Good News

Here's a hint to what I'll be doing starting July 6:

That's right... I've been cast in my first real, non-school opera!! Bastien und Bastienne is a 1-act comic opera by Mozart. There are 3 characters and I am the only girl. Its being put on by a small, local performing arts company, but who cares? I get a professional role on my resume! If you are in Utah (or nearby and want to make a trip) we are performing August 13 and 14 in Lindon.

Classical Singer

Last May, my voice teacher got a grant to take me and some other students to Chicago for the Classical Singer Convention and Competition. It was the first year for the University Competition, but the High School Competition has been going on for years. It was a big success and there was a ton of interest, so this year they are splitting the University portion into 2 categories: Graduate and Undergraduate. They also instituted  preliminary rounds, held throughout the country. On Saturday, I competed in the preliminary round held at BYU, for the Utah area. Only 4 participants are going from this preliminary to the 2nd round, held at this year's Convention in New York City--and I am one of them! (And I'm the only female from our round to go...how often does that happen??) So, I am going first thing Monday to the Graduate and Music Schools to see what grants and funding are available for something like this. There is a lot for undergraduates, but apparently not for graduate students... so I'm going to be working my rear off to find some money to pay for the trip (NY is not a cheap city). As long as I can get funding, we are off for 5 days of fun! (I am definitely taking Bryce along for this one, especially since we will only have to pay for his plane ticket and a grant should pay for my ticket, hotel and food). I am incredibly excited since I have never been to NYC before. Everyone pray that I can find the funding I need to attend the Competition and Conference.

New Headshots!

So, I am doing a LOT of auditions and competitions this year, so I figured it was about time for some new headshots. A friend of my friend Amy is a wonderful photographer. You can visit her website here. So Amy and I went to her studio today and both got headshots done. They turned out really well. Here are my favorite two. Which do you like best?

It's official!

I am graduating August 13-14 from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Performance. This is because I got word today that I am to begin my Master's Degree in Vocal Performance (opera) this fall!! This is a big wahoo since they started out the audition process with technically no spots to give to new students. I am VERY excited.

Good News Minute....

I am in the Primary and never get to participate in my ward's announcements of pregnancies or new grandchildren or the random stuff that women feel necessary to share with everyone as good news, so I am going to share mine here. Anyway, no one is graduating from the master's program this year, so I did not get in. Obviously that is not good news, but a few days ago my private voice teacher let me in on a little secret: I can take up to 1/4 of my graduate school credits while still an undergrad. Those credits will not count toward my undergraduate degree at all, just toward my master's (and I get to take them at undergraduate school price, although grad students in voice get full-tuition scholarships, so it doesn't really matter how much it costs). So, with this wonderful news, I am going to have a semester of grad school under my belt before I even start and will be able to finish at the same time as Bryce. Yay!! Definitely the best news I've had in a while.

Also, I started Spring Term this week (I am taking voice lessons, opera and taking SFL 110: Food Preparation in the Home). Yesterday was the first lab for my Food Prep class. Check out their blog, BYU Foods, located on my blog list and see pictures of most of the recipes we will be making this semester!