Right now, I am the student learning on Zoom, instead of the teacher. I’ve been consumed with the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) 56th National Conference since Thursday. The conference was supposed to be in Knoxville, TN, but Corona…. The conferences are always things I look forward to – I’ve only missed 2Continue reading “NATS 56 – Virtually Fantastic!”
Author Archives: Mezzoid Voice Studio
I have so many songs….
In the musical A New Brain, the lead character of Gordon Schwinn is taken to the hospital after a seizure and is near death. His thoughts are of all the things has to do. In this early song in the show, as he is being examined, he sings: All the songs I never wrote Fizzle andContinue reading “I have so many songs….”
The Unwitting Personal Trainer/Emulating vs. Imitating
About 7 years ago, I was at Zumba at the Wisconsin Athletic Club, and I was not feeling all that motivated. I had a move coming up, I was packing, and I was lonely, since both my dogs and my husband were out in Maryland. I noticed a young woman in the row ahead ofContinue reading “The Unwitting Personal Trainer/Emulating vs. Imitating”
Don’t rain on my p̶a̶r̶a̶d̶e̶ recital
Weather – specifically precipitation – has been the bane of my existence. I’ve had shows sabotaged by blizzards and ice storms. Birthdays rained on for 6 years in a row, including my graduation from high school on my 18th birthday. And I held a graduation party three days later. It rained then too. It’s enoughContinue reading “Don’t rain on my p̶a̶r̶a̶d̶e̶ recital”
Did you have a grapefruit this week?
My husband is somewhat hard of hearing. It comes from spending his 20s in rock bands and his 30s doing woodworking projects, both without benefit of hearing protection. So when I said to him last week, “Online lessons are going so much better than I expected. Yesterday I had three people who had breakthroughs!” HeContinue reading “Did you have a grapefruit this week?”
We breathe to live.
I have written a lot about the importance of breath. I have written about breath as a necessity for both life and singing. I have written about breath as a vehicle of spreading the virus. I have written about breath as something to be held or taken away in moments of extreme emotion. To takeContinue reading “We breathe to live.”
June Practice Challenge (Mine, Not Yours)
I’ve been seeing a lot of my colleagues set themselves a goal of singing through the entire 24 or 26 or 28 Italian Songs collection. They’ve taught them ad infinitum over the years, but they’ve never actually sung them themselves. So, in this time of respite from performing and in-person teaching, they’re recording themselves singingContinue reading “June Practice Challenge (Mine, Not Yours)”
A New Brain – A New Voice
This Friday, May 29 (5pm), I will host the final listening party (for the time being). We will be listening to William Finn’s A New Brain, which is a semi-autobiographical story about the composer’s personal experience with a genetic vascular disorder in his brain. WHAT? Another weird musical? Yes. Y’all can listen to Oklahoma orContinue reading “A New Brain – A New Voice”
“You are here not to laugh; but to learn”
This Friday, I’ll be holding Listening Party #4, which will focus on the musical Bat Boy The Musical by Laurence O’Keefe. You may know Laurence O’Keefe from Legally Blonde The Musical and Heathers The Musical. The latter two of which are based on movies of the same name, and, consequently, are pretty commercial. (What is up withContinue reading ““You are here not to laugh; but to learn””
Why SHOULD we sing – when there’s nowhere to sing? (Part 2 of 2)
Yesterday, I wrote about the findings of medical professionals regarding singing and the safety about doing it publicly. You can read that here. Apparently, singers and loud talkers are considered “super-spreaders.” Guilty and guilty. And feeling kind of judged about it. Like I said, I found this terribly depressing. Everything had been going so well.Continue reading “Why SHOULD we sing – when there’s nowhere to sing? (Part 2 of 2)”