<p>God works in mysterious ways. In my case, mysterious is quite the understatement! The school informed me they wanted all students to be there at 8:30 am (which for my semester off is like asking me to tweeze my leg hair off.)</p>
<p>The morning of, February 8th, I wake up earlier than the sunrise. And I immediately start prepping: I took a mucinex to make sure I wouldn't have any gunk (which thankfully at first I didn't,) used my new Neti Pot (which actually tends to work for the first three hours until congestion sets in once again,) inhaled steam from a pot, and used some nose spray to help get everything out. That must have been too much! I didn't realize it at the time, but through the ninety minutes it took us to drive down to Miami from maybe 40 miles north in Boca, I found my voice to be very gravelly and rough sounding, not normal. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, we're 20 miles away, and it's 8:40 am. I called the school and they told me "you should have been here at 8:30 and known the rush hour." I didn't know people go to miami from afar! Anyways, we get there...about 9:40 I am shaking of fear that maybe they won't let me audition! I got there too late to sign up for the dance portion of my musical theater audition (so I cancelled that and just stuck with my classical voice audition.)</p>
<p>After many a theory test, aural training, and slugging across the campus for this and that, I was able to warm up. That's when I realized things weren't headed towards cloud 9 :-. </p>
<p>I couldn't hit the high note, etc. etc., so I just tried to make it so that I could showcase my voice if possible, and get out and go to sleep. </p>
<p>Since I got there SOOO late, they gave me a 4:15 audition slot! So I had all the time in the world to just tan if I so chose to (which didn't happen because there was an alligator in the lake where I was going to just plotz.) </p>
<p>Finally, I go inside at 4:00 and take my temperature, not feeling so great. It's 102. Wondaful!! It always happens that things like this should come on an audition day; a day that decides your fate--will you get in? or will you not?</p>
<p>4:10, the very personable judges call me in. They really were all that I could've asked for! Really nice, asking lots of questions. Then they informed me I would be videotaped, which...further enhanced my adrenaline. I start my first song, my nerves and sickness kind of make things difficult, and I feel my face twitching! I don't know why I twitch every time I get nervous! </p>
<p>There was one part where I remember in the second song (nel cor piu non mi sento) when I was going to emote and sound mad, frustrated, I ended up cracking because of my rebellious voice. And, well, the emotions didn't come through well. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, the entire time I'm there I completely forgot I was being videotaped, and noticed the judges never looked up at me once. So I kind of laxed my performance...and wouldn't you know it the second I was done I realized I totally screwed up as the last judge turned off the camera. </p>
<p>Five minutes after I finished the audition I felt completely better, no fever...How does this happen?? But, I stood outside the door and listened to the last few auditioners--they were excellent: healthy, great tone, timbre, so I left feeling a little underconfident.</p>
<p>But you know what? If I don't get in, I got some experience in. I learned at least you can only do SO much and then it gets obsessive! And...peanut butter apparently is a HORRIBLE thing to have before an audition (tip #411)</p>
<p>Now all I have to do is wait till march...maybe the "mystery" will be cleared up! And...maybe I'll get in? Who knows. All I know is I am not even close to being done with auditions yet.</p>