Jessie rolled over and hit the snooze button without thinking. About 2 minutes later, her brain caught up with what day it was and Jessie jumped out of bed. Jessie was excited, tomorrow was the day! No more sleeping in the sleazy motel & taking the bus to work. No more begging for rides to the library to check email and set up the flight information. Jessie was so happy to be moving on, but she still had quite a bit to do before moving out and moving on.
Jessie gathered up some things and went to take a shower. As she turned on the water to let it run until it was hot, she could hear the pipes creaking and knocking. Jessie thought about how this was going to be the last time she had to get ready in this place. She was so glad to be upgrading, but she was going to miss this place. Even though the tiles were discolored, the shower took a long time to heat up and even longer to drain & you had to jiggle the handle to get the toilet to stop running, the place still had a little charm left.
Jessie quickly jumped in the shower & let the warm water run over her for a few seconds before starting her shortened bathing routine. When she was finished, she got out of the shower and stuck her hand down in the murky water to check that the drain was still open. Jessie decided that she would not miss that part of her morning routine. Jessie rinsed her hand and forearm off in the sink and then Jessie started toweling off. After she was sufficiently dried off, Jessie slipped into her underthings and started working on her hair. This was going to be her last day at work and she wanted to go out with a bang. As Jessie finished her hair and started her makeup, her cell phone rang. Checking the caller ID, Jessie hit the talk button and placed the receiver to her ear.
“Hey, Bri!” Jessie answered. It was Brian, one of Jessie's closest friends from work.
“Hey, Girl!” Brian responded back. “So, are you ready to leave that hell hole you've been sleeping in and move on to the big time?” Brian sounded so excited. Jessie tried her best to keep getting ready while on the phone.
“I am so glad to get out of here. Between the mystery neighbors that are different every night and the creepy child molesters down the hall, I am fed up with this place.” Jessie found it difficult to but her face on while talking on the phone, so she stopped for a second. “Hey, Bri, I'm gonna have to put you on speaker phone so I can finish getting ready.” Jessie stated as she started to root around in her makeup bag.
“Hey, that's in-be-dee. I've got to finish getting ready myself. I was just calling to see if you were awake and getting around.” Jessie could hear Brian opening an shutting doors while he was talking to her. She could picture him in his fluffy blue “dressing gown” and bunny slippers shuffling around his loft apartment. Jessie had always envied Brian's living quarters, but she was glad that she had chosen to stay in a motel while she was transitioning from one place to the other. Jessie like Brian, but working with him eight hours a day, five days a week along with hanging out a couple of nights a week was already as much of him as she could handle. Even if she wasn't going to see him for a few months, Jessie still didn't want to be sick of him before she left, she felt like that would be a tragedy she couldn't afford.
“Well, I am,” Jessie responded, cheerfully. She could barely contain her excitement. “What time are you getting here?” She questioned.
“Well, hon, you know me. I never leave with things half done. I'll be walking out the door in another couple of hours, minimum. That should put me there around, umm, about 9:30ish?” Jessie chuckled. Brian had never been on time to anyplace but work for the the entire time she had known him. Jessie made a mental note to expect him around 10.
“OK, that's cool. That'll give me enough time to finish packing and grab a snack from the “buffet” in the lobby.” Brian laughed.
“Hey, don't fill up on too many donuts while you're there. We have something special planned for you when we get to the office.” Jessie knew what to expect. Whenever someone left the company she worked for, they always had brunch followed by a cake and a whole string of people who would stop by the person's desk to drop off going away gifts and cards. Usually, the person who was leaving took a half-day and really just spent the day packing their stuff. They only had about 2 hours to do that in anyway, because of all of the other goings on. Jessie had already spent most of the day before getting ready to leave for good. She had spent the day going through files and tossing away scraps of paper that had notes she had written about what she was doing. Jessie had culled her things down to the bare minimum. She just had a few personal items to pack and she would be ready to go.
“OK, Bri, I've GOT to go, though. I need to finish getting ready and then pack. I'll see you around 9:30.” Jessie stated, adding rushed tones to her voice.
“Alright, hun. See you then. Kisses!” Brian exclaimed.
“Kisses!” Jessie replied, chuckling. She would definitely miss him when she left.
After Jessie got off the phone, she continued fixing her makeup and then went to get dressed in her “breakfast clothes”. Jessie had learned to dress down when going to retrieve her breakfast. Between the whistles and the cat-calls, Jessie was tired of being hit on by the creepy people she shared her living quarters with. Jessie quickly rushed down the stairs and grabbed two donuts and a couple of small cartons of milk. The spread was never much, but at least it was something. Jessie stopped to talk to Bianca, the girl at the desk, before returning to her room to eat. Jessie looked at the clock in her room. It was 8:30. Jessie quickly finished her breakfast and gathered up the rest of her things and placed them by the door. Finally, around 9, Jessie changed into her work clothes and touched up her makeup. Looking over herself in the mirror, Jessie took a deep breath. Everything was perfect.
“Yee-haw, boys. Let's git-r-dun,” Jessie whispered to herself as she took one last look in the mirror. There was a knock at the door. Jessie looked at the clock. It was 9:45. “Just a minute!” Jessie yelled as she slipped her shoes on and started walking towards the door. Looking out the peephole, Jessie unfastened the latch and opened the door. “Brian!”
“There's my famous opera singer!” Brian exclaimed as he gave her a hug. “Are you ready to go?”
“I sure am!” Jessie squealed. “Help me with this stuff, will ya.” Jessie handed Brian a couple of suitcases. Brian started towards his car while Jessie went back in the room to grab a couple of other things. Just as Brian got the suitcases arranged in the trunk, Jessie showed up with her other suitcase and a hanging bag. Brian helped load all of the things in the trunk.
