And just like that the first month of the year is over! The past four weeks flew by. I spent the first week spending time with my family in Texas. One of my favorite memories from the first week of January was helping my Mom in her classroom. My mom is a fantastic teacher. She is loving, patient, and firm towards her class. Getting to see her in her element makes me so happy! I played basketball, did crafts, and read Junie B. Jones to her kids. After a long day of teaching, my mom and I had barbecue and then watched A Marriage Story.
The next week I went back to school, turned 21, and started classes. Some highlights from the past 3 weeks of classes include: filming audition videos for summer-stocks, taking my first chemistry test, starting rehearsals for A Gentleman’s Guide (I really enjoy swinging), and putting together my Junior Cabaret set.
If I could go back in time and give Hannah in the past advice this month I would tell her this:
Dance Advice: “Think about your posture throughout the day, not just during dance. Push yourself to dance more full out that you believe you are capable of. Fail big so that teachers know how to correct your technique. If you dance small, because you are afraid of messing up, people won’t know how to help you. Find the layers in your movement.”
Voice Advice: “Plan out what songs you need to print each week ahead of time. There is no value in printing out sheet music right before a voice lesson. Think about how you use your voice throughout the day, not just while practicing singing. Energize throughout the entire phrase, don’t stop halfway through”
Audition Advice: “Come up with a goal for each audition. The goal shouldn’t ever be to book the show. The goal should be something specific about your performance. For instance, I want to stay present throughout my whole 16 bar cut. Always measure your success based on an attainable goal rather than whether or not you booked the show. There will be far more rejections than acceptances. It doesn’t matter if you get the part or not. Think of an audition as a performance! Enjoy each performance, be proud of your work, embrace your imperfections, and move forward”
Goal for February: **focus on posture / vocal habits throughout the day ** ; 15 minutes of arm workouts a day ; cut out dairy for the voice and eat vegetables with lunch and dinner
Books Read this month:
Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life by Jane Sherron De Hart
Movies watched this month:
Parasite
Kill Bill Vol. 1
The One Hundred Foot Journey