Canadian Showtime’s Final Coaching Day Before Contest (7-Apr-13)

Like so many others in the city, Canadian Showtime members have been hit hard this flu season! Nasty throat and chest infections have run ramped in the chorus for weeks and still cause havoc for some of our ladies! Kudos to the sick – they are troupers. The minute they are not contagious and have regained some strength and energy, you can find them sitting on the sidelines absorbing and observing (we affectionately call it the sick bay!). No need to tell them to get with the program – they are with us every step of the way! Now that is what I call team play ... A!!! Now if only we could get everyone on the risers so that we can finalize the riser placement!!

Yesterday was our final coaching day before contest. Count them- we are only 13 days away – 12 for our competing quartets!!! Another hurdle on our journey to Hawaii early cleared!

Our regular rehearsal hall at the Nepean Creative Art Center was not available so we gathered at the Ron Kolbus Center at Britannia Beach. It wasn’t a beach kind of day but it sure proved to be an amazing coaching kind of day!

The members arrived at 9:30 but our riser crew and our hospitality ladies were in well ahead getting everything ready for us. Risers,chairs & tables were all set up and those treats – what yummy treats! Thank you all so very much!

We get singing lessons from our wonderful master director Sandie Nason every Tuesday night. We know her style – she knows how to get the best out of us – we trust her hands – she trusts us and we make beautiful music together. But there is something special about the relationship we have with her when she puts her coaching hat on. I can’t really explain it – there is just something magical about the way we work together on those days. She doesn’t teach – she reinforces, reminds, massages, encourages and pulls the most amazing sound and performance out of us! We took care of those little details too –releases and transitions – walk on/walkoff – turns, etc! The last run through of the package was spectacular. We came and gave it our all and it paid off big time! You know when you feel so tired that you just don’t think you can put one foot in the front of the other yet you feel great about it! That’s how I felt when I left the rehearsal hall yesterday - completely drained and yet completely energized!

Our competing quartets all got an opportunity to sing for the chorus yesterday and coach Sandie was generous with her pointers and tips for them as well! There is no question that all of the work done on our chorus contest package yesterday will serve Phoenix Rising, High Definition, Outburst, Uptown Jazzin’ and KeyRings! well on the contest stage.

What a rich musical world we live in! Stay tuned folks – the best is yet to come!! Did I mention in passing how much I love this hobby!!??

JD