Motivation, motivation, motivation

I have now completely fallen off the running wagon once more, but I WILL go for a run this morning and update the blog accordingly. I'm feeling slightly under pressure with the amount of things I have to do hence sacrificing the running to other things, but actually I know in my heart of hearts that even if I feel tired the running will actually help.

I have had a brilliant alexander lesson this week. I SO needed it. Most people seem to think alexander technique is all about posture, but it also helps with a wider philosophy about life and the world. It fascinating how narrow your focus becomes when things get even a little bit stressful. It's great to see the world again with all my senses after my lesson. Really feeling the world in the present is essential for giving a good performance too. One of the crazy things I did was wear some pinhole glasses (the lenses are black but dotted with pin holes). You get a wonderful soft focus on the world after wearing them for a bit. I still need to get my shoulders massaged to sort out the tension there, although the alexander has helped.

The same day as my alexander lesson I went out to Haslemere to see the specialist orthodontist doing my dental work for the moulds to be taken for my brace. Helen Jones has treated singers before with some great results so I am happy to put my trust in her. I will go back in a couple of weeks to get my brace. They have some amazing colour options, although I'm not sure I would have liked to have a blue brace, for example. I went for pale pink to blend in with my mouth, but with glitter for a small amount of glamour. You can't see the brace anyway so no one will know except me - a bit like wearing sexy underwear! I can take the brace out when I sing, so no worries in that department. I'm really excited!

Various concerts have been sneaking up on me this week. I have been learning the Weill songs for the young vic concert (rehearsal all day friday) and working out some ornamentation (extra notes added to the tune) for a Vivaldi motet - Nulla in mundo - that I am singing at the Petersfield festival on Saturday. The same piece has a really tricky fast section at the end and that requires hours of dull repetitive practise. My next Cardiff run through is in Redditch on 31st so I have been also trying to rehearse for that. I had a mammoth 4 hour practise session yesterday after an hour and a half coaching in the morning and I still didn't even get close to getting everything done. Having done such a lot of practise I am now behind on my admin so the pressure's on!

Right, well that's enough blogging as a displacement activity - I must go for a run and get cracking on my pile of work!