Audition weekend

Hello pups,

So this past weekend, December 4-7 I went to NYC to audition for some YAPs and got to spend some wonderful quality time with an old friend, Ms. Nora Graham-Smith. Nora and I are like peas in a pod; the type of friends who after not seeing each other for years, can pick things right back up from where they stopped and it's as if I had just said goodbye yesterday.
She's quite lovely and it was the highlight of my weekend. Not to sound cliche, but I really believe that we need our friends like we need air to breathe. I have seen too many people become absolutely miserable because they are alone with no one to share life with.

I arrived in NYC on Thursday night and slept over at Nora's apartment. The next morning, I was due at NOLA studio in NYC at around 10:20am. Luckily, due to my work schedule I'm used to getting up around 6am, so as much as I tried, I really couldn't sleep past 7am before I had to be up and moving around. I arrived at NOLA and to my surprise, I saw an old friend, who I took to a high school dance, Ted Federle. Now married, Ted is doing well and is still the same passionate, talented guy I remember from back in the day at May Festival Youth Chorus in Cincinnati. While chatting with Ted, another singer friend from CCM, Liz Bouk arrived and I haven't seen her since 2005 at least! She looked exactly the same, her lovely blonde hair reflecting the color of her blue dress, but she's PREGNANT! WOW! And due in FEB!
It was so bittersweet! I just love seeing how happy and accomplished my friends are becoming and I realize that there is hope for all of us! The world is indeed big enough for all of us to make of it what we can! I felt so inspired!

My audition itself felt a little tired, and my feet were shaking (Whatever THAT's about?!) and after singing, Liz and I grabbed some coffee and caught up on our lives.
I met up with Nora and that evening ended up back at NOLA where I crashed my first audition and it was the best I have ever sang in my life!! I think it has to do with the fact that I was wearing Yoga pants and flats. Note to self: wear more comfortable clothes to sing in. It made a WORLD of difference in the sound quality, breath support, confidence, ..the list goes on.

After doing some shopping on Saturday, Nora and I got tickets courtesy of a friend of mine to see "White Christmas" at the Marriott Marquee in Times Square. It was DIVINE! So fun!

Overall, it was a FANTASTIC trip and I hope to visit Nora in NYC again very soon.
Until later, puppies.... :)