The last week before our first show, our vocal coach came in the whole week and literally whipped us into shape. It was exhausting and liberating. We revamped our glee ending song as we dubbed it. The cast ran through the play a couple of times and tied up any loose ends. I know well be ready for our performance.

By the end of Friday’s rehearsal I felt more confident that we were prepared for our first performance. With the help from our acting coach and our vocal trainer, we were able to straighten out whatever issues that remained to be fixed. The fact that we had a full cast at rehearsal helped a lot also because we were able to flow more and everyone could put their all into whatsoever role(s) they had in the production. I’m happy with everyone’s improvements thus far, and I’m also proud to be a part of EG. I can see that we are all becoming closer together, and over time I know it will develop into a closer tight-knitted group.

I believe it does a lot for the cast’s confidence when our vocal coach is honest with us. She doesn’t give us a sense of false hope or flattery when we don’t sound on point, but rather with professionalism she devotes the time into each person to make us sound melodious. It’s people like her that help to elevate us to elevate others. 

As performers it is important to believe in what we are doing in order for it to be as affective and believable as possible. Once you are able to fully embody your character it makes all the difference in making it a stellar performance. This week our vocal trainer really worked on teaching us the importance of using our bodies to make our voices louder. In our warm up we focused on expressing several emotions with dialogue, and being sure to use our bodies to put into words what we were feeling. The dialogue we used in our warm up was: “When you sing you raise your eyebrows, project your voice and smile.” Therefore, it was important for us to make sure we clearly expressed ourselves because the dialogue was neutral meaning, it didn’t give any suggestions/ hints as to what emotions to feel. The emotions we worked on this week were: angry, sad, happy, and mixed emotions. Seeing everyone in the cast give their take on each particular emotion was helpful to me. After each person was done we critiqued each other and found that everyone had their own strength and weakness. I found that I was able to gather key elements of everyone’s strengths in order to improve my character. Also, I appreciate our vocal trainer’s honesty. Generally from hearing us vocally she was able to know what level each person is at in order to train us both individually and collectively. Not everyone is at the same level, or has had the same experiences and for that reason it’s important for everyone to work together, learn from each other and listen to each other. 

I feel extremely blessed to have a director who cares enough to invest in our talents by bringing professionals onboard, such as acting coaches as well as vocal trainers, to help enhance our talents and make us confident in each performance.

Each week I can see that everyone is trying their hardest to put forth their best work at rehearsals, which only encourages me to continue to do the same. Today I met our vocal trainer for the first time. She shared a bit of her background with us, and reassured us that in the months to come she will help to further tune our talents, which is something I definitely need. I believe there is always room for improvement no matter how good a person may “think” they are. In addition, the vocal coach also shared some vital information with us about the basic knowledge of vocal training. Like how to take care of our voices, breathing techniques and exercises, vocal range, and the difference between full voice and head voice (falsetto). After our vocal warm ups were complete I was beginning to feel more prepared to be a stronger performer in this production. When we started working on the song “Man In the Mirror”, our vocal coach delegated parts for individuals to do in the song. I felt like each part that was assigned was appropriate for that person; it gives each person a chance to shine in their own way. I’m very hopeful to see the improvements that will be made within our cast by the end of this week. If we could do so much in one rehearsal there’s no telling how much we can accomplish by the time we hit the stage for our first performance.

After receiving notes from our vocal and drama instructors, I feel more confident and comfortable. I enjoy receiving feedback from my mentors and peers because I know it will make me a better artist. Even if I disagree with an opinion, I can always appreciate the observation. The spectators can always see the game better than the players. This is a fact. I try to put these things into practice and not fall prey to mediocrity. Though perfection may never be attained it is still a good goal. I strive to blur the lines between reality and illusion. One of the most valuable lessons I have learned is that the audience can sense- and will react to- a performance that seems contrived. One can only demand the audience's undivided attention if they deliver a performance that is engaging AND believable. I am learning that subtle connotations can be more effective than exaggeration. Hopefully I am able to utilize these tips in our JVS performance and our other upcoming performances!

Although I understand the causes of stress and the toll it takes on one's overall health, a first-hand experience drives the point home. I've realized that as much as I believe that I can separate certain areas of my life, they will overlap. It is extremely important to make yourself a priority. Without physical and mental health, it is very difficult to be productive. It is easy to become overwhelmed and lose your ability to focus. Sometimes the best thing you can do for yourself is to do absolutely NOTHING except take a moment to BREATHE. When you feel more relaxed you can return to your tasks with clarity and renewed optimism. This tactic has worked for me. When I'm not distracted my performance improves drastically. I hope to use this knowledge as a basis for growth

Practice makes perfect! When I first attempted to tackle my lines and the character that was assigned to me I was a little apprehensive, because it was new and different, and to be honest I do not have that much acting training/experience. When I ran through my lines out loud the first few times, I sounded robotic and complacent. I was in my comfort zone. But then I began to listen and observe my fellow casts members run through their lines. I was blown away by their talent. So I said to myself, "Hey I want to be better!" So I went home and practiced. I went through my lines slowly, visualized how the words made me think and feel and then said my lines with intention using my whole self not just my voice. The next time I went to rehearsal and did my lines, I received a different reaction from the cast. I could tell they were pleased with my improvement and they were proud of me, which made me feel great and made me want to continue to be better. I know now that I still have a long way to go, and it's important to keep in mind that you can always improve as an artist. Your performance and skill set needs to grow and change to be an amazing artist, no matter how great you already are. I am ready to change, grow and practice, but I have to say I am proud of myself for improving and realizing some of my potential.

It has been a while since I last sang, well up until about a month ago. Now that I have started again, I can't remember why I stopped! We had an amazing vocal coach come in this past week. She shared a lot of knowledge and her passion of the arts with us. Not only did she enlighten us with her knowledge of how to sing and breathe correctly, she also encouraged us to utilize our acting skills (whole face and body) throughout any type of performance that we do. I feel as though I have learned a lot from the vocal coach this past week, and feel more confident with my vocal skills. While working on a particular song in rehearsal I realized how great we sounded together as a group and that felt really inspiring especially since this EG cast has not been together for that long. I look forward to working with our vocal coach in the future and I am excited to see what she has in store for us.