Catching up with Caitlyn

It's true, I've been MIA for more then a month.

Long Story short....

I went back and auditioned at Chicago. Kicked major but. Stayed with Olivia. Saw Emily star in "The Merry Widow".

Upon returning I immediately began rehearsing for the Orlando Opera, a double bill of "Suor Angelica/Cavalleria Rusticana. Rehearsals where Mon, Tues, Thurs nights and Sat and Sun from 2-5pm. I played Novice 1 in Suor and my chorus part for Cav. was one of the communion girls moms...me a mom...I know. It was weird but I managed to pull it off:)

I was also working 5 shifts a week at the Ale house during all of this.

I was also doing the show with "Book it" Entertainment being apart of Donna and the Dynamos Trio from "Mamma Mia"! Ladies, there was no music, they expected me to pick my part out by listening to it! (The horrors!) The Opera snob in me was quite disgruntled, but thankfully my ear picked up the high part above the melody pretty quick at our first/only rehearsal March 9. We met again March 22 and came up with minimal staging for our bit before the show March 23rd. Someone with a lot of money hired "Book it" to construct this show for a convention of Engineers and it was hosted at the World Marriott Center out near Disney. I wore an Elvis jumpsuit in red (See Pic) in front of 2000 nerdy men. Seriously, for a second I thought I was back at CMU! We may have looked like a flock of rainbow flamingos flailing about on stage but in the end I had fun and made an easy $500. Lot's of these people are in the Disney circut and survive from gig to gig or sing with bands...it depressed me, (This is not what I want to do for a living) and started a little fire under my booty, I have to get out of Florida. Thankfully in the course of it all I heard from grad schools.

I was accepted to Northwestern with a $25,000 scholarship.
I was accepted to the Boston Conservatory with no scholarship.
I was waitlisted at Eastman School of Music.
I was not accepted to Cincinnati, but I got a nice rejection letter.
Since I didn't have the right rep for FSU they kind of wrote me off, I forget what the letter said, but apparently I was missing paperwork too...hehe. I would have rather peeled my fingernails off then gone to that school so I beleive that worked out for the best:)

All in all I'm pleased with how everything turned out. The only real disappointment was being waitlisted at Eastman, especially, after my run in with Carol Webber, I just had good vibes, but who knows perhaps they don't need sopranos this year. My best audition was hands down Northwestern. I've been holding out and thinking things over this last month. I've kind of written Boston Conservatory out. It just wasn't a good fit. I've also been holding out a bit for Eastman, it'd be nice to be accepted even if I didn't go.

My voice is doing better then ever these days. The opera was a hit and I loved being apart of the process. Watching the masters who came in and did the leads was nothing short of inspiring. One of them told me she loved watching me light up the stage and another one called me a "cutie"...I could have died. I got so tongue twisted around them...how do you tell them you want to be them in a couple of years? All I can say is I know this is my calling, and I'm on the right path...and I'm $900 richer....

....but not really. I just booked my ticket and I am coming to NYC April 30! Aaron and I will then leave for Europe May 3 and be gone through the 20th. He's been planning the whole trip asking for my bits of input along the way, and I am psyched out of my mind! I'll put the itinerary up once I get the final version from him.

Tomorrow I sing, 3 services at this scary church that I've been doing some work for. It's a catholic maronite church, really conservative, kind of cultish, and the father scares me. His English is laced with a thick Hispanic accent so he's hard to understand, his eyes kind of bug out when he talks, and apparently he's obsessive compulsive. ahhhhhh! They tried to recruit me as a cantor, but I just don't think I can do it (ask me about it and I'll give you a more in depth reason). I'm just the soloist tomorrow though and I'm singing "Your Raise me Up", so it shouldn't be to bad. Anyway after that it's off to the uncles for a little Easter brunch and then to work at the Ale House @ 4:45.

