I identify a lot with our nation's Olympic Athletes. We've all trained hard with our eyes set on one prize.... As the Olympic hoopla mounts, I've been happy to see so many "anti-doping" ads. But it all has me thinking... I believe I may have an addiction of my own... caffeine! Back at home, I was drinking double soy lattes for breakfast, every day, and a big diet cola at lunch. Call it trainee's nerves... I needed my fixes, and I hate to say that I can now imagine how an athlete (or a songthlete) might turn to chemicals... What's happening to me?! Being in Europe, the last few days, I've consumed so much coffee. I'm simultaneously bouncing off the walls and experiencing the sedation that comes with overstimulation. My mind feels like it's underwater. Caffeinated water! I need to go home and detox. Just say no, kids!
Gold Rush
When I was a kid, I loved Solid Gold--the dance show hosted by Dionne Warwick (you know--Whitney Houston's cousin...). My mom used to have this gold lamé blazer in her closet. I used to sneak in, before the show came on, slip the jacket off the dry cleaner's hanger and out from under its plastic cover, and put it on to dance around in it, during the opening credits. Then I'd sneak the jacket back on the hanger before getting caught. (I still have no idea where my mom was during all of this.) Now that I'm all grown up, I have my own gold jacket... I've been wearing it while lifting my gold weights, just to get that nostalgic feel and to "pump myself up" for the America Idol audition line. This morning I noticed that my weights say "Super Star" on them. I think it's yet another sign...
Hot or Not?
Ok, I'll admit it. I'm getting nervous. The thing is, even if I'm first in line at the auditions, I may not get an audition. The producers have to pick me out of the line and I have a hunch that looks play a big role. So... I posted a recent pic of me singing on Hot or Not, to see how other perfect strangers would respond.. I figured "what happens on the net stays on the net," you know... I'm online, you're online, let's network... So I put up my digital photo (ok, ok, so I admit it's a bit dark...) and I'm waiting for the verdict. Feel free to vote. Thanks!
Age Before Beauty
Download changes.WAV
I get most of my "rehearsing" done in my car--cranking the cd player up while no one's around. Yesterday I was driving home from work, singing along to my favorite Tommy Becker CD, and I noticed that I have wrinkles on my hands. (!!!) I'm so thankful that the folks at American Idol raised their age limit (I'm 27 and you can now audition up to age 28), but I'm nervous... What if I can't compete with all those Britney Spears youngsters? I don't even like a lot of the songs I imagine they will sing at their auditions... On the plus side, I do have the life experience that many say the 16-year-old contestants lack. Anyway. I'm busy trying to tighten my skin (it's fun singing with dried mud on your face!) and trying to ignore the stereotypes... mostly...
Dancin' With Myself
I'm back in SF, today, but I couldn't leave home without doing some last-minute musicological research. I finally watched the Lizzie McGuire movie in which Hillary Duff plays two characters and sings with herself on stage. Ironically, I'd popped in the DVD just after watching a TV special on the Carpenters and their use of overdubbing. I'm really excited to learn about all these performance-enhancing technologies and I hope I'll get my 15 minutes of overdubbing, some day soon... Speaking of Karen Carpenter, there's a woman who understands audition dieting. I don't want to go to that extreme, though. RIP, Karen. My friend Sanjay recommends that I sing her Superstar or Rainy Days & Mondays, for my audition. Keep the tips coming, people. They are grrrreat!
Eat To Compete
Today is an exciting day, already. This morning I met with a nutritionist (the fabulous Nicole Britvan, for the locals who are looking), and she gave me tons of good advice. I recently switched from a lacto-ovo diet to a vegan one, to get in shape for the audition line but I wanted to make sure I wasn't doing anything dumb. I'm not one of those gals who believes in updating strangers on her weightloss, but let me tell you, the Training Diet is in full effect and it's working. Yay! And Nicole gave me some great tips, not only on what to eat in general but what to eat while camping out. Despite my fear of the "competition" getting ahold of these edgeworthy tips, I'll let you know that she recommends Lara Bars, snackbars that are only fruit & nuts (no preservatives, corn syrup, etc), and ironically enough they are made by a company called Humm. I think it is a sign.
