On the Radio
Hey everyone! Wanted to mention that (Finally!) WRTI will be broadcasting the Bruckner Mass in E MinorSeven Pious Pieces concert that I sang back in May. You can listen online here this Sunday, August 2 at 3:00PM EST. If you remembered from posts around that time, preparing for this concert was both rewarding while being unbelievably challenging and exhausting. I can’t wait to hear how it sounds on the recording!
The sea teacher
I came across a blog post that I must share with you. This blogger is someone who decided to take the leap a year or so ago to leave the cubicle and become a writer. Please go over there and read it here. Reading his post felt like he was pulling the words right out of my head; explaining precisely the issues I am dealing with at this exact moment in time. The same, exact balancing act of risk and dreams.
A direct quote from his blog entry:
“It occurs to me now that the “idiots” tumbling in the high surf weren’t so dim after all. They went too far, yes, but at least they were out there. Rather than the passive, intimidated approach of waiting for a sign or hoping that some other force would make their decisions for them, they waded out and lived.
But even that seems insufficient to me now. I’m tired of standing on the beach, but what good would it do to move from that position of extreme safety to a position of extreme danger? I’m choosing today to live an aggressive, intentional life, but also an intelligent one.
Not reckless but real. Not ignorant but interesting. Not brazen but bold.”
Exactly.
Friday Fermata
One of my favorite places on earth.
I had a productive week! I sent off more resumes, cover letters and headshots, asking for auditions, keeping the ball rolling, keeping on top of the wave, making my way. They want to hear me. They really, really do – I just have to convince them of that. The Arden and the Media Theatres are two that I would love to sing with and they both are still casting for Sunday in the Park with George and Showboat respectively. Keep your fingers crossed. I’ll do a post on Equity vs. Non-Equity and when to make the jump, but sometimes, it’s better to not be equity in the casting process because they may be looking for non-equity to fill the rosters.
That picture over there is one of my favorite places on earth and where I go to re-charge – and boy, I could use some of that right about now! I’m still in the finger cast. Before my therapist discharges me, she wants to have the cast on for a 5-day stretch. Yikes! We are almost done, though, and I’ll be glad to be rid of it – and the bills. Double Yikes. People, I’ve got nothing today. It’s just after 6:00AM on a Friday and I’m ready for the weekend! Have a good weekend everyone!
Finger – Part Fin (and how it taught me about singing)
The final finger cast
Finally! I didn’t break the finger again, I promise! Like my cast artwork? It’s called taking a negative and turning it into a positive. For the past several weeks, I’ve been doing every exercise possible, strapped my hand in to weird contraptions to get it to bend all the way into a fist, and played with play dough on purpose. The goal, a successful outcome of 100% flexation, which is a fancy way of saying that I can curl my finger into a tight fist. Right now, at the end of the road, I’m at 98%. IF the therapist pushes it there (with my help) as my eyes roll back in my head from the pain. There is a small amount of movement that I’m not getting, and won’t for a while unless my pain threshold increases or I ask someone to push the remaining 2% while I pass out. Don’t break your finger, people. And if you do break your finger, don’t stabilize it too long. If you break your finger, go straight to your ortho doctor to set it, but then go directly to your OT to see when you REALLY can start moving it. My hand ortho doctor said I was a scar tissue grower. If you too are a scar tissue grower, to stabilize it for too long would not be beneficial.
Ok, where was I? Oh yes, so well, with all of the bending, the next order of business, the last order, the home stretch (pardon the pun), was the straightening. My finger won’t straighten all of the way, (in fact, I’m 7% shy of this). Over a series of 8 casts, taken off and re-done every 48 hours (while bending again in between casts), the finger is slowly straightened out. No guarantees there, either. My biggest priority was the bending, frankly, but should try for both while my insurance helps the cost.
I’ll be done in 3 weeks.
Have I learned anything from this entire experience? Be patient. Very, very patient. Be positive and keep it in perspective. Also, there are no guarantees that you will be successful, but you have to try because you could lose so much more if you don’t.
Sounds like good advise for the singing career!
Friday Fermata – but not about the finger
Voices of the Pops at Fourth of July Outdoor Concert (on the Third of July)
I was going to post a larger picture of this but the next largest picture size was just huge and I really didn’t want to have a zoomed in view of my sweaty face and, apparently, billowing shirt – what’s with that? Actually, it was a lovely night and my friend Laurissa happened to be in the audience (although she didn’t text to tell me until it was over and I was on my way home) and snapped the picture of us. As a side, she’s about to move away to pursue graduate studies at the college that I went to (UNT) – isn’t that cool? Now I can go to visit her and visit my old haunts and….well…sweat some more. Actually, all kidding aside, the weather was fabulous.
And…
I was going to talk about my finger but was unable to post it because I am unable to upload this great accompanying picture that I don’t have on me to download because my Canon camera is so old that it takes me 5 steps and 2 computers to get any photos off of it and on to my blog and it’s enough to make me weep.
But…
That will be changing soon because my husband and I have enough points to get a awesome new camera (that will just plug right in to the computer and like, download with no weird drivers) and we will be getting that in a few weeks. Having said that, I will download, transfer, burn, upload and post the finger picture and post this weekend when I have time to get it done.
Friday Fermata?
Take a deep breath.
Flash Friend Feed – Jennifer Perryman
For all of the cheese that is Facebook, I really have re-connected with a lot of my music-major classmates from college who are still singing today. I remember Jennifer Perryman, who was active on the jazz vocal scene at UNT and had hung out with some of the same friends that I did at the time. I had Facebook-Friended Jennifer about a month ago and finally got around to asking her if she had a website. Of course she did! I was happy to see that she was actively singing and living The Dream (making a living at it). Be sure to visit her website. You will NOT be disappointed!
Oh the irony!
I need to update – I know! Oh the irony of how I had a great post up about what to do when hit with allergies, colds and what-not and then to get hit with an allergy induced chest and head cold – it is not lost on me. I had a great concert with the Pops on the Third of July – the night the sickness started to reer (rear?) its ugly head. For the record, drinking beer before you are about to get a cold just speeds things along – I’m just saying.
I have some friends that I must feature and will be doing so soon! Also, I’ll be purchasing a new digital camera as to simplify the photo to blog process, which right now is a 5-step fiasco! This will allow much more visual commentary that I’m not able to do now.
In other news! – more auditions coming up!
Bio
Amy Armstrong has recently played Sarah in Guys and Dolls, Margaret in The Light in the Piazza, and Julie in Carousel. She also played the role of the Therapist in a Five Day Film Festival short film entry, The Sidewinder. She regularly sings with the Voices of the Pops, the featured vocal ensemble for Peter Nero and the Philly Pops, with performances at the Kimmel Center, and the Philadelphia Singers, the featured choral ensemble for the Philadelphia Orchestra, with performances at the Kimmel Center, Carnegie Hall, and the Saratoga Music Festival. Past engagements included the soprano fairy soloist, Midsummer Night’s Dream, with the Philadelphia Kantorei in their performance with the Pennsylvannia Ballet, the title role in Suor Angelica with the Denver Opera Company, and several performances, too many to name, with Opera Colorado, and the Choral Arts Society of Philadelphia.
She has been a contributing writer for Operagasm, and is a regular columnist for Stage Magazine. She has been spotlighted with the Philadelphia Singers in an article that you can read here.
For a full resume, visit her LinkedIn page visit her member page at the Theatre Alliance of Philadelphia website. You can also find her on Facebook , follow her Twitter, see photo posts on Tumblr, or contact her at operamouth@aol.com
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