AVIANA-Show Experience

Gosh, why am I always late for everything! Ok, good, let me park right behind Marija. I know she's been here forever..

she probably thinks i'm a diva in the making with me getting here late.

hope not...

Well let me do a quick warm up in the car before going in. Crap! why is my voice cracking all over! This is not good. Breathe deep. Nerves haven't kicked in full gear yet. Alright go in and see what's going on. "Hey Marija!" Oh, the first act hasn't gone on yet! There's like 8 people before us. Good. I can warm up more.

The kids are really cute. Hmm...nerves haven't kicked in full gear still... Surprising. Ok. well let me go outside and warm up briefly, sing through the letras/verses, do some of the exercises Marija made me do yesterday. Gosh Marija is such a world class Classical guitarist who's had concertos written for her to perform! And she's accompanying me at my little gig..for free! Yes she's my vocal teacher but still. I hope I didn't bring her down several notches.

Great, the alley... No one's here. Sing through easy.. Practice..
Why am I burping?????! I stopped eating at noon so this wouldn't happen! Just keep forcing yourself to burp...

Remember the letras/verses. Remember the correct order. Don't do what you did at rehearsals yesterday. The guy across the street can hear me. Oh well...i got a big voice and this is an artsy neighborhood, so they should be use to this. Let me go back to the car where i can belt it out..

Good...but why is my voice cracking...NOOOO....

Alrite, go back in.

Alrite intermission. Marija's at the stage warming up. She wants to practice quietly in the lower key to warm me up while everyone's eating. Good. Wow it's packed! Cool..no one can really hear us and my voice feels great in the lower register but i'm singing higher but it should be fine. But I'm still burping!!

Marija says it'll stop when I get on stage..

Oh...they're announcing our names.

Don't trip over the wires. Geez I feel kinda too dressed up but I'm singing Flamenco. Glad and sad i'm not doing "Rise." Although it's a great song, it's too mellow for the crowd.

Alrite bow down. Take your seat. Check the mic. Geez everyone's looking...well I know but still they know they're getting something different from us. Wow..they're so attentive. Ugh, I still feel the need to burp! Deal with it..

Ok, nerves finally coming in but not at full force. That's a good thing! Ok look at Marija and signal to start.

Wow, Marija is so amazing on the guitar. Oh geez, the camera guy is coming real close. I wish he was more centered then to the side oh well. it's not about being on camera..Avi..it's about singing.

Here it comes, take a deep breath...Belt it out....

ooh..that's loud and strong... my voice is big..control it...ok..good intro..next verse....stop doing palmas (rhythmic clapping for flamenco)...Control the vibrato...ugh...not as great as I wanted it....ok.....here comes Marija's solo...

Wow the kids and adult guitarist are amazed by Marija's strumming...hey it is flamenco!

Wow..I'm comfortable up here....Give Marija clear signals when you wanna come back in Avi....the audience is digging the music...Marija's awesome...I hope my voice doesn't bring her or the performance down....

Ok, here I come back in...deep breath...no palmas here...this is the hardest verse/letra. Ok, got through the first line....not awful..they are really looking at me...ok...4th verse is coming..

The camera is getting real close...come center...ooh..

people are taking pics in the audience of me...that's weird...get use to it...guess my face will end up on someone's blog or something...

Cue Marija for a tiny solo for her...good she got it...Ah this verse!.....remember the lyrics....focus...don't want to forget these lyrics again!....great...got through...oh here comes another marija solo....

I'm digging this...it's almost over....oh here comes my turn again..slide up...Oohh..i love this verse...much more subtle...but it's leading to the big ending....nice touch Avi.....wow..Me and Marija are really connecting up here......I love looking at her while we perform...


Oh I know that woman. She's staring right at me. Duh! Oh she looks a little shy...Huh?

Don't look directly in anyone's eyes for too long...don't make them uncomfortable...or is it really me I'm worried about.... Focus!!



