Hey all you blog readers...I'm baaaacckk! :) This last weekend was very sentimental for all of us as it possibly the last show we all had together. It was Sean's hometown show, which was really exciting anyway, but it might be his last one. He is hopefully going to be at the July 2nd and 4th shows, if he can get those days off from his internship, but he is not positive yet. I'm just feeling bittersweet right now, as I always do this time of year. I am sad that Steph and Sean may not be at our last shows, and that some of the troupe members are moving on next year and not returning. At the same time, however, I cannot wait to have auditions and get the new troupe going. I love having auditions and finding just the right people for our special troupe next year, and then I can't wait to meet them and invite them into our family. So it is very bittersweet...I'll miss the ones who are not coming back, but I can't wait to replace them either. Also, school is almost over which is just amazing. I love learning and everything, but going to class is really a drag and I'll be happy to have a few months off. Not too many though because I am taking summer classes, but oh well. Some time is better than none. Very soon I will be lounging on the terrace every day and going mini-golfing whenever I want (don't judge me, its so fun!), and just basically being outside! Getting tan too...I can't wait to not be pale anymore. Well, I have to get back to studying for finals...if your reading this you should too! We are almost done, woohoo!!

Well we just finished our last show of the '07-'08 school year. We don't have anymore shows until the summer. Our show in Brodhead yesterday was a great success. Brodhead's showchoirs performed first in the 'auditeria', followed by a pasta dinner, and then our show in the gym. It was hard for us, knowing that we won't all be together again for the rest of the school year (even though there are only 2 weeks of school left). It's amazing how close we all get, and how just a couple weeks apart can seem like a lifetime after doing so many shows together just last month. Our closing number, as cheesy as it may sometimes sound, really hits the mark: "We are a family". We really are.

So we had quite the busy weekend! Our show in Wednesday we had the opportunity to perform in the Old Milwaukee Theatre in Milwaukee for the Music Educators National Conference. It was SO incredible to in a performance space of that size (it had a capacity of 4,000!). The coolest thing was that a few weeks ago, my family and I went to see the Lion King in Milwaukee and I didn't realize until about half way into the day that we were PERFORMING in the same venue as the touring company of the Lion King was a few weeks ago! It was an incredible feeling to be up there, knowing I was in the audience in awe of the performers on the same stage a few weeks ago!

Our other shows at the end of the week were very well received. We were in Middleton on Thursday, and although the audience numbers weren't great, those that were there seemed to really enjoy it. Unfortunately, we had to cut a few of the numbers because there were a great number of costume problems and a few of the singer/dancers were starting to become physically exhausted and unable to go onstage. It was definitely a curve ball thrown at our performance, but I think we did a pretty good job of dealing with the issues as they came.
Our break was sooo relaxing on Friday, and very much needed! On Saturday we were in Fort Atkinson, where show choir is a VERY big activity for the high schoolers. We had two opening groups, and they were both very impressive! The choreography seemed somewhat difficult, and the singer/dancers were performing it incredibly well. I also found it very cool that they had a short part in one of the songs where the band was featured. They were VERY great instrumentalists!

Lastly, we had a show in Florence, which is way up in the U.P. Although it was a gym show, I think we performed pretty well. I was talking to Kate Hake, the saxophonist, after the show, and we agreed that this was probably one of the most fun shows we have had all year! It just reminded me of why I am doing this--the performances with some of my best friends in the world is a BLAST!! Overall, I am ready for a few days off, but it was so much fun while it lasted!!

What a long, crazy fun week! I feel like I could go conquer the world right now after doing 7 shows in 9 days. That really was a feat. We didn't have much free time or anything, but at least the time I was spending was with the people I love. We were a pretty sick bunch by the end of it though. Leah, Mal, Elyse, Claire, and myself all managed to get hurt or sick at some point during the week! Ryan M. missed a show as well, so we had to compensate losing all kinds of people. That made it fun and interesting for us though. This week of shows was definitely unlike any other! I'm a little bummed right now because I have to go back to class when I'd rather be asleep, or watching a movie or something. Basically I'd like to be unproductive right now, but reality calls. Back to school, instead of shows. Hopefully this will be a relatively easy week, because I am still sick. I really want to be better for this weekend though, because my parents are coming! I can't wait to see them. They are going to take me out to lunch and everything. Nothing beats a free lunch and some free groceries from Mom and Dad! Well, sadly I must go to class...wish me luck on this whole being sick thing!

Wow, what a crazy weekend. It has been a long time since I have really felt run down but this weekend did it for sure. Friday and Saturday's shows were pretty normal, no big happenings. Saturday morning though, we got to work with Mac Huff on some music for the Music Educators National Conference that we are performing at tomorrow, which was really awesome. He is such a great director and has such a passion for his work. I love meeting people who really believe in what they are doing, musical or not. It is so refreshing, because when we start having lots of shows like this month it is hard sometimes to remember what I love about Singers. Mac Huff, however, reminded me how amazing music can make you and others around you feel, and thats why I love Singers. I really feel like we can make a difference in people's lives and change their mood. It's such a good feeling.

Anywho...I ramble a lot. Sunday's show however in Door County was so much fun. It was a long drive and people were cranky for most of the day, but for some reason whenever the show started we all perked up. I think it was mostly due to the fact that absolutely everything went wrong, which maybe isn't a good thing but it was definitely the comic relief that we all needed. Bailey and Elyse's costumes popped off so we had to reblock on the spot a couple of times which was really funny. Claire and Michael got in mine and Porto's spot in "Chapel" in it resulted in like the funniest experience of my life. I really enjoy those types of shows when even though everything goes wrong, we have fun with it instead of getting all mad. It's really a lot of fun to have all these people with me in the same boat every weekend.

So this was probably the longest and most active weekend I've had in a long time! We had a show in Fond du Lac on Friday, one on Saturday in Waunakee (Robin's hometown), and another yesterday in Door County. It was quite the trek home last night! Needless to say, I slept the entire way home last night!

It was quite the interesting show weekend. Friday's performance went pretty well and the audience LOVED the show! It is so rewarding to hear that uproar at the end of songs--it is definitely the reason I do this!

Saturday's show was a little bit lower energy, but we pulled through in the second half for Robin's home show!
Sunday was probably one of the harder shows of the semester. There were definitely a few costume scares to start off, and for the third show of the weekend plus with the early load time that morning (6:15 AM!), the energy level started to drop a bit. We realized it soon enough, though, and did what we could. Overall, the audience was quite responsive.

Also this weekend we got to work with the nationally renowned song writer, Mac Huff. It was SO awesome to work with someone of that caliber!! We rehearsed the music we will be performing on Wednesday at the MENC performance. The songs are so powerful! I love singing them--I can't wait to hear how we all sound on stage with the other choirs too!

We have another busy weekend coming up--MENC on Wednesday, Middleton on Thursday, Fort Atkinson on Saturday, and a show in the UP on Sunday (we won't be getting back until VERY early on Monday morning!). I will let you know how the next week goes!
Until then...

So we are all trying to get as many tickets sold as possible for the AFCH Benefit show for this Saturday! I think it will be really cool to get the opportunity to perform with one of the acappella groups on campus! I'm really looking forward to it, so I hope our ticket sales are going to work out!! Let's keep up the sales!!

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