This past weekend, Braden and I went to see The Monti at the Carrboro ArtsCenter. The Monti is a North Carolina based spoken narrative forum where inspired storytellers and tell a story within the theme within a certain time limit (to keep people from rambling). It's inspired by one in New York called The Moth. It's hard to describe if you never seen anything like it, but it's kind of like a David Sedaris reading meets occasional stand-up comedy. I first got into the Monti when I heard it on NPR (and yes, I have Braden to thank for introducing me to the joys of NPR. NPR was just not something we listened to in our house growing up, nor would I ever think to listen to it on my own.) I heard these people sharing these incredibly compelling stories on the air and since I'm a huge fan of memoir, I thought "I have to see this!"
I love stories about real-life stories about people and their community unit. Perhaps this was why I was so interested in sociology in college. So watching The Monti was right up my alley. The headliner was a man by the name of Greg Taylor, who was exonerated after 17 years in prison where he was wrongfully accused of murder. His story mostly covered how he was overwhelmed with choices after leaving prison; all the items for sale in Target, the massive amounts of buttons on washing machines and cell phones, the option to use a fork and knife at dinner. We don't really think about the little details of the freedoms we have and how profound those details are.
The Monti has an occasional "open-mic night" called StorySlam where audience members can tell a story for 5 minutes under the assigned theme. I'd really love to participate but alas most of them all fall on Tuesday nights and alas I have work! But I too love sharing stories and I think it'd be fun and educational to participate. Orating is a bit of lost art, one that goes back way before television, radio, and any type of recording.
I highly recommend The Monti for Triangle visitors and natives. It made for a good date night...not too long of a show. We were able to grab a drink before hand and some wings and drinks afterwards...and also more drinks after that. Between The Station, The ArtsCenter, Ba Da Wings and Speakeasy, we certainly hit the best of Carrboro. All and all, very successful Saturday night out.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Audition Etiquette
Yesterday, I helped adjudicate the song and dance auditions for TPAC's Broadway Revue. Watching a bevy of 8-16 year olds audition is exhausting. I had forgotten about all the adolescent drama that goes into producing the drama. It had been a long time, if it all, that I had been on "the other side" of the table. It probably helped since I was fresh talent and didn't know any of these kids personalities. In any case, some of their audition techniques were sloppy. At least I have a lesson plan for Tuesday -- We are SO working on Intros!!
Audition Intro Etiquette & Tips:
- Before you even walk into the room, take a deep breath and imagine from beginning to end a successful audition. A positive mindset leads to a positive audition.
- When you walk in the room, SAY HELLO and SMILE to the adjudicators. Remember, "first impressions" go a long way.
- If you are singing, walk over to the accompanist, hand them your music, explain where you are starting and ending, softly sing your tempo. Make sure you music is readable and has cuts or changes clearly marked. This is part of being prepared. If you are doing a monologue let them know if you are going to sing first or do the monologue first.
- Always let the accompanist know if you want them to play an intro or just the first note. Practice IN ADVANCE how you want to start a song. The scariest part of an audition song is starting it. (I prefer to just have them play the first note because I like to control when I'm starting the song and so I know exactly what my note is. Others find it easier with a short musical intro.)
- If the audition requests 16 bars, DO 16 BARS. However, if the cut lends itself to 20-24 bars, do that. Some songs don't comfortably fit into 16 bar cuts. BUT, keep it under 32 bars. The reason auditions ask for 16 bars is for time and given the choice, people always do more than that. If we asked for 32 bars, people would do the whole song. It's true. In fact, there will always be people who try to do the whole song no matter what because it shows off "their range". If you can show us your range in a whole song or play, you can do it in a 1 minute cut too.
- After you are done speaking to the accompanist, ask where the adjudicators would like you to stand and go where they tell you. (usually there's an X or a line of tape on the floor). Plant your feet and let your arms rest at your side. Don't wiggle or sway. Take a breath and center yourself.
- Wait until they are making eye contact with you (sometimes they will look at your resume and audition form or still be making notes as you enter). Smile and state your name, your # (if you have one) and what pieces you are doing. "Hi my name is Jenny Jones, #45 and I'll be singing "If I Loved You" and doing a piece from Shakespeare's "As You Like It"" Say this loudly and clearly. Part of the audition is seeing if you can project and enunciate. (That's why we put the tape so far back in the room.)
