December 31

Read it and weep.  This is entry 366.  The last entry in this blog.

The cat woke me up at 3am reminding me it was time to wake up - yet it's my day off.  I don't think so. I managed to attempt a little more sleep 'til my husband woke up at 7am.  I laid in bed 'til 10am and watched the Today Show.  Took a shower, cleaned the bathroom, ran some errands, and will be teaching my last voice lesson of the year shortly.

Will be making sausage balls for tonight and heading over to a friends house to ring in the New Year.

If you have actually read all 365 entires thus far, you pretty much know how my year went and to me - it was pretty uneventful.  In fact, so much, I am more than disappointed in myself.  I looked back at my goals for 2012 - I don't do resolutions - and I accomplished not one of them.  I am left feeling empty and I believe part of it has to do with the fact that I did nothing with my performing career.

Let's take a look back at my career thus far, shall we?

I graduated in December of 2000 with a BA in Music and a Virginia Teacher License PK-12 Music.

January 2001, I had a part-time job as a chorus teacher.  I also auditioned for my first professional show and was cast.  Working at that theatre became my full-time job.  This is the happiest I can EVER recall being.

September 2001, my part-time teaching job became a full-time job.  Because it was a great school, I couldn't say no to the opportunity.  My performing career became part-time as I was a regular understudy or swing in a variety of shows.  This continued through June of 2004.

June 2004, I left my teaching job and took on performing full-time once again.

In June 2005, I moved to New York City where I was enrolled in a summer Musical Theatre program. When the program ended, I found a number of jobs, and auditioned every single day for anything I could.

In January 2006, I booked my first gig out of New York City auditions and went on tour for 4 months. I got back to the city that summer and once again enrolled in a summer Musical Theatre program.  When that program ended, I enrolled in an evening Acting program.  I also continued to audition like crazy and was at the top of my game.

In February 2007, I left the city once again to work in a show at a resort, that led to another theatre gig, which led to another theatre gig, which continued to lead to gig after gig.  I was a working (traveling) actor!

Until January 2009 ... my final gig ended and I had fallen in love with a Rhode Islander and decided rather than move back to New York City, I would take my chances and remain in New England for a bit.

Since this decision, my training has pretty much come to a halt and I have been in a limited amount of shows.

January 2012, my theatrical career came to a COMPLETE standstill.

2012 has brought me ZERO performing opportunities.  I wasn't even invited to be the soprano soloist for 'Messiah' this year - I have done it 3 years in a row!  What the heck has happened to me?  I don't even have a full-time job to use as an excuse.

In 2013 I vow to fix this somehow.  I will find a voice teacher to study with regularly, and I will take advantage of the acting classes that are offered at the local theatres.  I know this will all cost money, but I will find the resources somehow.  Surely, something good will come of these goals.  I am VERY close to giving up my dream ... but not just yet.

So 2012, I am sorry to say but YOU SUCK.  I hope 2013 will be more prosperous.

Thank you for following my journey for the last 366 days.  Happy New Year to you all!