Phew! Okay, that should being you up to date. Sorry for the length! Operation catch up with everyone before I go to Europe is commencing now!

oai'msohungoverfromlastnightandfeellikepooo, Caitlyn

The Graduate School Adventure

Feb. 5-10 - (Chicago) I found out about this audition Feb. 2 so I got a 5am flight that got me into Chicago by 9am on the 5th so that I didn't have to pay out of the nose for a flight so last minute. Well, I worked that night until midnight, then packed, 2 hours sleep, off to the airport at an hour no mortal should be getting up at and on top of it all I was getting sick! Head stuffy, achey, headache, soar throat, mucus, sick! Thankfully, Emily was able to pick me up and I spent that Thursday sleeping at her place and getting sicker and sicker! Emily was an amazing host and nurse though and she brought me medicine, had all the tea I could drink, humidified her room, and let me sleep in her bed. The next days I like to refer to as my rubber band days because I felt like I was being stretched in two opposite directions, a part of me was just plain sick and hurting and wanted to crawl in a hole and not emerge until I felt better and the other part of me was so excited to be in Chicago and finally be reunited with Emily and Olivia and I wanted to see the city, have fun, and party! Olivia and I hung out at Lincoln Square, went downtown to Michigan St. (which was beautiful!) saw "The Reader" (Fantastic movie but I still think Slumdog Millionaire should win for best picture) stuffed out faces, shopped, made a movie, watched Emily's Merry Widow rehearsal, played the Sims, jammed to Lady Gaga, and all in all just had a blast being our goofy selves! Though I was no where near 100% and didn't end up auditioning, this trip was still a great success in my book, I got a good feel for the school and explored a good bit of Chicago, all thanks to Emily and Olivia, my saviors, whose presence I'm pretty sure is what made me get well faster.

I was home for 2 days.

Feb. 13-16 - (Boston) Feeling like myself again and optimistic about my trip and audition I flew out Friday morning. It got a little complicated because I was supposed to stay with Audrey and her mom at the hotel but I was in a masterclass so I spent 2 hours in the lobby of the hotel because my name wasn't on the room. Her mom came and let me into the room but now I had to get a taxi to the school were I was taking a practice lesson with Rebecca Folsom at 5pm. *note: the cab drivers in Boston think that Boston Conservatory is New England Conservatory. After attempting to drop me off at New England Conservatory he drops me off at the Berkley School of music which is still not where I'm supposed to be, thankfully the students at this school were able to tell me where BC is and I walked two more blocks in the blistering cold. Once in the school no one seemed to know where Rebecca Folsom's room was so I spent another 10 minutes getting completely lost in a labyrinth of rooms that is BC until some poor soul took pity on me. At 5:22 I arrive at Prof. Folsoms office and no one is there, destitute that my crazy travels have been in vain I slump against the door and curse the day i was born. As I'm about to leave, who should walk around the corner but the woman i have been seeking, it was fate, and I was so happy I could have farted gold pieces! The practice lesson went very well! That night Audrey and I went to see our friend Patrick, who goes to BC, in a production of Cendrillion in English which turned out to be very enjoyable, here I was also reunited with Morgan Davis, a friend from the Florida high school performing circuit who is now studying at BC too! The next day is Valentine's day, I brought Fun Dip Valentines for everyone and Morgan, Patrick, Audrey and me grabbed some grub before my 3pm audition. The audition went well I thought but it was the questions afterward that caught me off guard, they wondered why my grades where so low on my transcripts...I told them that I now had my head screwed on the right way and was ready to focus, get serious, and become a professional...I don't know if they bought it. I couldn't really tell them I refused to dance at 8:30am, but i did admit to lots of the grades being low due to my tardiness. The rest of Valentines was spent eating chocolate and fun dip while watching romantic comedies on TV in the hotel room, it was bliss, Audrey and I went downstairs later that night and shared a couple glasses of wine in the bar connected to the hotel, and caught up. The not so cute boys across the bar bought my second drink;) Next day was brunch at the Restaurant Patrick works at, and Sheree came and met up with us at the end and helped take Audrey and her mom to the airport before whisking me away for the day. We went to the GYM, planet fitness! It was so much fun and we got to catch up while toning up! That night Sheree and her sister took me to all their favorite haunts in Boston including Carraba's where they make the best pomegranate martinis! Gah...so good to hang out with these girls, we had an amazing time! At the end of the night Sheree drove me to meet up with Patrick and I crashed at his place that night. The next day, I took the T to BC (I am now a pro at public transportation) and sat in a few of Patrick's classes and he played tour guide so i got to see more of the school. I then took the T to the airport to catch my 7pm flight back to O-town! Sheesh what a trip!

