Finally

Sitting relaxed and poised on the arm of the crowded couch, I waited for my name to be called and conversed with those around me; even asking one woman where she got her shoes.  I talked with another about how cold Chicago could be this time of year, the city from where he had just flown in.  I compared songbooks with another; swapping ideas about what slip sheets were the best to use.  I was excited to pull out my Piazza song, one of my 32-bar selections, to show to someone who had asked about it.  I said that I couldn’t wait to hear how it sounded inside the rehearsal hall – a space that was acoustically livelier than the main stage. 

My name is called and I walked in, saying hello to the casting director and saying how nice it was to see her again.  I was excited to be there, even clapping my hands happily and thanked her for hearing me.  As the pianist looked over my cuts, I commented how beautiful the weather was and how it was already reaching 60 degrees outside.  I was as relaxed as if I were talking to a good friend over coffee.

This was not the typical audition situation for me.  My auditions in the past had been riddled with nervousness; robbing me of relaxation, strength, breath and a grounded stance.  These were issues that I had been trying to solve for years as I struggled to get auditions to performance caliber.

But this time I was in a different place mentally and emotionally from where I had been in auditions past.  Applying a technique I had learned from this podcast, I turned and walked a small circle, took two deep breaths, and transformed myself from the friendly person who had initially walked in to the sad and tormented woman who would sing the song.  I stayed turned away until I was in that place with no worries about needing to hurry or feeling rushed.  Only then did I turn, make eye contact with the person at the piano and launch….

For the first time ever I was in complete control of all elements of breath, body, and mind simultaneously, which resulted in a voice void of nerves and one that was free-flowing and full of emotional force.  Only then could I make the voice fly with its full fire and potential – a joy to experience.  A new chapter in my life had officially begun.

As I walked back into the waiting area, flushed from this new experience, I wished everyone the best of luck and stepped into the elevator.  The doors closed as did my eyes and I smiled, whispering to myself. 

“Finally”

Book Recommendation: Making it on Broadway

I can’t get my nose out of the latest book I picked up called “Making it on Broadway” by David Wiener and Jodie Langel.  I found out about it when I was in a Walnut Street Theatre Course where we got to speak with the cast of “Hairspray.”  This book came highly recommended by someone in the cast.  In my never-ending knowledge to soak up as much information as I can, I ordered the book.  Amazon has it for only $10.00!  This is pretty much the “rip the band-aid off the wound” kind of a book – but in a good way!