Walls

Sometimes in life it seems like you just keep hitting walls...or maybe the walls keep hitting you?  Somehow you keep running into the exact same trouble, trying and trying for years to overcome the same problems, the same weaknesses.

It's hard to be an artist.  It's hard to be a human being...a human being who needs things like, food, and sleep, and love, and exercise, and music, and accomplishment, and relationships, and fun, and relaxation, and meditation, and change, and constancy.  It is hard to be human...because we are all human, and we are constantly moving and searching for our needs and trying to provide for the needs of others and somehow always being not quite competent at either.

Life is hard for humans.

But of course I would rather be a human than any other creature.  Especially since I have known the joy of making music...and now I would be absolutely miserable without it.  It's such a constant nagging in me...and I HAVE to do it, one way or another. Whether or not I'm ever really "famous" or "successful" at it, I still have to do it, no matter what.  I have to keep improving my craft, keep expressing myself through this beautiful and amazing art form.  I HAVE to, you know?  I just cannot imagine myself ever devoting myself to something else instead.  Not in this life, anyway...

So even when the walls are there, I cannot stop. I'll keep beating my head against them until either they break, or I am dead. :-)

I will do this thing.

  

New Goals

I am happy because I got this email from the Bachauer International Piano Competition a few days ago:

Dear Jacquelyn Weitz:

The GINA BACHAUER INTERNATIONAL PIANO FOUNDATION is pleased to acknowledge that we have received your official application for the 2014 GINA BACHAUER INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS PIANO COMPETITION to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah from June 11-25, 2014.

We are pleased to report that we have received 200 applications from candidates throughout the world.

It is our pleasure to invite you to audition in Salt Lake City on February 4, 2014 at 2:00 PM. The auditions will take place at:

The Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center

Jeanne Wagner Theater

138 West Broadway

Salt Lake City, UT 84128

801-297-4250

We recommend that you arrive at the audition site 30 minutes prior to your audition time in order to have a warm-up period and to become accustomed to the setting. 

During the audition, candidates will begin with a selection of their own choice, followed by one or more requests from the jury (as time allows).

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to e-mail or telephone the offices of the Gina Bachauer International Piano Foundation

            Telephone:  +1 801.297.4250

e-mail:  info@bachauer.com

We look forward to the pleasure of making your personal acquaintance and the opportunity to hear your audition performance, and we extend our very best wishes for much success.

Sincerely,

Kary Billings

Chairman of the Board

Douglas Humphreys

Artistic Director

I sent an application in to them the DAY of the deadline....nothing was working the week before with their website and I kept losing all of my saved work and having to start over again and again.  But once I finally got it submitted I heard back from them pretty quickly.  I am excited to have a new performance goal to be working toward in my piano!

The audition on February 4th is just to audition to GET IN to the competition in the first place, so we'll see if I actually end up a competitor.  That would make me happy, though!

I am also really happy because people have been telling me recently that my singing is improving a lot.  My friend, Crystal, heard me sing one of my arias from Serse in the practice room the other day, and she said she couldn't believe how much I have improved since last year.   She said my sound is  thicker and more focused. And when I auditioned for the operas this fall, one of the directors told me that my voice has gotten much bigger since last year.   

Jane was also really happy with me at my lesson that day, and even suggested that I might continue with a Postgraduate Diploma in Vocal Performance from the Conservatory, after my Master's Degree.   That was really encouraging to hear.  The reality is that it's only sort of an option, depending on my financial situation in another year or two..... In my current situation it's a bit of an impossibility, but we'll see what happens!   As Jane said, "Well, you never know...". 

New Reflections

From the Reflections blog, once again:
http://jacquelynsreflections.blogspot.com/2013/10/down-in-river-to-pray.html
http://jacquelynsreflections.blogspot.com/2013/09/forgiveness.html

New Song

Hey there...

I am taking a class this semester called "Intro to Recording Techniques,"  and this morning we had our first real recording project due.  It had to be something that included speaking, music, and some special effects/sounds.  So I decided to record one of my songs that I had started writing a while back.  I finished the lyrics in a night and then made the recording over two nights.  It's pretty rough (as all my home-done recordings are), but I think it gives a good idea of the song's potential:

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