Just The Beginning

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Hello friends,

It’s been a little over two months since I’ve moved to Brooklyn, and I can really say I’m having the time of my life, and am so excited for the rest of this adventure. I haven’t really been posting on any social media (besides the occasional snap story), so I figured I would start this blog to help document my experiences and share them with all of you. Bear with me, this post will be a little lengthy simply because I’m updating you on a lengthy amount of time, but in the future you can expect shorter posts a little more frequently, so be on the lookout! I’ll be adding links throughout the post, which can also be found on my page, to websites of some of the places/organizations/activities I’ll be mentioning, so that if you feel so inclined you can take a closer look at what I’ve been involved in. Happy reading! 🙂

 

I am so lucky to have found a home here, in more ways than one. My apartment is so cute and cozy (I put some pictures up on my profile- check em out), the neighborhood has a lot going on (many diners, Middle-Eastern restaurants, the occasional laundromat), and living a block from Adam and his wonderful family has many perks (from home-cooked meals, to late-night visits for music arranging, to the cutest baby ever being just a minute’s walk away). I’m glad settling in has been made so easy, and am grateful to get to spend so much time with the Podd-Sarullo clan. Besides my home in Bay Ridge, I am even more lucky to find myself in communities that have welcomed me so graciously.  

The first I’ll mention is the First Unitarian Universalist Congregational Society in Brooklyn (or FUUB for short), which is a church in Brooklyn Heights. I’m officially their (first ever!) Music Ministry Intern, and I am so loving it. I attend staff meetings every Tuesday, which gives me a cool insight into the inner-workings of what keeps everything running smoothly. On Sundays, the choir rehearses at 9:00 for services that start at 11:00 (with a little snack break after rehearsal). I’ve been (of course) up there singing with them, and if you follow the First U facebook page, you can watch the livestream of the services each week (or come visit!- new faces are always welcome whether you’d like to watch from the pews or join us in the choir). Special jazz services happen the second Sunday of every month, complete with a horn trio, rhythm section, and some kickin’ tunes. Along with what happens on Sunday mornings, I’ve been able to learn about all that goes into the behind-the-scenes of preparing music at church. From brainstorming pieces, to making copies of all the music, to arranging choir and band parts, setting up the jazz binders and choir folders, and everything in between, I am so amazed by the process and glad to be part of it all.

Through some of the church choir and congregants, a group was put together that participated in a week-long event called the Mile Long Opera. Essentially, 1,000+ singers from choirs all over NYC were spread out across the High Line, performing an arrangement of New Yorkers’ stories of what 7:00 means to them. I found myself stepping in as our group’s ‘choir director’ so that Adam could be at the previews for Midnight at the Never Get (which I’ll explain later, don’t you worry). I got to act as leader/point person for some of the most wonderful people that made the job so very enjoyable and worthwhile. From 7-10 each night, it was amazing to watch the performers in my area sing and act their hearts out, embodying the stories as if they were their own. And I am so fortunate to have gotten to do it right along with them. It was truly a performance like no other, up close to our audience as they strolled through. Many would make eye contact as they passed, and some would choose to stop at one person to fully hear the whole story before moving on. It became very personal and reflective- human to human, heart to heart, with so many strangers a night (about 3,000 walked through each day!). Yes, there were times where, as a performer, it would be cold, or our feet would hurt after standing so long, but even while singing the same two pages and the same two pitches over and over for three hours (yeah, you read that right), we were able to stay involved in the piece. It was even more rewarding that we could tell the audience was listening, captivated, and moved by the stories (not to mention that a few celebrities did walk through too, which was for sure pretty cool). The grand scale of it all is part of what made it so awe-inspiring (rounding up 1,000 singers to perform for three hours a night and planning for 3,000 people is a crazy feat), but the true value of this experience, at least to me, came from my interactions with the people- both performers and audience- and seeing just how much of an impact a piece could have. Seeing as this was the first little project that I had here, it was probably the best introduction to the endless possibilities there are in the musical world of this city. If you’re interested in getting to see more of what it was all about and what it looked/sounded like, there’s a 360 video you can watch on the MLO website (which you’ll find a link to on my page).

More recently, some members of the choir (in combination with members from the Grace Chorale and First Presbyterian choirs + friends) were given the opportunity to sing backup for Heather Headley (who originated the role of Nala in the Lion King of Broadway, nbd) at the King’s Theater in Brooklyn. The elation and pure rush that come with performing, especially to that degree, has reminded me that I love it and should be doing it so much more. It has made me all-the-more eager to audition for things while I’m here and find whatever performance outlets I can (and since it’s written now it actually has to happen), so hopefully you’ll be reading about open-mics or choral groups or different shows in an upcoming post or two!

The second community that I am so grateful for is the York Theatre Company and cast/crew of Midnight at the Never Get. I absolutely am in love with the collaborative creativity of musical theatre, and getting to work with everyone for the run of this show absolutely reinforced that feeling. It would take me forever to thank all of the people that so inspired me throughout the show (and take you even more time to read), so I’ll give you the slightly briefer version. I started as Adam’s intern, making copies of music, transcribing band notes, making changes in the score and reprinting them, observing, helping at rehearsals, you get the idea, and ended up helping out with other aspects that go into the creation of a show. I shared an idea to solve a set-design problem they’d been trying to figure out, and the rest is history.

