Pinch, Punch For The First Of The Month

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Looking Forward To The Start Of My Final Year

Tomorrow will be the first of September 2015 and for me signifies the beginning of my final undergraduate year here at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The last three years have been a whirlwind of exciting experiences, technical discoveries and personal development. Though I have learnt so much from the fantastic teachers that have coached me I know that this is just the beginning, as they have also ignited within me the desire to explore this fantastic art, this wondrous world of opera that so captivates me.

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Looking Back To When I First Joined The RCS

I have so much to do in the coming weeks from preparing my application for a Master’s degree, to carefully selecting my audition repertoire and managing my concert and recital bookings for the coming year.

Looking back over the last three years I remember my excitement at the prospect of joining the RCS and preparing for leaving home for the first time. Walking through the doors on my first day full of wonder and anticipation of what was to come, engulfing my senses with the sounds and smells as I walked through the corridors full of new faces. Smiling to myself as I thought that this is exactly where I wanted to be.

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Now three years later I enter my final year relishing the challenges ahead, new repertoire to master, opportunities to search out and decisions to make. I know that I will be helped and encouraged to make the best of my time here, stretching myself and pursuing my dreams to one day perform the operas that I love on the great stages of the world.

It has been so much fun to share my time here with you all, your support and comments have helped and encouraged me to believe in myself and to work hard to achieve my dreams.

End-Of-Summer

76 thoughts on “Pinch, Punch For The First Of The Month”

  1. Hello, looks like you and me are in the same boat; I’m starting my final year, doing my Foundation Degree at my Drama school in London. Hopefully, with a little bit of luck, I’ll be doing an extra year and receive a BA Hons. I wish you all the best of luck for this school year at the RCS. It’s nice to see someone who’s into the arts too. 🙂

    Reply

      1. Thank you. 🙂 I’m unsure – I’ll carry on with my blog as usual, and I’ll either start my acting career or find a job as one of those historic tour guides, acting in castles and palaces like Hampton Court. What are you hoping to achieve after graduation? 🙂

      2. Our historic tour guide was brilliant it makes such a difference to the tour ☺️. I hope your dreams come true.
        I’m hoping to continue my studies, auditions start this November, and I’d like to try to get some more stage experience.
        Best wishes
        Charlotte

  3. So excited for you Charlotte, and you will have your Masters before long. It has been a pleasure to watch you grow, and bless many people with the opera, and your wonderful gift of singing. The Lord will continue to bless you, because you put Him first in your life. Just keep the faith, run the race, and finish the course, then there will be the crown of righteousness awaiting you. May the Lord bless you richly my beloved.

    Reply

  4. Charlotte thank you, happy to meet you and follow you. Thank you the time you took to share your experiences.
    Very proud of you, and ready to continue to support you and help you if possible.

    You are a fabulous person, a wonderful singer. All the best for you!

    Reply

  6. How exciting. May this year find your opportunities as plentiful as the sunshine around you when you smile. Audiences await who have yet to experience your gifts and there are new worlds for you to conquer. Brava, old soul, young star!

    Reply

    1. I’m hoping to go on to graduate school Bill, my application has to be in by the end of this month, auditions are in November/December; I’m hoping to line up performance opportunities around my educational commitments too.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

      1. drop me an email at bill_gncs at hotmail dot com — I’ll share some insight two friends of mine in the business mentioned the other day. Small world… one friend is a performer who just got her Phd in conducting.

  10. Time flies by so quickly, I remember you leaving for Glasgow and it seems like just yesterday! I’m wishing and hoping all your dreams are fulfilled😘😘

    Reply

    1. Thank you for the big cheer and love Clare, my heads full of plans, I treated myself to a new diary last week to start to timetable myself and keep a track of all the deadlines I have. Auditions are always an anxious time for most people.

      All my best wishes x
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. I hope so Don I couldn’t do anymore than I do 🙂 My Mum saw my outline plans at the weekend and took a big red pen to scratch some out, for some reason I have to leave time for the laundry! Lol.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  14. Thank you for sharing your journey with us. You have grown not only in your talent but also as a beautiful young woman. I wish you all the best as you go forward and realize more exciting times ahead. The world is your oyster. Blessings!