- DO NOT make excuses about being nervous, sick, not knowing your music, etc. This looks SO unprofessional. Remember, preparedness is half of a successful audition! I have seen extremely talented people muddy up their auditions by making huge deals about their pieces and how they are nervous they are. Keep it to yourself! Part of the audition is how you present yourself. Auditioneers don't care if you make mistakes or are nervous. We know people get nervous in auditions. Everybody gets nervous in auditions. What we do care about is how you handle those nerves. One of the things we remember most is CONFIDENCE, not little errors.
- BREATHE. Take in your surroundings. Find a focal point at eye level to start your pieces (most adjudicators prefer if you don't do the piece right at them.) Depending on space, I like to pick a point right behind them or a few chairs in front of them. Unless it is a bold and SPECIFIC acting choice, don't start your piece looking at the ground or at the ceiling.
- If you are doing a song, there are two ways to let the accompanist know you are ready. The first is to acknowledge them with eye contact and a small nod. The other more commonly used way is by simply taking a breath and prepping yourself. If you look ready and feel ready, the accompanist will start. The more you audition, the smoother this transition will be.
- Make sure you face out during the majority of your pieces. I have seen people do entire songs and monologues profile. Not only is it odd to watch, it obscures the face. You can move away from the X, but make sure you stay in the general area and find your way back to the spot by the end of your pieces.
- Take a beat on the last moment of your piece and smoothly ease back into yourself. Say THANK YOU loudly and clearly. You did it! Take another breath to center yourself after you've finished. DO NOT apologize if you've made any mistakes (every single person auditioning will make a mistake). Wait to see if they have comments or requests. If not, take your music from the pianist, thank everyone again and leave the room with your head held high.
- Don't diss other auditionees or gossip about the audition. Sometimes there are other company members, directors or other important adults in the lobby. Remember, you are auditioning yourself so don't let it go to waste by ruining your reputation in the lobby!
- Finally, don't beat yourself after you leave the room. Often, we are our own worst enemy. Feeling prepared and confident about our work leads to more successful auditions in the long run. Better auditions make us better performers!
Audition Intro Etiquette & Tips:
- Before you even walk into the room, take a deep breath and imagine from beginning to end a successful audition. A positive mindset leads to a positive audition.
- When you walk in the room, SAY HELLO and SMILE to the adjudicators. Remember, "first impressions" go a long way.
- If you are singing, walk over to the accompanist, hand them your music, explain where you are starting and ending, softly sing your tempo. Make sure you music is readable and has cuts or changes clearly marked. This is part of being prepared. If you are doing a monologue let them know if you are going to sing first or do the monologue first.
- Always let the accompanist know if you want them to play an intro or just the first note. Practice IN ADVANCE how you want to start a song. The scariest part of an audition song is starting it. (I prefer to just have them play the first note because I like to control when I'm starting the song and so I know exactly what my note is. Others find it easier with a short musical intro.)
- If the audition requests 16 bars, DO 16 BARS. However, if the cut lends itself to 20-24 bars, do that. Some songs don't comfortably fit into 16 bar cuts. BUT, keep it under 32 bars. The reason auditions ask for 16 bars is for time and given the choice, people always do more than that. If we asked for 32 bars, people would do the whole song. It's true. In fact, there will always be people who try to do the whole song no matter what because it shows off "their range". If you can show us your range in a whole song or play, you can do it in a 1 minute cut too.
- After you are done speaking to the accompanist, ask where the adjudicators would like you to stand and go where they tell you. (usually there's an X or a line of tape on the floor). Plant your feet and let your arms rest at your side. Don't wiggle or sway. Take a breath and center yourself.
- Wait until they are making eye contact with you (sometimes they will look at your resume and audition form or still be making notes as you enter). Smile and state your name, your # (if you have one) and what pieces you are doing. "Hi my name is Jenny Jones, #45 and I'll be singing "If I Loved You" and doing a piece from Shakespeare's "As You Like It"" Say this loudly and clearly. Part of the audition is seeing if you can project and enunciate. (That's why we put the tape so far back in the room.)
- DO NOT make excuses about being nervous, sick, not knowing your music, etc. This looks SO unprofessional. Remember, preparedness is half of a successful audition! I have seen extremely talented people muddy up their auditions by making huge deals about their pieces and how they are nervous they are. Keep it to yourself! Part of the audition is how you present yourself. Auditioneers don't care if you make mistakes or are nervous. We know people get nervous in auditions. Everybody gets nervous in auditions. What we do care about is how you handle those nerves. One of the things we remember most is CONFIDENCE, not little errors.
