Details on My Birthday Concert

A few weeks ago, I told you about a concert that will be performing on my birthday. Well, here are the juicy details:

Koreatown Youth & Community Center's 30th Anniversary Benefit Concert
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Downtown Los Angeles
July 7th, 8 PM
Tickets range from $20-$100

I will be performing in the final act of the program, as part of the chorus in Beethoven's final movement of his 9th Symphony, Ode to Joy.
All proceeds go the Koreantown Youth & Community Center which "works to improve the quality of life for recently immigrated, economically and socially disadvantaged children, youth and families in Koreatown."

Ticket information can be found at http://www.kyccla.org/concert/.

Free Concert! On Your Computer!

As promised, music from my Verdi's Requiem concert at Royce Hall is here for your enjoyment (So all you LCCers who were wondering what the hell I was doing the night of the banquet, wonder no more). But before you download, a little background information to help you understand and enjoy this piece.

A Requiem is a Catholic funeral mass. Giuseppe Verdi composed this particular version of the Requiem as a memorial to two of his good friends who had passed, composer Gioacchino Rossini and writer Alessandro Manzoni. At the time Verdi composed his Requiem, the Church taught that death was something to be feared, and that if one was not morally perfect, you were going to Hell. Verdi composed with this fear fresh in his mind, wondering whether his friends were saved, and whether he himself would be saved upon his own death.

This piece is the final movement of the Requiem, titled "Libera Me" or "Deliver Me". Here is the original latin text, with its translation.

Dies irae, dies illa,
calamitatis et misariae,
dies magna et amara valde.

The day of anger, that day,
of calamity, of misery,
an exceedingly great and bitter day.

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine
et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Eternal rest grant them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.

Libera me, Domine, de morte aeterna,
in die illa tremenda, quando coeli movendi sunt et terra.
Dum veneris judicare saeculum per ignem.

Deliver me, O Lord, from everlasting death,
on that dreadful day, when the heavens and the earth shall be moved.
When thou shalt come to judge the world by fire.

The soprano solo is performed by Erin Wood, the four-part chorus is performed by both the UCLA Chorale and the Angeles Chorale, and the instrumentals are performed by the American Youth Symphony.

Now that you have been properly prepped, click on this link and enjoy!

A Toast!

So the graduations are over, and I sit in my apartment, on a recently vacuumed carpet, contemplating the rest of my days. I've really been blessed spending five, magical years at UCLA, and there are no amount of words that can express my gratitude to all the people who made it possible. There are so many wonderful and beautiful people I've encountered in so many settings, from Samahang, to UCLA Chorale, to my engineering classes, to Asian Pacific Coalition, to the dorms, you all have really meant so much to me, and all I can say is a humble thank you.

A lot of people have expressed a touch of sadness about how everyone is going away; I guess from my experience I've never made a big deal about goodbyes. I used to. I remember I'd get depressed after the big family Christmas parties. I cried when I said goodbye to my cousins that I got to know in the Philippines in December of '96. But since then I've come to learn that after every goodbye, you never really know how long you'll be separated. After the Christmas parties, there was always a birthday or debut where the family would get back together again. And six months after the Philippines trip, the cousins with whom I made my tearful goodbye came to America to stay permanently.

And the goodbyes that seemed in passing, saying good night to my Grandfather in February '96, telling Michael Glenn that I'd see him later after Christmas '04 in Vegas, watching Cindy Rabuy walk down the stairs to Lot 4 in April '04, passing Steven as he tabled in Bruinwalk, would be the last time I'd ever speak with them again. And even then, the spirit of those wonderful people was so powerful, I never had to worry about losing them; they were at my side all along.

And so goes the Class of 2005. I carry your talent, your warmth, and your love wherever I go, knowing that I never stand alone, and that I am a product of all the encounters of all the people who have blessed my life. So think of it not as a goodbye. Think of it as an expansion, and a step toward immortality.

Cheers!

What Happened to the Music?

