Finale

It's hard to find words to describe what this week has truly been like...but as that is the task with which I am charged, I'll do my best.

On Saturday, we had a rehearsal in the city to retouch everything and keep it in our bodies for the shows on Monday. It was one of our best rehearsals; there's an energy in the city that adds a level of freshness as well as some new tones to the performance, so that went off without a hitch.

The rest of that day as well as Sunday (which was given to us as a personal day) was spent exploring the city and seeing a couple more shows. It's incredible how wildly different parts of the city can be. From Soho to Greenwich Village to Times Square to TriBeCa to the Financial District, there is literally a place for everyone to find a home in NYC. I think it also showed the difference styles of everyone in our group as we spent time in the city. People fell into natural groups and spent time in different parts of the city, which isn't a bad thing a all, of course. It was nice to see the different things people favor and learn even more about my classmates.

Monday was our most hectic day in the city. It started with 10 AM tech rehearsal in the theatre, which took us a couple hours. After that, we had about three hours to eat some lunch and change to prep for the shows, which started at 4:00. We all made it back to the theatre in time (despite some minor snafus in terms of wardrobe) and were ready for our first show.

All three shows went very well. Our sister school for showcase, California Irvine, was great; I really enjoyed their performance. We had a great number of people from the industry in attendance and their responses were very favorable. And of course the turn-out and support from family, friends, and alum at the final show was awesome. It never fails to impress me the lengths to which the KSU family will go to support each other.

After the final show, I met up with Chuck to see if I had any specific responses from agents that I needed to act upon within the few days I was staying. There were a few agencies that just wanted a headshot and resume when we actually move to the city, but there was one agency that wanted to see me specifically, so I set up a meeting with them for the following day.

I find it incredible that as a performer, I can stand in front of hundreds of people and not break a sweat, but throw me in the business aspect of the industry and I start shaking like a shaved chihuahua. My first meeting with an agency was somewhat nerve-wracking, needless to say. This preliminary meeting was basically a get-to-know-you session where they talked to me about some different things and we both got a feel for each other. I thought it went alright overall. They want to hear me sing some more when I get to the city before any decisions are made, but I thought things went okay.

I had one more day in the city with my family, then we hopped in the car (they drove here) and shipped off for home this morning. I can honestly say I'm sad to leave the city. There's an energy there and the theatre being made there is just incredible. Things just feel different in the city...and I can't wait to move there.

I'll post again with updates should things come along that need updated, but the bulk of my blogging is now complete! If you have any questions or want to know anything, shoot me a message and I'll try to address it in my next blog.

So long for now! And thanks for reading.

Days 19/20: The Final Countdown

Wow...what a week. It's hard to believe it isn't even over yet!

We had more evening rehearsals leading up to our preview at the main Kent campus. It became abundantly clear during those rehearsals that we really had taken the showcase and made it our own; really found our groove and took ownership of our performance. Terri also gave us some great advice about agencies and casting directors (which I won't post here for fear of misquoting or spreading misinformation)that was really helpful. She's always a great source for professional advice if you're lucky enough to have contact with her.

Our preview performance went extremely well. We filled up the black-box and audience response was very positive, so that was a much needed confidence booster before our trip. It was a bit emotional; it was our last time performing as a group and a class at Kent, so the tears came close to flowing. But at the end of the day, we all felt that much closer and ready for...

The plane ride! Our flight left at 6:40 AM this morning, so we landed in NYC at 8:05. Our first day here has been incredible. We were lucky enough to meet up with an alum who lives in the city now and knows the area and all the good spots for food and lounging. Top all of that off with a Broadway show (in this case, American Idiot) and it's hard to think up a better day! A word of advice: student rush! If you can, make sure you get those tickets. Not only are they incredibly cheap, but the seats still give a pretty good view of the stage and don't detract from the experience. They are a God-send to any students visiting the city.

Tomorrow we have a morning rehearsal in a studio in the city to brush up on showcase, then we get the rest of the day and Sunday off to relax and prep for the show. Monday is the day. And it'll be here before we know it.

Which means it's time for me to get some sleep.

Day 18: One Week Left!

First of all, you'll have to excuse me for the lack of updates this past week. Between school, the showcase, auditions, callbacks, and rehearsals, it's been a crazy couple of weeks.

Our focus this past week has been fine-tuning our songs and working on specific moments within the showcase. Now that the show has been in our bodies and we've started taking ownership of it, it's the little moments that will propel the showcase from "good" to "amazing," and the latter is what we really need in order to attain the representation we all so much desire. Don't get me wrong: the show is absolutely incredible and I'm constantly blown away by the talent our class has. But everything can always be fine-tuned, no matter how good you think it is.

