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Walking and chewing gum, at the same time
Dec. 6th, 2007 10:20 pmLurgified, grrrargggh. Head full of cotton wool. Screwed up my personal dev server this afternoon due to stupidity, at which point I decided it was time to go home. There's supposed to be an office party tomorrow but chances of me making it are minimal.
Annoyingly, I'll probably have to miss opera course in the evening too, just as it's getting interesting. Last week we tried to put it all together for the first time. I was rubbish. Most of us were rubbish. Now, even more than before, I'm so impressed that anyone can do it all at once:
... remember the words ... put the right meaning into the words ... move around the stage ... communicate with the audience ... communicate with other performers... watch the conductor ... stay in time with the other singers and musicians ...
let alone singing properly, which usually takes my full concentration. (As it happened, most of us ended up singing flat.) Last time I felt like this was years and years ago when I first learned to drive and thought I'd never be allowed out of the car park. One thing though, 15 years of live role-playing is proving to be surprisingly useful; a headstart on losing any remaining inhibitions and desire to preserve personal space.
Last weekend we went up to Edinburgh. My singing teacher (and friend) Karin Thyselius was appearing in Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Scottish Opera. I'd booked ages ago and we were in the third row of the stalls - Karin met us afterwards and said that she could see us on the backstage monitors, and that it was a Good Thing. I think she's genuinely fantastically talented anyway, but after last Friday I'm going to be less critical of anyone else who appears less so, who can do this thing at all. No wonder it takes such a long apprenticeship.
Incidentally, The Masque of the Red Death has been extended to April. I'm tempted to go again. Anyone been twice? Was it different?
bed now, head shutting down zzzzzzzzzzz
Annoyingly, I'll probably have to miss opera course in the evening too, just as it's getting interesting. Last week we tried to put it all together for the first time. I was rubbish. Most of us were rubbish. Now, even more than before, I'm so impressed that anyone can do it all at once:
... remember the words ... put the right meaning into the words ... move around the stage ... communicate with the audience ... communicate with other performers... watch the conductor ... stay in time with the other singers and musicians ...
let alone singing properly, which usually takes my full concentration. (As it happened, most of us ended up singing flat.) Last time I felt like this was years and years ago when I first learned to drive and thought I'd never be allowed out of the car park. One thing though, 15 years of live role-playing is proving to be surprisingly useful; a headstart on losing any remaining inhibitions and desire to preserve personal space.
Last weekend we went up to Edinburgh. My singing teacher (and friend) Karin Thyselius was appearing in Il Barbiere di Siviglia at Scottish Opera. I'd booked ages ago and we were in the third row of the stalls - Karin met us afterwards and said that she could see us on the backstage monitors, and that it was a Good Thing. I think she's genuinely fantastically talented anyway, but after last Friday I'm going to be less critical of anyone else who appears less so, who can do this thing at all. No wonder it takes such a long apprenticeship.
Incidentally, The Masque of the Red Death has been extended to April. I'm tempted to go again. Anyone been twice? Was it different?
bed now, head shutting down zzzzzzzzzzz