I was home for 1 day and had to work a double at the Ale House!

Feb 18-22 - (Rochester and Tallahassee) Wednesday I was on the road at 10:30am and drove 4 and 1/2 hours to Tallahassee Regional airport where my plane departed for Rochester at 4:48pm with a layover in Charlotte. Exhausted from my travels with no where to stay (my friend Sean wouldn't be out of his rehearsal until midnight) I decided to find a hotel and randomly picked up at hotel brochure that said Distressed passenger rate $65.00 a night. Clearly, I considered myself a distressed passenger, even though it only really applied to people who had a flight get canceled on them, when they asked me if this was the case I just said "I'm just very distressed!" The hotel was kind of ghetto, the first room they gave me had beer cans and jewelry laying around and the TV was on, when I alerted the front desk of this fact, they got worried looks on there faces because apparently there shouldn't have been anyone in that room...homeless man or ax murderer? The room I finally got was decent and I relaxed and watched movies the rest of the night including "Children of the Dune 2"...hehe, nerd. The next day I took a taxi to Sean's place where I could leave my stuff for the day, I know Sean from CLOC, along with Audrey and Patrick, he is finishing up his masters at Eastman, but also got a professional gig at one of the local theaters being in "Sweeney Todd", unfortunately the show opens this week and he has to be at the theater pretty much all day and night. Fortunately, I also know James from CLOC who is at Eastman getting his undergrad in piano performance, we were able to meet up for coffee and then I sat in on a lesson with Carol Webber and Rita Shane. It turned out that the student Carol Webber was teaching had played for me in Nats one year and is from Pittburgh...ahh. Small freakin' world! James then had to go meet up with another friend so i killed a couple hours in the very nice Eastman library. That night I had a nice dinner with James and Sean was able to pick me up and take me to a dress rehearsal of Sweeney Todd! It was glorious, and full of people who've performed on Broadway, amazing voices, amazing lighting, thankfully there is not really a role suited to me in Sweeney so for once I was able to watch in peace without craving to jump on stage with the performers:) The next morning started at 9am with a 30 minute Eastman welcome gathering and then I got my schedule for the day which included 2 meetings, an interview, and an audition. (As I exited the building that morning I was approached by a man holding an orange ticket and inviting me fervently to come with him to a chorus concert that night, I politely told him i wouldn't be in town and as I walked away I hear him say, "you sure are beautiful"...this poor crazy man had just made my day.) Thankfully I was able to get everything done by 4 when I had to catch a plane back to Tallahassee. I rocked the audition, even the accompanist told me I had a beautiful instrument, and then Carol Webber passed me and made a point of stopping and saying "Wonderful job in there young lady". AHHHHHH! it was glorious and just the kind of positive feedback I've been craving. Now for the complicated part....I had left my cell phone in Sean's apartment and he was at the theater until later that night! I had to get a taxi to drive me to the theater to get his key, drive back to his apartment to get the phone, and then drive back to the theater and give him his key back before heading to the aiport...ughh...story of my life. Luckily the caby was young and chatty so I just flirted with him the whole time and gave him nice big tip for his trouble, it should also be noted it was snowing buckets the entire day! I had an hour layover in Atlanta where I met a Romanian who went to UF at the Sam Adams bar in the Airport. He was so chatty and said it was refreshing to meet someone who he could actually talk to, apparently there is a lot of bimbos at UF. He was so cute and foreign in his little Adidas track jacket and I had a blast talking with him and getting a little bit tipsy off my Sam Seasonal and as we parted he told me he'd facebook me. I got into Tallahasse at 11:30pm and drove 25 minutes (after getting lost) to a friend of a friends house where I was able to pass out for the night. The next morning Jon drove me to my audition which I had scheduled for 10:50am...once I got there and signed in I was told me audition had been moved forward to 10:30, a.k.a in 5 minutes. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time and immediately ran to a bathroom to warm up. In the audition the overweight gentlemen who for some reason had sticks shoved up their asses asked me in a very condescending manner if I'd read the audition requirements online. I apparently didn't have the proper rep for them, they wanted a recitative. I politely told them that this was the rep. I had brought to all my auditions at the other much more illustrious schools I'd auditioned at and that they had been quite satisfactory for them, so they could deal. Okay, maybe I didn't quite say it like that;) Despite the circumstances I thought I sounded pretty good, but it's just really hard to sing for a bunch of snobby pigs so I can't say I left the audition feeling good about it. It was nice to see David Oakerland though and I waved at him, he is not a pig, but a delightful big warm bear that I would sing for any day of the week. That night I went to a big private party in an upstairs bar with my friends Jon, Jenny, and Sarah and we danced the night away. There may have also been a young tall handsome man and I may or may not have hooked up with him...hehe...perfect ending to my adventures if i do say so myself!