10 November 2007
09 November 2007
Days 5 thru 8 - Total 2643 words in total of 5 hours - See main blog for notes
Day 5 - 298 words in 0.25 hours
Jessie went off to find her car. She knew that the conservatory would maintain her car for her, it was part of the deal. But first she wanted to know where they were keeping it.
Excuse me,” Jessie addressed a grounds keeper, “Do you know where the parking garage is?”
“Why, yes I do,” the grounds keeper replied. “But give me just a second and I will get someone to show you.” The grounds keeper pulled out a radio.
“Thank you very much, but you don't have to go to the trouble,” Jessie responded as the grounds keeper pulled out the radio. “I really can follow directions, it's no trouble.”
“No, miss, it's no trouble at all. In fact, they kinda make me do it.” The grounds keeper got on the radio. “Justin, it's Tim. Are you free for a transport?”
“I can do it, whadaya want?” the voice squawked back.
“I have a miss....” Tim started.
“Noshe” Jessie replied, smiling.
“I have a Miss Noshe.” The grounds keeper continued, “that needs transport to the garage. Do you think you could oblige us?” Tim smiled back at Jessie.
“Sure thing, I'll be there as soon as I can. Where's the pickup?” Justin questioned. The signal was strong and clear even though he sounded like he was responding from a tunnel.
“The gardens, stop...” Tim looked around, “Stop E-4. We'll meet you there.”
“Gardens at Edward 4, got it! I'll be there in five.” Justin squawked again. “Justin out.”
“This way, Miss Noshe,” Tim gestured toward the closest bench.
“It's Jessie, please! And thank so much for helping me, Tim.” Jessie smiled again. Timm blushed slightly as he escorted Jessie to the bench.
“Oh, its no big deal, miss, just doing my job.” Tim blushed a little deeper.
-----
Day 6 - 213 words in 0.5 hours
Jessie took a seat between Michael and Jason. She like being there even if both men had their girlfriend seated on the other side of him. Jessie would have liked if either one of the men didn't have his girlfriend there, just so she could openly flirt with him, but that obviously wasn't going to happen tonight. Instead Jessie would have to settle for covert knee squeezes, interlocking pinkie fingers, stolen glances and personal comfort induced arms around her shoulder. All of that action would be performed under the cover of darkness in the movie theater.
Jessie had even paid for this outing. But when she invited each of the men, they asked if they could bring someone along. Jessie didn't want to appear rude, so she consented. She liked the girls well enough, but she like their men more and she hated being the fifth wheel. Jessie still dressed to the nines for this date like it was like any of the others. Just because she couldn't be alone with a man she wanted didn't mean that she could dress like a slob. And who knew, maybe she would meet someone else that was better than these two. At the very least, she could make them think about what they were missing.
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Day 7 - 474 words in 0.75 hours
“So, Tim, how long have you been here?” Jessie questioned to break the tension.
“16 years, miss,” Tim replied quietly, looking at the ground.
“16 years? Wow! I bet you've seen a lot of good performers come out of here in that amount of time.” Jessie studied Tim's demeanor. She thought he looked nervous and a little embarrassed. Jessie thought that Tim was acting like not that many people talked to him.
“Yeah, maybe. I haven't paid that much attention to them.” Tim started looking down the path. He was still red-faced. After he appeared to be satisfied that Justin hadn't arrived yet, Tim went back to looking at the ground. He started to kick at a rock, pushing it around with the toe of his work boot. Tim let out a sigh “Look,” Tim started to say, “you don't have to talk to me. I know that you're just trying to act nice even though you'll probably just make fun of me to your friends later....” He trailed of, looking hurt.
“Whoa! I think you have me confused with somebody else.” Jessie stated, looking worried. “First off. We just met. Second, You don't even know me. And third,” Jessie grabbed Tim's hand and used her other hand to lift his chin so that she could make eye contact. “Third, you have to stop acting like the world is out to get you before you get to know a person.” Tim's whole face turned red as Jessie let go of his chin and hand. He immediately looked back at the ground.
“Grounds crew doesn't mix with the students, miss. That's just the way it is.” Tim started to bump the rock with his toe again. “We just do our job and stay out of the way. That's how the students like it.”
“Well, I don't like it. Everyone deserves to be seen and heard so that they can be recognized.” Jessie stated flatly. “You never know who you might meet and what they might turn out to be.” Tim looked back up to look around again. This time, he looked at Jessie while she continued speaking. “I know that my life has been greatly enriched by the so-called “little people”. They have been more important and nicer to me than most of the big wigs I have met.” Tim shoved his hands in his pockets while Jessie switched her bag to the other shoulder. Jessie smiled as she saw a little bit of questioning in Tim's eyes. “Of course, there are times when knowing the big wigs is helpful, but usually it's just a big pain in the hindquarters.” Jessie smiled while Tim chuckled. Jessie and Tim continued speaking for a couple more minutes until the transport arrived. As soon as the cart stopped, Tim made sure to introduce Jessie to Justin.
-----
Day 8 - 1658 words in 3.5 hours
As the house lights went down, Jessie settled down into her seat. She got to be the designated popcorn holder but there were 2 other bags of popcorn as well. Jessie was excited about this movie in many ways and for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons was because so many of the people she knew and were friends with were voice actors or otherwise involved with this production.
It was her beloved opera Carmen that had been the basis for this film. It was animated and toned down a bit, but she could still recognize so many things in the story. Jessie even thought she saw a couple of her old moves from her productions in the way that the character Carmen was moving. Jessie really wouldn't have been surprised if they had used her as a model in those scenes. She had heard from the friend that helped with the score that they had reviewed both of the productions where she had played Carmen.