Nothing. It's just that as much as I love the automatic player, it was a real pain having to download all 6 songs every friggin' time I loaded the page. So I've replaced all the players with links to the music. Hopefully the extra mouse click does not deter you from enjoying the music.

If The Music Is Not Loading....

...click on this link that will take you to my livejournal. Those entries will take you to links where you can download the music. Any player that can play mp3s, like iTunes, Windows Media Player, or Winamp will work just fine.

Nick Tang Saves the Day Again!

Totally going out of his way, Nick Tang helps me out yet again! He volunteered to host a track! Mad thanks! (Editors note: Since then, I've found a free hosting site, so I've updated the links as well as posted several tracks so you can get the entire movement. Nevertheless, Mr. Tang was quite instrumental in getting the music online for your enjoyment! ) All these tracks are from UCLA Chorale's Elijah concert from last year where I sang as a tenor. Tracks from this year's Verdi's Requiem concert will be posted momentarily.

Context: Israel is suffering through a drought. Summer has passed, and yet there is no rain. The people are suffering from famine and thirst.

Along comes our hero Elijah. He discovers the problem... the people have stopped believing in God! ::gasp:: So now our hero goes to set things right. He will present himself to Ahab and confront these sinners.

So Elijah proposes a whose-god-is-better contest. Slaughter a bullock [poor bullock... :(] and place it on the alter as an offering. They'll both offer the bullock to their respective gods, and whichever god responds by consuming the offering by fire wins. And being the good sport he is, Elijah lets the pagans go first.

The pagans fail, and Elijah, being the good sport he is, taunts them.

The pagans attempt to call Baal yet again.

They fail yet a second and third time. Now it's Elijah's turn. And guess what? God responds and burns that bullock up like, well, a God. So Elijah wins, and being the good sport he is, tells the people to do to the pagans as they would do to any graciously defeated foe. Kill them.

Special note: The role of Ahab is played by Steven Kronauer and Elijah is played by In Joon Jang, a 6'0" plus Korean with with a Metropolitan Opera Grand Final Audition Winner Award under his belt and an orgasmic (you read that right... orgasmic) Baritone voice.

My Favorite Elijah Track

Now that I've found a free hosting service, I can post more tracks! Yay! My favorite track from Elijah is a three-part female vocal piece toward the beginning of the second half. Elijah has saved the day and got everyone believing in God again, but now he's tired and wants to die. ::tear:: So he is told to listen to the angels and is told to "Lift Thine Eyes." Absolutely magical.

Free Music If You Call Now!

Since I have had the crappiest time looking for sites that can host mp3s, it looks like I won't be able to post music to my online journals. If you really want to hear a sample of Elijah or Requiem, comment me and I'll try to send you my favorite tracks (with written commentary, of course).

The Dark Side

So the Requiem concert is now history. And what a concert it was! (Props go to John, Gerard, Vince, Kris, Jess, & Joey for showin' up! Hope you all had a great time)! Definitely one of the most memorable experience of my college career. When the CD comes in, I'll try to convert one of the tracks to mp3 and post it up for your enjoyment. Having said that, this was probably the most difficult performance I have ever gave in my life. And this is coming from a guy who has performed in dozens of concerts, plays, and musicals, including several lead and heavily emotional roles. Definitely the most difficult.

What made this performance more difficult than any other was not the singing; that was the easy part. The hardest part was the sitting and waiting for your cue to come in. Because of the intensity of the piece, even though you are sitting there silently, your mind is going a thousand miles a second thinking about what you have to do next. And there's no agonizing feeling than thinking about everything you have to do and feeling powerless to do anything about it.

And since your mind has its own psychological limits, your natural safety systems unlock, desperately trying to take your mind away from the intensity to a safer psychological place. So as you sit there, looking innocent, your mind actually is cooking up of any and every conceivable way to fuck up the concert. You think: "What is I just get up and bang on the timpani?" Or: "How about I just shout a well-placed profanity during the tenor solo?" And then you realize what you're doing, and you internally castigate yourself for thinking any of that stuff, and you sit in perpetual fear that you will give in and just fuck everything up. That's right, folks. When you see a 200-person choir sitting their silently on opening night of their performance, I guarantee that a good amount of them are really in a state of paralyzing fear. Remember that the next time you catch a 200-person choir concert.

