My audition was scheduled for 2:30, but I walked out of the historic Kerry Hall at 2:15.

I arrived an hour and a half early (1:00 for those of you not feeling the whole 'math' thing,) in order to have 'adequate warm-up and practice time'. I signed in, and since I had arrived with adequate time before the adequate time, they had me do my music theory and ear training tests before my audition. Great for me -- that was the part I was the most nervous about. Get it out of the way as soon as possible!

The theory was not as difficult as I had anticipated. Obviously there were things I didn't know (does anyone know what the ii chord diminished in the key of F is? Probably not...) but I was very relieved to find that I knew most of it and therefore didn't start out my day feeling like an idiot. It's always nice to have that happen.

Ear training could have gone smoother. When my instructor Greg (adorable, but same name as my dad -- weird) played a melody, I sang it back like it was my favorite song. When he played a rhythm, I clapped it back like my hands could do no wrong. When I was then instructed to write it down... Well, YOU try and remember six measures of a melody/rhythm after hearing it only twice and all at once rather than one measure at a time. Impossible.

I was done with both of my tests by 1:30. I walked out of the room and a tiny little man camed and introduced himself to me -- my accompanist. Sweet guy.

We had been rehearsing for less than 15 minutes (1:42 ish) when a girl came in and said that the person scheduled for 2:00 was stuck in traffic and asked if I'd like to go in ahead of him. Umm, YES! No hesitation on my part. Get in and get out. No need to let the nerves that I walked in with grow any greater.

She walked back in a mere few minutes later (1:45) and announced that it was -- direct quote -- the time for ass-kicking. (She was funny. I have a feeling we'd be great friends.)

I walked into the room and am crushed to see that it's devastatingly tiny. So small. Singing in a room that small is torture; singing a high B in a room so small could be lethal. I shook off that feeling, though, knowing I had to suck it up and just do it, and introduced myself to the three judges.

God only knows what I said at this point -- I was so out of my element that I hardly remember anything vividly -- all I know is that I said something, heard laughing, and then heard one of them say, "Oh, she's funny!" That definitely helped. It made the whole rest of the audition/interview process seem like we were just hanging out, rather than them judging me.

I was done with the audition at 2:00; done with the interview at 2:15.

I was done before I was even scheduled to begin.


I did not deliver the performance of my lifetime. I did not sing like my life depended on it.

But I did deliver a performance that told a story. I did sing like I was standing in front of masters, begging them to mold me and teach me and transform me.


And it worked.

I got in.

:)