Well, THIS was a year. Let’s review it, shall we?
(Buckle up, there’s a lot – although it’s still shorter than Dave Barry’s annual year in review)
- January:Sang for a televised Mass in honor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg (masked)
- Started taking Peter Jacobson’s Alexander Technique Teacher Training program
- Tripped on a bunched-up rug and broke my face open on the back of a chair. Stitches in my gumline, chin, finger (?), and I broke my kneecap. Weirdly enough, the last part was really no big deal and required no surgery or even physical therapy.
- February: Recorded and submitted virtual entries for MDDC NATS competition, resulting in two second-place finishes for Juliet Jones (Upper HS MT treble voice) and Sasha Kostakis (Lower HS MT treble voice), both of whom continued on to regionals the following month
- Began planning World Voice Weekend (WVW)!
- Applied for WVW funding from Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) – rejected and encouraged to reapply
- Returned to some choral singing at my church job (masked) at Cathedral of Mary our Queen (CMOQ) Catholic Church for the first time in nearly a year
- March:Saw a dermatologist for the scar on my chin, and oh, by the way, what’s going on with this mole down here?
- Diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, involving MOHS surgery (all is well – it was early)
- Saw a plastic surgeon for the scar on my chin and began steroid injections
- Reapplied for MSAC grant for WVW, following all the guidelines outlined earlier – missed by one point
- Interviewed by Nikki Loney for the Full Voice Podcast regarding WVW!
- April:Holy Week/Easter services with a small ensemble at CMOQ (masked)
- Reapplied for MSAC grant for WVW, incorporating recommendations from previous application – missed by 11 points (???) and asked why I was applying so late
- Second COVID shot!
- Put together virtual choir for World Voice Day featuring studio members past and present!
- World Voice Weekend – went extremely well and I learned a lot for the next time I do it (2023)
- VACATION – cross country drive with the dog in the car to Arizona and back (also learned a lot, including add one more day on each end to this trip)
- May:Resumed lessons gearing toward the end of the school year!
- Presented a free webinar – “So you want to sing Schubert’s Ave Maria – correctly”
- Engaged panelists and began marketing college audition panel discussion for following month
- Switched to a new hairdresser!
- Presented a free webinar – “So you want to sing Schubert’s Ave Maria – correctly”
- June:Second annual Studio Recital on my back porch to an enthusiastic audience of parents, friends – and cicadas
- Refreshed my hair color – still teal and purple
- Began working with a therapist because of injury PTSD (not ashamed to admit it)
- Virtual lesson of my own with Dr. Shannon Coates, of the Vocal Instrument in Toronto
- Signed up for online course Breaking Down The Riff with Natalie Weiss as a birthday present to myself (still haven’t finished it)
- My boss at CMOQ left 🙁
- Curated/presented What To Know/What I Wish I’d Known About College Auditions
- July:Audited masterclass with Christian Borle, hosted by Izzie Bauman and featuring Mezzoid Voice Studio student Kay-Megan WashingtonNew music director started at CMOQ
- Booked hotel stays for trips to New York in December 2021 and January 2022 because COVID will be over by then, right???
- Began coordinating Back to Whatever program for end of August/beginning of September
- August:Began lessons with Dr. Nicholas PernaWent to Milwaukee for Milwaukee Irish Fest!Presented Back to Whatever program with guests Aimee Woods, Phyllis Horridge, Heather Statham, and James Valcq
- September:Back to in-person lessons for people vaccinated!
- Signed contract for WNO concert in November
- Adopted Spike & Charlie
- Auditioned for Baltimore Concert Opera – first audition since January 2020 (it was…okay)
- October:Attended Wit at Fells Point Corner Theater (masked) with Kay-Megan Washington in the lead (first theater since 2019)
- Began Branding Bootcamp with Sara Campbell/Savvy Music Studio
- Began rehearsals for Come Home with Washington National Opera
- Sang for Toby Bell’s memorial service in Alexandria, one week after attending a Mass in honor of my late mother-in-law, Barbara O’Meally
- Transcribed a song from YouTube for an upcoming show
- Wrote chart for last year’s 25 Days of Caroling arrangement for same upcoming show
- November:Put together the 2021 version of Ding-a-ling, I feel so Christmas-y! for a December performance and sent it to my pianist
- Six performances of Come Home with WNO at the Kennedy Center
- Started rehearsals for Messiah with Baltimore Symphonic Chorale
- Re-did hair with a little lighter purple (amethyst) for more contrast 😀
- Made a video of 5 Tips for Giving a GREAT Golden Age Audition, followed the next day by a free class on preparing a specific Golden Age song, which I also captured for posterity on YouTube (I think I’ve hit my quota for embedding videos)
- December:Performed Messiah with the Baltimore Symphonic Chorale and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerhoff (masked)
- Presented Ding-a-ling, I feel so Christmas-y at the Three Arts Club in Homeland
- Lessons and Carols at CMOQ for the first time (live) since 2019
- Went to the Ravens/Packers game at M&T Bank Stadium (first professional NFL season game!) and the Packers won!
- Christmas Eve gig at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Crofton, Maryland (6pm), followed by 10pm Mass at CMOQ
- Cantored for the eve of the Feast of the Holy Family at St. Leo’s in Little Italy
- Signed up for Sara Campbell’s Mastermind group to help give me some FOCUS (see below)
- Cancelled New York trip for December because COVID isn’t over yet (January trip TBD)
- Wrote this blogpost!
In review, it was a tough year, in many respects, but a busy one and often rewarding. I learned that I sign up for too many things and then don’t schedule enough time to complete them (see BDTR, June) which means that I probably need to decide that my 2022 word is going to be FOCUS, because I think I have boldness to spare. But without focus, how effective will those bold actions actually be?