- BREATHE. Take in your surroundings. Find a focal point at eye level to start your pieces (most adjudicators prefer if you don't do the piece right at them.) Depending on space, I like to pick a point right behind them or a few chairs in front of them. Unless it is a bold and SPECIFIC acting choice, don't start your piece looking at the ground or at the ceiling.
- If you are doing a song, there are two ways to let the accompanist know you are ready. The first is to acknowledge them with eye contact and a small nod. The other more commonly used way is by simply taking a breath and prepping yourself. If you look ready and feel ready, the accompanist will start. The more you audition, the smoother this transition will be.
- Make sure you face out during the majority of your pieces. I have seen people do entire songs and monologues profile. Not only is it odd to watch, it obscures the face. You can move away from the X, but make sure you stay in the general area and find your way back to the spot by the end of your pieces.
- Take a beat on the last moment of your piece and smoothly ease back into yourself. Say THANK YOU loudly and clearly. You did it! Take another breath to center yourself after you've finished. DO NOT apologize if you've made any mistakes (every single person auditioning will make a mistake). Wait to see if they have comments or requests. If not, take your music from the pianist, thank everyone again and leave the room with your head held high.
- Don't diss other auditionees or gossip about the audition. Sometimes there are other company members, directors or other important adults in the lobby. Remember, you are auditioning yourself so don't let it go to waste by ruining your reputation in the lobby!
- Finally, don't beat yourself after you leave the room. Often, we are our own worst enemy. Feeling prepared and confident about our work leads to more successful auditions in the long run. Better auditions make us better performers!
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The New Friend Conundrum
It is hard to make friends once your out of the college. It is especially hard for ME to make friends in general. It's not that I don't meet new people. I have that moment after I meet them and I'm staring at my phone in confusion "should I call them? should I wait for them to call me?" So I usually text them (hey would you like to go get sushi on Wednesday? I had so much fun meeting you.") and either they are busy or something comes up in my life. And I apologize and I NEVER HEAR FROM THEM AGAIN. I don't try to meet up with them again because, gosh, it was just too hard the first time.
There was a girl I met at a bar about 6 months ago. She was really into film and we seemed to hit it off even though we were both tipsy. I pretty much assumed we were destined to be best buddies. So I had her number in my phone and went the through the whole "let's get sushi" charade. Nothing ever happened. At some point during a metaphysical contact cleaning months later, I deleted her number.
So I had dinner at PF Changs last weekend, where she works and she recognized me! Holy cow! Serendipitous friendship! I imagined wonderful girly dates of window shopping and guilt-free gelato. I said I would call her only to realize later that I DIDN'T HAVE HER PHONE NUMBER. I also, I never knew her last name. This friendship was starting to feel like a one night stand that I had shrouded in glory.
So I can go back to Chang's and if she's there ask for her phone number (or ask from her co-workers...that's not creepy). Braden suggests I troll the Facebook search box for an hour and see if I recognize her face. Or I can just wait until we meet again...fate could be on my side, right?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Hot for teacher
Apparently, I have a tendency to kiss straight on and completely smush Braden's nose. Ex-boyfriends can attest: I have always been a rather aggressive smoocher. I would make the worst soap star ever. In my defense, my neck injury makes turning my head rather uncomfortable.
I did not subject anyone to Cher hair, but Braden and both discovered that is insanely difficult to find photogenic ways to pose ourselves. A lot of the photos we were standing there like bad prom set-ups. How do you stand up and look "romantic" in posed photos? It either looks way too slack or awkward, as in "how do we position these limbs of ours???" Do people just walk through the woods, holding hands and smiling? I THINK NOT.I am looking forward to the day that I become Virginia Leonard and no longer Ginny Buckner. Shed your name, shed your unwanted idenity? Getting married is the ultimate benefit for those looking for a change in their persona. It's kind of like going to college. It's a clean slate.
I started teaching yesterday. I have about 12 kids in each class for each age group 7-9s, 10-12s, and teens. I have a much better rapport with teens than the little ones. And don't get me started on the 7-9 year olds. For my first day, I just felt like I was doing crowd control. A lot of my beginning exercises involve sort of free exploring and that just did not cut it with the wee ones. I think more disipline is neccessary. I think I'm gonna have to do a lot more research on what works and what doesn't.
I don't know if I'm a natural at this, but I hope I can help the kids grow and achieve whatever they want to achieve. Most of my teen class want to be MT majors, so I want to help them get there!