I started going early to rehearsals to make myself useful to the crew, and even worked a full (paid!) Saturday (if you happened to come to the show and see the beautifully pleated curtains hanging above the stage- that was me). I managed to earn myself two credits in the program of an off-broadway musical (as music director’s assistant and a member of the set crew), and I am proud of it, but I also am so thankful for the people that helped make it happen. On occasion, I found myself bringing homemade cookies, cupcakes, or muffins to rehearsals, mostly for the fun of it, but I think it was effective in also acting as the ‘thank you’ that I’ll never be able to express enough in words. (P.S. read the NY Times review if you’re wondering just how amazing this show really was).

Now, though this production has ended, I’m thrilled to say that I’ll be at the York just as often this month, interning with the music director (and most likely working backstage again too!) for their next production, Christmas in Hell, a ‘hilariously funny’ show written by Gary Apple (one of the writers for the Simpsons), which opens December 13th! Don’t miss it !

The last community that deserves a mention is the Bella Voce Singers (BVS) women’s choir that Adam accompanies and that I now sing in. We meet on Monday nights from 7-9, which has been a nice return to a familiar routine (mirroring the THS women’s ensemble rehearsals).  I joined late in the game because of Midnight, so have only been at rehearsals for the past few weeks, but already the ladies around me have been so sweet, and I’m happy to be part of the beautiful music being made. Our concert is on December 1st at 7:00 at First Unitarian. See you there! 😉

 

As I post this, I’m gearing up for the first rehearsal of Christmas in Hell, and am psyched to start this next adventure. These months have sped by (time flies…) and everything I’ve experienced so far just makes me more and more excited every day for what’s to come. I am so overwhelmingly grateful for the time I’m spending here, all of these things I’m getting to experience, and all the people I’m getting to know. Thank you to all have encouraged me and made it possible; it’s already been a dream.

Until next time!

~Allie

 

On The Water In The City

Today I went grocery shopping.

I know, not all that exciting compared to the other things I’ve been writing you about.

But for some reason, instead of my flats or boots, I slid on my sneakers. For some reason, I made two extra stops so that I had to take a long way home. Because for some reason, it just felt so good to be walking outside.

So good, that I dropped my groceries at home, abandoned all plans I had made for the day, and ventured back out into the cool air to explore.

I wandered to the Shore Road Greenway and walked along the water for two hours, though it seemed like more and somehow felt like less.

I found myself at a little pier, where I sat and watched the waves before making my way back down the pathway.

The serenity of those moments is something irreplaceable: everything quiet but the wind, the cars behind me a low murmur in the backgroud, peace to allow for uninterrupted thought, and no rush, deadline, or destination that I should be continuing toward.

There is no other way to explain this bliss other than telling you I now plan to make the walk at the start of every day, to think, write, and simply relive the tranquility I experienced today.

As I stood on one of the lookouts, taking in the sun at my back, the wind nipping at my face, the fresh air – everything one might miss while living in a city – I found that this city has truly become my home.

I love how there will always be new cool spots to find, from lookouts to diners to theaters and shows and everything in between. I love that in what seems to be a concrete place, it’s easy to find a spot to step back from it all and take a breath of fresh air. And I love the people that have made it so remarkably easy to call this place home.

I’d like to thank them for making me never want to leave. It’s all of the little things that will hold me here, and I am so grateful to have so many little meaningful moments to remember and cherish.

I love my people, I love my home, and love everything they’ll have in store for me in these coming months (and years, and years, and years).

Best always,

~Allie

Christmas In Heaven

Hello friends,

Merry Christmas Eve! As I type, I’m on my way to First Unitarian to get ready for our service today, and I am beyond excited! I’m so grateful for this community that’s become such a big part of my life here, and am so happy to be sharing this experience with my family who are making the trip to come be with me.

It’s been quite a while since you’ve heard from me, so here’s a little winter-break reading for you:

A few weeks ago, the women’s choir (BVS) that I mentioned in my last post had our concert, Understanding Love, and man oh man did it feel good to be performing in that way again. There’s something special about being part of a group of people who seem to love the music they’re learning just about as much as you do, and being able to make that music sound so beautiful together. I had a solo in a very beautiful kind of ethereal floaty piece that felt like a little look-back at the Mile Long Opera and was so nice to be part of (I’ll put the video on my page soon). What’s more exciting though, at least in my own opinion, was that this choir fills out their concert with solo performances, which allowed me to debut my most recent song. And, the even crazier part is that I had a professional drummer playing along with me. It has to be the coolest feeling to experience what my songs could someday (and someday soon??) become– full band, live audience (and a live audience that seemed to enjoy it at that). The overwhelmingly positive reaction that night, and the knowledge that I can (and do) move people with my music, is what keeps me writing, and keeps me so beyond excited to learn how to do it even better, find more places to perform, and keep singing my freaking heart out to whomever will listen.

This past month has been quite a learning experience, full of many ups and downs in the production process of Christmas In Hell, which opened last Thursday, and was a very different undertaking than Midnight at the Never Get. It lends itself to be a slightly more extravagant show, as it has eight actors playing multiple characters each in a myriad of different settings (compared to Midnight’s two actors and virtually no set changes). During the rehearsal process, I found myself making many many copies and reprints of music (as usual… sorry, Earth), but also found myself to be helpful in a more musical way that wasn’t as necessary in the last production. I would often sing vocal parts to the actors to help them learn, and ended up acting as a rehearsal pianist for music/choreography brush-ups, usually without the music director even present, and sometimes so that the actors could split to work on music with me and scene-work with the director. It was very cool to get a taste of what I would be doing as a music director someday, and all the problem solving and finessing that comes with the job (and I got paid for my work this round- ya girl’s moving up in the world!). I am so ready and excited for whatever theatre job I find next. 🙂

Wishing you a joyful holiday and happy new year,

~Allie