Friday, August 08, 2008

What to do when you want to throw your mini-disc out a window


Recording myself is the bane of my existence. We've discussed this. I'm getting a little better with it because GC makes me do it, but a CD that's going to be sent with applications calls for some serious gnashing of teeth. It requires a lot of planning, both logistic and psychological, especially when you have a day job, and you're sitting on your ass all day in cold cold air-conditioning. It's vocal death.

Last Friday, we hunkered down and sang and played what felt like several million takes, although, I'm proud to say the English aria only took two. It was going to be a really good CD!! good mic, good room, good piano, in good voice.

A few days later, Joe sits down to do the editing and discovers there's something horribly wrong...and then he has the really unfortunate task of telling me, and I, of course, start screaming and freaking out. There isn't another reaction I could have had, really. I HATE doing recordings, and the one we thought we'd done really well, and had worked so hard on was somehow mysteriously erased.

Well, we had to redo it. AFTER having to buy a new recording device. They don't even make mini-disc players anymore! So maybe it was time for an upgrade anyway. 21 takes, bitches, and my voice was in shreds. If my voice teacher's reading this, no, my voice was not actually really in shreds. I'm being dramatic. But it was REAL tired. And hell if I don't say it every time, but Mozart willlll KILLLL you. oh man it is just so hard. for everyone involved. BUT WE DID IT!
I couldn't have done it without Joe, of course, who is incredibly supportive and being a fabulous pianist doesn't hurt either. What a way to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement, right? Thank goodness tonight we're going out for drinks.

(For those of you who know about my website...check out the clips. They should be up very soon!)

And then we came home and watched the Ravens game. So it turned out to be a pretty good night.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you send me the name or URL of your web site? Thanks. (farlaf2000@yahoo.com)

Choralgrrl said...

Hi there, Jessica--

I'm a lurker, but love your writing. Just gave you an award, in fact; come on over & see!