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Wednesday, October 16, 2013

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:


Monday, August 26, 2013

Good News

Today (well I guess technically now it's yesterday) I got some good news!   Last week I auditioned for all of the vocal ensembles at the conservatory... and today I found out that I got a major role in the Baroque Opera!  It will be performed this coming spring.   I am so excited.   I will sing the role of "Romilda" in the opera Serse by Handel.  I have been dreaming of singing with the Baroque Ensemble since I first moved to San Francisco to study piano about three years ago... and now at last I get to participate fully.

Do you know what else that means?  This will be my first time ever singing with an orchestra!   Of course, I have already played piano with orchestras many times before, but now I will sing.  That makes me so happy.

We will start rehearsals and coachings almost immediately.... our first meeting will be Friday of next week.

I am so excited!!!!


  

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Another Ravel 2nd Movement

I just uploaded a video from my Saturday night performance of Ravel's Concerto in G Major.  The performance I had already uploaded to Youtube was from the Sunday matinee.    I think I actually like the Saturday night version of the 2nd movement better... so I decided to upload it.  

The school's video recording system malfunctioned on the first night, so I only had one camera angle to use (thanks to my friend James!) sitting in the 3rd row.


Tuesday, July 30, 2013

New Blog, New Reflections

Hi there!

     I know it's been a while since I've written... This summer sure has been slipping by me.  I got a job teaching at a little music academy here in San Francisco and I have quite a few students.  It's paying my rent this summer, so that is wonderful.  Teaching sure takes a lot of energy.  But I really love my students.

I just decided to start a new blog, with posts about little remedies and health tips I have come across in my life that have really helped me (or others I know).  For now I've called it "Jackie's Little Health Journal". That may change, we'll see. 

Here is the link: http://www.jacquelynshares.blogspot.com/

I have two posts on it so far.

Also, I posted a new post on my Reflections blog: http://jacquelynsreflections.blogspot.com/2013/07/prayer-and-scriptures.html

Until later,

Jackie

 

Friday, June 21, 2013

Monteverdi

My performance from April with Tatiana on baroque guitair, at the Baroque Ensemble concert. The song is a madrigal by Monterverdi.
 
Here is the translation:
 

“Se i languidi miei sguardi” 




Se i languidi miei sguardi,
se i sospiri interrotti,
se le tronche parole non han sin or potuto,
o bell’idolo mio,
farvi delle mie fiamme intera fede,
leggete queste note,
credete a questa carta in cui
sotto forma d’inchiostro il cor stillai.


Qui sotto scorgerete quegl’interni pensieri
che con passi d’amore scorron l’anima mia;
anzi, avvampar vedrete come in sua propria sfera
nelle vostre bellezze il foco mio.

Non è già parte in voi
che con forza invisibile d’amore
tutto a sè non mi tragga:
altro già non son io
che di vostra beltà preda e trofeo.


A voi mi volgo, o chiome,
cari miei lacci d’oro:
deh, come mai potea scampar sicuro
se come lacci l’anima legaste,
come oro la compraste?
Voi, pur voi dunque siete
della mia libertà catena e prezzo.



Stami miei preziosi, bionde fila divine,
con voi l’eterna Parca, sovra il fuso fatal mia vita torce.
Voi, voi capelli d’oro, voi pur siete di lei, ch’è
tutta il foco mio, raggi e faville;
ma, se faville siete,
onde avvien che ad ogn’ora
contro l’uso del foco in giù scendete?


Ah, che a voi per salir scender conviene,
ché la maggior celeste ove aspirate,
o sfera de gli ardori, o paradiso,
è posta in quel bel viso.



Cara mia selva d’oro, ricchissimi capelli,
in voi quel labirinto Amor intesse
onde uscir non saprà l’anima mia.
Tronchi pur morte i rami
del prezioso bosco
e da la fragil carne scuota pur lo mio spirto,
che tra fronde sì belle, anco reciso,
rimarrò prigioniero,
fatto gelida polve ed ombra ignuda.


Dolcissimi legami, belle mie piogge d’oro
quali or sciolte cadete da quelle ricche nubi
onde raccolte siete
e, cadendo, formate preziose procelle
onde con onde d’or bagnando andate
scogli di latte e rivi d’alabastro,
more subitamente
O miracolo eterno d’amoroso desìo
fra si belle tempeste arse il cor mio.

Ma già l’ora m’invita,
o degli affetti miei nunzia fedele,
cara carta amorosa,
che dalla penna ti divida omai;

Vanne, e s’amor e’l cielo cortese ti concede
che de’ begli occhi non t’accenda il raggio,
ricovra entro il bel seno:


chi sà che tu non gionga
da sì felice loco
per sentieri di neve a un cor di foco!


If my languishing looks
If my halting sighs,
If my unfinished words have not yet been able,
Oh my lovely idol,
To make you completely aware of my devotion,
Read these notes,
Believe in this letter,
In which I bled my heart in the form of ink.


Here you will discern those internal thoughts
That with loving steps run through my soul.
You will also see how in its own sphere
My passion blazes amidst your beauty.


There is no part of you
That with the invisible power of love
Does not draw me to itself.
I am after all nothing but
The prey and prize of your beauty.


