Day 1 - Blog Entry From Karolin (Member Of Ensemble)

Ok, so I said I'm gonna write something for the blog, but where to start...

Maybe in the morning...

So my head is still buzzing from last weeks mental training on 'who is going crazy first of an overload of information' and I try to remember what we were supposed to bring to first day of music week. Oh yeah... newspaper, batteries and a plastic bottle. Great, I have none of them. So on my way to college I buy The Guardian. I thought about just getting a metro, but you wanna make a statement on a first day, don't you?
I also bought batteries (the long lasting one's, you never know what crazy things we're gonna do with them) and a plastic bottle (good I'm thirsty anyway). 
So I arrive on time afraid of getting too much attention in the morning and I am. To be totally honest I'm quite nervous about today, not in a bad 'oh my god I'm gonna fail' way but in a 'this is all so exciting, but you don't wanna show it too much' way. 


We have an introduction by Simon Deacon (Music Tutor), we get introduced to the team working on this project. More names! There's Eska, with an energy that is exciting in itself, Van, Alice...... and more names I am trying to remember.

First task, get rid of your shoes, ok. I have a hole in my sock. Great! 
This is just so nice. A warm up but from a special kind. As we are such a big group and we barely know one another, everyone has to find his/her own place and space in the room.  It really helps to get focused and get prepared for the day. Wondering around the room, breathing to the horizon, imagine the world. Where are you from? Where are the others from? And knowing  you are not the only one... that's a nice feeling.  Now it doesn't feel so crowded anymore and I feel more centered and as part of the group.

The attention is all yours Eska and so we work on the first song "The Story". We listen to the song... it is really good, I like it. The team work amazing together and they all accomplish their tasks. The pressure from this morning vanishing into thin air. The first harmonies are sung together and I'm there. This sounds just great and we are not all singers, but it just works. Everyone just seems to be really enjoying themselves. Good energy.

Eska and the team are really working us and when we start with the newspaper we get really into it. Although my feet start to hurt and I'm stepping from one foot to the other, we get the song and choreography down and still find time to smile. After 2 hours Eska has to leave, but I think everyone got the concept of the song.

After the long awaited break, things seemed easier when we got back. I know my place now. My feet and back ache but I'm not alone. We find ourselves rather quickly progressing onto the second song. It seems to be easier and sounds as great as the the first. It fascinates me that with such simple elements of movement, sound, harmonies, we create something so big and powerful. It sounds just amazing and I'm so happy to be here and be part of this. My excitement lasts all day and I think the same for the others. We finally stop our first day of music week. I feel really tired but satisfied and am looking forward to tomorrow.

Memo to me... get a pair of socks without a hole but that's really "nothing of great importance".

Cheers Karolin