I’m sick with laryngitis. I started to develop a sore throat on Thursday night, and I had to deal with it all day Friday. Yesterday morning I woke up and I couldn’t speak. Really — I’d open my mouth and practically nothing would come out.

This came at a bad time, because we had a concert last night up at Vassar in Poughkeepsie. I went anyway — there was no way I could sing, but I wanted to be a part of things and at least watch from the audience.

Luke was there — he just got home to New York yesterday from the end of his first semester as a grad student at Duke, and he took the train up for the concert. He had a double incentive, because he used to sing in the chorus and he graduated from Vassar. It was so great to see him — he and I wound up sitting together during the concert.

It was a different experience hearing the music from the outside. I heard things I hadn’t heard before, because usually I’m so focused on singing my own part correctly. When I’m singing my own part, it feels like the most important thing in the world, but yesterday, when listening to the entire chorus, my ear naturally went to the melody of any particular piece. Sometimes the music you work so hard to sing turns out to play just a supporting role.

We carpooled back with Luke to the city afterwards (the chorus guy Matt and I rode up with had room in his car), and he wound up being the first visitor to our apartment. He’s staying not too far away from here while he’s in town.

Anyway, I still can’t talk and it sucks. Having a sore throat sucks even more. It hurts! I hope it goes away soon.