To you I turn, o tresses.
My dear snares of love,
Oh, how could I ever safely escape
If like snares you bound my soul,
Or purchased it like gold?
You, yes, you then are
The chain and price of my freedom.



Precious threads, divine filaments,
With you the eternal Fury, on her fatal spindle
Twists my life.
You, golden tresses, you are
The rays and sparks of she who is my only passion.
But if you are sparks, How is it that you descend at every moment,
Unlike fire?

Ah, since one must descend in order to rise to you,
The highest celestial sphere to which you aspire,
O sphere of passions, o paradise,
Is found in that lovely face.



My dear forest of gold, richest of tresses,
Love weaves in you that labyrinth
From which my soul does not know how to escape.
Then let death cut down the branches
Of the precious forest
And free my spirit from its delicate flesh,
For among such lovely foliage
I will remain a prisoner,
When I have become cold dust and a naked ghost.

Sweetest bonds, my beautiful golden rain,
As you now fall, let loose from those rich clouds
Where you are held,
And in falling form precious storms,
Golden waves with which you bathe
Crags of milk and streams of alabaster,
Dying suddenly.
O eternal miracle of amorous desire
Among such lovely storms I burned my heart.

But now the hour bids me,
O faithful messenger of my affection,
Dear love letter
Which now frees itself from my pen
Go, and if Love and merciful heaven grant
That the rays of her beautiful eyes don’t ignite you,
Seek shelter upon her breast.

Who knows if you may not find your way
to a heart of fire
From such a fortunate place!
 

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

April Opera Workshop Video

Here's a video from my April performance in Opera Workshop.  I'm happy with some of my singing, and unhappy with other parts.  But that's why I'm school for this, right?   This duet is gorgeous though.  I'm so glad I got to perform it. 



Thursday, June 6, 2013

Contortion Class

Now that school is out I've started going to contortion class two nights a week.  Last night we had "Picture Night" ... so I'm posting a few photos from class.  My friend Yulia is the other girl in the poses below.  She is from Russia. 






Monday, April 22, 2013

Nearing a close

It is now only one month until I will give my first-year vocal jury at the San Francisco Conservatory of music.  I have to say I am feeling a great sense of happiness and relief as I am seeing the end of this semester draw near.  Not because I am in a hurry to leave the conservatory (on the contrary), but because it will be so nice to be able to rest for a little while after the semester is finished.  It has been very very intense the past months of my life!   And now I am feeling very tired.

I have two papers remaining to write for my Film Music class, and two more assignments and a final project to do for my Vocal Pedagogy Class.  I might do one of those tonight.  I also need to work on my paper for film music.  I was planning to do that Sunday night, but got an email from my Professor saying that he postponed the deadline from this Monday (today) until the following Monday (whew!).  I'd still like to get it done now though, instead of staying up all night next Sunday!

I applied to be an RA (resident assistant) at the school dormitory next year.   I'm hoping to find out soon if I got the job or not.   If I do that will mean free rent for next year, which would be very nice!  That would ease up a lot of my financial pressures and concerns for next year.  But we will see. 

I also have a friend named Crystal that would like me to move into a nice apartment with her this summer (and move out of the dorms!) which could also be very nice...but I'm not sure how I would afford it next year without working.   But I am going to go look at the place with her tomorrow, anyway, to see if I am interested.

In the meantime, I also need to get all of my music memorized for my jury in May!  So much to do.

This summer I think I will try to stay in San Francisco, if I can. I'll try to get a job somewhere, maybe teaching or accompanying or waitressing or something.  So I can pay the rent, take lessons with Jane, and practice.  

I love San Francisco... I'm already anticipating my graduation in one year (which will come very fast, I know!), and wondering what I will do after that???   I really want to pursue performing and making recordings, but I'm not sure how exactly to go about it.  I've also thought about the possibility of going for a Doctorate...but I'm just not sure that I really want to devote the next several years of my life to MORE academia.   Although, one of my friends just got a full ride PLUS a large stipend for living to go get his doctorate at a university in Illinois.  And he doesn't even have to work for the stipend (as an assistant or anything!).  That's a pretty sweet deal, worth about $40,000 per year for the next three years.

But something tells me I need to find a way to really concentrate on my goals...

But how?

Practicing and making recordings takes a lot of time, and that's hard to come by when one is either working full-time trying to support oneself or going to school full-time. But it's also hard to do when I'm living at home with all of my family, and have all the responsibilies of home and family and pets and visitors, etc.

Maybe it's just going to be hard, no matter what, and somehow I just have to find a way.

Anyway, I'm praying for opportunities to show themselves.  I'm sure the right things will happen for me at the right time, because God has always watched over me in the past.

I guess I should go get writing that paper....

Goodnight!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Welcome to the World!

My brother's wife just had a new baby last week and I was able to go visit during that time because it happened to be my Spring Break!  Here is the beautiful boy: 


My sister-in-law with the new baby:


My mom and I babysat the other children while my sister-in-law was in labor, and once the baby was born, we brought them to see their new brother: 


Proud big sister:


Daddy with his new boy:


Yaaay!  Welcome to the world, Baby Beck!