Susan Boyle & The Match

Like many Americans & Brits, I have watched - and been moved by - Susan Boyle's performance on Britain's Got Talent. The song she sang, "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Misérables, has been in my repertoire since I was 15 and saw that episode of Dawson's Creek where Katie Holmes' character sings it in a beauty pageant.
While not the most challenging song ever written, it does provide a number of challenges. The range required spans the break many female singers have between their chest and head voice, so you have to use your mix voice for the higher notes so as to not sound like two different people. While trained singers tend to bridge their break rather seamlessly, I've found it an issue for amateurs and pop stars alike (Shakira is the worst about it!).
Also, a lower-tempo song, the phrases are sometimes on the longer side, requiring good breath support. Personally, I always tend to have breath support issues which are only made worse when I'm nervous. Now, I've been singing in public my whole life. I don't really get nervous performing. I don't really care if audience members don't love me; I just enjoy being up there. However, I'm a ball of nerves whenever I audition because if the casting directors don't like what I do enough, I don't get the opportunity to do something I want. Ironically, this tends to hurt my audition. The nerves make breathing even more difficult, making my voice crack and my phrases trail off far too early. I hate auditions, but they're necessary in order for me to do what I love.

Similarly, Mr. is having a rough time with anxiety over this upcoming year. Is he choosing the right day for Step 2 CK? Will he stand out at his away rotations? Will he get enough interviews? And finally, will he match? After reassuring him that he will match but if by some fluke he doesn't it still won't be the end of the world, I gently reminded him that a career in orthopedic surgery doesn't stop being stressful.
He replied, "I know, but then I'll be doing what I want to be doing. I'll be learning about and then practicing surgery."
And that's when I realized that, like me, Mr. gets nervous for auditions despite his confidence when he performs.

Part of what I found so inspiring about Susan Boyle was her ability to perform despite her obvious nerves. I listened carefully at the bridge, waiting for her to crack or take an obvious breath in the middle of a phrase, and yet she powered through. Though Mr. is nervous about all that is ahead of him, I'm confident it won't show during his extended audition for residency. Still, the countdown for the match has begun. 10 months, 3 weeks, 5 days.