Getting Ready For The Voice

Being that I have a little adventure happening this weekend, I figured I'd reopen this blog...at least for a bit. I leave tomorrow for "The Voice" Open Auditions that will be held in Chicago over the weekend. I thought it would be fun to let you in on my "pre-audition" prep work.

#1 - Check NBCTheVoice.com regularly. This ended up working in my favor! After checking a gazillion times, I realized that I could sign up for the AFTERNOON session, so I don't have to show up at 7:00 AM ready to sing. That is so wrong for me in so many different ways.

#2 - Decide what songs to sing. This includes staying after work at the radio station to record myself singing, then emailing mP3s to some trusted friends. Reading blogs about audition pieces. Then singing a few selections for a few special people. Making up my mind. Changing my mind. Singing for other people. Making up my mind. Changing my mind. REPEAT. HOW DID I PICK MY SONGS? I went round and round and round on which to song to prepare for the a capella round. Everything from country, to Disney, to Broadway, to pop, to church music. I got great input from many different folks. I chose Schubert's "Ave Maria" because I got paid $125 for singing that at one funeral recently. If it's worth $125 for a funeral, perhaps it will be good for this too! I also had confirmation from others about this. My second song is "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack. I chose this song because AVON did a voice competition a few years back, which I considered entering, but didn't. You had to make a video of yourself singing 30 seconds of either "I Hope You Dance" or "Wind Beneath My Wings." I learned the song back then, but didn't enter. I figure if that song was chosen for auditioning, perhaps it shows off different parts of the voice that a judge would want to hear. I stay on pitch during the song and sound pretty good at it. My youngest has been a tremendous help in choosing because she is not afraid to tell me if it was terrible!

 #3 - Decide what to wear. The audition guidelines say to dress in a way that "represents you as an artist." Um...I'm billing myself as a funeral singer who works at a talk radio station. I considered station apparel at one point, but decided on a dress instead.

#4 - Train. This is probably too little, too late, but I started taking advantage of my new gym membership. I've been walking every day this week and one day last week.

#5 - Drink lots and lots of water.

#6 - Get my nails done. Ha! This is silly and I don't have great nails, but a little professional shimmer makes me feel pretty. I got a pedicure too! Not like anyone is going to see my toes, but a little relaxing and pampering was nice.

 #7 - Do laundry. When I wore the dress I chose for the audition the other day, Bill commented that he had never seen it before. I wear it to church a lot, but he has been working on weekends for a while. He commented that he hadn't even seen it come through the wash. That's because I wear it for an hour, then hang it up when I get home. I decided that I should make sure it is clean for the big day. ;-)

 The BIGGEST things that I have been doing is praying. I am praying novenas to St. Blaise, St. Cecilia and Our Mother Mary - Miraculous Medal. I have a candle lit at the Mary statue and at the Joseph statue at my parish. I went to Adoration for a little while this afternoon. Fr. Richard Watson gave me a special blessing after Mass on Sunday. I discovered that there is a St. Cecilia Catholic Church near my hotel in Chicago that has a Saturday morning Mass. I may have to get myself up to go to that!