From the minute I got off the airplane, to now, I have truly have not stopped.
I apologize for this blog post to be long, but I have three days of NYC jammed packed craziness to write about.
But before I get to that I just want to say I love AMDA!
Day 1- Exploring the City
Okay so Tuesday when I landed from the plane, we headed straight to our hotel. On this shuffle ride we learned that pumpkins go for like twenty dollars! To think, back home, we can go through a field and get one for free! If musical theater fails, I'll go into the pumpkin business :)
After getting to the hotel, we headed to the Upper West Side to see my school. We just walked to my dorm, the strat...
After we walked there, we went to a little place to eat a block away. It was really nice, and I found out a lot of AMDA students eat there :)
After we went to AMDA we headed toward the subway to go over to the Upper East Side to get to the Metropolitan Museum. :)
We took a subway along Central Park and walked along the Jackie O Reservoir.
This led us right next to the Met :) I needed to stop here to get my gossip girl moment! They always eat lunch on the Met steps or catch a bite to eat before the day began!
After I had my moment, :), we headed inside the Met to look around the store. There was so much stuff in that store and it was crowded. There were people speaking in so many different languages. How cool? After he looked through the shop, we realized the museum was closing, but we could get in to see a few pieces before it shut down. I snuck a peek at so many amazing pieces, mostly from Greece. But my favorite was this...
After the Met, we continued on 5th Avenue and got to see some amazing shops, I really wanted to stop, but I needed to get home.
Day 2- Move in Day
I woke up that morning, got ready, put the last things in the suitcases and headed down to the lobby to get an SUV taxi...after 10-15 minutes (and my crying episode because I missed Zack so much) our transportation was here...but it wasn't a taxi...but a limo.
It was very weird showing up in a limo, I think it might be the first time I have been in a limo. Anyways, on the way to AMDA I saw a lot of cool things, such as the Empire State building.
I also was just jamming in the limo going down the street when we passed The Russian Tea Room...OMG GOSSIP GIRL!
But then we arrived at AMDA! When I got there I was created by AMDA students and they helped me bring my stuff up to my room. I am on the fifth floor, right across from the elevators, which causes me to have a loft bed. I will post pictures later, because my parents have been spending a lot of time getting it ready, BUT my room is tiny...smaller than my room back home, which is nuts!
After I unpacked, I was going to head over to the main campus to partake in registration. BUT my key would not lock my room. I'm pretty sure I spent an hour trying to get it to work. Finally, after many, many tries, the maintenance man said he would fix it for me.
So we took off to 61st street! On our way there, oh you know, I just happened to pass the Empire Hotel in which Chuck owns in Gossip Girl, it was a total moment. I freaked out!
When we got there and went to the third floor and I was smacked in the face with how much energy was in the building.
We went into a studio where we received our orientation packets and went to different stations (financial aid, admissions, etc.) to make sure you had all of your forms filled out...which I did :) After that we could go into another studio to get our picture for our ID taken, buy our books and whatever supplies we needed.
I got everything I needed, plus somethings for my mom and Zack to sport around AMDA gear at home. After that, I headed to the student worker table, and I found out a lot, I am so excited, and I really hope I can get a job at the school. Personally, the library intern sounds like a great position. Although it's not paid, I get free copies (hello, BONUS!) and I get a leg up for when they hire library positions for 2,3, and 4 semester students. But there are lots of other wonderful jobs!
Then my parents and I headed to Best Buy and Bed, Bath, & Beyond to get supplies for my dorm. I got A LOT! But thank goodness we were able to get it delivered to my dorm!
After that, we headed back to the dorm and chilled until we had our Welcome meetings.
Mine was at 73rd street at AMDA's second building and my parent's was at 61st street. I was so excited to be there. I got there early, and chilled with some other students and listened to current students give us advice until the session started. When it did, we had roll call done. I am automatically pin pointed as the "really excited one" because when they said our names we were supposed to say "here." I said "I'm right here!" I mean I'm not mad I'm labeled that because I am super excited!
After we talked with an admissions councilor about a few things, we then heard from the stage manager, Liz, about the details of our final demonstrations. She was so funny, and an AMDA graduate! The only thing was my head was pounding, it was 9 o'clock, and I just wanted to sleep.