So now comes finals week, and due to my graduate/unemployed status, I have nothing to do for a week. So if you have any appointments you want to make with me, do it now! Spaces are going fast!

A Study Break That Will Make You Piss in Your Pants

I just got back from our first dress rehearsal for Verdi's Requiem at Royce Hall, and it was simply amazing. We've been practicing all quarter, but tonight actually was the first time we were singing with the Angeles Chorale, a full orchestra, and our four soloists. All told, we had approximately 300 singers & instrumentalists all on stage at the same time. You don't witness that too often, but we did tonight and, man, completely blew me away! Honestly, I've performed so many times that it's become second nature, and I'm not inclined to get excited. I'm REALLY EXCITED for tomorrow night!

If you haven't gotten tickets yet, or simply can't make tomorrow, there is an opportunity for you to see all of this FOR FREE. Saturday morning in Royce Hall, we'll be having a dress rehearsal from 11 AM - 2 PM. You can enter from the back and, very discretely, go into the audience and be there for the rehearsal. Chances are we'll get out early, and we'll have a lunch break, so your best bet it to be there from 11-12 or from 12:30-1:30.

ALSO, I'm still offering $10 tickets! But you will have to go to either the CTO or at the Royce window and pay for the $20 tickets. If I see you after the concert, and mention my online journal, I will PAY you $10 for coming!!! Isn't that sweet?!? Really, it will be WELL WORTH YOUR MONEY. VERY RARELY do I gush over anything 'cuz I'm a friggin' perfectionist, but I'M GUSHING OVER THIS! So hope to see y'all tomorrow!

A Tribute to Me?

I've been meaning to respond to James's tribute to me but haven't set aside the time until now. I suggest you read his lj first, because I have quite a bit to comment on it.

First, about the author. James is one of a kind. He's probably one of the most approachable guys I've ever met. The greatest memory I had of this guy was at 679 Gayley, and I had the honor of photographing him as he donned the UCLA cheerleading uniform for the very first time:


(I should confessed to you sooner, Maricar, but as you can see, James wasn't exactly faithful those first few weeks, flirting with Victoria's Secret posters. Just thought you should know.)

James was quite the enigima himself. You were never quite sure whether he was completely clueless, or just faking it. He could joke around with the best of them, but could always put his foot down when he needed to. He was also one of the most goddamn charming people you'll ever meet. He could make up the dumbest, most embarrassing things ever, and not only could he convince you to do them, but he could actually make you think that they were great ideas in the first place! Like videotaping you during the most vulnerable of moments. (::cough::Richard::cough:: Sorry, my throat's been a little scratchy). It's this unique gift that basically let's him get away with almost anything. But fortunately, he is responsible with his power. Kind of like using the Dark Side for good.

So anyway, I just want to add some points of addendum to his tribute:

1. Yeah, James could turn about anything into a game. Drinking game, that is. But he was really sneaky in that he would get you to play games that only HE was good at. It resulted in many a time that first summer with me drunk off my ass and James taunting me with: "C'mon man, you gotta do better! I haven't even taken a shot yet!"

2. Summer 2001 Samahang Board Transition Retreat - So the "crazy ass gravel turnaround on the freeway" story goes like this: I was driving Lara, Maricar, and James and we were all caravaning to Las Vegas. So I was following someone, I forget who it was, on the 15 and was driving casually in the left lane, when suddenly, the car I was following merges to the right lane and exits! I try to follow, but there's a car blocking my way! Crap! So now we're thinking... well, we'll just get off at the next stop and come back around. Keep in mind that: a) This is the first time I had EVER driven to Vegas, and b) They got off at Baker, and the next exit would be like in 10 miles. So, had to make a decision, at 80 mph. We were turning this Honda Civic around!

