Domain name drama

Hey everyone!  First of all, lots of new poetry & some discussion over at my writing blog, check it out!

What else have I been up to lately?

- Performed my first solo with the Southern Gospel Choir in the release concert for our second album, High On A Mountain! (available now at Koorong bookstores & from the Conservatorium of Music! Makes a great Christmas present!)
- Performed with the Southern Gospel Choir at the ABC Giving Tree Concert.
- Modelled in the Fringe Festival Fashion Show.
- Met up with the previous Conservatorium student rep to get some tips & info on how to survive my first semester as Con Rep!
- Trying to get a band together.
- Lots of writing at Chado.
- Saw the Dalai Lama at the DEC.
- Had a very successful 3rd Clothes Swap – 50 people came through and 10 garbage bags of clothes were donated to charity.
- Got a bunch of my photos printed & framed to be sold!
- Working at Sheepskin & Opal World.

Got my uni results – achieved a Distinction in voice and a High Distinction in gospel choir.

My main endeavour over the last week has been trying to get my proper website started.  It’s been alternately really exciting and fun, or incredibly frustrating & difficult.  The latter part relates mostly to trying to secure a domain name.

“Pizazz” is a moniker which I have been using for a long time, and I intend to register it as a business name.  Unfortunately it’s not easy to get as a domain name:
pizazz.com is for sale, but for over $2500 US
pizazz.com.au has nothing on it, but is owned by a company who don’t want to sell
pizazz.me is the same story
pizazz.org is for sale, but for $5000
pizazz.org.au I can’t have because I’m not a non-profit organisation
pizazz.id.au  I can’t have (even though .id.au is specifically intended for individuals’ sites!) because apparently the domain name has to reflect your actual name.

I went through the unnecessary stress of registering pizazz.org.au and then pizazz.id.au (and paying for them) and being rejected both times.  It’s been very frustrating and disheartening, not being able to get ANY sort of pizazz.ANYTHING.

I’ve considered pizazz-art, but I keep getting the feedback that in that context “pizazz” reads too much like “pizza”.  I’m currently looking into redirecting services like .co.nr – however they state in their rules that they do not link to sites that contain “Adult Content” – they are yet to reply to my enquiry as to whether that includes artistic nude photography.

If anyone has any other suggestions as to my domain name, I’d welcome them!

More updates soon.  In the meantime there’s always my Twitter!

Bec

Update

So it’s been quite a while since I posted last.  I’ve been pretty busy over Christmas and since, and it just hasn’t appealed to me to write blog posts here for a while.  I apologise for that.  I’ve got a few ideas in my head for a proper website, and a blog just sort of pales in comparison to the things I have in mind, so I haven’t really felt inspired to work on this blog.

So, as for an update… things have been going pretty well.  Happy new year, by the way!  Last year was a great learning experience for me, very hectic and stressful, but I think this year will be better.  Now that I’ve got a good idea of how things work at the Conservatorium, I think I will be able to handle my workload a lot better.  My results turned out pretty well in second semester – a Distinction in voice, Distinction in gospel choir, and Credit in core studies.

This coming semester I’ll be taking voice, gospel choir, advanced core studies, foundation theory, and history of jazz.  Should be a little more busy but a little more manageable.

I’ve also been applying for jobs – did a trial day at Sheepskin & Opal World, which seemed to go pretty well, but I’m not sure if I’ll be available for all the hours they want me to work.  Gonna have to wait and see when I get my timetable.  I also applied at a lot of bookshops, music shops, restaurants, and other stores.  If you hear of anything in casual or part-time work available, let me know!

On the singing front, I’ve done some recording work, had another performance with the SGC, and have my first paid live gig coming up… reeeeeead all about it over at my music blog!

I’ve also been doing a bit of modelling here and there for friends, images to come.

So, everything is moving along at a steady pace.  I’ve been writing again a bit too, but nothing worth putting up yet.

Keep your eyes peeled for more of me, and maybe a new website, sometime in the near-ish future!

Bec

Videos!

This is a little bit exciting! I have updated my YouTube page with several videos of my end-of-year-10 Ogilvie High School concert, a few from the Southern Gospel Choir’s concert earlier this year (Andrew Legg’s PhD assessment), and 2 of the sets which I modelled in at the Hobart Fringe Festival Fashion Show this year. Here are some samples:

The Fashion Show (I’m in the suit!):

The SGC (Third from the left in the front row):

More to come! Be sure to go check out the others.

Becca

So, July is here.