    Reply

    1. Thank you Janice and especially for keeping in touch, I always love to see your smile and read your encouraging messages. It’s been super reading about your journey too. Congratulations on the success of your books.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  18. I’ve enjoyed your blog since I started following you, I’ve learned a lot of music history from you, plus I’ve found a new appreciation of music from you as well.
    I sincerely hope that you keep your blog going for a long time, it’s one blog that I always make time to read.
    Thank you for sharing so much of your journey with us all.

    Reply

    1. Thank you Colin for your lovely message. I’ve had such a busy schedule this summer I’ve only been able to post once each week but I hope to continue as I enjoy reading my comments and reading other blogs it’s so valuable to me as a person. Thank you for joining the journey with me.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  19. Exactly what Colin Noel-Johnson said. 🙂 It’s exciting to watch and listen to you, your talent and your zest for the journey. Like Colin, I’ve learned plenty of music history from you. I’ve also become reacquainted with opera in general and certain specific operas. As a writer and editor, I especially admire the clarity and contagious enthusiasm of your writing. I hope your future includes writing about music as well as performing it.

    Reply

    1. Thank you Susanna, one of the reasons I started my blog was to improve my writing as essays are a big part of my course. I’m very enthusiastic about what I do and I always get asked “will you do cross-over or pop music when you’ve finished your training” but there is so much wonderful traditional classical music and new compositions to sing I want to bring people with me on my journey, not just do what everyone else does, so yes I hope to continue.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Thank you I’ve been working on my personal statement (4000 characters including spaces), writing it, re-writing it. I’m bottling up the good luck messages thank you.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  23. you’re 3 yards in and you’re considering 3 yards more? you might be ll the way into music – if you keep this up! 😀 and you’ve three years more if not the rest of your life to charm me into finding an opera i like…one that is actually opera none of this rock opera stuff either – cheats the point :D. good luck and purdy pictures. go C!

    Reply

    1. I think you would have enjoyed watching me as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel it’s a good fun opera and the music is sublime. I must ask my Dad if his video clip is good enough to put on line to share a bit of it. Thank you for the luck.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  24. It has been 18 moths since I found you on line, when you were competing on ArtistSignal, and I am so glad that I did. I have enjoyed following your adventure and appreciated being able to see your professional development.

    Good luck, Charlotte, in all you do at RCS. I hope that the next year is one in which you achieve all that your heart is set on. I’ll be watching.

    Reply

    1. Thank you Terry, I’ll never forget you were my top voter in that competition you even beat my Nana:) I learnt a lot from that adventure.

      I should know by January if I’ve been offered a place on a Master’s course which is my next target. I’m hoping to get some new recordings too soon.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  28. I am so glad you are enjoying the journey, Charlotte. So many student are just fixated on the end goal and forget to have fun along the way. Treasure every moment of this coming year – it will go by in the blink of an eye!

    Reply

    1. Thanks Noelle, my plan is flexible, when something gets thrown at me out of the blue it makes me feel like fate is stepping in to guide me and thank goodness it does, most of the time the end goal seems so far away. I’ll remember to treasure my time thanks for the reminder.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  29. First, let me say that I absolutely love that first photo of you! Congratulations on reaching another milestone on your journey. I think it’s so wonderful when one finds what they love and can pursue it. Wishing you all the best in your pursuits. 🙂 <3

    Reply

    1. I hope so Iris; I read an article today from sinfinimusic which was a wake-up call for training singers. I’m going to need lots of luck and stamina as well as determination.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

    1. Glad you enjoyed it, feeling positive. I’ve been working hard on some projects for Dad, as well as keeping up with my singing, not long now until teaching starts yay.

      All my best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

  33. A beautiful post to start the day today, with great music (love the Soundcloud track accompanying me) and wish you a great coming year. My guess it will be another year of exciting experiences and more discoveries and development into your music and life. Take care and continue the adventure 🙂

    Reply

    1. Thank you Randall, I’m on the look-out for opportunities all the time, I can’t wait to see what this year brings.

      Ps keep up with your lovely posts they are truly inspirational.

      Best wishes
      Charlotte

      Reply

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