Insanity

Browsing through my two hundred and some published posts, I realized I'm always mulling over the same things theater, school and health. I changed it up for a bit with the wedding, but now that I'm happily married, I'm back to the same old musings. Well, not to disappoint - Yesterday was the first day of the Perfect 10 Diet, and it was also the first day in the last week of the two-month Insanity program I've been doing with Shawn T.

The program is INSANE! I mean literally. We work out six days a week with one full rest day. The first week, I could hardly move my calves hurt so much. Sleeping was uncomfortable because every time I turned I'd wake up from the pain. The second week, my lower back hurt. I was worried that my form was jeopardized and I wasn't using my center enough or correctly. However, I rolled out on the foam roller, stretched and realized I just needed to strengthen the lower back muscles. Sleeping was difficult during this week as well. The third week, my foot started to ache a little, but that passed quickly. By the forth week, I had a handle on what was being asked of me on a daily bases. The fifth week was recovery week. It was my favorite week. I felt energized after each work out and it was a lot of fun. 

Then month two started. It made month one look like a joke! Woof.  The work outs are longer and more demanding. I'm starting the fourth week now and there are still exercises that I struggle to complete. Like most workouts, it's different each day. Sometimes I'm really strong and sometimes I'm dying by minute five and there are fifty more minutes to go. 

I've been feeling medium with my results. I'll post before and after photos next week, but I have felt a little discouraged. I thought I'd have stronger results. For the most part, I monitored what I ate, but I didn't count calories. I'm in much much better shape than I was when I started, but I don't have those six pack abs that I had hoped to get. 

I listed to a podcast by Jillian Michaels about the infamous plateau which is what I feel like I'm experiencing. I do believe that I am in good shape and that my body believes it's healthy. It is healthy. I eat right and I work out. I'm at the top of the average weight for my height, but I'm healthy. So, I have what Jillian calls "vanity pounds" to loose. Thus, I started the Perfect 10 Diet. This is the diet that I did right before my wedding and it really helped slim me down. I'm really REALLY not into counting calories, but since it's only for a short time I'll do it. We'll see how it goes. 

Power of Practice

Yesterday was my last CAP21 scheduled vocal coaching. I left feeling all the hope I felt right when I first arrived in New York City 3.5 years ago. Hope for a new life and a new career in musical theater. I used to day dream about what it would be like to work as a professional, and back then I didn't know which way was up in this industry. I remember one of my first events out in NYC was with my roommate, at the time, and one of her best friends from highschool. They took me to this awesome concert of an up and coming composer, and I was completely overwhelmed by the wealth of knowledge these ladies had about the NYC theater scene. Then my first couple of auditions were filled with anticipation, excitement and real hope for a chance to perform professionally. Soon I began to feel bogged down by the sea of people with the same aspirations as me, pressures of the restaurant and the endless waiting around in those tiny rooms and halls. It got harder and harder to wake up in the morning and hope quickly turned to despair and I knew that I didn't have the tools to become stronger.

It led me to school.

Two years later I feel revived again and ready to take on the theater world. I have the necessary tools now to feel as prepared as possible. I've learned so much about the industry here in NYC and I no longer feel overwhelmed. I feel like I have a process now to help prepare me. Yet, I still feel discouraged at times because I want results faster based on my practice methods. I practice all the time. I listen to my voice lessons, record the exercises in my journal and practice them everyday. My awesome awesome awesome voice teacher from school sent me this article called How Many Hours a Day Should You Practice?   I'm trying to heed the advice in this article. Practice specifically and focused for a certain amount of time. Eventually, I'll just wake up and my technique will just be there for me. I know it's true now, but I want it to be sharper and more readily available.

Last Monday I went to my first audition in a very very very long time. I felt at ease, practiced and ready. I hope now most of all I have the confidence to continue to believe in myself and feel hopeful. I want the tools to combat the feelings of despair and rejection. Auditioning can be demoralizing but it doesn't have to be debilitating. Practice makes permanent.

New Revamp

Sometimes it feels like I only post on my blog when I'm revamping it. It's partly true. This revamp has a lot of kinks that I need to work out, but for now it will do. Now that I've graduated from CAP21 and just about to finish with the Industry Practicum, I thought it would be a good time to revamp things up and get ready for the industry.

I keep going back and forth about whether or not to maintain the blog or not, but I find it so interesting and helpful to learn what other actors are doing. So, I thought it only fair to write about what THIS actor is doing. 

As of right now, nothing too incredibly interesting is going on.  I'm just about to finish up the home classes and audition part of the Practicum and we are going into rehearsals for the showcase. I'm very excited and feeling hopeful for the future.