sing, sing, sing

so I signed up for eight weeks of voice lessons this summer. it was kind of fun and random to enroll at the local community college and get a new email address and go actually check out their pretty Prescott campus.

it's nice. lots of cool sculpture gardens here and there. I was especially struck by this lovely little bench:

it hasn't been that long since I was a real student (and secretly/not-so-secretly, professorship is pretty much endless-studentship anyway), but it does feel like a long time. 4 years now I guess? 

but now, for this season at least, I am a part-time, non-degree-seeking Yavapai Rough Rider.

{ image borrowed from a local news piece about the YC softball team }

I had my first lesson this afternoon: 50 very enjoyable minutes with Dr. Audis, who earned her doctorate at none other than Texas Tech University. (interestingly, but not really coincidentally given all the myths and legends of our shared western/southwestern contexts out here, Texas Tech has a really similar mascot... only theirs is red-flavored instead of green...)

anyway, the first lesson was a great time. I tried not to be too nervous; I hummed warm-up scales through buzzing lips and emulated an ambulance siren with my voice as fully as I could. that last exercise was scary-exhilarating and hopefully that small thrill will help spur me to practice it even if it will likely frighten the pugs a little. 

then we sang through a few folk songs and a few show tunes, ultimately settling on these three as my summer repertoire: 

- the classic Irish folk song, "Danny Boy"

- one of the more heart-wrenching songs from Fiddler on the Roof, "Far From the Home I Love"

- and "Show Me," from My Fair Lady

I'm familiar with all three in some way or other, but despite their seeming simplicity they'll each make for an interesting challenge in terms of range, pacing, tone, emotion, and style. not to mention forcing me to sing the notes and timing as written and not just as I remember from musicals or popular culture or whatnot.

for these summer classes, there isn't a formal recital or presentation at the end of eight weeks, but it sounds like I'll at least get to perform for the other voice students at some point. that should be scary-exhilarating and cool also.

side note! in my googling for that .gif file from "Show Me," I discovered suddenly that Mr. Freddy Eynsford Hill is played, in the 1964 film adaptation of My Fair Lady, by none other than Jeremy Brett.

Jeremy Brett? whose name I mostly only know because of my longstanding, if lazy, adoration of all things Sherlock Holmes? 

yes indeed, that Jeremy Brett. I may have to move this whole playlist of his Sherlock Holmes performances up nearer to the top of my summer watching list.