Friday, November 6, 2009

The Journey

"Oh lordy, I see a new journey in our future," were my last words of this blog post.




The journey continues.  I remember phoning my sister, who has MUCH more performance art experience than I.  I was worried about the disappointments, the rejections.  The stress of it all.  Auditions, performances, etc.  The drama.  My sister advised me to "enjoy the journey."  It is a journey and here are some highlights.

At the end of last year, Bridget's music teacher suggested she try out for the All District Honor Choir.  Each school could only send a limited number of kids to the tryouts.  Our school's music teacher worked with her chosen few for weeks.  Vocal instruction, pitch practice, confidence.  Once you were selected by your school, the odds of making the choir were about 1:4.  Making the choir is a huge commitment. Oh, and an honor too.  I was only worried about the commitment.

Bridget did not make the Honor Choir.  She was disappointed but she handled it really well with minimal tears and hand-wringing.  She was genuinely happy for her two friends that did make it, but had trouble talking about it.  The good news here is that because she went so far in the audition process, she did NOT have to try out for her school choir.  She got a "golden ticket" to skip that.  Thank goodness.

The choir is doing a Christmas Performance.  Bridget tried out for a part instead of just being in the chorus.  She rehearsed.  She fantasized about costumes.  She built imaginary casts of all her best friends side by side performing the special parts.

She did not get a special part.  There was crying.  Their was prostrating of the body on the floor.  Huge, gulping sobs.  The declaration that she "sees right through that!" when telling me that instead of a special, solo part, she was put on the "confetti team" to toss confetti during part of the performance.  More sobbing.

Oh lordy.  Isn't the journey fun?

Her school produces a music CD every year.  Each grade performs, the school choir performs, a few selected soloists perform.

Bridget tried out for a solo part.

Oh lordy.

She brought home a CD of songs to rehearse.  Like all her tryouts before, she refused to let us hear her sing.   She rehearsed ALL the songs and finally selected the one she would use for the audition.  There was fantasizing about seeing her name in print on the CD cover.  Fantasizing about getting selected to sing her particular favorite song.  Stress on the morning of auditions.

I was the last mommy to pick up after auditions.  The choir teacher came out to chat with me and I jokingly said "Can I slip ya a C-note to make sure my daughter gets a part?"  The teacher smiled, winked at me, and said Bridget could sleep easy tonight.

The results were posted the next day.  Bridget will be a soloist, performing the first verse of her particular favorite song.  So, with last year's talent show, Honor Choir tryouts, Christmas show auditions, and CD soloist auditions, she's batting .500 on this journey.

Your holiday CD can be pre-ordered by leaving a note on this blog and are $10.  You, too can be a part of this journey and say "I knew her when..."

1 comment:

Papa said...

Let me tell you a story. I pulled into the driveway a few days ago and Leo (lives next door with Becky) was just getting out of his car. He said "I've been meaning to ask you.. a while back you had a party in your back yard and I heard a girl singing, was that Sierra?" I "said no, that was my grand daughter from Texas, Bridget." He said "Well she's phenomenal!" Just thought you'd like to hear that.

Also, it looks like ther'e no quit in Bridget. She is tough!