.
Opening night! It only took a few tries before I was satisfied that I didn't look too much like a goober in this picture. Many thanks to all who contributed to my piecemeal tuxedo.
(Or, to be more seasonal, Frankenstein tuxedo.) It was the first time I've worn one since our wedding day.
I wondered a little if learning this piece would lead to loving it as much as I have his Requiem for all these years, or even usurping its place at the top, but I think the pieces and the experiences are both so different that both can reside in my heart and soul (though I do think that Requiem will always be number one). I think Magnificat is a little more musically challenging, which was fun, and inspiring in a different way, but Requiem is really moving and moody, which I love, and of course both choirs were at different points in my musical performing maturity, and anyway, the point is I love them both.
A fun reunion with sister Cami from the old BYU Philharmonic/Men's Chorus days of yore when we used to play/sing together in concerts. It was fun to accompany each other again. (Except they didn't let me have a beard them. Note also the various methods of the taming of the beast uponst my head, what I like to call the Leopold. One mustn't look shaggy when wearing a tux.)
So there we go, just a little report/documentation of this experience, because I think it deserves it, and I really don't want to forget it. I probably never will, since I've listened to the recording I bought before practices started every day since the concert. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and I know I certainly did. I said I would be sad when it's over, and now it's over so I'm sad, but only in the way that someone is sad when something wonderful ends. Also, apparently I'm part of the alumni now (yessssssss [Napoleon Dynamite voice]), so hopefully I can get back into the semi-frequently-gathering choir the next time they get together, and I look forward to it.
Oh, and then there's the thing where I joined another multi-stake choir just because, and there was this other stake-ish one that someone told me about for Christmas, and also the choir in our new ward... It's a good time to sing, apparently.
And now, for Part III: The American Idol Experience.
Like I said, I heard about this opening last year, and was pretty impressed that they managed to get every single American Idol winner (and many of the other contestants) to attend the grand opening. I heard reports and understood it was a pretty neat show, so when we made our vacation plans, I decided to go for it. Now, my history with auditioning for American Idol is pretty disappointing, but since there were no extended episodes of auditions, and as such, no trainwreck singers let through merely for the sake of ratings, I thought it might be fun to give it a try. Of course, I tried to have zero expectations at getting through, butIhopedIwouldanyway. I did some research online and found out a little information. They do four-five regular shows each day featuring guests who auditioned throughout that very same day, and the winners for each show appear at the finale that evening, and the winner of that round would get a Golden Ticket, entitling them to skip to the front of the line at any city's actual audition for the show. I hoped to get cast in the first place, and then I thought it would be great to sing again in the evening show, but seriously, that would have been totally satisfactory for me. Outside the attraction they have Cast Members holding a sheet with a couple hundred songs to choose from and a good amount of basic information for those hoping to audition. I was told later that on some days the park is less crowded but they get hundreds of auditions, and on other days, the park is full to capacity, and they don't get too many hopefuls in the audition rooms. When I went to audition that morning, things were pretty quiet, but I could hear people singing and auditioning and practicing behind closed doors.
Crossing my fingers! I've had bad luck with AI auditions in the past, so I'm a little stitious.
The two audition rounds were fun, a lot less crowded and even more seemingly legitimate, as they are actually looking for talent to put in their shows, rather than sideshow acts and sob stories. The first producer I auditioned for really liked me, and made suggestions for what to sing for my next audition (she loved my "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me" and also recommended "Go the Distance" from Hercules--sometimes they suggest doing a couple different style of song, but she thought the belty ballad was right up my alley), since she would definitely put me through. I had a few minutes in their recreation of the infamous Coca-Cola "Red Room" to practice with one of the provided iPods, after which I auditioned for another producer, and then they cast me for one of the afternoon shows!
I'm through to the next round! I have a golden ticket!
Practicing in the Red Room.
I suddenly have the strangest desire for a Coke.
These were the girls I competed with in round 1. They were like 17.
After a little bit of filming with a director and cameralady, they told me to come back about an hour before the show, where I and the other two singers rotated between reviewing our piece, having a little hair/makeup touch-up, and working briefly with a vocal coach.
Apparently this lady has worked with a lot of former American Idol contestants.
It was so cool to be backstage and part of the show at a Disney theme park! The theater was awesome, it totally looked like the one on TV, and the whole experience seemed really authentic and exciting. We had a dress rehearsal, where we each sang through our pieces and had some final feedback from the vocal coach and stage manager, and then it was time for them to let in the audience and start the show! The host had their schtick and introduced the three type-cast judges as well as the contestants, and then we each had our turn. The other two contestants sang "This Is Me" and "Bubbly." After we sang, the judges went around and gave us feedback and everything (they warned us that they paid one of the judges to occasionally say something a little sassy, they don't want to "cheat us out of the true American Idol experience," and not to take it too personally--he was still pretty nice to me, though he called my performance "a little square," and suggested I modernize it a little, which I thought was such a perfect criticism for some reason), so that was really fun too.
I was a little nervous that the girls who were in my round were there with a high school group (which counts for a lot of votes), but in the end I evidently garnered the majority of them and was invited to return that evening for the finale!
The camera operator would probably like it to be made mention that she was recording clandestinely from her lap, and the camera shifts downward at one point because they were pointing out to her in the audience and she didn't want to draw attention to the fact that she was recording. The shakes are also explained by her clapping at certain points. When I asked, they said they technically have to say they disallow video recording or photography, but they don't really enforce it. I'm glad I because I desperately wanted this recorded, so, much thanks to Julie for being a great photographer and catching the key moments on bandit video. :D
I'm going to the finals!!!
It's hard to tell, but I'm doing the same pose as the square on the park map cover.
So we went around the park for a few hours and came back that evening for the finale show. Presumably to generate interest and fill the audience seats, they had given us some swag that loudly proclaimed we had auditioned and were performing on the show. A few people came up to me and said they really liked me and had voted for me and I said "Much thanks, and come back tonight and vote again!" There were five singers this time, and the styles of music represented were very different. The other songs were "Hit Me with Your Best Shot," "Achy, Breaky Heart," "Big Girls Don't Cry" and "Holding Out for a Hero." There was a different host and different judges, but the rest of it was pretty much the same, but a little more exciting.
When it came time to reveal the results, they even drew it out as long as possible, very Seacrest indeed. They called two people forward and eventually told them their "journey" ends here, then they called down two more (self included) and said we were moving on. So it was down to me and the girl who sang after I did, and after a good deal more stalling, she was named the winner!
She was cute and fun and enthusiastic and SO excited. She was really good, and so into it, and she will actually use the Golden Ticket, so I'm really glad she won.
The winner is announced! She looks like she just finished an Olympics gymnastics routine.
So that was it. I felt like a celebrity, and on our way out at park closing, I noticed a lot of people (especially little kids) looking over and pointing and whispering to their parents or siblings about me. A lot of people came up to be and randomly started applauding and cheering, encouraging me to keep singing (in case I was bummed that I didn't win), and how they were torn between me and the girl they eventually voted for. Some said they would have picked me but they felt loyalty to the winner because they had seen her previous show. It was awesome.
It was amazing all in all, and I'm so glad Julie was patient and let me spend so much time of our day doing this! I think my until now insatiable yen to be on American Idol is actually more or less fulfilled.
