#17: humoring music majors

"O-o-o-ooooooooooooooooooklahoma where the wind comes sweeping o'er the...wait, I'm sorry. Am I bothering you? I was just trying to warm up a little before my 9:00AM voice lesson. I am so embarrassed. I know we're in the library, but all the practice rooms were full, and the acoustics are simply unbeatable up in here. Seriously, though, I am stopping now...

hmmm--hmmmmmmm--do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti...oh gosh, there I go again. It's just that singing is so second nature to me that I don't even realize I'm doing it. Well, while I've got you here, though, could I sing through one of my arias quickly for you? I am just wondering if when I sing "Per la glo-o-o-ria" if I should trill the "la" or the "voglio-a." This whole line-coloring thing is such a delicate art. I need lots of insight into what is most pleasing to the human ear. I am having my junior recital tonight, and I want it to be absolutely peeerrrr-feeecct! Are you coming? Did you get Dr. Secrest's email about it? Oh, you got all five emails?--that is just wonderful. Can't wait to see you there.

What are you studying for there, friend? Fine Art Music?! Well it's your lucky day! I had two semesters of Music Lit--it's like FA Music but the non-pansy version--and I would LOVE to answer any questions you may have. I see you're studying Vivaldi? OMG love him! He wrote...oh...what was it called? Oh yeah, Violin Concerto in E minor, Opus 64. Love that jam! I can't play the violin, but I can definitely sing that tune for you...oh, you'd rather just listen to it on your I-Pod? Well, maybe another time.

So, what other classes are you taking this semester? Discreet Math? Oh, that's nice. I am so jealous. I miss the days of easy classes like that, when I could spend my afternoons chillin' on the lawn and my nights hanging out with friends at Taco Bell. Oh yeah, that's right. I never had free time. My advisor threw me into 26 hours a week from the get-go. Well, it must be nice to be you. Think of me when you're doing a CDA tonight. I'll be at opera rehearsal until tomorrow morning. Oh, and you're taking French, too? It must be such a blessing to only have to speak French. Try singing in French, now that's fun. I'd like to see you elide that "vous" into that "aimerai" while holding a high C.

Oh, there I go complaining again, as if I didn't absolutely love my life! I mean, it's like I have a 24/7 movie soundtrack rolling behind me as I go throughout each day, except not only do I pick the music, I make it too! I wish you could experience the joy that music brings to my soul even as I spend many sleepless nights imprisoned on the 3rd and 4th floors of Maybee Fine Arts, struggling to figure out why Dr. Houlihan keeps failing me for transitioning a III chord to a ii...or crying my eyes out week after week after piano lessons...or still, even in March, struggling to extract "Christmas Is the Best Time of the Year" from my brain. It's so worth it, though. It's like my life is always alive with the sound of music. Hey, that's catchy: "my life is alive with the sound of music." That reminds me of a song, and my heart wants to sing every song it hears.
Cue Maestro...


**The idea for today's SOL was submitted by Terese Cox. Thanks, Terese. You're a pal. :)