This week is our tech week which leads up to our preview performance, so there's plenty to keep us busy this week. I'll post when I can. Next stop: New York!

Day 17: Two Weeks Remain...

Sunday's show at Salem went very well. The audience seemed to enjoy it and we had a very positive response. It was interesting to finally put the show in front of people and watch their reactions. This performance didn't give us the most accurate read, however, as most of the audience was much older and less acquainted with the style of music we're performing than the audience in New York will be. But it was still great to perform it for an audience and start to get a feel for what that will truly be like.

We ran into a couple of business-end hiccups this week (concerning scholarships, agent response, etc), but with Terri's help we're getting all of those worked out and things should be good to go by the time we leave. Speaking of which, it occured to me in class that we are now less than two weeks from our scheduled performance date. It's strange to think that this huge event in our lives is so close to finally happening, yet here it is! Seems like yesterday we were walking into the Music and Speech Center for the first time. Now it's the Roe Green Center and we're all prepping to fly out to New York City to start our lives in the business.

As stressful as it can be, I couldn't be more excited. And I wouldn't want to share it with any other group of people.

Days 15 & 16: First Stop, Salem

This week, we began evening rehearsals every day that we could, which throws my "Day __" titling system off, but I'll continue to use it for now just for clarity's sake.

As I mentioned, we began evening rehearsals this week now that the Spring musical is over. We blocked all the transitions from song to song and now have a great flow going through the show. It was imperative that we complete all of this within these past few days because on Sunday we take the show to Salem for our first public performance. It's slightly nerve-wracking to get it up on it's feet so quickly, but that's the task we all must face. I'm comforted by the fact that every faculty member who has seen it has had very positive things to say and is so supportive of us.

I'll post again after the trip to Salem. It'll be interesting, but I can't wait for it.

Day 14: Complete! For Now...

Thursday's class was cut short again due to call times for the spring musical so weekend accomplish as much as we normally do. We did, however, finish putting together the order and transitions of our showcase, so the package is complete! I'm excited; it flows very well and works wonderfully.

On Saturday we came in for a couple hours to work with the choreographer on the beginning and the end of the show. Given the songs we've chosen, it isn't very dance-heavy at all. It's still important that weir the time and effort into it and look good. Now all we have left to do is cut down the length of some of our pieces and block the transitions, then we're finished!

Everyday brings us closer to showcase. And I know we'll be ready.

Day 13: Come Together

Today's class was rather exciting, I thought. We began with some people looking at showcase outfit possibilities with Terri. You don't necessarily think about it, but what you wear and how you're presented are almost as important as your performance. I'm pleased to say that my outfit is picked and I couldn't be happier with it.

Next, we started putting together the order in which we'll perform and began building transitions using one of our group numbers to help keep the showcase flowing. As i've mentioned before, it's important to keep the show moving as a cohesive unit to keep interest piqued and focused on our performances. So far ir sounds like it's going to be amazing and really work well, which is great news! Things are really starting to come together and mesh.

Next class should see us finishing all of our transitions as well as possibly looking at how to cut some of our solo numbers down a little bit. So until then!

Days 11 & 12: Putting it Together

This week's classes were cut short due to tech week and opening of our spring musical, so I've decided to condense this week's blogs into one post.

Tuesday's class saw Terri breaking down the order in which we'd do our songs and how we'll tie them all together. I'm surprised at how well everything fits together and how well our group number helps make it flow from one song to the next. We didn't sing through it yet, but it sounds like it will work incredibly well.

Thursday's class we were tasked with recording our opening number so that we can get it to the choreographer so she has something to listen to while she plans choreography. It will be interesting to see what she comes up with; what we've chosen for our opening number isn't really a dance number per se, so I'm excited to see what she creates.

That's all for this week. Next week's classes should be longer so I'll have more to report.

Day 10: Finishing the Hat

Today's class started with business again, of course. We're starting to hear responses from some of the people we requested money from and the outcome looks pretty good right now. If people continue to respond this favorably we should have no problem meeting our monetary goals for showcase.

I'm excited to report that everyone has officially chosen their songs for showcase! It's a great lineup that really suits everyone and they're all easy to tie into our group number, which is fantastic. I couldn't be happier with everyone's songs and how our group numbers are coming together.

We also got our reservations for the hotel and are in the process of purchasing plane tickets for the trip. It's surreal making all these preparations for such a big event. It's been built up for so long as such a huge event, so to finally be working on it and making it a reality is rather strange. But it's still incredibly exciting and I couldn't be happier to be a part of it.

Next class should see us starting to fit all the different numbers together and finalizing our order. So until then!