Ouch....
Ok. So in an effort to get the Gwen Stefani abs that one clearly needs to get an audition (if not to get a callback!), I did 600 crunches on my hardwood floor, last night. There was barely any room, anyway, with my head butting against my bedroom wall and my feet tucked under my bed... Now my tailbone is bruised....
I guess beauty comes at a price. Fortunately, I was able to practice "row row row your boat" over 100 times!
ps It's been over 6 months since I've done over 30 crunches.
pps Not counting last night, I have only done 31 crunches in the last year.
Let the Training Begin!!!
Hi, there. So I started keeping this diary before I registered this blog, which means that the posts below are a little outdated & they are coming to you in one post, but here it is...
FRIDAY, JULY 16, 2004
Today is a GREAT day. My band had a concert, last night, and it seemed to go pretty well. On one of the songs I got a bit nervous (we had debated doing it and there were some pretty complicated cues for my bandmate to follow) and my voice warbled, but I received so much great feedback. I was also nervous because it was the first time that I’d invited many of my friends to hear me sing, but they all said such flattering things and even today some have called & e-mailed saying things like "Wow, it was a great surprise to know that you could sing like that." I’ve tended to keep my musical life private (I’ve been singing in choirs & bands since I was 9) but lately I want to make it a much bigger part of my life.
But this good feedback isn’t the biggest reason that today is such a great day. Today is SUCH a great day because something I’ve been wishing for forever has finally happened... They raised the age limit for auditioning for American Idol!!!
I couldn’t get much done at work, today. All I could think about was auditioning for Idol. I’ve been a closet Idol junkie since before it came to the US. I lived in London when Pop Idol was a huge hit and I’ve been glued to the screen ever since--even for the Junior edition! So it is thrilling to me to think that I might now, at age 27, have a chance to audition for the show. Afterall, I’ve gotten pretty settled into my life as an art critic & curator, which I love, but I’ve always regretted not pursuing music. Of course, this means that I need to begin training immediately because the San Francisco auditions are less than three months away, on October 5.
I really need to work on my voice with a coach and I feel like I need help in other areas, too... To become a true American Idol, I need a bit of a makeover--hair, physique, complexion, wardrobe... all of these are on my checklist, now.
As of today, I am officially in training. I will post regular updates here...
SATURDAY, JULY 17, 2004
Ok, so I’ve had an evening to sleep on it. I am SO excited about training for the audition, but there is a strong possibility that I won’t even get one... The Idol website says that SF auditioners can get in line as of 6am, on October 4, but being in line on time, even being first in line, does not guarantee that I will get an audition. (Check out the photo of the long audition line that I found on the Idol website!) The producers will walk up and down the line and pick people out based on their appearance, style, and singing ability. I really need to work on all of the above, then. And my goal, now, is to even GET an audition, let alone make it to the final 10... And I’m really dwelling on what my audition song will be, though I’m eager to discuss it with a trainer.
SUNDAY, JULY 18, 2004
I haven’t done much, in the way of training, today, and I’m feeling pretty guilty. Of course, I am singing in every free second, but I still have not found a vocal coach and I put off going to the gym. I'll never get an audition if I don't change my metabolism! :)
I had lunch with a musician I respect and talked about getting together to play music, along with some other musicians whom we like, but I feel a bit conflicted about this. Should I focus on my solo training? Will "jamming" with others take away from that, or is it all good for my voice & understanding of music? I just enjoy singing so much and there is nothing in the world like the high of falling into synch with other musicians.
After lunch I decided to rent a DVD of a 1979 Blondie concert (in Glasgow), to see if I can pick up any tips on performing live or looking like a pop star. Debby Harry is so amazing. Of course she is famous for having a certain sense of style and attitude, but she can truly sing and I so look up to her. I can’t believe that I was only two years old when she gave this performance--which, by the way, is great. Perhaps it’s the rebirth of 80s fashion, but I can’t help but notice that we have almost the same hair & fashion sense. (I’d love to recreate her outfit for a music video!) I wish that, alone, would bring me closer to being pulled out of the lineup and into an audition...
