Earning My Stripes: First Semester as a Music Minor: #3

You might think that being a music minor involves a lot of classical music, theory, and more classical music. Well, that is true. What is less well-known is that many different styles of music are studied, with emphasis given in some areas depending upon the concentration of the student. I don't have an emphasis, but so far I have performed classical art solos in German, Italian, and English, for state competitions in high school as well as voice lessons here at Trinity, and I've also performed musical theatre songs for auditions. While the classical songs are an indispensable part of music education, I've always preferred singing musical theatre - no wonder, when my favorite movie since I can remember is The Sound of Music. I also love all the other Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals, as well as The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and My Fair Lady.

This particular song I have been working on in my voice lesson is "If I Loved You" from Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical Carousel. I love Carousel - it's the tragic story of a carousel barker who marries a beautiful mill worker, mistreats her, and turns over a new leaf when he learns his wife is pregnant, only to be killed in his attempt to steal money to provide for his family. I auditioned for the R&H musical Oklahoma! in Houston with the song "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel, and I also sang that song for my auditions here at Trinity - one for Dr. McNeil to be placed in her studio, and one for Dr. Seighman to be (hopefully) placed in a choir (I made Trinity Choir). "You'll Never Walk Alone" is a powerful, sweeping ballad that speaks of hope through tragedy. It is sung by Nettie, the cousin of the widowed Julie on the death of carousel barker Billy Bigelow.

However! "If I Loved You" is the song I've been working on recently. It is sung earlier in the show; a duet between Julie and Billy during their first conversation. Neither will admit to secretly loving the other, but the depth of their feeling is revealed in their singing, and the song ends in a kiss. Obviously I don't have a bass range, so I can't sing both parts, but the soprano solo part of the number is what I sang today in Dr. McNeil's voice studio. I need to work on producing the notes towards the front of my face instead of swallowing the sound, and throwing the high notes instead of reaching for them. Also it would be nice if I could somehow become less nervous while performing. I think it affects my vibrato. Speaking of which, I need more vibrato on my high notes - when I sing straight tone on high F's, G's, and A's, I sound like I'm reaching for the notes instead of floating on them.

(Side note: last semester, during my senior spring in high school, my homeschool choir performed a show choir medley of Rodgers & Hammerstein songs. My show choir - the top mixed one, Bravo - danced to "The Sound of Music," "June is Bustin' Out All Over" from Carousel, "Oklahoma!", a reprise of "The Sound of Music," and "You'll Never Walk Alone." My dance partner and I were given some of the more advanced lifts to do, and my friend Haley and I got solos because we were the graduating seniors who were both dancers - we danced the first verse and first chorus in the finale "You'll Never Walk Alone," the verse by ourselves taking turns, and the chorus with our respective dance partners. "You'll Never Walk Alone" was a much jazzier version than the original, and our assistant choral director sang it beautifully. The picture is of the ending pose of the entire 16-minute long R & H medley.)