Here it comes the big ending....Belt it out!...Think support...have good breathe support....Belt....Damn that feels good!..no cracking....the audience is shaking their heads....they like it...don't stare too much into people's eyes..don't make them uncomfortable...yes....louder...belt it out...

gosh it's going down to my heart....my bones...my gut...yes...I wish there was another belt...

the end..sing-a-long...ooooh..the teens are actually shaking their heads and jamming and singing along...they like it....yes!....

make sure you end with perfect timing with marija...good...

it's over

wow...they're applauding....loud!...ok stand up and bow....why do i feel so self-conscious when people applaud me...ok..turn to Marija so she bows and they applaud her...

Wow..they're really loud and smiling....

"THAT'S IT??!...Come on there's gotta be more..Encore!" That's the camera guy screaming loud. "Hey..I do this for a living...where do you guys perform...I'ld like to record you guys again...How can I get in contact with you...you have a card, a website?"

Geez....I guess it's really time to get my official site up...Damn I guess i do need business cards...never thought I would get to that point that people would want that....

ooh..people are crowding around us.....Marija is walking fast....Everyone is coming up to me....I'm so self-conscious! I wanna hide!...Why do i want to hide? Don't look at anybody's face... I'm so shy now!

No autographs or screaming fans yet but still this is surprising....uncomfortable...

Everyone is coming up to me...

"Wow, that was EXCELLENT!"

"Great Voice!"

"Great Music.."

Wow...did people actually say that to me?

Ooh..that guy wants to compliment me but I can tell he feels too many people are around me... I wanna go up to him... Oh well...

The teenage girls are coming up to me...They really like it...

Ok go to the back....help Marija pack and let's get outta here and eat!!!!
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Well that's it guys! What do you think?

Talk to you soon!

AVIANA

P.S. Nikka Costa with "Everybody Got Their Something.."

4 days.....

Hey Guys,

Sorry I've been out for a bit...sounds like an old record...keep repeating the same line...


I really like this picture. it is a picture of Gypsies dancing. Found it on www.corbis.com. Again unless, I explicitly claim it, these pictures on my site are not mine. i found them all online.

OK..

Well the performance is this Friday!!! 4 days!!!! I'm nervous, worried, excited...whatever.....aaaaahhh!

Hey Guys, I'm worried for a number of reasons.... First, "Rise"...There are no lyrics for the verses!!!!! I've been trying for ages to write lyrics and I've hit major writer's block here. I have lyrics for the chorus. I have general ideas for the verses. It's frustrating cuz i've been working on it for so long. i don't know why it's been so difficult... I have the lyrics for the chorus. But no lyrics for the verses! i have ideas but nothing concrete. The show is this Friday!!!! It's really kinda hurt my self-esteem that I haven't been able to write these lyrics...

My advantage and disadvantage is that I'm not working this week..hopefully only for this week... That's how life is in the temping world... But the upside is that I can focus a whole lot more time on getting ready for my performance...which i desperately need....

I feel a whole lot more comfortable with the second piece I'm performing. My second piece is a Flamenco Tangos Piece with a rumba feel to it. Saturday, me and Marija, who is my guitar accompanist and flamenco voice teacher, rehearsed for the gig. It went better. Considering I was considering backing out of the gig cuz I recorded myself last week and I was mortified with my voice..... it was such a crushing blow to me....Yes we are our own worst critics.

Since I'm doing 2 pieces.... Chris brought up the idea of me doing my first piece, "Rise," at the end of the first set and open the second set with the flamenco piece. I thought that would be great because they are vastly different pieces of music. "Rise" is piano pop/rock ballad. I'm doing an acoustic version with just me on piano. The flamenco piece is a lively fast piece.

Since I have like a 20 minute break. I decided that i am going to do a costume change for the flamenco piece. It will definitely fit the flamenco mood.

Yesterday I picked out my outfit for the Flamenco piece. I'm excited..I love it. Now I need to figure out what I'll wear for "Rise." I think that can be more casual actually.

We'll see...

Do you like this outfit? ... hehe

Anyhow, I can't stay for long. I gotta work on these lyrics before I meet with Marija at 11 this morning for rehearsals.