oaistillmighthavetoflybacktochicagothisweekendo, Caitlyn

Phonography

Ponderings of a Limitless Soul

I just finished this lovely little book "The Pagan Stone" by Nora Roberts, third in a trilogy my mom and I had been reading, and I have to say while her books make you feel all warm and gooey inside, (she does a wonderful job of making suburban life sound appealing) I'm just not at a point in my life where I can really identify and so the book kind of lacked something for me. The thought of finding a man and wanting to settle down with him and raise kids is so horrendous to me right now and I can't help but ponder why. I find books that end with marriage and babies kind of lame. These days I really just want a good vampire sex story to wet my appetite. I'm such a fiction junky while my sister pretty much reads strictly non-fiction and enjoys books like Obama's "The Audacity of Hope". Thats something else I have to ponder, the fact that I like to escape to fantasy and avoid the real, does that make me a lesser being? Stupider? Uneducated? Does my reading preference define who I am?

I also watched the movie "The Red Violin" the other day, after my "Seagle Music Colony" Audition. It was pouring buckets of rain outside so I curled up on the couch mid-day with a cup of hot chocolate and indulged myself. I found the movie riveting and the music beautiful, there is nothing more sensual or stirring then the sounds a violin makes. When it is played well I find myself holding my breath until the last impossible note rips through my being. The ending was kind of good but I find it hard to believe they aren't going to figure out the dude bought the fake and hunt down Samuel L. Jackson. Who...on a side note...should never be shirtless in a movie.

This past weekend I was in Cincinnati with Morgan, Abby, and Jenna and I had an absolute blast! My audition I think went fairly well, too. It was so good to visit and play with everyone and get away from home. Being apart of that college world again, if only for a brief moment, really brought back the memories, the boys, the drama, the homework, the random eating excursions, the not feeling like your mom is breathing down your back 24/7!

All of my auditions are set and ready to go except Northwestern, but I wont go into that because I will just get frustrated... I'm about to just book a plane ticket, show up on their door step, and say "let me audition, now, it's the only time I can." I'll be in Boston Feb. 13-16 and then in Rochester and Tallahassee Feb. 18-22, leaving Feb. 6-9 for Chicago! Ah! I just want to see Olivia and Emily!!

These past two nights I went to lame ass little college parties. You know, red cups, beer pong, ring of fire, flip cup, natty light and keystone beer a plenty. The first one was with kids from UCF I didn't know...overly tan bleached blonde haired girls and dudes trying way to hard to be cool and get the hook up. The second one was full of little emo kids playing music they wrote that they all knew the words to, wearing their little printed tees and skinny jeans. And yes I say little because they were all a few years younger then me...apparently that's who Jon likes to befriend even though he's my age. Both parties were amusing and enjoyable in there own way but I really couldn't find it in myself to go hog wild. I'm really enjoying the control and focus I feel about my auditions and I'm trying to limit the partying until after they are over Feb. 21, 2009.

