Week 2 Update!

Hey Everyone! Here's the update for week 2

Last weekend was mostly spent catching up on sleep, and a trip to the National Western Stock Show with my host family, and a trip to The Grizzly Rose for some line dancing.

For most of this week I've been in the band room learning the songs on bass. I still don't know if I'm in, but I think they are going to split the show between me and another guy auditioning for bass. I'm alright with this, but it means that besides learning the whole show (in case the other guy gets sick), but I also have to learn one act of singing/dancing. It's gonna be a lot of work, but I know I can do it.
Some major workshops this week included talking about stereotypes and how to break them, and a card game that turned out to be a metaphor for dealing with cultural differences and language barriers. In this workshop, we were each at different tables with slightly different instructions for a card game. Once the game started, we couldn't talk. As the winner/losers moved from table to table, they had to adjust to the different rules. The metaphor is that every culture will be different, and you have to learn to adapt quickly.

Wednesday night was the cast "Culture Jam". This was a short show for the host families that showcased different traditional songs/dances from the different cultures within our group. I performed a electronic hip-hop remix of the UWP classic "It Takes A Whole Village". This was a big hit with the cast, and the staff wants more remixes :-) You can listen to the song, as well as my other jams here: www.soundcloud.com/crunkworkorange

As I move into the third week of staging, I'm nervous. The infamous Lynn Morris is coming; she directs the UWP show, and is apparently very upfront and blunt about her opinions. I'm frustrated that I'm not learning the bass lines fast enough, even though I know its just a matter of time and practice. I know everything will turn out fine, but its just a little stressful. Gah.
Anyhow, I'm still having so much fun. I've met some great people and I know this tour will be incredible.
See you next week! Stay cool yo.

--Spencer