Meditation - It does the brain and body good

I have recently started meditating. I have found it to be very freeing. Your thoughts become clearer. You can focus your attention at the task at hand and I tend to do the worry or over-think thing less. I am going through a guided session at the moment from. Oprah and Deepak Chopra are my guides.

But there are multiple ways that you can get started there is also https://www.headspace.com/ that comes very recommended and yes there is an app for that as well. 

According to the small amount of research I have done on the subject daily meditation can reduce stress, help you have more empathy, make memorization easier, additional focus, less anxiety, more calm, less pain. 

Here is an article that I found interesting as to why some of the changes happen from Psychology today.

That's all for today. 

Namaste, 

Jen

Vocal Warmups

Celine Dion gives her basic warmup and explains to Larry King why she does so I thought it entertaining so I share this short clip here.

There are lots of good videos online that can help you with vocal warmups as well. But even Celine Dion recommends having a vocal coach.

Your Favorite Shows

Okay so here is the thing I love my Spotify account because it allows me the ability to listen to basically any show. Now I need to broaden my horizons if you care to go ahead and post your favorites in the comments section below.

My current favorites are:

• Book of Mormon
• Cinderella
• Kinky Boots
• Funny Girl
• Music Man (preparing for my next show)
• Flora, The Red Menace
• Wonderful Town

Some of these I am more familiar with than others but they are the ones currently being shuffled through.

Jen

Continuing On the Journey

I had forgotten I started this blog. It is a brilliant idea and I have still been working on improving myself but I have not been here to share it. So I promise to do better. What I have been working on since last we met was improving my knowledge of musicals and of the performers that have graced the stage. The more you know the better right? Now there are a few sources that have helped me immensely.

First I am slightly addicted to Seth TV it is just an amazing resource and I love watching new and old chatterbox interviews just to get more in the know, and to get inside the minds of the creatives behind some of my most favorite shows.

Next, I get lost as I am sure others have for hours at end on YouTube. There is everything there from videos of behind the scenes at current Broadway shows (such as Cinderella and Annie) and just  hours and hours of view-able clips from nearly every show you could imagine. Now something I came across recently is a couple of full broadcasts of the Tony awards from the 1960s and 70s it is so inspiring to watch some of the classics on there with the original casts that I otherwise would never get the chance to see. Other websites that have kept me well informed are Broadway.com, Playbill.com, and Broadwayspotted.com they all give me the latest news and make me feel like I am in the know.

Speaking of Annie, I enjoyed the PBS special called It's the Hard-knock life. It was so thrilling to watch all the creative sides work together to bring this show to life. And for someone that is so used to regional theater it was so brilliant to see how it is done in the big apple. PBS also had a show called Broadway or Bust where it followed the high school finalists through to the Jimmy awards. The grueling rehearsal schedule and the nuggets of wisdom in that show was also a worthwhile trip.

Beyond all the hours I have spent browsing and watching the above mentioned resources I have also been eating healthy and working out. I am trying to build up my stamina so that I will not be exhausted for the dance classes in my future.

Thanks for the read,
Jennifer

PS: Check out Natalie Weiss's Breaking Down the Riffs (cool kids call it BDTR) it is a series she puts out on YouTube. Check her website for more information. http://www.natalieweiss.net/

Dance

Some youtube videos to get you started

Maestro Greenwood Online Ballet Class
United Taps - Tap Online

Basic beginnings

I am starting this page in an effort to actually track all the pages I have found to help me along the way to supplement the training I receive from in person classes, or being in a show. I share them here so that you also can learn. If you ever have suggestions on things to add, please feel free to contact me. Of course you know you need to be prepared to work hard, and dig deep. First let's consider what we need to learn:

The three biggies

• Sing
• Act 
• Dance

Bonus 

• Accents/Diction
• Reading Music
• Playing an instrument
• Knowledge of what's happening in the industry
• Knowledge of plays/musicals past and present

Some of these may seem easier to you than others, some you may consider yourself very strong in, just remember you can always keep learning and improving on any area.

So let's get started, 

Jen