Archive for May, 2007
I’ve got lots of nervous energy churning inside and around me these days. I am getting ready for a weekend appearance in Durham at the Triangle Corporate Battle of the Bands Competition. It’s just a friendly competition between six Triangle companies whose employees happen to have business as well as musical savvy. I was thrilled to be invited to host the night’s festivities. No biggie there.
Here’s the thing. The planners for Saturday night’s program have heard that I am doing a bit of singing around town and they asked me to do one song. Woo-hoo!!! I have a songbook that’s ever expanding, but there’s a theme to Saturday night and until 2 days ago, I didn’t have a song that would flow with the Gangster-Sinatra-esq atmosphere they’ved created.
Everybody associated with Battle of the Bands is wearing pinstripes and neon accessories. I didn’t have the right song, but I really wanted to sing. Arrggghh!!!!
That’s how I was feeling. Thank God, again, for Lisa my voice coach.
During my session with Lisa on Wednesday, she pulled out the music for ALL THAT JAZZ. We practiced it a few times. I’m lying. We went over it for the entire 45 minute session. I am still trying to memorize the lyrics, and the clock is ticking. Thus, the angst. 
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For the rest of this week, I’ve been singing ALL THAT JAZZ everywhere I go! I am making progress, but there have only been a few times I’ve gotten through the song without messing up. I don’t even have a breathing pattern established for this song. Believe me when I say, to get through certain parts of ALL THAT JAZZ, you have to get that right!
Today and tomorrow, I will be summoning all the energy I can from my WHOLE body to serve this song, and the one thousand or so folks who will be at the American Tobacco Campus on Saturday night.
Carolina Theatre in Durham, that is! I have been invited to sing at a pre-concert reception before the doors temporarily shutdown for renovations at this historic landmark theatre. Am I totally excited? You bet I am!
The Theatre’s Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator listened to a sample tape that I sent her on May 1st. Ms. Betty Rhodes then allowed some of her co-workers to hear it. They all agreed I was worthy and we’ve worked it all out. My wonderful voice coach Lisa Blair-Hawkins is going to accompany me and we’re discussing the song list for the evening.
The big night of fun is on June 6th in Fletcher Hall. Standup comic, actor and filmmaker Steven Wright is the entertainer for the evening. Here’s a link to find out more about The Carolina Theatre: