Well, it's over. The final opera performance was yesterday afternoon, and it went fantastically. After putting in so many hours and so much of our life into this, it feels strange to have it be over, and so suddenly. Even though it added much stress to my life, and a lot of pressure, I wouldn't trade in my experience for the world. It is such a remarkable feeling to be up on stage singing with professional opera singers.
For those of you who don't know, my siblings and I were in an opera, Pagliacci. It's 'a play within a play', and it's a tragedy. If you want the full synopsis, I would Google it, or check it out on Wikipedia, both of which tell the story pretty well. It's been my life the past month. We had been singing the music since autumn, but at the end of December we began the staging and singing with the professionals. We had practice nearly every day, for two to three hours. And, since Pagliacci was such a short opera (only two acts), they had another one, (a one-act opera), Gianni Schicci. My brother got a solo part in that one, as Gheradino, who is a young boy. He had loads of fun doing his part of the staging and singing, and because he was in it, the rest of our family got to sit in on the rehearsals. (And he was spectacular!)It was amazing, listening to the professionals singing together. It awakened an interest in opera that I never had before. If you know what's going on, it's very enjoyable. Kind of like reading Shakespeare. If you don't really know what's going on, or if you start out by just reading it, it can get quite boring. But, if you start out by watching a Shakespeare play or listening to it dramatized, it can awaken a new interest in it, because you are seeing it the way it was meant to be seen. The beauty of opera is really unlocked when you are watching it unfold and shape before your eyes; you can really appreciate the end product.
Even though I enjoyed every minute of it, I am relieved that it is over. As much as I enjoy the theatre life and the theatre hours, I couldn't keep it up. It drains me. It will be nice to not go to bed at midnight, and actually have time for something else. My writing has fallen by the wayside this last month; not a good omen for the rest of the year. But now that I'm not singing in rehearsals three hours a day, I think I'll be able to attend to it again, as well as my knitting. I'll be able to have a life again...but I will always remember this experience. It has matured me and helped me grow in different ways; both musically and emotionally. But now, I have to go catch up on schoolwork!! :)
Monday, January 16, 2012
Monday, December 19, 2011
O Come, O Come Emmanuel...
This season of Advent has been quite a wonderful (but busy busy busy!) one. I've been very preoccupied with school work and homework, but now that Christmas Break has finally arrived, I can sit back, relax, post on my blog, and sip my tea. (Earl Grey. Hot. )
Just a summary of my last few weeks...December is the concert month for the Chorale...so I've had 4 concerts in two weeks, not to mention opera practice. The concerts wouldn't have been that bad...except that two of them happened on one night, with only 2 hours between them for dinner. It was exhausting, but worth it. Sadly, for the first time since I don't know when, I couldn't participate in Lessons and Carols, which is an annual concert our church choir does. I just couldn't fit it into my schedule without going mad. *sigh*. Oh well. There's always next year.
I'm trying to complete all my many Christmas present projects in the remaining 6 days before Christmas...thank God there are 12 days of Christmas. Otherwise...I just might be up a tree! :)
I'm still working on my siblings' present (which is the book I wrote for NaNoWriMo). It's going through some major yet hasty editing, and some POV changes. I'm not quite finished with it...still. I can't believe that I managed to write 50,000 words in November, but I've only managed 6,000 in this entire month of December. Oh well. I'll blame it on school, and not procrastination, who is the real culprit. *cough*
As for my dad's present...I've had to cave in my rule. I'm buying him something. I just could not think of anything to make for him that he would actually use.
Regarding the rest of the family, I am completely set. I've written some short stories for my aunt and uncle (they're summaries of stories that our uncle tells us after dinner about his hilarious mother - I'll have to post one or two up here someday), and my grandparents are getting a poem which I have written by hand with my best Levenger fountain pen, and framed on beautiful scrapbook paper. My mom is getting a pair of fingerless gloves, which I have yet to finish...I'm going to have to knit fast.
I wonder if you can count your knitting speed like your word count? Like, 40 STM(stitches per minute)? That would be a handy gadget...
Just a summary of my last few weeks...December is the concert month for the Chorale...so I've had 4 concerts in two weeks, not to mention opera practice. The concerts wouldn't have been that bad...except that two of them happened on one night, with only 2 hours between them for dinner. It was exhausting, but worth it. Sadly, for the first time since I don't know when, I couldn't participate in Lessons and Carols, which is an annual concert our church choir does. I just couldn't fit it into my schedule without going mad. *sigh*. Oh well. There's always next year.
I'm trying to complete all my many Christmas present projects in the remaining 6 days before Christmas...thank God there are 12 days of Christmas. Otherwise...I just might be up a tree! :)
I'm still working on my siblings' present (which is the book I wrote for NaNoWriMo). It's going through some major yet hasty editing, and some POV changes. I'm not quite finished with it...still. I can't believe that I managed to write 50,000 words in November, but I've only managed 6,000 in this entire month of December. Oh well. I'll blame it on school, and not procrastination, who is the real culprit. *cough*
As for my dad's present...I've had to cave in my rule. I'm buying him something. I just could not think of anything to make for him that he would actually use.
Regarding the rest of the family, I am completely set. I've written some short stories for my aunt and uncle (they're summaries of stories that our uncle tells us after dinner about his hilarious mother - I'll have to post one or two up here someday), and my grandparents are getting a poem which I have written by hand with my best Levenger fountain pen, and framed on beautiful scrapbook paper. My mom is getting a pair of fingerless gloves, which I have yet to finish...I'm going to have to knit fast.
I wonder if you can count your knitting speed like your word count? Like, 40 STM(stitches per minute)? That would be a handy gadget...
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
NaNoWriMo....WINNER!
Yes, you read that title correctly. I am officially a NaNoWriMo winner. WOOT! I have written 50,000 words in 30 days. And lived to tell the tale.
Truthfully, I'm still not quite done with my novel....I have about 10,o00 words to go before I actually finish the book...but I won. I actually won. I actually completed 50,000 words...with a life, a family, schoolwork, Chorale, and friends. I managed not to lose any of them during this month of wonderful insanity either. I just had to explain to them I don't hate them...I'm writing a novel :)
Now, I can look back at NaNoWriMo and see both its amazing good side and it's faults as well. The good things about NaNoWriMo are numerous. You learn to write fast. You learn to make yourself stick to a deadline (well, actually, this is optional. If you want to win, you learn to stick to a deadline.) In my case, you up your typing speed by 20 words per minute. You learn how to set goals for yourself, make yourself a structure, and then write without regrets, without turning back. And you also learn that you're not alone in the crazy-writer world. I know that some of you may have friends who are just like you and would stay up all night writing...but frankly, I don't know a person who would. And even for the most connected writers, writing can be a very lonely buisness. In NaNoWriMo, you are connected with people everywhere who are attempting the same things that you are attempting, and sharing the same pains and the same joys you are going through in the process. It's quite an experience.
Now, on the flip side. I also learned to turn off my internal editor for a bit. Now, I know that can be a good thing...but it's also one of the things that helps a writer identify what's right and what's wrong. If my internal editor would tell me "That needs fixing", I'd go back and fix it, or at least highlight it, so I'd know where to come back to it. But during NaNoWriMo, in order to survive, I needed to turn her off, and ignore every little thing she said to me. I consider that a bad thing, but maybe some of you writers out there disagree. And that's ok :) The other thing I didn't quite like about NaNoWriMo is that it seemed to encourage haste and quantity more that care and quality. Haste and quantity don't make a good book. Usually. But care and quality do. In moderation, haste and quantity can save your life...if you don't have a quantity, you sure won't have any quality. But if you're only focusing on your word count and not the actual words...then the book isn't going to turn out that great.
All in all, I think that NaNoWriMo is one of the best tools I have used in my writing path so far (which hasn't been very long yet :), and I'm sure going to do it next year! And I hope I'll get some more friends to join me! :)
Truthfully, I'm still not quite done with my novel....I have about 10,o00 words to go before I actually finish the book...but I won. I actually won. I actually completed 50,000 words...with a life, a family, schoolwork, Chorale, and friends. I managed not to lose any of them during this month of wonderful insanity either. I just had to explain to them I don't hate them...I'm writing a novel :)
Now, I can look back at NaNoWriMo and see both its amazing good side and it's faults as well. The good things about NaNoWriMo are numerous. You learn to write fast. You learn to make yourself stick to a deadline (well, actually, this is optional. If you want to win, you learn to stick to a deadline.) In my case, you up your typing speed by 20 words per minute. You learn how to set goals for yourself, make yourself a structure, and then write without regrets, without turning back. And you also learn that you're not alone in the crazy-writer world. I know that some of you may have friends who are just like you and would stay up all night writing...but frankly, I don't know a person who would. And even for the most connected writers, writing can be a very lonely buisness. In NaNoWriMo, you are connected with people everywhere who are attempting the same things that you are attempting, and sharing the same pains and the same joys you are going through in the process. It's quite an experience.
Now, on the flip side. I also learned to turn off my internal editor for a bit. Now, I know that can be a good thing...but it's also one of the things that helps a writer identify what's right and what's wrong. If my internal editor would tell me "That needs fixing", I'd go back and fix it, or at least highlight it, so I'd know where to come back to it. But during NaNoWriMo, in order to survive, I needed to turn her off, and ignore every little thing she said to me. I consider that a bad thing, but maybe some of you writers out there disagree. And that's ok :) The other thing I didn't quite like about NaNoWriMo is that it seemed to encourage haste and quantity more that care and quality. Haste and quantity don't make a good book. Usually. But care and quality do. In moderation, haste and quantity can save your life...if you don't have a quantity, you sure won't have any quality. But if you're only focusing on your word count and not the actual words...then the book isn't going to turn out that great.
All in all, I think that NaNoWriMo is one of the best tools I have used in my writing path so far (which hasn't been very long yet :), and I'm sure going to do it next year! And I hope I'll get some more friends to join me! :)
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Monday, November 7, 2011
NaNoWriMo Update,and Other Updates Too!
Well, I'm on track!! And, boy, has that been an accomplishment!! I didn't think I'd be able to stay up with the 1500+ word count you're supposed to type out per day, but at this moment, I'm only 200 words behind. Wow. And it's fun! I knew I would enjoy it, but I didn't know I'd enjoy it this much. I have a very big sense of accomplishment right now...I'm 30 pages into a novel I was just starting 7 days ago, and I'm approx. 10,000 words farther along than I was a week ago. How cool is that?!? :)
As for my knitting, I'm still doing it!! Yay! I found I can keep up with my schoolwork, (and get A's), do NaNoWriMo, have time for my family, and still knit! Wow. I'm doing it mostly in the car or during my online classes (Shh!), but you get a lot done if you do it just one row at a time. I've shown off some of the things I've made, and now I'm getting requests from my friends, lol. Now, my next task to tackle in knitting is to learn how to cable-knit, then knit in the round. Hopefully, I'll learn both before Christmas! And if not, there's plenty I can knit that doesn't need that knowledge. :) (However, if you know of a book or a website with a great tutorial on either of those, please let me know!!) I should be posting some pictures of the things I've made on here soon, I just need to find the time to upload all my pictures. :P
I'll write again as soon as I find the time!! :)
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Conformation of my Insanity
Ok, if you aren't convinced I'm insane yet, this post will convince you. Once you hear what I'm doing, you will either shake your head and think I'm crazy, or think I'm a masochist, or both.
I've participating in NaNoWriMo.
*gasp*
For those of you who don't know what that is, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It's a rather large organization for writers of all ages, and it's a challenge. A challenge to write a 50,000 word novel (or more) in 30 days. It starts at 12:00 A.M. November 1st, and ends at 11:59 P.M. November 30th.
This is going to be insanity. Fitting in writing nearly 2000 words a day around 9 classes plus family time? But it's going to be so much fun. :) I am looking forward to it, and hope I'll make it to 50,000 words in 30 days. It's going to be a challenge, but it'll be useful in getting my butt in gear. I've been very lax in my writing lately, what with school and all. Now, if I'm posting about it both on the NaNoWriMo page and here on my blog, I have pressure to keep going. I'll be more likely to make it to the end. And if I make it, I'll be so happy :) So I'm going to keep you all updated on my novel status now, and if you've participated in NaNoWriMo before, or you are participating, please tell me! I'd love to be your writing buddy on NaNo, and I would love to hear tips on keeping that word count up! :P
I've participating in NaNoWriMo.
*gasp*
For those of you who don't know what that is, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It's a rather large organization for writers of all ages, and it's a challenge. A challenge to write a 50,000 word novel (or more) in 30 days. It starts at 12:00 A.M. November 1st, and ends at 11:59 P.M. November 30th.
This is going to be insanity. Fitting in writing nearly 2000 words a day around 9 classes plus family time? But it's going to be so much fun. :) I am looking forward to it, and hope I'll make it to 50,000 words in 30 days. It's going to be a challenge, but it'll be useful in getting my butt in gear. I've been very lax in my writing lately, what with school and all. Now, if I'm posting about it both on the NaNoWriMo page and here on my blog, I have pressure to keep going. I'll be more likely to make it to the end. And if I make it, I'll be so happy :) So I'm going to keep you all updated on my novel status now, and if you've participated in NaNoWriMo before, or you are participating, please tell me! I'd love to be your writing buddy on NaNo, and I would love to hear tips on keeping that word count up! :P
Sunday, October 23, 2011
LINKS!! :)
So, as I've been gone for so long, I've had some chances to find some awesome new websites I would love to share with you:
RainyMood.com - Rain makes everything better. If you're like me, you like the sound of rain. Acutally, you love it. And this website is for rain-lovers. It continuously plays the sound of rain, for as long as you want. I use it as background sound while I'm studying or reading. It's very relaxing.
The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild - I discovered this at the Folger Shakespeare Library, when I got my favourite souviner. It's a mug that has insults from the Bard's plays wrapped all around it. Guess where it's from? The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild, of course! The site, if you ask me, isn't as epiclly awesome as Think Geek, but it does have some interesting stuff for lit. nerds like me, and not just computer and sci-fi geeks.
Collage Fashion - I found this site because it was linked to another one of my favourite sites (Surviving Collage Life- check it out if you want to; great articles on studying.), and I am now hooked. For someone who's just getting into fashion, or for someone who's been in love with designing outfits since they could draw - you will enjoy this website. I know I do! :) Check out the Disney inspired outfits as well - Ellie from Up is my favourite!!! :)
Scarf Tying - I love scarves. Always have, always will. And this is a tutorial on 37 ways to tie a scarf. I fell in love instantly. Hope you do to.
Courageous - Ok, this is one of the only movie trailors that actually made me cry. I mean, like tears rolling down my cheeks. It's a movie that all dads today should see. I can't wait to see it myself. If the trailor doesn't convince you to see it...I'm not sure what will.
Don't Blink Cat - This was shown to me by one of my Doctor Who friends, and I laughed so hard I cried. If you love Doctor Who, you would love this YouTube video.
Goodreads - Ok, this site is amazing. I was seeing it mentioned on Facebook quite frequently, so I decided to check it out. One of the best things I've ever done. A friend of mine described it as a "Ravelry for readers". (Btw, if you like to knit or crochet, and you don't know what Ravelry is, you are deprived. Check it out, and friend me, I'm under Scriptor :) And go ahead and friend me on Goodreads too, I'm under 'Rachel'.
Hope you enjoy these websites as much as I do!! :)
RainyMood.com - Rain makes everything better. If you're like me, you like the sound of rain. Acutally, you love it. And this website is for rain-lovers. It continuously plays the sound of rain, for as long as you want. I use it as background sound while I'm studying or reading. It's very relaxing.
The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild - I discovered this at the Folger Shakespeare Library, when I got my favourite souviner. It's a mug that has insults from the Bard's plays wrapped all around it. Guess where it's from? The Unemployed Philosopher's Guild, of course! The site, if you ask me, isn't as epiclly awesome as Think Geek, but it does have some interesting stuff for lit. nerds like me, and not just computer and sci-fi geeks.
Collage Fashion - I found this site because it was linked to another one of my favourite sites (Surviving Collage Life- check it out if you want to; great articles on studying.), and I am now hooked. For someone who's just getting into fashion, or for someone who's been in love with designing outfits since they could draw - you will enjoy this website. I know I do! :) Check out the Disney inspired outfits as well - Ellie from Up is my favourite!!! :)
Scarf Tying - I love scarves. Always have, always will. And this is a tutorial on 37 ways to tie a scarf. I fell in love instantly. Hope you do to.
Courageous - Ok, this is one of the only movie trailors that actually made me cry. I mean, like tears rolling down my cheeks. It's a movie that all dads today should see. I can't wait to see it myself. If the trailor doesn't convince you to see it...I'm not sure what will.
Don't Blink Cat - This was shown to me by one of my Doctor Who friends, and I laughed so hard I cried. If you love Doctor Who, you would love this YouTube video.
Goodreads - Ok, this site is amazing. I was seeing it mentioned on Facebook quite frequently, so I decided to check it out. One of the best things I've ever done. A friend of mine described it as a "Ravelry for readers". (Btw, if you like to knit or crochet, and you don't know what Ravelry is, you are deprived. Check it out, and friend me, I'm under Scriptor :) And go ahead and friend me on Goodreads too, I'm under 'Rachel'.
Hope you enjoy these websites as much as I do!! :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)