Day 9: Merrily We Roll Along

Today's class was a great continuation of our work. We again started with business (not much new to report there), then we moved onto learning our second group number that we'll use in conjunction with our first. This will help to mix things up and keep everyone interested in the showcase. This new number also really shows off how well we as a group can sing in parts as well as showing what a beautiful sound we all share when we sing together. I couldn't be happier with our sound and our progress and I can't wait until we start to put all the pieces together.

We also had Terri start looking at our headshots so we can pick our final choice to have retouched and then sent to us to present to all the agents. It's a bit stressful to think how much can potentially rest on that one photo. It's important to try and find a headshot that not only looks good but also shows who you are as a person and captures your attitude and spirit. But I'm optimistic that they'll all turn out fine. We're quite a good looking bunch if I do say so myself, so I doubt picture selection will make or break anyone.

All the pieces are starting to fall into place, so the only way to go is forward. Looking forward to next class.

Day 8: More Music and Fun Photos

Sorry for the delay on this post, but I wanted to postpone this one because of weekend activities.

Thursday's class was great. We began with business aspects again and I'm happy to say that if all of our current prospects come through, we'll be extremely close to meeting our funding goals if we don't meet them completely. That's extremely good news and helps relieve some of the stress that builds up rather quickly concerning showcase. I'm honestly surprised at how much stress has come into play and how quickly it all builds up. It makes sense when you think about it; this showcase will play a huge role in helping to set up our futures and potential success in the field. But until it actually hits you, the stress of it all is such an abstract concept that you don't really think about it. On the more optimistic side, though, the stress is becoming easier to deal with each class and we're all coming together more and more everyday, so it'll only get easier with time.

We spent the rest of the class singing some more solo songs and learning our group number. It's really exciting having the group working together and singing so well. As I've mentioned before, we as a group have an amazing and sohpisticated sound and I couldn't be happier with the progress we're making.

Saturday was a special day because the entire group (minus one who had personal conflicts) went to Cleveland to have our headshots taken by Eric Mull, a professional photographer who's known for his work. It was a surreal experience having the group there and having the photos that will be presented to all the agents at showcase taken. This was also my first experience working with a professional photographer, which was exciting. Overall, it was a great bonding experience for us and the pictures turned out great.

Everyday brings us closer to showcase...and everyday sees us more and more ready. NYC, here we come.

Day 7: Hold, Please...

Today's class was put on hold due to weather conditions, unfortunately, so I don't have much of an update today. As far as I understand, today would have been the day we finalized our showcase lineup and run through some things, so I imagine that's what will happen on Thursday.

As a smaller update, we've started actively doing some fundraising activities and we're having our headshots taken on Saturday.

That's all I have for today! Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll have a much better update on Thursday.

Day 6: So Close...

Today was another great day for progress. First, Terri gave us some updated figures concerning how much money we've secured, how much we expect, and our projected fallout. This gives us a much better idea of how the financial situation is and will work out, so that's great. Then we passed around the letters that we'll be sending out to some specific donors to hand-sign them and add that personal and professional touch.

We also went over headshot info and finalized a date to have them taken. It's important that we all have professional headshots from a known practicing photographer in order to be taken seriously by the agents at showcase. Along the same lines, we also discussed the importance of changing your phone number to have a New York City area code. The reason is to make sure that the agents know our intention is to move to and stay in NYC. Unfortunately, they want nothing to do with us if we don't have that intention, so that becomes extremely important.

We spent the final part of class having people sing through some solo song ideas and I'm extremely pleased to say that not only did I find the song I'll be singing, but nearly the entire group has their songs chosen. We only have one or two people left to choose their songs, which I'm sure will happen on Tuesday. Something that I realized today, though, which was pointed out by Jonathan, is that picking a song isn't as complicated as it seems. I was trying to think up new songs and ideas that I hadn't sung before and while that was good, I was missing the material that I'd already worked through and really worked for me. In Jonathan's words, "We aren't here to reinvent the wheel." At the end of the day, I ended up with a song that I sang a couple years ago as my showcase songs and it works great for me, so I couldn't be happier.

We should be putting the final touches on our lineup and working the group number within the next couple classes. We're making great progress and I couldn't be more excited. Showcase, here we come.

Day 5: Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

Today was a great day in terms of overall group progress. After a bit more singing and some discussion, we've settled on a group number. I won't say what it is here (I don't want to influence anyone who may read this to think about their own Showcase experience), but suffice it to say that it suits us very well as a group, sends a good message, and allows us to really show what we as a class can do. The next step concerning our group number is having Terri and Jonathan talk to each other and decode how they want to cut it and incorporate it throughout the entire show.

We also had a couple more people figure out their solo numbers today, which was exciting. I'm really impressed with the material everyone's been bringing in to sing; we've all been finding really great pieces that accent our talents, which is amazing.