Coming up I'm working the Super Bowl at my sports bar restaurant which should be quite the event. The dress code is little black sophies and referee shirts with high white socks...I do love to dress up! Feeling quite horny so I could really use a good drunken hook up, just need to find a man who makes my loins quiver:)

oaijustgotmyeyebrowswaxedandshapedandifeelsexyo, Caitlyn

Grandma's House

Last night I had a sleepover....at my grandparents house! My family went out of town and me being the big pussy/wimp that I am couldn't stay in my house all alone so I spent one night at Josh's house and one night at Grannie Annie and Grandpa Bob's:) Sidenote: I seriously wonder whats wrong with me...even on the way over to Josh's I kept imagining the person behind me was flashing their brights because there was someone in the back of my truck with an ax. I could write horror stories that would curl your toes I'm just way to much of a chicken and completely paranoid they'd come true... best stick to sex stories;P













Moving on...So after work, I got out at 10:20pm, I arrive at my grandparents and when I tell my grandma I'm hungry she's immediately on her feet and in the kitchen finding me something to eat (an Avocado sandwich), then she asks if I'd like to enjoy a beer with her and can she get me a house coat to snuggle in. Can we say died and gone to heaven? Cuddled up and sipping my Belgian beer grandma and I listened to my grandpa read an excerpt from a book centering on philosophy called "Sophie's World". My Grandpa loves to read to people! Anyway, he read the part about Romanticism vs. Renaissance because he felt we are both romantics. I was touched that he knew that about me and felt it was a trait we both shared. From a grandpa who loves to quiz me on facts I never know the answer too and thinks all his offspring should grow up to be teachers, I never felt that we had that much in common and tought he looked down upon or pitied me in a way. This was a singular act that suddenly made me feel like it was okay to be me, which for those of you who don't know can be very rewarding feeling. It's so easy to get down on your self, self sabotage yourself (a favorite past time of mine), but when someone sits there and tells you, you are lovely just the way you are...by golly, lets just say I know how Bridgette Jones felt...Now grandpa did follow that up by saying it was a shame I never took a philosophy class in college...but what can you do, he is my mothers father:)

Long and short of that story is you can never spend too much time with your grandparents...deep down you know they won't be around forever and that each moment is special in preserving them in your memory. I'm very blessed they live so close by and have made it one of my New Years resolutions to visit them more often while I'm home.

I'm trying to limit my going out and getting crunked trips recently as I have two very important auditions coming up, so this means I've been spending a lot of nights in with a glass of wine watching crime shows with my mom and sister. I have been working out everyday though and am feeling better then ever. The song of the moment is definitely "I like it Rough" by Lady Gaga and "Phonography" by Miss Spears. Both are extremely sexual songs, which makes sense since I'm quite a horny gal, and I like to dance provocatively to them around my room when I wake up and pretend I'm a bad ass:)

January 24th I'll be auditioning at Cincinnati Conservatory and January 29th I'll be driving to Deland, Florida and auditioning for The Seagle Music Colony this summer. Besides this I'm still having a blast waitressing and attending Opera Rehearsal's and I must say life is pretty good. I love being single and concentrating on me right now. I feel so strong, sexy, and empowered, ready to take my future in my hands and really make something out of it!

I can't wait to see everyone on my respected trips this year. I plan to travel as much as I can afford!!!

Life is what you make it! (A simple statement, but so true)

oaitgotdownto39degreeslastnightanditwaschillly!o, Caitlyn

My New Website!

So for the past couple of days Jenna and I have been collaborating on my very own website aka. I send Jenna all this random info and she transforms it into a work of art! She is honestly one of the most gifted and talented people I know, and I couldn't be more happy with how the website turned out! Go check it out and let me know what you think!

http://caitlynmarieglennon.awardspace.com

Happy New Year!

Notes From a Virgin
Age 23
January 2009

Faces flash by but who will it land on?
Which gentleman tonight,
will bring me shaking to my core
with sweet and pure delight?
Will I know him
or just an abstract face?
The wheel is turning,
a feverish race.
One face, two face
a body or two
my pulse is rising
the water flows through.
In and out and all around
a stream of stolen kisses,
a one night stand, a lonely night
so far they've all been misses.
The drum starts pounding loud and strong
The wheel, it starts to slow
Dark hair, strong legs, skillful hands
and eyes that seem to know.
He's above and in and all about
I grasp the empty air.
Eyes tight shut as muscles clench;
he must be waiting there!

I'm thrown ashore with the final wave
And reason spirals out
The tide laps at peaceful limbs
So why this sudden doubt?
A hunger gone and wet and done
A new one takes it's place
Just farther up and to the right
There beats a lonely ache.

-Caitlyn M. Glennon