And with May and June passed my end-of-semester exams. It’s funny how university is so geared for semesters. In college and high school it was all about the end of the year – the classes were structured to last the whole year, there were mid-year exams and “progression reports” or something like that, but they really didn’t matter all that much, and the end of year exams and everything were what was important. But a couple months into uni I realised that no one had even SPOKEN about 2nd semester. We had mid-semester exams (technical exams – scales, exercises and jazz standards) and then our main “performance” exams (in which we perform whatever pieces we like) at the end of semester. Then it starts all over again in semester 2.

So how have I been going? Well, let’s see what’s been happening in my diary since April 26th, which was when I last updated here.   Lots and lots of things, mostly music-related.  So head over to my music blog to read about my tech exam, performance exam, results, Southern Gospel Choir gigs, and the Festival of Voices.

I did a quick photoshoot with some nice evening light and the remnants of red dye in my hair with my friend and photographer/graphic designer Paul George, of Digital Graffiti. Photos to come!

I also saw Tania Bosak, a local musician, at the Theatre Royal. It was a SPECTACULAR show, and she is an AMAZING performer with many talents, not least of which are singing, playing the drums, and humour. I answered a silly quiz and won a bottle of wine, which was nice. My teachers Kelly Ottaway and Alistair Dobson were in her band, as was my friend and past accompanist Randal Muir and a host of other talents. If you ever get the chance to see or work with Tania Bosak, DON’T pass it up. She is completely fabulous.

And this week I have frantically been trying to get some stuff done before I throw myself back into school. Oh, I also found out my results for semester 1! I got 74 for gospel choir (Distinction), 62 for Foundation Audio (Credit), 63 for Foundation Core Studies (Credit), and 78 for my performance exam (Distinction – 2 away from High Distinction). Very happy with all that. Looking forward to doing better next semester!

Now I really should get some sleep. Only 2 days of holiday left, don’t want to waste them sleeping in!

Heh heh.

Bec

A rare post…

Greetings! It’s been quite a while since I posted last… things have been busy! What has been happening? Well, apart from school and all that sort of thing, I have moved house… twice… in the past month. That has been rather stressful but now I am happily settled into my new flat.

So, life at the conservatorium has been also rather stressful and VERY busy, but fun! More on that, the Amplified festival, Southern Roots Festival, and Southern Gospel Choir news at… can you guess? … my music blog!

A few pieces of not-so-great news. I’m no longer working at the Mercure Hotel, so am once again looking for a casual/part-time job with flexible hours. Ideally something like waitressing or retail in an interesting store. And I declined Andrew Bonime’s offer to collaborate my lyrics with his music. It was a very interesting opportunity but required me agreeing to hand some rights over to a publisher, and I’m not quite ready for that yet. But thankyou, Andrew, for the offer! I really appreciated it.

The final thing I have to report is that the Fringe Festival Fashion Show went really well and was a lot of fun. I modelled for two designers, Elissa Knezevic and Jo Bootsma, and I wore a suit and a beautiful dress. I modelled for this show two years ago, and this year was even more fun, interesting, and full of amazing outfits. Some really nice photos came of it, and I’ll upload them here soon. I was also asked, as a result, by a couple of photographers to model for them, which should be a lot of fun. I love modelling. I got a lot of compliments saying I was a natural… and that I am talented at posing. I’m not sure whether that’s a good thing or not, haha! But it was fun. As a result, Brady Denehey of Stygian Studios asked me to model for him, which of course I agreed to! Also a friend of mine who lives in Sydney has asked me to come up some time in the holidays to do a photoshoot, and I intend to get together with a few other photographers and models I know in Sydney while I’m there.

So, back to it now, assignments to do, birthday presents to buy, parties to attend, a housemate and a job to find. Maybe I’ll come back for an update here in another 2 months! Haha. Please forgive the lack of up-to-date information/photos/etcetera on this site. When I get a housemate I’ll be able to afford internet at home, for the first time in a year! So everything should get tidied up then.

Adieu!

Conservatorium First Impressions

Well, sort of. Seeing as I have really been lurking at the Con for three years, I can’t really claim that any of my impressions over the last couple of weeks are anything particularly new. But they are my first impressions as a Uni student.  Mosey on over to my music blog to read more…

Before I get into all that, what else has been happening? I got the job at the Mercure Hotel! They asked me in for “second interview” today and pretty much gave me the job straight away. I’m going to be working there as a breakfast attendant on weekends. That means being there at 7am… which is a little painful, but ah well. Apparently it’s 7-11, so if I work both days of the weekend that’s only 8 hours max. I’ve been a little stressed about how much work I have now I’ve started school, but I think I can manage this.

Theory is not as boring as I expected.

On Sunday I began my lessons in music theory with tutor Ashton Maggs, in preparation for my Conservatorium entry test. Read more at my music blog by clicking here.