One of the other things that was quite odd was that she had worked with both of the male actors who were the singing voices for the male leads. Johnny had been in the first production with her and Peter had been in the second production. One of the minor female characters was the woman who had played Micaëla in the Second production. All of Jessie's friends who worked on this movie swore that they had campaigned for her to be cast as Carmen, but the studio and the director both wanted a better known actress/singer to play the part so that they could “go in another direction” with the part.
Both the studio and the director also decided that Jessie's voice was “too strong” to be in the chorus. That wasn't the first time that Jessie had heard either of those rejections before. She had a big resonant voice that carried well over both opera houses as well as microphones. It was very distinctive and very much classical sounding. She could sing in the pop/rock style that they wanted, but it really only sounded right in the lower range of her voice. That range was more developed and she was more flexible with it.
Besides, she had just been accepted to the conservatory and her contract expressly forbid work outside of “pre-approved” locations and classes. Even though chorus work is usually reasonable, working more than 50 miles from the conservatory was not, let alone the fact that a principle part in any production is considered unacceptable and is grounds for dismissal.
As the opening scenes started with truncated versions of the famous overture followed by a shortened spoken scene of the first song. The first scene was followed by shortened version of Chorus of Urchins which rolled into the factory girls chorus. Jessie was on the edge of her seat all through that song because she knew that the next song would be her favorite, the Habanera. As the music transitioned into Carmen's entrance, the hairs on Jessie's arms stood on end. As Carmen appeared on screen and started the song, Jessie was more than disappointed with the director's choice of actress for the part. While she enjoyed what her friend had done to arrange the music and “update” it, Jessie also laughed as she heard the vocal arrangement and lyrics; they were the same English lyrics with the same base melody that she had performed so many times before. The saddest part of the whole thing was hearing the performer butcher the setting so terribly. The poor girl obviously didn't have Jessie's vocal range or talents and that required resetting the key in a couple of choice spots.
As Jessie listened, though, she was already sure that this version would be a hit. It was the perfect blend of pop styling with hard rock underpinnings and classical flair. She would love to re-record a version of this arrangement so she made a mental note to call Jim for a proper copy of the straight accompaniment without all of the inter-vocal key changes although she also made a note to request it in all three keys that the piece had to be transposed into as well as a possible copy with a single key change near the end just to shake things up. As Jessie was contemplating future recordings, record deals and rock star status, Michael leaned over and whispered into Jessie's ear.
“She's not very good, is she?” Michael questioned in hushed tones that sent shivers down Jessie's spine as his breath made contact with her ear. “I mean even I could have done a better job of singing that song. At least it would have been all in the same key.” Jessie could detect a bit of a chuckle in Michael's voice has he referred to his singing ability. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't really good either. Sure, Michael was probably better than 75% of the general populous, but that wasn't a difficult feat. He didn't suck, but he wouldn't be getting a recording contract any time soon. Michael's singing was more suited to the shower and karaoke night at the local pub. Jessie had heard Michael sing in both instances. There was a reason Michael was a dance Padrone and not a voice one.
“Yeah,” Jessie responded, “her range is limited, so that led to problems when working to arrange the music. The way she sings this piece makes it near impossible for most orchestral studio musicians to play live. They actually had to record the instruments in three different keys and then digitally cut them together to mix with the singer's vocals. It took them an additional month just to get everything to blend properly before they could even lay down the rehearsal track for the singer. It took her six months to learn the basic melody and another three months to learn the scant few embellishments she sang.” Jessie took a breath and then continued, “that's why you'll hear some of the most popular embellishments reflected in the instrumental score. She just couldn't learn them in time.” Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Michael briefly returned to watching the movie before leaning over to say something to Jennifer. Shortly after Jessie ended her interlude with Michael, she felt Jason place his arm around her shoulders. Jason reached up and softly caressed her cheek before gently pressing her head towards his. His move reminded her of the way Jason sometimes caressed his microphone while on stage.
“So, that song was really cool,” Jason whispered. He, too, send shivers down Jessie's spine. Not only was his breath making contact with Jessie's ear, she could also feel it on her neck which gave her a bigger thrill. “It's nearly impossible to play though, those key changes are tough. Plus, I don't think this was a very good song for her. She isn't vocally flexible enough to execute it properly.” Jason took his hand off of Jessie's face but left his arms around his shoulders. As Jessie turned her face towards his, their eyes briefly locked each other's gaze and they rested their foreheads against each other. Jessie broke the eye contact and positioned her mouth next to his ear.
“It had to be digitally mixed before she even started to learn it. And then it took her nine months to learn what she ended up recording. Jim, the guy that I'm friends with that did some of the mixing and arranging, actually had me in mind when writing this setup. You can hear all of my embellishments reflected in the instruments. He did that because the girl could barely sing the melody straight, let alone dressing it up.” Jessie swallowed hard and breathed in Jason's ear a bit before continuing. “It's OK, though. Jim said that a couple of the studio execs wants me to record a more standard version so that they can listen to it when they work out or when they're driving. Can't you just picture my vocals over a techno beat?” Both Jessie and Jason giggled at the though of middle-aged Jewish gentlemen jazzercising to Jessie's vocals. Eventually both of them turned their attention back to the movie. Jason left his arm around Jessie for at least 10 minutes after the end of their conversation. Eventually he moved his arm, but not before he squeezed Jessie's shoulder as he retracted the limb back so that he could hold his girlfriend's hand.
By the end of the movie, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed, the group was ready to get up and stretch their legs. Jessie suggested a stroll through the park before they headed to the bar for a little dancing and pool. As they walked through the spring air, Jessie started to sing the English version of the “Habanera” in a key that set the melody lower. As Jessie got a few bars in, both Michael and Jason started to hum along. By the time they got to the end of the first verse before they got to the chorus, all five of them were singing at the top of their lungs. By the middle of the chorus, they were all laughing and having a good time. Jessie decided that having the girls along might not really be that big of a deal after all.