After that, we went into a room where we practiced our songs with our accompanists and took a theory test. I am sorta mad at myself because I didn't do my best at the test because I had that pounding headache. Sigh. I guess it wasn't graded, just a placement, and if I get placed in a lower level I can get really good grades :) I'll be happy with anything.
My song went really well with the accompanist. I was the last one to go, and everyone was silent during my song, not for anyone else. It was crazy, I didn't sound my best because I wasn't feeling well, but it was good. I think my accompanist was so surprised by my preparation because I had a cut copy made for this. Everyone else just had the sheet music. Thank you Bethany!
After we were dismissed I was so thankful, I ran out of there to meet my parents and head back to the hotel... (I had no bedding to sleep in my bed that night :O)
When we got back to Queens, which is like a 40 minute subway ride, I took and a shower and headed straight to bed, I did not feel well and today was an early morning.
Day 3- Meetings and Central Park
The day before, my group leaders stressed how important being early was. I was in Queens and needed to get to Broadway and 70th street by 745. So I left the hotel at 630. I did not want a rap to be late. So I arrived at 745, but got to chat with my Zack when I got off of the subway and walked to Starbucks to meet my group.
It was really nice to talk to him, I miss him so much and wish he was here with me to experience all of this! I keep telling myself I'll see him soon.
When we met up, it was nice we started talking, waiting for our group leaders...who ended up being 5 minutes late. We all laughed about that. But then we continued to walk to the church where we received an official welcome from the artistic director of AMDA. It was really inspirational.
In between talks form different people, I had a chance to chat with more members of my group. They are all really cool! I'm happy I am making friends here. I'm happy people like me. It such a change from high school. People get me here and are like me, like to randomly sing and dance! It's great.
After we left the church we headed to the main AMDA building. When we got to the fourth floor studio, we all sat down, when Eddie, my group leader, started playing "Someone Like You" on piano and of course we all started singing, and it was awesome. So many great voices all singing together, making harmonies and such. After someone like you, we sang Price Tag. Which was SAWEET! I had a convo with someone from my group about Pitch Perfect during this song and how much we both LOVED it! :) Then we sang If I Ain't Got You! LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!
But then it was time to start our meeting. We got intros from all of the faculty, like admission staff, and such, not the teachers yet. After they talked to us, we got the LONG security talk. I'm pretty sure everyone in the room was either day dreaming, sleeping, or playing on their iPhones. I really tired to listen, but I found my mind start to wonder as well.
Then our group snatched free food from the refreshments that were set out for the dance orientation students today...shhhh....no one will ever know! Our group leaders ate with us and gave us a lot of helpful hints, like DO YOUR RESEARCH on the songs and scenes you are given. Also they gave us tips to survive and such.
Our library meeting was next...the library is amazing. It's jammed packed with scores, scripts, DVD's and CD's. It's CRAZY! I can't wait to use all of my resources, not only there but at the performing arts library down the street.
Hmmm....after that I headed back to my room where I got to see my friend Devin!!! It was so nice to see him again :) We hung in my hallway, because my parents were in my room setting up. I made some friends on the fifth floor, with Devin. He also gave me a tour of the downstairs kitchen and living area. It's really nice, I just think I'll stick to my George Forman :)
But then it was time for the IT session...which didn't help me AT ALL! But oh well. I'll figure it out!
Our group decided we were going to stroll around Central Park together and get to know each other better. It was really cool!
The John Lennon memorial...
The river where you can rent boats...so romantic :)
The famous Central Park fountain...that was being cleaned today :(
Where they just filmed Gossip Girl...OMG!
This was the view from where we were sitting in Central Park. It was so weird to look behind me and see this...I can't believe I'm here. :)
After Central Park I went to my room and discovered my parents were pretty much done with the place. It looks amazing. I don't know what I would have done without them. So I decided since I had a late morning tomorrow, I'd come to the hotel with my parents. It's my last night with them.
SO here I am, in Queens waiting for Zack to Skype me. :(
But there you have it...my first days at AMDA in a nutshell.
I love it here, the people are amazing, and everyone is so nice. My group is great and friendly. Tomorrow we have first demonstrations...I'm nervous BUT I can't wait to get it over with. Afterwards we get to meet Chris Jackson. He's an AMDA alum who was Simba in Lion King, performed as Benny in In The Heights and much more!
I cannot wait!
Let's get the day started!!!!
LOVE,
R
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