So we found the next gravel patch dividing the two directions, and I slowed down as best as I could and drove into the gravel patch. I must've been going faster than I thought I was, probably at like 30 mph, because when we hit the gravel patch, we must've skid like a good 10 feet before we came to a stop. Then, like a really scary stop sign, had to pick the right time to get back onto the freeway on the other direction and go from 0 to 80 as fast as humanly possible. And so we finally got to Baker, where the caravan told us that they tried to call us about the Baker stop, but all they got were voice mails.

Yeah, that retreat made me feel like such a 1st year.

3. Oh, and what did my "sunsilk" hair look like? Like this:


It should also be noted that, due to his appreciation for wild and crazy ideas and to the fact that he had electric clippers, I chose James to witness, document, and assist me in shaving my locks the afternoon after SPCN 2002:






4. Although awkward at times, watching the relationship between Maricar and James develop was really something special. It was one of those things where you really saw how their relationship brought the best out of each other. And unlike other relationships that seemed more physical and really wanted to make me gag, their relationship was solid, and I always felt comfortable around them, although I've always wondered how many times they wished that that "3rd wheel" would disappear for a while.

Anyway, thanks James for bringing me back, and reminding me that not even a continent can separate good friends.

Wait... a Quiz on Randy's Journal?!?

As much as I love Jill & Tan, it was way too disturbing to be greeted by their picture every time I opened my journal, so I've put this little quiz up to give my eyes a rest.

Your dating personality profile: Athletic - Physical fitness is one of your priorities. You find the time to work athletic pursuits into your schedule. You enjoy being active. Practical - You are a down-to-earth individual who is not impressed with material excess. You care about the stuff of like that really matters. Liberal - Politics matters to you, and you aren't afraid to share your left-leaning views. You would never be caught voting for a conservative candidate.

Your date match profile: Athletic - You aren't looking for a couch potato. You seek someone who is active and who keeps her body in top shape. Practical - You are drawn to people who are sensible and smart. Flashy, materialistic people turn you off. You appreciate the simpler side of living. Shy - You are put off by people who are open books. You are drawn to someone who is a bit more mysterious. You want to draw her out of her shell and get to know what she is all about.

Your Top Ten Traits 1. Athletic 2. Practical 3. Liberal 4. Shy 5. Wealthy/Ambitious 6. Big-Hearted 7. Religious 8. Sensual 9. Intellectual 10. Traditional

Your Top Ten Match Traits 1. Athletic 2. Practical 3. Shy 4. Traditional 5. Funny 6. Intellectual 7. Wealthy/Ambitious 8. Conservative 9. Big-Hearted 10. Sensual

Take the Online Dating Profile Quiz at Dating Diversions

A few comments:

I was intrigued that physical fitness was at the top of both lists. I find it funny because I hardly ever find time to go to the gym at all. But I would say it is accurate in that I am attracted to people with good, positive energy, and being fit is an indication of that.

As for liking women who are shy, I would say that, to some extent, I do enjoy the idea of sitting down with a woman and really getting to know her deeply. But at the same time, this attraction would also cause me tremendous frustration, because a shy person probably wouldn't make their feelings obvious, making it that much more difficult to understand if I'm making any progress.

::Sigh:: How about I just let love fall into my lap, yes?

File Transfer... File Transfer...

Can you guess what THEY'RE doing?
Find these and other provocative images of LCC's last show of the academic year "Coyote Tails and Tales" courtesy of the extraordinary Nick Tang.

Whew!

So after a crazy four days, my 2nd and final LCC show is finished. After totally running around with my head chopped off on Sunday's tech, to having to re-write the script twice with Yumi, to prepping the actors to the new script an hour before showtime Tuesday, to finally that awesome send-off last night, I can finally put my mind at ease. LCC is definitely one of those really intense theatrical experiences where you don't have enough money, you don't get enough rehearsal time, you don't get enough tech time, and yet still have to meet the highest expectations from your audience. I'm totally honored to have gotten a taste of LCC these past two quarters, and was a great way to end my UCLA undergrad experience.

Coming up next on life with Randy: Ode to Me?