Eventually they got to the bar. By the time they got there they were in a really good mood. They ordered some greasy food and had a really good time dancing and playing pool and darts. There were even a couple of cute guys there that totally hit on Jessie. She exchanged info with them, but they were so drunk it really didn't matter. Jessie was sure that they probably wouldn't contact her after they sobered up and checked her profile on MySpace. It was no big deal, they were not her type anyway.
Jessie went off to find her car. She knew that the conservatory would maintain her car for her, it was part of the deal. But first she wanted to know where they were keeping it.
Excuse me,” Jessie addressed a grounds keeper, “Do you know where the parking garage is?”
“Why, yes I do,” the grounds keeper replied. “But give me just a second and I will get someone to show you.” The grounds keeper pulled out a radio.
“Thank you very much, but you don't have to go to the trouble,” Jessie responded as the grounds keeper pulled out the radio. “I really can follow directions, it's no trouble.”
“No, miss, it's no trouble at all. In fact, they kinda make me do it.” The grounds keeper got on the radio. “Justin, it's Tim. Are you free for a transport?”
“I can do it, whadaya want?” the voice squawked back.
“I have a miss....” Tim started.
“Noshe” Jessie replied, smiling.
“I have a Miss Noshe.” The grounds keeper continued, “that needs transport to the garage. Do you think you could oblige us?” Tim smiled back at Jessie.
“Sure thing, I'll be there as soon as I can. Where's the pickup?” Justin questioned. The signal was strong and clear even though he sounded like he was responding from a tunnel.
“The gardens, stop...” Tim looked around, “Stop E-4. We'll meet you there.”
“Gardens at Edward 4, got it! I'll be there in five.” Justin squawked again. “Justin out.”
“This way, Miss Noshe,” Tim gestured toward the closest bench.
“It's Jessie, please! And thank so much for helping me, Tim.” Jessie smiled again. Timm blushed slightly as he escorted Jessie to the bench.
“Oh, its no big deal, miss, just doing my job.” Tim blushed a little deeper.
-----
Day 6 - 213 words in 0.5 hours
Jessie took a seat between Michael and Jason. She like being there even if both men had their girlfriend seated on the other side of him. Jessie would have liked if either one of the men didn't have his girlfriend there, just so she could openly flirt with him, but that obviously wasn't going to happen tonight. Instead Jessie would have to settle for covert knee squeezes, interlocking pinkie fingers, stolen glances and personal comfort induced arms around her shoulder. All of that action would be performed under the cover of darkness in the movie theater.
Jessie had even paid for this outing. But when she invited each of the men, they asked if they could bring someone along. Jessie didn't want to appear rude, so she consented. She liked the girls well enough, but she like their men more and she hated being the fifth wheel. Jessie still dressed to the nines for this date like it was like any of the others. Just because she couldn't be alone with a man she wanted didn't mean that she could dress like a slob. And who knew, maybe she would meet someone else that was better than these two. At the very least, she could make them think about what they were missing.
-----
Day 7 - 474 words in 0.75 hours
“So, Tim, how long have you been here?” Jessie questioned to break the tension.
“16 years, miss,” Tim replied quietly, looking at the ground.
“16 years? Wow! I bet you've seen a lot of good performers come out of here in that amount of time.” Jessie studied Tim's demeanor. She thought he looked nervous and a little embarrassed. Jessie thought that Tim was acting like not that many people talked to him.
“Yeah, maybe. I haven't paid that much attention to them.” Tim started looking down the path. He was still red-faced. After he appeared to be satisfied that Justin hadn't arrived yet, Tim went back to looking at the ground. He started to kick at a rock, pushing it around with the toe of his work boot. Tim let out a sigh “Look,” Tim started to say, “you don't have to talk to me. I know that you're just trying to act nice even though you'll probably just make fun of me to your friends later....” He trailed of, looking hurt.
“Whoa! I think you have me confused with somebody else.” Jessie stated, looking worried. “First off. We just met. Second, You don't even know me. And third,” Jessie grabbed Tim's hand and used her other hand to lift his chin so that she could make eye contact. “Third, you have to stop acting like the world is out to get you before you get to know a person.” Tim's whole face turned red as Jessie let go of his chin and hand. He immediately looked back at the ground.
“Grounds crew doesn't mix with the students, miss. That's just the way it is.” Tim started to bump the rock with his toe again. “We just do our job and stay out of the way. That's how the students like it.”
“Well, I don't like it. Everyone deserves to be seen and heard so that they can be recognized.” Jessie stated flatly. “You never know who you might meet and what they might turn out to be.” Tim looked back up to look around again. This time, he looked at Jessie while she continued speaking. “I know that my life has been greatly enriched by the so-called “little people”. They have been more important and nicer to me than most of the big wigs I have met.” Tim shoved his hands in his pockets while Jessie switched her bag to the other shoulder. Jessie smiled as she saw a little bit of questioning in Tim's eyes. “Of course, there are times when knowing the big wigs is helpful, but usually it's just a big pain in the hindquarters.” Jessie smiled while Tim chuckled. Jessie and Tim continued speaking for a couple more minutes until the transport arrived. As soon as the cart stopped, Tim made sure to introduce Jessie to Justin.
-----
Day 8 - 1658 words in 3.5 hours
As the house lights went down, Jessie settled down into her seat. She got to be the designated popcorn holder but there were 2 other bags of popcorn as well. Jessie was excited about this movie in many ways and for many reasons. One of the biggest reasons was because so many of the people she knew and were friends with were voice actors or otherwise involved with this production.
