long-haired hobby #1

As most of you who'll read this blog know, though I am actually a short-haired woman, I am given to long-haired hobbies. At various times in my life I've been into different forms of dance, needlework, poetry, literature... and then there's my profession, arguably the longest of long-haired hobbies. But that's for another post.

This post's long-haired hobby, hereafter designated Long-Haired Hobby #1 or LHH1, is choral music. It's uppermost in my mind because, despite an audition last night that could be very charitably described as mediocre, I have been invited to join the Pacific Chorale. www.pacificchorale.org

Filling out the audition form, I blanched a little to realize I was starting my description of my musical background with the phrase "25 years of choral music experience." Yes. I am Old.

But I could actually have claimed more years than that. My family influences made me musical almost from the moment I had any vocal control at all. There's a standing joke that my parents raised a combination choir/catering service. My four siblings and I can all sing and we can all cook, but it is arguably true that we do both best together. And sometimes simultaneously.

Anyway. From the early years of singing at home, I moved easily into singing at school. That lasted till I hit grad school, when I didn't believe I could commit to a rehearsal schedule for anything outside my field of theatre. And of course, it took a few years beyond that to wrap choral music back into my life. Then, as I started following my career opportunities around the country, I discovered that joining a chorus was a good way to put down a personal rootlet in a new city and start to get to know some people.

This leads us to last night's audition. The only part in which I displayed competence would be the last moment, during which the alto section leader joined me and we sight-read a piece together. That was much more relevant to actually making ensemble music, especially in a large choir like the Pacific Chorale, than my lame attempt at aria singing or the solo sight-reading I am eager to forget about.

Anyway. I'll start rehearsing with them next Monday. I know that at least four Monday rehearsals will conflict with play readings at work, but I'll address that when we get there. For now, there's Stephen Paulus to look forward to, plus a bunch of truly trippy medieval lyrics in Carmina Burana.

Mi mi mi mi miiiiii...