Personally, however, I'm back on the hunt for a piece. I liked my original choice, but the longer it sat with me and the more thought I gave it, the less I liked it for a showcase scenario. So I'm back on the prowl to see what I can find. It really is challenging, trying to find that one piece. It seems like the longer I rack my brain, the fewer ideas I can summon and the farther away from my goal I seem to travel. But I know that in the end I'll find what I'm looking for. It's just a matter of time. The journey's half the fun, anyway...right?

Day 4: The Hunt Continues...

Today we sang through a few ideas of group numbers and a couple more people sang songs for their solo ideas. I have to say, it was great to hear us sing as a group together even if it was just a rough run-through of our ideas. Our class has an amazing sound and it's amazing what we can accomplish when we work together, so of course we're looking for songs that can showcase the sophistication we have as a class of vocalists and musicians.

Which brings me to an important point that's becoming more and more apparent by the day: One of the most important things you can do in terms of showcase (as well as life in general) is find your strengths and capitalize on them by finding pieces that emphasize them. That's why we're looking at pieces like "Trashin' the Camp" and "Merrily We Roll Along" as group numbers; they showcase what we as a class are able to do vocally.

But as Terri pointed out today, more important than that is finding a piece that you enjoy performing. If you can do that and you love the work that you're doing, nothing else will matter because the love and ease younfeel for your work comes through in your performance and THAT is what people really want to see.

Unfortunately, as was also pointed out today, there is no perfect piece to emphasize everything. All you can do is find a piece that suits you best for the time and that you love to perform. And so, with all that in mind, the hunt continues...

Day 3: A Little Old, A Little New

Day three was a good continuation of the work we've been doing thus far. Terri gave us some updated budget figures to consider and work with, which gives us a better idea of how much we have left to raise. Along with the meeting all the seniors had last night where we discussed more fundraising options, I think we have a great idea of what's left to do and how we can get there.

Part two of today's class was conitnuing to talk about group numbers. Terri shared some of her ideas since she wasn't able to be in class on Thursday, so we added her thoughts and, after considering the list we had from Thursday, came up with a small list that we'll sing through over the next couple of classes.

Finally, we had a few people sing through some solo ideas. All of us who sang had great ideas that met with approval, but for my idea, at least, Terri wanted to talk to people to make sure that it wasn't overdone and would be well-received. Overall we've had some great ideas so far and I'm sure we'll continue to have them in the days to come.

Day 2 - Group Numbers

Day two, which was cut short due to the Majors/Minors meeting, was dedicated to suggesting and listening to possibilities for our group opener and closer. There was certainly a lot to consider; it isn't as simple as finding a song that we all sound good singing together. For instance, one concern is the style of songs. With the current trend of rock musicals on Broadway, we would like to find a song similar to that style as one number. But we also want to show that we're capable of doing the "classic" musicals that are revived and touring on a regular basis, so we're looking at songs of that style as well.

We also have to consider the actual content of the songs we find within those styles. For example, we looked at "Burning Love" from All Shook Up which would be a fun, rocky number for us. However, consider the lyrics: What does it say about our class? What message does it send? Sure we'd all sound great performing it and it'd be a fun number, but if it doesn't lend itself to a stimulating performance, it leaves us with better options.

So with all these things to consider, we've come up with a potential list that we can pull from once we talk some more and pick out solo numbers, which will begin on Tuesday. Progress is being made! It's certainly an exciting time; can't wait to keep the process movin'.

Day 1: The Journey Begins

It seems completely surreal, yet here we are: KSU Senior Showcase 2011!

This blog is dedicated to chronicling my own personal journey through the showcase process. My hope is that current and future undergrads will be able to read through my exploits and get a sense of what the journey entails as well as start thinking about their own potential futures in their own respective showcases.

So without further ado, here we go!

Day one covered much of the business aspects concerning the showcase. We got a general idea of what our budget for the show looks like as well as an idea of how much money we have right now to put towards showcase. This, of course, led to the matter of donations, which are a hugely important part of showcase. We (the students) are tasked with putting together a number of letters asking for donations which we will then send to places such as the Honors College as well as a couple of student organizations.

We also had a chance to discuss the show itself today. We tossed around a couple of group song ideas as well as discussed some issues such as whether each student should sing one song or two shorter cuts, but the most important thing that came through today was that whatever it is we should decide to do in terms of song choice and the like, the most important thing is that the people in the audience see who we really are. They don't want to see a character or a Jekyll and Hyde contrast; they'd much rather see us because at the end of the day, that's what they will be trying to sell to everyone else.

I think that about covers our first day. I'll be posting after each class with additional posts should they seem appropriate to the situation, so check back often. : )