It was her beloved opera Carmen that had been the basis for this film. It was animated and toned down a bit, but she could still recognize so many things in the story. Jessie even thought she saw a couple of her old moves from her productions in the way that the character Carmen was moving. Jessie really wouldn't have been surprised if they had used her as a model in those scenes. She had heard from the friend that helped with the score that they had reviewed both of the productions where she had played Carmen.
One of the other things that was quite odd was that she had worked with both of the male actors who were the singing voices for the male leads. Johnny had been in the first production with her and Peter had been in the second production. One of the minor female characters was the woman who had played Micaëla in the Second production. All of Jessie's friends who worked on this movie swore that they had campaigned for her to be cast as Carmen, but the studio and the director both wanted a better known actress/singer to play the part so that they could “go in another direction” with the part.
Both the studio and the director also decided that Jessie's voice was “too strong” to be in the chorus. That wasn't the first time that Jessie had heard either of those rejections before. She had a big resonant voice that carried well over both opera houses as well as microphones. It was very distinctive and very much classical sounding. She could sing in the pop/rock style that they wanted, but it really only sounded right in the lower range of her voice. That range was more developed and she was more flexible with it.
Besides, she had just been accepted to the conservatory and her contract expressly forbid work outside of “pre-approved” locations and classes. Even though chorus work is usually reasonable, working more than 50 miles from the conservatory was not, let alone the fact that a principle part in any production is considered unacceptable and is grounds for dismissal.
As the opening scenes started with truncated versions of the famous overture followed by a shortened spoken scene of the first song. The first scene was followed by shortened version of Chorus of Urchins which rolled into the factory girls chorus. Jessie was on the edge of her seat all through that song because she knew that the next song would be her favorite, the Habanera. As the music transitioned into Carmen's entrance, the hairs on Jessie's arms stood on end. As Carmen appeared on screen and started the song, Jessie was more than disappointed with the director's choice of actress for the part. While she enjoyed what her friend had done to arrange the music and “update” it, Jessie also laughed as she heard the vocal arrangement and lyrics; they were the same English lyrics with the same base melody that she had performed so many times before. The saddest part of the whole thing was hearing the performer butcher the setting so terribly. The poor girl obviously didn't have Jessie's vocal range or talents and that required resetting the key in a couple of choice spots.
As Jessie listened, though, she was already sure that this version would be a hit. It was the perfect blend of pop styling with hard rock underpinnings and classical flair. She would love to re-record a version of this arrangement so she made a mental note to call Jim for a proper copy of the straight accompaniment without all of the inter-vocal key changes although she also made a note to request it in all three keys that the piece had to be transposed into as well as a possible copy with a single key change near the end just to shake things up. As Jessie was contemplating future recordings, record deals and rock star status, Michael leaned over and whispered into Jessie's ear.
“She's not very good, is she?” Michael questioned in hushed tones that sent shivers down Jessie's spine as his breath made contact with her ear. “I mean even I could have done a better job of singing that song. At least it would have been all in the same key.” Jessie could detect a bit of a chuckle in Michael's voice has he referred to his singing ability. He wasn't bad, but he wasn't really good either. Sure, Michael was probably better than 75% of the general populous, but that wasn't a difficult feat. He didn't suck, but he wouldn't be getting a recording contract any time soon. Michael's singing was more suited to the shower and karaoke night at the local pub. Jessie had heard Michael sing in both instances. There was a reason Michael was a dance Padrone and not a voice one.
“Yeah,” Jessie responded, “her range is limited, so that led to problems when working to arrange the music. The way she sings this piece makes it near impossible for most orchestral studio musicians to play live. They actually had to record the instruments in three different keys and then digitally cut them together to mix with the singer's vocals. It took them an additional month just to get everything to blend properly before they could even lay down the rehearsal track for the singer. It took her six months to learn the basic melody and another three months to learn the scant few embellishments she sang.” Jessie took a breath and then continued, “that's why you'll hear some of the most popular embellishments reflected in the instrumental score. She just couldn't learn them in time.” Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Michael briefly returned to watching the movie before leaning over to say something to Jennifer. Shortly after Jessie ended her interlude with Michael, she felt Jason place his arm around her shoulders. Jason reached up and softly caressed her cheek before gently pressing her head towards his. His move reminded her of the way Jason sometimes caressed his microphone while on stage.
“So, that song was really cool,” Jason whispered. He, too, send shivers down Jessie's spine. Not only was his breath making contact with Jessie's ear, she could also feel it on her neck which gave her a bigger thrill. “It's nearly impossible to play though, those key changes are tough. Plus, I don't think this was a very good song for her. She isn't vocally flexible enough to execute it properly.” Jason took his hand off of Jessie's face but left his arms around his shoulders. As Jessie turned her face towards his, their eyes briefly locked each other's gaze and they rested their foreheads against each other. Jessie broke the eye contact and positioned her mouth next to his ear.
“It had to be digitally mixed before she even started to learn it. And then it took her nine months to learn what she ended up recording. Jim, the guy that I'm friends with that did some of the mixing and arranging, actually had me in mind when writing this setup. You can hear all of my embellishments reflected in the instruments. He did that because the girl could barely sing the melody straight, let alone dressing it up.” Jessie swallowed hard and breathed in Jason's ear a bit before continuing. “It's OK, though. Jim said that a couple of the studio execs wants me to record a more standard version so that they can listen to it when they work out or when they're driving. Can't you just picture my vocals over a techno beat?” Both Jessie and Jason giggled at the though of middle-aged Jewish gentlemen jazzercising to Jessie's vocals. Eventually both of them turned their attention back to the movie. Jason left his arm around Jessie for at least 10 minutes after the end of their conversation. Eventually he moved his arm, but not before he squeezed Jessie's shoulder as he retracted the limb back so that he could hold his girlfriend's hand.