Tonight I have an audition for "The Magic Flute". As a soprano, it's kind of a crap shoot. From what I understand here is the ratio of talent: 10 sopranos for every mezzo, tenor and baritone. I also overslept this morning and look a little less than glam as of now. Oh well...positive thinking!
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Snap out of it!
I may not be a New York Italian, but I've always believed that big boisterous Southern families are not that much different than Italian ones.
I watched Moonstruck tonight, which is one of my favorite romantic movies of all time. It's like a photograph come to life of an Italian family in Brooklyn and the potential for romance. Cher falls in love with Nicholas Cage (before he became a caricature of himself). My favorite part is when she gets a fantastic 80s hair makeover and they go to the opera. The soundtrack consists of lots of little redone bits from La Boheme. When all the characters look at the moon ("It's like a big snowball."), Musetta's Waltz plays in the background. It's such a great little movie about real people falling in love and what that means in the context of family.
Tomorrow, we're getting engagement pictures done. I'm tempted to pull out the "Cher-do" (Lord knows I have the hair to do it.) but I wouldn't subject Braden to that.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Even when I lose, I still win.
Right now, I'm temping downtown. Which means I get to train myself in a variety of office grunt work skills such as building MS word templates and filing and making double-sided copies. And while it can be somewhat disenchanting being a 20-something temp, I have to remember that lots of people became successful inspite of their insepid temp work.
- Ryan from "The Office" - Mostly just succeeds with impersonating the latest business trend. Right now I think he's somewhere between Gordon Gecko and hipster office chic.
- Tanya (Jane Adams) from "Hung" - Oh, to rampage on my co-workers by screaming "I'M A MOTHERF**KING PIMP!" Woman, you and your mousey resolve continue to inspire me.
- Julie Powell from "Julie and Julia" - Hey, she got a movie and second book deal. And she was an actress! And not only that, the only real person on this list.
I guess I'm not proving my point by coming up with fictionalized characters. The truth is people don't like to read about losers who continue to lose. No one wants to watch the movie where the temp is still the temp at the end of the movie, unless the director is trying to make some point with dramatic irony.
Tonight my voice lessons start up again. And so begins the home stretch towards grad school. And after admitting my fear, I am ready to buckle down and pursue this bitch. I don't care if my social contacts are weak or that my last batch of auditions resulted in nothing. It is so hard to disegard feelings of insecurity but well...I don't have a choice.
Life is young. And when you work downtown, you quickly realize that there are peopel wandering around that have it so much worse than you. I'll refrain from ghetto stereotypes, but even when I lose, I still win. In little ways. For example:
- I have a fiance (who, among other things, loves me sincerely and doesn't beat me)
- We have some inspired wedding plans and honeymoon plans (you can read about them here: http://www.ginnyandbraden.blogspot.com/)
- I'm not in rehab (zing)
- I have my voice. I'll always have that.
- Ryan from "The Office" - Mostly just succeeds with impersonating the latest business trend. Right now I think he's somewhere between Gordon Gecko and hipster office chic.
- Tanya (Jane Adams) from "Hung" - Oh, to rampage on my co-workers by screaming "I'M A MOTHERF**KING PIMP!" Woman, you and your mousey resolve continue to inspire me.
- Julie Powell from "Julie and Julia" - Hey, she got a movie and second book deal. And she was an actress! And not only that, the only real person on this list.
I guess I'm not proving my point by coming up with fictionalized characters. The truth is people don't like to read about losers who continue to lose. No one wants to watch the movie where the temp is still the temp at the end of the movie, unless the director is trying to make some point with dramatic irony.
Tonight my voice lessons start up again. And so begins the home stretch towards grad school. And after admitting my fear, I am ready to buckle down and pursue this bitch. I don't care if my social contacts are weak or that my last batch of auditions resulted in nothing. It is so hard to disegard feelings of insecurity but well...I don't have a choice.
Life is young. And when you work downtown, you quickly realize that there are peopel wandering around that have it so much worse than you. I'll refrain from ghetto stereotypes, but even when I lose, I still win. In little ways. For example:
- I have a fiance (who, among other things, loves me sincerely and doesn't beat me)
- We have some inspired wedding plans and honeymoon plans (you can read about them here: http://www.ginnyandbraden.blogspot.com/)
- I'm not in rehab (zing)
- I have my voice. I'll always have that.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Paralyzed
People say that if you want something hard enough and you dream hard enough you can make it come true. I kind of lived by that philosophy my entire life until the last couple of years. I guess I've never really had the social skills to back it up. Or whatever popularity I had in high school I lost somewhere along the way. And throughout college I became more and more insecure that I pretty much digressed into a person. In addition to having a real abusive romantic relationship, I've realized that college was an abusive relationship.
