"Step Up to the Mic" FREAKOUT!!!

Okay...so I'm TRYING to remember that I'm old, and I'm TRYING to remember that it's just a little contest that, in the grand scheme of things, doesn't mean much, and I'm TRYING to approach the whole thing with a sense of calm, and decorum, but I'M TOTALLY FREAKED OUT ABOUT THE SHOW THIS WEEKEND...!!!!!

Actually, I think I'm okay now, but LAST week was a different story entirely.  Here's how the week played out...

Monday:  FREAKED OUT because I had to go to Maplewood for publicity headshots for the show.  No big deal, except that I just got a BAD haircut, and look like a cross between Eddie Munster and Zippy the Pinhead.  I THINK the shots are fine (haven't seen them yet), but as I was leaving, one of my "competitors" walked in. SERIOUSLY...he's like TWELVE, and had a "faux hawk" (which, in my opinion looks a little STUPID). I THOUGHT about snarling at him, and making a comment like "I'm going to chew you up, spit you out, and stomp on your remains", but didn't think it would be very "sportsmanlike" to do so...

Tuesday:  With headshots out of the way, I was free to FREAK OUT about not having the sheet music.  The audition was 60 seconds of an a capella song, and I didn't figure I'd make it past the audition round, so didn't need to worry that the sheet music didn't exist.  Well, I DID make it through the audition round, and now had NO IDEA where to find the sheet music that I now needed.

After talking to SEVERAL musician friends, I found a LOVELY site called freehandmusic.com, and was THRILLED to find that you can print out the song that you choose in whatever key you need it.  UNFORTUNATELY, I didn't know what key that was, so I spent a GREAT part of Tuesday in our music teacher's room learning about keys and ranges (and something about "if DO is here, RE is here, and SO and LA fall here on the bass and treble cleff") (I have NO idea what she was talking about).

I got the proper key (or keys...I ended up printing the song in FOUR different ones), and now have the sheet music to give to the accompanist.  It's not the EXACT accompaniment, but I'm hoping Joan can "tweak it" a little bit to make it sound like the CD version that I've been practicing with (John Barrowman's "Reflections From Broadway").

Wednesday (actually LATER Tuesday night):  With sheet music printed, cut and pasted (it didn't have the key change that John does on his CD, so I had to cut and paste two versions together), I suddenly had the intense realization that I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!!!

So...Wednesday was spent trying to put things together to look HIP and NOW and MUSICAL.  I MOSTLY ended up looking like a cross between Liberace and Barry Mannilow...NOT what I was going for....so...

I went to Goodwill on Wednesday afternoon and found a couple of suit jackets that looked cool (bought three for a total of $27.00!!!).  I figured that I would wear the jacket with jeans and a cool shirt, but COULDN'T find a cool shirt...tried Kohl's and a couple of other places, and found ONE that I liked, but was still not sure which jacket I wanted to wear, so bought the one I liked (and a pair of shoes, because you might as well take care of the TOTAL outfit, right??!!).

Thursday: I had to go to a coordinators meeting at the Minnesota Dept. of Education, so decided to go to Woodbury after it was over to see what they had at H&M...which ended up being NOTHING, since the Woodbury store only carries GIRL'S clothing.  I stopped in Express Men, but felt like a COMPLETE grandfather, as I was the oldest person in the store, so didn't stay long.

I gave up, and headed to Trader Joes to stock up on goodies...except I didn't get much, because I'm still on this BLASTED diet (although I DO look good, and HAVE lost 15 pounds, so I really can't complain).

Friday:  Duane and I went to the Mall of America (ack!) to continue looking for that shirt.  I went to Express Men (again!), but decided that I didn't CARE if I was the oldest person there...I needed a shirt, and I was going to find one...damn it!

UNFORTUNATELY, I found TWO that I liked.  It's not unfortunate that I found them, but unfortunate that I found that I REALLY like Express Men, because their stuff is EXPENSIVE!!!  Each shirt cost around $60.00 (!!??), but I had a "$30.00 off" coupon, so the bill wasn't as BAD as it could have been...

Here are the two "shirt/jacket possibilities"...leave a "comment" to this post with the one that you like best...

Saturday: In the midst of the computer virus fiasco (see previous blog entry), I had to go to Maplewood to practice with Joan, the accompanist.  I've worked with Joan before, so it's good to have a familiar face involved with this whole crazy thing, but, as I got there another of the competitors (AGAIN...like 19 years old...what the heck??!!) was practicing "Greatest Love of All".  She had a TERRIBLE cold, and was having trouble getting through the song, but, even with a cold, she sounded AWESOME.  Ack!

My turn came, and I did pretty well, but the microphone was set WAY high, and I'm really loud, so it blasted the entire room (no one was there to set the levels).  I only rehearsed with Joan...not the drummer, guitarist, or bass player, so, the first time I work with any of them will be at the performance...no pressure there...!!!!!

I also met another of the competitors (again...like 23) as I was leaving.  I didn't get to hear her sing, but I'm sure she's amazing too.

Ack!  What have I gotten myself into???  There are some REALLY awesome singers in this competition, and I'm, like, 900 years old...ack again!

No worries...I'm REALLY trying to be calm this week, and NOT freak out that a horrible, terrible, sore-throaty cold bug is working it's way through my school (my media secretary even has it...and I'm feeling a little doomed).  I'm taking vitamin C, and "Airborne", and saying LOTS of prayers!!!!

Wish me luck...I probably won't post again until after it's all over, and I'm either a COMPLETE AND UTTER LOSER, or Maplewood's newest STEP UP TO THE MIC star (which will get me a "rock star makeover", 20 hours in a professional recording studio, a "press ready" headshot packet, and an appearance at the "Taste of Maplewood" celebration in August!!!!).