By the end of the movie, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed, the group was ready to get up and stretch their legs. Jessie suggested a stroll through the park before they headed to the bar for a little dancing and pool. As they walked through the spring air, Jessie started to sing the English version of the “Habanera” in a key that set the melody lower. As Jessie got a few bars in, both Michael and Jason started to hum along. By the time they got to the end of the first verse before they got to the chorus, all five of them were singing at the top of their lungs. By the middle of the chorus, they were all laughing and having a good time. Jessie decided that having the girls along might not really be that big of a deal after all.
Eventually they got to the bar. By the time they got there they were in a really good mood. They ordered some greasy food and had a really good time dancing and playing pool and darts. There were even a couple of cute guys there that totally hit on Jessie. She exchanged info with them, but they were so drunk it really didn't matter. Jessie was sure that they probably wouldn't contact her after they sobered up and checked her profile on MySpace. It was no big deal, they were not her type anyway.
04 November 2007
Day 4 - 2562 words in 4.25 hours - see the main blog for updates
“I can't believe I get to use all this space!” Jessie exclaimed as she spun around in the middle of the room like a small child in the middle of a field. She stopped after spinning a couple of times and sat down in the middle of the floor. Jessie felt like the luckiest girl in the world.
--
Jessie was nervous. She knew she wanted to be here, but she was so concerned about this interview and audition. It had been a while since she had to audition for anything and she had never had to try out in front of so many people. Sure, she had performed in front of thousands of people, but she never had to perform for so many people that could make or break her future career. As she stood waiting in the wings for her chance to go out in front of the crowd, she could remember her very first time on a stage this size. She was in middle school and she was in a choral group. Her first solo on a stage had been a couple of weeks later when she went to her recital. She wasn't singing then, but she still was out there.
As Jessie watched the other performers, she was certain that she would be seeing some of them again there at the school. Everyone at this audition was probably accepted, the big question was which program they would get into. Jessie had originally signed up for the summer program, but even the person who called her to set up this audition and get her here started talking about bigger and better things. There were rumors of her getting into the “Intensità” program and staying on year round for a couple of years so that she would be ready for the “big time;” life with one of the largest opera companies on the East Coast followed by a promising solo career. The same people were also talking about this audition for the school just being a platform for one of the professional companies to recruit those who were “the best.” Jessie knew better than to think that a professional company would come here to directly recruit. The big companies would want someone who they could be sure would be able to learn the parts and the nuances that went with them. Raw talent had it's place, but the refinement of a good education made superstars.
“Next to audition, we have Jessica Noshe of Tulsa, Oklahoma,” Jessie started walking to the middle of the stage as the announcer continued. “Jessica was with the Indian Nation Opera company for 4 years. Most recently Jessica has performed with the Fort James opera company and was their principle women's mid to low voice performer. Miss Noshe will be performing the “Habanera” from Bizet's 'Carmen'.” Jessie stood in the middle of the stage waiting for the familiar opening notes of the piece. As the music started, she let everything else fade away to focus on the performance. Just as she let the stage lights block out the audience, her cue came and she started to sing:
“L'amour est un oiseau rebelle
que nul ne peut apprivoiser,
et c'est bien en vain qu'on l'appelle,
s'il lui convient de refuser.
Rien n'y fait, menace ou prière,
l'un parle bien, l'autre se tait:
Et c'est l'autre que je préfère,
Il n'a rien dit mais il me plaît.
L'amour! L'amour! L'amour! L'amour!
“L'amour est enfant de Bohème,
il n'a jamais, jamais connu de loi;
si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime:
si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!
si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!”
Jessie really got into the music, remembering all the times she had performed the song. She naturally performed the way she had with the Indian Nation company. This had been her first lead role years ago, but she could remember every bit of blocking as if she had just rehearsed it yesterday. Jessie continued:
“L'oiseau que tu croyais surprendre
battit de l'aile et s'envola ...
l'amour est loin, tu peux l'attendre;
tu ne l'attends plus, il est là!
Tout autour de toi, vite, vite,
il vient, s'en va, puis il revient ...
tu crois le tenir, il t'évite,
tu crois l'éviter, il te tient.
L'amour! L'amour! L'amour! L'amour!
“L'amour est enfant de Bohème,
il n'a jamais, jamais connu de loi;
si tu ne m'aimes pas, je t'aime:
si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!
si je t'aime, prends garde à toi!”
After Jessie finished the piece, she snapped out of her performance state of mind and took her bow. A stage hand brought out a stool and a microphone for the interview portion and Jessie took the items with a smile and a “thank you.” As Jessie took her seat, the interview began.
“Good day, Miss Noshe. My name is Aaron Turing. I am the Dean of Admissions here at Senesino Conservatory. To my right is Mrs Harriet Kingston. She is the head of our Vocal Music Department. On my left we have Mister Jack Harbison, the Chairman of the Patroni Board and Coordinator for the Donatori. The rest of the faculty is seated behind us and behind them are the patroni and the donatori, the patrons and donors for the school. I do have just a few questions for you, so let's get started.” Mr Turing's voice was deep, but not too much so. Jessie found it very soothing and it out her at ease even in front of so many people. “First off, Miss Noshe, I have to say that I am very impressed. I think that most everyone here agrees with me on that point.”
“Thank you,” Jessie quickly replied into the microphone.
“I also noticed that you appeared to be blocking the scene as if you were performing the opera itself. I notice that you have listed performing that role in your resume a couple of times as well as several other roles.” There was a slight rustling of papers as a couple of the faculty members shifted in their seats. One younger man a couple of rows back leaned forward to look at a sheet of paper. “Why did you choose this piece in particular?”
