Concert in Assembly Hall, Temple Square Salt Lake City!!!!!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to perform in the Viva México Concert in Assembly Hall, Temple Square in Salt Lake City!!

It was such a cool experience!

I was a little nervous because yesterday, I went to classes, worked, took a Physical Science test, and by the time I had to leave to Salt Lake City, I had not touched the piano at all.

We got there, and Dr. Holden and Mezzo-soprano Ruth Christiansen were rehearsing. I was amazed by the beautiful acoustic!! OMG!! AMAZING! I got ready and after Professor Monte rehearsed, I had the pianoooo for myself!!

Steinway Concert Grand Piano(model D.. I know. You're jealous! :P),gorgeous tone.

After my dress rehearsal, I went outside to take some pictures.

I got to talk with the sister Missionaries!!! one of them was from France!! and she pronunciated my name as it should be!!! goshh it sounded so good with her French accent!!

They shared a scripture with me..

2 Nephi 32:9

9 But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul.

I seriously needed that!! Sister Missionaries are AWESOME!!

...

then, I went to backstage to be ready because the time was getting closer!!
I get sooo serious before performing. I don't like to talk at all.
Don't talk to me before a performance!
the time arrived.

I went to stage.

I bowed.

I sat at the piano, and I started playing.

I finished, and people were clapping.


It's kind of an unreal moment. Because your mind just went into a different state.
I feel good about my performance.
After my performance, I was just chillin' with the other performers. Now, I can talk to everyone!!I had an interesting conversation with Proffesor Monte. haha.
When the concert was over, all of us went to stage to bow. It was cool.
After the concert, we went to gourmet.. something and we had a great time!!

Here are some pictures!!!

Viva México Concert!!!

OH. MY . GOODNESS!!! the first 3 weeks of school have been C.R.A.Z.Y!!! I'm enyoying it a lot!! haha.. I guess stress spices my life up!!!

So, this week.. I got to see 3 apostles(Elder Holland,Elder Packer, and Elder Hales) in less than 3 days!!! Because they came to our stake conference and to BYU Devotional. This is what you get when you are at BYU!!! :)it's awesome!!!

What else did I do this week??? mmm..I played in piano masterclass, I had 2 radio interviews with Classical 89, and I also had a interview with the Daily Universe (BYU's newspaper) It was pretty cool!! The first interview was with Igor, I don't remember his last name haha. It was mostly about how I decided to come to study piano performance here at BYU, my piano career and what was I going to play in the Viva México Concert.

The second interview, was with Marcus Smith, the senior producer of the radio program "Thinking Aloud". He's a very cool guy!! I also met Wes Sims, the executive producer of the same radio program. In this interview, Dr. Hopkin and I talked about the background of the pieces we were going to perform in Viva México concert.

I'm excited because It's almost certain that my performance is going to be in the radioo!!! cool huh??

Well.. yesterday was the first concert, here at the Madsen Recital Hall, in the HFAC, and it went really well! I was kind of nervous all day long.. then after getting ready and dressed up, I went to warm-up and then to my dress rehearsal. When I went to the Madsen to start my dress rehearsal, Dr. Holden and Professor Monte were there practicing "Estrellita", such a CUTE song!!! I love it!!!
Then, I started playing, and some people were coming already! I was playing so hard.. that one of the notes got out of tune and the piano tunner had to come to fix it. haha.

After my dress rehearsal, I went to my teacher's office to practice some spots I needed to review one more time...
Now, it was 7:25 pm, and I went to the Madsen to get ready and everything. It was packed man!! OMG. no room for anyone else!!
I went to the Madsen's backstage, and the mezzo-sopranos Ruth Christiansen and Carla Rae Cook were there already. Such beautiful women! The guitarist Lawrence Green was there too. Then Dr. Holden came, and we were almost ready to begin!

The Madsen was sooo crowded.. like crazy!! and the stage manager had to tell people that if they didn't have a seat, they were gonna have to leave, So a bunch of people left... and I saw people seating in the hallways outside the Madsen trying to hear the concert.

Then.. the program started!! I was really nervous because all of the performers have Doctorate degrees, and I'm just a humble student haha, but I felt really comfortable among them. They were pretty calm and just chillin' before their turns. I think that helped me to calm down a little bit, and to feel more confident.

I played.. well (I think). I wasn't nervous at all. it was awesome.

I wish I could describe with words my mind's state while I´m performing. It's kind of in the Limbo haha. Sometimes I'm very focused in the music, but some other occasions, the most RANDOM thoughts come to my mind...something like.. yeah I finished my physical science's homework on time. haha it's kinda funny. After I playe
d, Dr. Holden told me "That was amazing!" and everyone told me I did a great job!

I really enjoyed the concert. I feel so blessed!! I'm so lucky!!

Now. this coming week has some "excitement".. 2 midterms, 1 paper, and a concert in Temple Square!!!

Bring it on BYU!!!