Editor's note: Since Blogger has redone their blogging interface, I can no longer choose to have the most recent post within a day appear at the top. Therefore... there's a newer post below this one, just in case you read this one already.

Well, I didn't make it.

According to Mckell, I have potential, but my voice just wasn't a good blend for the group. She said that if it were any consolation, they've been looking for several months now. They need someone with more bass to their voice than I have, although I was close. It's a fairly narrowly defined role, as it's their fifth part. Half of their repertoire is four parts anyway, so the fifth would just be gravy. They wanted someone to fit right in between Matt (bass) and Scott (high tenor), but I was too close to Scott's sound for their liking. Which is funny, because in all of my truck-based rehearsal sessions (a.k.a. singing along to the radio), I've always thought higher parts didn't sound good when I sang them. 'Course, if I'd had any formal training, I may have known better.

Anyway, she gave me some contact information for a couple of other groups I might try out for. Also, Kate (the soprano), who asked me twice during the rehearsal if I'd actually never had vocal training, offered to coach me for free. I've decided that on Monday, I'll call a couple of these other groups and if I'm offered an audition, I'll take Kate up on her offer.

*shrug* Like I said, I ran the risk that no matter how well I performed, I wouldn't fit in with the group, and apparently that was the case. Oh well. I won't lie and say I'm not upset about it; I'm disappointed somewhat, because I really poured myself into learning their material. Including what practicing I did last night after the rehearsal (just in case), I had six songs memorized, and had started working on two more.

I didn't close the door, though. I ended our conversation this afternoon by letting Mckell know I was still very interested, and if an opportunity were to arise in the future, she could call me anytime.

Wish me luck tonight. It's the finals of the Streak Stake, the 330-yard competition (races take about 17.6 seconds, instead of 31 seconds for a 550). We've got Miss Judgement in it. Judge has a decent enough shot, but she will be far from being the favorite as my grandpa/aunt's kennel has the former 330 track record holder (Coldwater Cleta) and the current 330 track record holder (Coldwater Konow -- remember him?) in the finals. Cleta I'm not sweating so much; Judge beat her fairly easily in the semifinals on Monday. Konow demolished the track record in his first-ever 330 last Thursday, then came back and toasted his semifinal field on Monday in a time which would have broken the old record as well, but wasn't as fast as his first go. SO, yeah, he's pretty good (not like we didn't know that already). It's only a 4-dog race -- the format of the entire stake, to help ensure less trouble in the turn -- and Judge is in the 3-box, with both Cleta (5) and Konow (7) to her outside. (I'm not worried in the slightest about the 1-dog, which means she'll probably win the damn thing, given my luck). Our best hope is that Konow cuts down to the rail too quickly and bumps with Cleta, while hoping Judge gets a sound start and manages to get out in front of them. We'll see. I'll be there in my suit, ready to shake the hand of the winner.

The guy who runs the 1-dog made an ass of himself Monday night, telling everyone, "Well, I ain't gonna bother gettin' all dressed up. I see them fools standin' down there at the finish line every time, then they gotta walk all the way back over here when they get beat. Ain't no point to it." Methinks, well, except to show you're classier than YOU, Gene, and to shake the hand of the winner if I DO get beat. Ass.

Wait! Before you comment, read the post below. It answers some questions left open in this one.