jaala

Instead of automatically starting on another year of flute-related chronic pain, I had a brief but frank discussion with my flute professor about various possible instrumental avenues I could take this year. I may be looking into a vertical flute headjoint, recorder lessons and/or oboe lessons. Unfortunately, uh... weird headjoints and oboes cost a lot of money.
A vocal jazz part went higher than E-flat (my usual comfortable upper note) today, including two high F "shot" notes--i.e. with disjunct leaps or rests before the note. Yes, that is frightening for a person who normally sings alto. As my bad luck would have it, I was basically singing by myself too; two sopranos were absent and the third was sick and not singing high notes. It was miserable and embarrassing for some time, squeaking away in the presence of all these proficient singers, but once I warmed up and relaxed I was sort of able to do it. Singing soprano still frightens me but at least it doesn't seem quite so impossible any more.
I made applesauce from scratch! Again, this is not much of an achievement... unless, like me, you almost never cook anything from scratch.