“This is probably one of my favorite pieces,” Jessie started. “The first time I performed this piece, I was 16 and my voice instructor chose the piece for me. I recognized the tune immediately, I used to love to play the song off of one of my father's vinyl records. I spent a month learning the straight version of the melody and another 2 months after that learning the flourishes. It took another month after all that to learn the French lyrics because I had been using the English ones. I then spent another two months re-learning the French lyrics because I was not using the proper pronunciation and I had to sync them up with the melody.” Jessie smiled as she was explaining, she could hear a chuckle from a few of the audience members as she was describing the situation. She often got that response when telling the story. “Finally, after six months, I could sing the song properly. I took that song along with a couple of others to the regional solo competition. It was the only song out of the three that qualified for state competition. I managed to get a medal for it at state as well.” Jessie took a brief pause before continuing.
“About two years after I started working with the Indian Nation company, we put on a production of 'Carmen.' I was originally selected to be the understudy for the the role of Carmen and I was given a smaller role. While we were doing a rehearsal for the understudies, we went over this song. I apparently impressed the director because he had me take the lead role and he gave the role I had to the original girl who was going to be the lead. From that moment until I left the company 2 years after that, I was considered the principle mid to low voice female for the company.” Jessie shifted around in her seat a little bit.
“The second time I performed the role of Carmen was about three years ago. I had just started with the Fort James company and we were getting ready to put on the production. The Fort James company is small and most of us that are in it are usually used for the minor roles or the chorus. The company typically brings in guest artists for the principle roles. I was actually at a production meeting one day when we received news that the our original artist that we had selected for the role was going to be unable to perform with us for personal reasons. This was about a month before opening night. The producers and the director were trying to figure out who they could get on such short notice and they were having trouble coming up with names. I volunteered myself at that point. I already knew the part, so I was a natural choice. I was Carmen to our guest artists' other parts and all went well. We had a lovely three night run and the audience loved it. Every time the company has put on a revue, my performance of the “Habanera” is the most requested piece. I have probably sung this piece over a hundred times, but I've never gotten tired of it, I love it that much.” Mister Turing nodded his head a bit and started to write a few notes. He seems satisfied with the answer.
“Hi, Miss Noshe, I'm Harriet Kingston, head of the vocal music department here at the conservatory. My question for you is what would you consider the ideal performance?” Mrs Kingston leaned forward in her seat a bit. Jessie paused for a moment to think about her answer before speaking.
“My ideal performance,” Jessie repeated as she thought. She took another short pause before continuing. “I think my ideal performance would be one that was well-rehearsed and well planned. There are things that could still go wrong, but an ideal performance and/or an ideal performer can still go on smoothly when there is a problem. The people in the show need to know their parts inside and out, but they still need to be flexible enough to roll with the punches, so to speak. In addition to good performers, a show needs a good crew behind the scenes. I can't count the number of times that a stage hand has saved the show I was in.” Jessie paused for a moment. “I guess, my true ideal performance would be perfect with no mishaps, everything going according to plan. But, since that's not realistic, I'd have to go with a show that appears to be going according to the plan as far as what the audience sees. That would be the best.” Mrs Kingston nodded he head and thanked Jessie before starting to make some notes. Jessie thought that things appeared to be going well. Jessie was completely relaxed as the last person started to speak.
“My name is Jack Harbison and I am the Chairman of the Patroni board and Coordinator for the Donatori. My job is to keep the money coming in to the conservatory. I work with both groups to secure funding for the students that enter this institution. Both groups believe in educating the next generation to carry on this tradition of excellence in our society, so we take an active role in the student selection process.” Mister Harbison pushed his glasses back on to his face. “With that in mind I'd like to ask why you want to be trained here and what you wish to accomplish while you are here.” It seemed more like a statement rather than a question. Jessie took a deep breath before answering.
“Not to brag, but I'm good, you've all heard that. I've been told so many times how good I am. I'm actually pretty humble about it,” Jessie grinned. A couple of the people out in the crowd chucked as well. “I've been told how good I am my entire life and I've been pushed in so many different directions for so long. I always wanted to study music, but some people I know have just considered it a hobby and not worth the time or the expense of study. With that being the case, I had to take a couple of years off to take care of my family. I just got back into music in the last 4 years. Over the course of my time off, I lost some of the control I had along with other skills. Even though I gained the skills back and have improved even more, I know I can be better. Even though every pro I have sung with has said that I could go pro if I applied myself over the next 2 or 3 years, I know that I would be lacking some polish that intense training could provide. I could release a CD and then go sing as a guest artist with small opera companies across the country. But I feel that my time could be spent better by training for a while, going back to the beginning part that I skipped and starting from scratch someplace where I know so few people who know what I can do. I may be older than most of the students that you've seen on this stage, but I am still young as far as the music world is concerned and I have a long way I can go. But without a proper foundation, I won't be going far.
“I originally just signed up for the summer music program, but somebody apparently thought that I should be doing more,” Jessie started. “I have always had people in my life that have thought that I was worth more and could do more than I could ever have planned. If it wasn't for people like that, I wouldn't be here.” Jessie looked out on the group, she had their full attention. “Not to mention that I probably wouldn't have been offered an audition if whomever reviewed my application and thought that I was worth training. I am here because somebody wants me here and wants me to get better than I have ever dreamed I could be. I'm hoping that I won't let that person down and I am hoping that I could look back at the end of my life and see that this moment is the moment that changed the direction of my entire life. I am here because I want to see how far I can go. I want to be in the program because I need to be here for some reason and I want to discover what that reason is and where this journey could lead.” Jessie let out a long sigh. She was hoping that she said something to make them want her.