Last night I finished a critique for Drama, today being the final due date for them, and got it done, which was incredibly satisfying because now I have no more written work left for school! It is such a wonderful feeling of freedom. I have so little left now before I’m off completely for holidays, and all that I have left is fairly easy and enjoyable.

Updated to do list:
-Theory lessons (plus homework) twice a week until my theory test for the Conservatorium.
-External music performance exam next Monday.
-Singing with Claire in her external performance exam next Tuesday.
-Conservatorium audition, then theory test
-Southern Gospel Choir rehearsals & final concert

And that’s it! I am very much looking forward to a break after such a busy year. However I won’t just be sitting around playing video games the whole time. I’m looking forward to getting a bunch of stories, poetry & philosophy writing done, doing some musical collaborations with a drummer friend of mine, perhaps doing some modelling for some friends of mine who do photography. And most of all, finally getting together with those who have offered to model for me, and attempting some of the ideas for photos I’ve had written down for a while.

Something else I am looking forward to is spending some time with my friend Paul George of Digital Graffiti: http://www.digitalgraffiti.com.au He’s offered to teach me how to properly use Adobe Photoshop and other graphics programs, which would be handy, and could even possibly lead to some kind of employment. We’ll see. He also said that I can borrow his digital SLR camera if I need to, which is good.

So yes, the holidays are shaping up to be productive and fun. I might even see if I can get a waitressing job or somesuch.

One more interesting thing before I go, I found this site and that of my friend Justin Smith linked to from this page:  http://www.tas.gov.au/tasmaniaonline/Nav/Topic.asp?Topic=Personal%20sites
There’s even a small summary that someone has obviously taken the time to write.  I was delighted that someone would do that, and that my blog was deemed interesting or informative enough to be of use in that stockpile.

Looking forward to the warmer weather!

Bec

Update

My life has been busy doing homework & rehearsals for The Tempest continue at a bit of a tedious pace.  We filmed the last scene of Inspirit on Saturday, which was good.  I saw the play Ying Tong on Saturday evening, that was amazing, hilarious, and very poignant.  I love Spike Milligan, such a pity he’s dead, I so much wanted to write to him.  I’m going to see Miriam Margolyes next Saturday, that looks like it will be a fantastic night out.

Update on my progress in entering the Young Jazz Players’ Competition, and exciting Southern Gospel Choir possibilities, over at my music blog!

I’ve also posted an update on my writing blog, and finally finished uploading all my poetry in chronological order, both of which you can read by clicking here!

As for modelling and photography, I’ve actually had a few ideas recently so once exams are over I will be back into that!

I must go finish filling out my scholarship application forms… and do my homework!  I’ve done 1000 words on my Tempest folio, so 2000 to go!

3:46am

I have had a long night editing this page… mainly setting up the Modelling Examples page. I have now finished editing that particular page for now, having uploaded all the photos I wanted, and figured out how to make them display as I want them to. It is time for bed now, but first a quick summary of the past few days.

This past Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I have spent acting in the short film “Inspirit”.

We have filmed on location at Rosny Farm, Droughty Point and Kangaroo Bluff. It has been both stressful and enjoyable. This is the first short film I have been a part of, and acting on film is a new experience for me. I am a little concerned that I may have allowed bad weather, tiredness and bad tempers to affect me, and that my acting has been perhaps a little less focused than I would like it to be, however, we shall see. It has been a learning experience.

Brad McGinniss, the writer, director, producer and creator of the whole project, has not done a great deal of directing before and so it has been a learning experience for him too. I have enjoyed working with experienced actors John Andrews and Stephen Ashton, both of whom are not only talented but clever and fun to be around. Mick Lowenstein was also great to work with as he was stoic and uncomplaining through even the most stressful parts of filming. I spent some time talking with our continuity & production stills photographer Alan Jennison, who was also great fun to work with, and I was often interested in what he was doing in relation to my own pursuits in photography. I also enjoyed posing for some more artistic shots now and then, and hopefully I will soon have a few to upload here for all to see. And of course my good friend Justin Smith of InneBate AV was cinematographer and cameraman. He suffered from bad health during shooting but as always was hardworking and fun to work with.

We have one more scene to shoot, coincidentally my favourite scene, however the tavern where we were going to film was not available for some time, so it is unsure when we will be shooting it. This was quite relieving for me as now I have tomorrow and the weekend to learn my lines for The Tempest. I need to have them memorised by Monday, when we start our main rehearsals, which will go all through next week.

Please take a look at the websites of the people involved in this project:
The Inspirit homepage
Stephen Ashton – Actor, singer and much more, in the Blues Brothers Revival band
Justin Smith, video/audio technician
Alan Jennison, photographer and tour guide

Well, it’s time for me to head off to sleep now. I will probably update again sometime next week, during rehearsals.

Signing off at 4:14am

Bec