That's a really difficult thing to write. It's embarrassing. Humiliating. It's like when I admit that to myself, I'm setting myself up for "it's your fault, you deserve it, you just weren't good enough, you were a freak." But at the same time, professors and students, would tell me something different to my face. And I would just kind of fall for it all over again. I feel like I missed out on a lot because I wasn't able to form close relationships with people. All these things happened...some were probably my shyness and oddness and others were just happenstance. I'm sad that I don't have the friends or even acquaintances that a lot of people do. I'm sad that I didn't know how to reach out to people. I'm sad that my anxiety got the best of me back then and made me a pariah and that to this day it still takes over me.
Now I've been balled up on the couch for the past couple of weeks, paralyzed with pain for a lot of different reasons. It's gotten to the point where my body is just attacking me, my neck muscles have completely clinched up. I cry all the time, every day. I don't sleep very well. I can't say that I'm suicidal but there have been days when I stayed in bed all day cause it just made me felt better. I have wanted to disappear off the face of the earth. I watch those Cymbalta commercials that come on late at night and after Oprah and relate to them.
I am really terrified about grad school applications. I'm just having a lot of trouble dealing with that pain and rejection all over again. I'm really scared about getting stomped on all over again. I'm scared to move to New York...I feel like no one would give me the time of day. I want to...I have a fiance with really no wanderlust or city desire in him, which sucks. I wish he was that kind of partner. I really don't want to be confined to these 4 walls and this little crunchy college town my whole life. I know for sure that would kill me. I know that. I've expressed that. I don't know who's in my corner. I don't know if I believe in myself anymore.
And my poor fiance sees all this and doesn't understand and probably never will. It probably seems like ridiculous minutae from his perspective. He's got his own crosses to bare. He's frustrated, annoyed, helpless maybe...a combination of all of them. Depression drives a wedge into relationships.
Anyways, this is my own little corner of the internet, and I guess in this day and age of adulthood and job hunting you probably aren't supposed to talk about this kind of stuff. But I can't afford a therapist and sometimes it's easier to write things out in plain English.
It's the first time in my life where I don't have any direction.
That's a really difficult thing to write. It's embarrassing. Humiliating. It's like when I admit that to myself, I'm setting myself up for "it's your fault, you deserve it, you just weren't good enough, you were a freak." But at the same time, professors and students, would tell me something different to my face. And I would just kind of fall for it all over again. I feel like I missed out on a lot because I wasn't able to form close relationships with people. All these things happened...some were probably my shyness and oddness and others were just happenstance. I'm sad that I don't have the friends or even acquaintances that a lot of people do. I'm sad that I didn't know how to reach out to people. I'm sad that my anxiety got the best of me back then and made me a pariah and that to this day it still takes over me.
Now I've been balled up on the couch for the past couple of weeks, paralyzed with pain for a lot of different reasons. It's gotten to the point where my body is just attacking me, my neck muscles have completely clinched up. I cry all the time, every day. I don't sleep very well. I can't say that I'm suicidal but there have been days when I stayed in bed all day cause it just made me felt better. I have wanted to disappear off the face of the earth. I watch those Cymbalta commercials that come on late at night and after Oprah and relate to them.
I am really terrified about grad school applications. I'm just having a lot of trouble dealing with that pain and rejection all over again. I'm really scared about getting stomped on all over again. I'm scared to move to New York...I feel like no one would give me the time of day. I want to...I have a fiance with really no wanderlust or city desire in him, which sucks. I wish he was that kind of partner. I really don't want to be confined to these 4 walls and this little crunchy college town my whole life. I know for sure that would kill me. I know that. I've expressed that. I don't know who's in my corner. I don't know if I believe in myself anymore.
And my poor fiance sees all this and doesn't understand and probably never will. It probably seems like ridiculous minutae from his perspective. He's got his own crosses to bare. He's frustrated, annoyed, helpless maybe...a combination of all of them. Depression drives a wedge into relationships.
Anyways, this is my own little corner of the internet, and I guess in this day and age of adulthood and job hunting you probably aren't supposed to talk about this kind of stuff. But I can't afford a therapist and sometimes it's easier to write things out in plain English.
It's the first time in my life where I don't have any direction.
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