Mixie Picks of 2014

It's that time of year again! The season of gift giving and overall appreciation is upon us and I have chosen my top, most-appreciated picks of the year to share with you!  Some of these things have to do with singing but a lot of them are just things that I think made me an overall better teacher, performer or person this year (even if several of my favorites weirdly had to do with elaborate murder plots...! Hmmm.... #2014)

****Edited**** I forgot to include my favorite song when I wrote this post and HAD to go back to include it.  My favorite song performance... no 16 BAR PERFORMANCE of the year was an excerpt from It All Fades Away from Bridges of Madison County performed by Stephen Pasquale.  This absolutely broke my heart for a full weekend.  To hear the 16 bars, go to minute 2:30 in this video.  It's one emotionally loaded syllable that will break your heart.  Then listen to the whole song.



AND NOW MY LIST OF THE YEAR!

1. Heathers: The Musical:   I know I've already talked about this one in a previous entry but this show was by far
my favorite thing to see this year.  This is what great musical theater is all about.  The songs were motivated, the lyrics were hysterical and character driven, and the melodies were memorable... and it confirmed that I have the sense of humor of a teenage boy.  If you're not familiar with this one I highly suggest giving the soundtrack a listen as it's very easy to follow even if you haven't seen it.

2. Once Upon a Time :  I have to be honest, I don't remember the entire month of October because whenever I wasn't working I was watching Once Upon a Time on Netflix.  I love this show. It's like a cross between LOST, Desperate Housewives and Into the Woods.   I particularly respect the acting work of the actress who plays the Evil Queen, Lana Parrilla, because she makes an evil character totally likable which I find fascinating. If you're a theater person and you liked LOST you have to try this one.

3. Wingspan Arts: Wingspan is a non-profit organization that offers after-school and summer theatre programs for kids. A lot of these kids depend on Wingspan to provide them with a creative outlet as many of them aren't exposed to theatre programs via their own schools.  This summer I saw a production of Just So and it was by far the best youth production I've ever seen.   I could not believe what I was seeing and hearing from these kids; it blew my mind.  It inspired me to push my own young students a little harder whether they be professional or hobbyists because it's insane what kids are capable of, really.   To support or read more about Wingspan, go here.

4. Pace University's production of Light in the Piazza: You guys, college theater is better than ever.  Think about going to see a local college production of a show because even if the production value isn't Broadway-budget-high, a lot of times these students are professional level if not already professionals, and they really care about the product which makes a HUGE difference.  I'm feeling inspired to see more college theatre after seeing The Light in the Piazza at Pace University (maybe I'm biased but I thought it was better than the Broadway production).

5. Healing Crystals:  If you know me personally you know I'm not necessarily a worry-wart but I'd say I'm just a serial care-er. I care way too much about everything.  Somehow these crystals have seemed to lower life's stakes for me and now I carry them around almost 100% of the time in some form whether they be incorporated into my jewelry or just in my wallet.  My favorites are Smoky Quartz and Aqua Aura.  Smoky Quartz is supposed to make you "let things go" more easily and Aqua Aura is supposed to protect you from caring too much about what other people think... two things that I have difficulty with.  I buy mine at a store called Rock Star.

6.  Rice Experiment : If you have not seen this video, take a look. It changed my thinking in a big way and will probably change yours too.


7. Sweeney Todd in Concert: - Oooh, I loved this.  It's still taking up 50% of my DVR and I don't even care.  The opening alone was worth tuning in for and I really loved Emma Thompson's take on Mrs. Lovett.  And, if you ask me, this is a great example of how it really doesn't matter how well the person sings if it's motivated.  She's not vocally perfect but every vocal choice was borne out of acting choices which I think is something we don't see very often.  Very special performance.

8. Iain the Theatre Reviewer:  What could be better than seeing that a kid enjoyed a piece of theatre?  After reading endless angry tweets made by adults about various casting choices, lack of talent, etc. this is the kind of review we should all be satisfied to hear.  Iain simply summarizes the show, tells us what he loved and tells us what we'll gain by seeing the production.  Theatre is a magical thing and this kid sees it that way and encourages us to see it that way, too.  If you have not seen his review of Peter Pan Live, search for that, too!


9. The Pollen Forecast on Weather.com- Apparently allergies have been more of an issue this year than any other year.  Being an allergy novice and highly agitated by the amount of times I have to clear my throat on an hourly basis, I recently discovered the pollen forecast provided by Weather.com! This tells me how high the pollen count is on any given day, and sometimes when I'm not feeling great or not singing my best I don't have to wonder if it's allergies; I can just check!  It basically warns me when I need to remember to take my Allegra and it makes me feel better when I can't sing as high as usual.

10. Chandelier - Sia: I think this was a unanimous favorite this year.




Bonus #11.  Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pizza: I couldn't not include this on my list. I find it hilarious that last year I was all about diet food and this year my favorites list includes a pizza.  But this is a new pizza from Trader Joes, it's gluten free, it actually tastes GOOD and it's $5.   Bam.  Dinner.







Well there you have it! These were my top picks this year!  Musicals and TV shows about the murders of ultimate nemeses, pollen, pizza and healing crystals for the road to recovery! What made your 2014???

Happy Holidays, everybody!
Jen