Where There's a Will, There's a Way

I noticed in my last post that when I gave the link to the opera commercial, everyone that commented was like, "You're in the opera?", and then I realized I never shared that info.

Well, yes, I sing in the Tulsa Opera Chorus. It is a lot of fun, and challenging musically. My whole life I have always done things that might seem relatively random. I will get these hair-brained ideas and think "Wow, wouldn't it be cool to do that?" and then I just go for it.

It started in high school. Start your nerd alert sirens, my friends, because my little Christian middle school did not entirely prepare me for the world of a public high school. Once I stopped wearing my denim Winnie the Pooh embroidered long sleeve shirt and black tights with Doc Martin boots, I was headed in the right direction. I then decided later on in that freshman year to try out for the reigning state champion cheerleading squad. Of course everyone thought I was crazy, but I'm a "where there's a will, there's a way" kind of gal, so I bought some Soffe shorts, took a cheer class, and practiced my little heart out on my cheers and jumps. I will never forget the feeling of accomplishment when I saw my name on the roster that year.

There was also the time I decided I wanted to play the fiddle so I took fiddle lessons my junior year of high school. I rarely pick it up now, but I'm glad I learned the basics.

It was my sophomore year of college when I decided I wanted to intern for our US senator in Washington, DC, for a semester. And even though everyone warned me that my chances were not the best if I even had a chance, it was that summer that I applied, interviewed, and packed my bags and headed for the east coast for the fall semester. And had the experience of a lifetime.

It was my junior year in college when I decided I needed some money for school and started competing in the Miss America Scholarship Pageant system. I think my mom really thought I was nuts on this one. I mean, my choice of footwear is a flip-flop and my hair product selection is shampoo and conditioner and water. So I had a friend show me how to walk on stage, worked up a talent selection, borrowed some dresses, and entered some pageants. Three pageants and $1300 in scholarships later, there I was, competing on the stage at Miss Oklahoma, and having a blast doing it.

It was after graduation that I decided that I wanted to be a judge at the Oklahoma regional cheerleading competition, and successfully judged for three years.

And then, two years after college, I decided I wanted to take voice lessons. This stemmed out of my lack of confidence about my singing, and my lack of any type of vocal training in the past. A couple months into my lessons, my voice teacher suggested I audition for the opera chorus. And I thought, what do I have to lose, and how fun would that be?

So, I worked up my best little Italian aria for a soprano, practiced, and signed up for an audition time. And thankfully, I wasn't all THAT nervous, because, well, I knew I wasn't that awesome, and because I didn't know the people who I was auditioning in front of. Again, what I did have to lose?

And here I am, a few months later, amidst a flurry of musical and staging rehearsals for La Traviata which opens in early October. And I am so excited. It is a lot of hard work, but it's a lot of fun as well. And let me just say that the costumes are GORGEOUS.

The moral of this story is this: just because something might not be like what you have done in the past, or just because people think you can't do it, don't let that stop you from doing something you want to do. Instead of saying, "Wow, I wish I could do that", say "Why can't I do that?" and "What do I need to do to make that happen?".

Where there's a will, there's a way. 

~Kathryn

PS - Still waiting on that appraisal to come back. Prayers appreciated for a speedy return.