Oh, Thursday night is soundcheck...My first one ever! Hehe...I know I'm a moron but hey it's exciting for me... We got rehearsals again Thursday morning then soundcheck around 7:30pm. Hope it goes well and even better Friday night at the gig! I'm not nervous but that is always the case. My nerves hit me right before I go on stage. It never fails! You read what happened on my May 1 gig! Hopefully the bathrooms will be clean at the venue... :)

I'll be back with my review of my performance at the end of the week!

Oh, here's Gypsy Kings singing "Bamboleo." It is an old but classic flamenco rumba. Love this song still. I'll talk to you soon.


AVIANA

P.S. Gypsy Kings with "Bamboleo."

Life is Addictive....

Hello All,

I know I've been out for 2 weeks! Hey...my life is crazy! But I seriously apologize and I will try to get better with posting more frequently.

Well, as I mentioned in my last post, I had a performance on May 1. It was at a spiritual gathering from another faith of my own. A couple members heard my song "Rise" and requested me to perform it. Then we thought it would be a good idea to not use my lyrics for the verses and that they speak their spiritual messages for the verses. However, they sang my lyrics for the chorus.

It was such an unusual and beautiful opportunity. I never imagined any of my songs with spiritual meanings/lyrics. I don't write gospel music. My music is secular. However the message of "Rise" fit along with their Holy Day celebration. It was a beautiful gathering...I'm honored and humbled to have been invited to take part of something so personally special for these beautiful individuals...

There was a big turnout and I was CRAZY NERVOUS!! I actually locked myself in the bathroom for awhile cuz i was panicking!. People were knocking on the door. I didn't care! I didn't care they had to pee! My nerves were more important! LOL :)

Anyhow, when I performed, my soul breathed. It sang...It soared... I had 2 singers perform. I did an acoustic version of the song with just me on piano while they sang. It sounded so beautiful. I didn't pay as much attention on their singing. I mostly listened to my piano playing and somewhat listened to their voice in the background. I swayed and swayed as I played...I was so lost in the music....My soul was so at ease...My soul breathed....

After it was all over, people kept commenting on the music and my piano playing. The piano arrangement is very simple but that was all that was required for the acoustic version. People loved "Rise.." ! YAY!!!

Well now i'm gearing for the May 24 performance! it's in 2 weeks!!! I am so not confident for this performance. I wish I wasn't working so I can solely rehearse. But I gotta work, gotta pay the bills and I have a gig so I'm grateful for that...my line of work doesn't guarantee me a steady paycheck it's nerve wrecking..but my artistry is what helps me breathe life.......Gosh I can't wait till I get to Spain/Colombia....

I'm actually looking for a cellist to accompany me on "Rise" for the performance. I didn't realize it would be so hard to find a cellist around here. I can't really pay so maybe that's why? oh well....

Ugh! It's getting hard. but we'll see what happens...anyhooo

I won't stay for long cuz I'm at work...I need to slow down....

I'm doing too much.....I'm advancing but at a slow pace...If I could not work it would be awesome! I work 60 hours a week. Literally and I do a million things...all to advance who I am as a person and as an artist....

I want to learn so much about life and I'm so eager to immerse myself in all things...

Life is addictive...once you breathe it in...you can't get enough...

Everytime a new aspect of life hits my senses, I just want to take part of it and learn from it... I want to dedicate my soul to life in general.... There's nothing better than it....

But I need to slow down....

It's getting too much.... it's get scary at times cuz i sometimes think what if i'm going nowhere......but i don't want life to pass me by but then i think maybe life is passing me by with all the things I do... Only I can slow it down....but I don't trust myself....Each time I get a window of opportunity to relax, something presents itself and I take it on...i'm too busy....slow me down...




This is Emmy Rossum with "Slow Me Down..." I think I posted this video before....

Anyhow..gotta go...have a nice one...I'll talk to you soon..


AVIANA

P.S. Emmy Rossum..."Slow Me Down"