Another Interview, Musical Stuff

Aaron got an email last night from BYU-Marriott. They invited Aaron for an interview.

Now Aaron has a question. If a tech company hesitates to hire him because he doesn't know the technology, what good will an MBA do him? Any insight into this would be much appreciated.

Musical rehearsals started this week. I was a little concerned after Monday's rehearsal. First, they handed out mostly photo copies of the score. Leads got books, but everyone else got copies. Last time I was in Joseph, it was explained to us that the rights to perform the show come with the mandate that every cast member has to have a rented score, and it is illegal to make copies. Should I be concerned that they are cutting costs and doing this illegally? Or is it possible they do have the scores, but are being protective of them so they don't get lost? I know most people don't get concerned with this stuff, but being married to a song writer, I don't like to violate copyrights. It isn't fair to the writer.

Second, the audition process did prove to fail in some respect. I don't know if I mentioned auditions previously, but the sum and whole of the vocal audition was singing 16 bars of a memorized song. Some people actually showed up without music and sang a part from the musical a Capella, obviously learned from the CD.

Within the cast are quite a few people who are not able to read music. There are sopranos who refuse to sing 2nd soprano because they don't know how to sing harmony. However, the first soprano part is in the rafters a lot of the time, and they don't sound good up there. Then add to it the fact that the 1st soprano part IS the harmony part half the time, and you end up with an imbalanced choir. I am singing different parts in the Megamix than I am in the Canaan Days songs, because in the Megamix I'm on the high first soprano part, and when the soprano part is lower in the Canaan Days versions of the same songs, I am singing 2nd soprano, just because very few other people can. It frustrates me a little, as I was really hoping this would be a more professional chorus.

Musical practice went better last night. People were more in tune, in general. As it goes with men, as they learn their parts, they start being able to focus on the shape of their vowels, and get a better sound. I had to laugh at a lady who came in and asked where the first sopranos were sitting. She had been there Monday, and was sitting right in the middle of the lower 1st sopranos, but she insisted everyone around her was singing something other than the 1st soprano part, and that she can't harmonize, so she needs to sing the 1st soprano part. I explained to her that the 1st soprano part is harmony half the time, and that the 2nd soprano part is melody some of the time, and the alto part is melody some of the time, and that no matter where she sits, there will be some people singing harmony around her. Ugh!

I feel a little more appreciated after last night, though. I was added into another scene of the show. I'll be singing from the catwalk during Close Every Door. I guess they don't have enough singers in the scene, so they selected a few of us to join it from above the audience. The rehearsal for the vocals is on a night when Will had to be there, and not me, so that works just fine, as I'd be sitting around there anyway.

By the way, one funny thing I found out this week. There are more than just one wife per brother. True to the story! But that would be why we aren't in Canaan Days with the men, I'm guessing. It would be hard to waltz with multiple wives per brother.