It's so hard to believe that in just a little more than 12 hours, we will be back in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
If I had my way, I would never leave. I love it - I feel like I can thrive here. I feel like taking part of this trip for a second time has been extremely beneficial to my growth as an artist. I feel more confident about myself and my choices, and this will only be able to help me with my future.
The last few days have been a blur of information. I can't even process it all right now - I'm so glad I took diligent notes through EVERYTHING!!!!
One extremely pleasant surprise for me was the New York Philharmonic concert we attended. It was an all-Bach program and I thought I was going to be bored (because while I like Bach, there's only so much of it I can handle in two or more hours), but it was really enjoyable! I had never seen a professional orchestra before (when there weren't singers involved) and definitely cherished that experience. Sam and I ended up talking to our somewhat stern-looking usher at intermission and it ended up being informative. Her name is Dana and she told us all about what it was like to usher at Lincoln Center - she gets to attend almost all of the performances! Incredible! :)
I also had my interview today. I met with Joanna Dionis, who is a dramatic mezzo-soprano, and she's living the kind of life I will be in just a few short years. We talked about what her transition period to the city was like, how she found friends in the city, what it was like adjusting to a big voice, etc... It was refreshing to be able to hear about her process of figuring out her voice. Even though I am definitely not a dramatic soprano, my voice is big, and it's been difficult to embrace the fact that it's changing. I have cried several times throughout my collegiate career to the question: "why won't my voice just do what I want it to?!" I'm not going to lie, it's frustrating not knowing where you're going to end up, especially when you have friends with light voices who sound very close to what they will in their careers. I'm finally accepting the fact that I have big changes going on in my voice, and they're going to continue for a while. Things will feel weird and different - because my voice is changing. It's had some big changes in the last year. All I can do is continue to work on my technique, and just let my voice simmer while my vocal folds mature. It's gotten to the point where I realize that while my voice can sometimes be an annoyance, it's my annoyance. Nobody else gets to have the joy I have in working and trying to improve as an artist.
I've felt moved by poetry recently, but I think the lyrics of my post title are very appropriate for this trip. It's from the musical Nice Work if You Can Get It, which we saw tonight. This song is about love, which is fitting for our work. Going into art isn't just a career - it's a lifestyle. Performing is hard work - nice work, but possible to do if you work really hard. After this week, I feel so much more confident about myself. Even though I still don't know where I will end up - vocally, physically, etc... - I know what I want to do. It's just a matter of figuring out the right path for me.
Well.... I need to pack. (I've been avoiding it so maybe I can stay)
Jordyn Beranek
P.S. I've been having problems with the internet uploading photos - so I'll do that when I get home!
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