Off the Risers: Life as a Singer (Jake: 9/19/13)
Off the Risers: Life as a Member of The Singers
Jake Watson, tenor
Initial blog posts are always tricky, and rather than swing and miss with a list of choral puns or music nerd jokes, I thought I would, instead, respond preemptively to made-up questions that you have not asked. (And don’t worry, there will be time for puns later.)
‘What in the world is this?’
While I may be tempted to use this blog to practice repartee with myself, my actual hope is to give you a glimpse of what life is like for me as a member of The Singers. This in itself should prove interesting, considering that the words “life” and “The Singers” alternate between being synonymous and contradictory quite frequently…
(Of course, what I mean is that being in The Singers is an important part of my life. Whether it’s a rehearsal or performance, singing with this group of people is easily the highlight of each week for me. At the same time, we also spend five to six hours in rehearsal for every hour we spend in concert and it is definitely a time commitment.)
In all seriousness, my hope is to relay my account as a choral artist and member of The Singers. So much of what we do and what makes us the ensemble that we are is never seen by the public because it isn’t during a concert, it happens during those other hours spent rehearsing. That being said, I can’t promise that I won’t spend some time on my personal experiences from our concerts as well. Hopefully, between Susanna and myself, you can begin to feel like an insider in this awesome group of people.
‘Who are you?’
I spent the first 18 years of my life on a cattle farm in Northeast Iowa. Apparently farm chores weren’t enough to keep me busy though, because I have been involved with music and singing in choirs since even before I can remember. After high school, I then followed the path of every farm kid: I went to a liberal arts school, studied music and traveled all over the country. I now work for a company that organizes tours for music ensembles around the world and get to travel with them (when their trip doesn’t conflict with The Singers). This is my second year in the tenor section of The Singers and I hope to have many more!
Look Out! Here Come the Puns!
I know this first blog isn’t necessarily going to spark table talk, but hopefully once I get a Handel on this, I want to hear from you! It will be Verdi awesome to have you Tallis your thoughts on anything Susanna and I write. Make sure to check Bach, my next blog will have a Liszt of my top five favorite things Matt has said during rehearsal.
Ok. I think I exhausted my allowed composer puns for the ten years there. If that wasn’t enough to keep you from reading this last paragraph, you passed! If you haven’t made plans to join us next Monday at Pinstripes in Edina, there is still time. In addition to the food, bowling and lawn games, there are also prizes (including wine)! Who doesn’t love bowling and wine? We will also be singing a few pieces for the attendees, including Matt’s great arrangement of “How Can I Keep from Singing.” If you aren’t able to make it, I’ll be sure to fill you in on everything you missed. Stay tuned!