“Thank you, Miss Noshe,” Mister Turing replied. “We look forward to seeing you at the reception later tonight so that we can get to know you at a more personal level as well as give you an opportunity for you to meet individually with the people here behind me.” Jessie smiled as Mister Turing continued. “We will be getting back to you about your admission status in a few weeks. So, until this evening, have a pleasant afternoon.”
“Thank you,” Jessie replied, “and a good day to all of you as well.” Jessie heard applause as she walked off the stage. She turned to take a look over her shoulder as she was entering the wings. The young man who picked up the sheet of paper stood up along with a couple of others. Jessie suspected that they were taking a short break before the next group. As Jessie left the backstage area, she mentally reviewed the situation. “That went well,” she thought as she headed to the dorm.
Day 3 - 1188 words in 2.25 hours - Check out the main blog for notes
“REGGIE!” Jessie exclaimed as the name finally hit her. Jessie picked up the kitten with both hands and held him in the air. “I shall call you Reggie.” The kitten softly mewed his approval.
------
Jessie examined her surroundings. The room she was in was absolutely massive. She had been given the grande esecutore suite and the main room of said suite was bigger than any place she had ever lived. The great room was 30 feet long and 20 feet wide with ceilings that were 15 feet tall if they were a foot. The east wall of the room had five massive windows that stretched from floor to ceiling and overlooked the picturesque campus gardens. The front door was on the west wall and was closer to the north end of the room. The west wall also had 3 windows that looked out over the courtyard. On the north wall there were 2 doors. The door on the east side of the wall lead to a small guest “water closet” and the door on the west went into the massive bedroom. At the south end of the suite was a set of glass double doors that led into the rehearsal room. The total living space was really unbelievable.
Jessie stood in the middle of the room, taking it all in. Everything was so lush and luxurious, she was afraid to sit on any of it. Jessie started to walk around and look more closely at the pieces. There were two massive sectional sofas arranged around the middle of the room that formed a lovely entertaining area. There were several other couches, love seats, chairs and recliners in small groups around the rooms as well as quite a few tables. Jessie noticed a counter in the southwest corner of the room. Further investigation showed that this was a bar area with a sink and a small refrigerator and ice maker under the counter. On the north wall, there was a modern looking set of glass shelves that contained the components of an entertainment system along with a small container filled with various remote controls. There was also one very modern looking master remote control sitting directly on the shelf. Jessie could identify what looked like a stereo receiver, a cd/dvd player, a cassette deck, a satellite receiver, a VCR, a turntable and a master control box, but she couldn't seem to locate the television screen. In another corner of the room, Jessie noticed a large cabinet. When she walked over to the cabinet and opened the doors, she found a 32” TV with a DVD/VCR combo. Across from the cabinet was a small love seat flanked by small tables and a couple of recliners. When Jessie pointed the remote at the TV and pressed the power button, nothing happened. A few seconds later, she heard the sounds of people talking. When she turned around to see where the sound was coming from, she noticed a large screen coming down out of the ceiling on the south wall.
“Whoa!” Jessie exclaimed as she watched the screen descend from the roof. Jessie was impressed as the projector came on. The picture was really clear and really bright. Jessie looked at the remote a little more and notices a button marked “windows.” A shiver of excitement ran down her spine. After Jessie pressed the button, massive dark shade descended to cover the east windows. “I could get used to this!” Jessie said to the empty room.
Jessie manipulated the remote to turn off the overhead screen and raise the shades. She walked back to the master control center and placed the remote back on the shelf. Jessie headed for the bedroom door to look around in there. When Jessie opened the door, she got goosebumps. The room was 15 feet by 20 feet. There was a cherry wood king-size four poster bed on a platform on the east wall. On either side of the bed were tall, slender cherry wood tables with drawers. There was a matching cherry wood desk in the corner formed from the guest bathroom's intrusion into the space. The desk was “L” shaped with shelves and cabinets over both writing areas. In the interior corner where the two sections met, there was a computer with two 19” flat-screen monitors on either side of the main CPU. The keyboard and the optical mouse, both of which were wireless, were sitting in front of the CPU. There was a corner cabinet above the CPU. When Jessie opened the door to the cabinet, she discovered the printer and the wireless router and also the modem for hi-speed Internet. Jessie made note of the location of the router and the modem so that she could place her external hard drive when her personal belongings arrived the next day.
Jessie continued to walk around the bedroom. As she went through one of the sets of the doors on the north side of the room, she walked into the master bathroom. The room was 10 feet by 12 feet with a spa bathtub and large walk-in shower. There was a second door that lead into the closet. As Jessie stepped through the door, she was shocked by the size of the closet. The room was big enough to have it's own chaise lounger and dressing table. The closet itself was cedar-lined and had bars, shelves and drawers everywhere. There was even a set of rotating shelves in the middle of the floor. There was also a door that exited out into the bedroom. Jessie noticed that the staff had already moved her luggage into the closet. She still had more clothes on the truck, but there was nowhere near enough to even make this room look anything closed to full.
“I think I'm going to have to buy more clothes,” Jessie thought out loud.
Jessie left the closet and walked out of the bedroom to return to the main living area. She walked across the living space to the set of doors on the south side. As she entered the rehearsal room, she quickly looked around. There was another cutout area in the room that contained yet another bathroom on the west. There was a grand piano on the west side of the room as well as a desk with yet another computer. This computer was hooked to an sixteen track mixing board with an electric keyboard, 2 CD players and a dual cassette deck. There was also more than one microphone on stands as well as massive speakers on either side of the desk. The thing that impressed Jessie the most was the quiet. The room was huge, another 20 feet by 20 feet with a 15 foot ceiling, hardwood floors and a mirror on the south wall, but there was no echo as she shut the door or walked across the floor. Her guess was that it was due to the large fabric panels on the top of the walls. They appeared to retract up to the ceiling and they were set at an angle.
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