In the last year or so, I’ve referred to my training for the Irish Fest 5K as part of “The year I ran.” I’ve never been someone to run willingly. I’ve run for the bus, I’ve run for a plane, I’ve run for a gym class when assigned to, and every time I’ve hated doingContinue reading “The Year I Ran – an explanation of this blog and how it came to be”
Author Archives: Mezzoid Voice Studio
Jeff Costello’s Blog: Concentration and Focus
Jeff Costello’s Blog: Concentration and Focus: OK, would you like to really know what I teach? I teach concentration. And, Focus. That’s really about it. It doesn’t take a ton of Go…
It’s a grand n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ day for singing!!!
Tomorrow, February 17, will be my penultimate studio recital. It is the pre-WSMA recital, although in this case, we are also featuring performers preparing for musical auditions, the Auditions Plus/Classical Singer audition, and the Greendale Community Theatre production of Les Miserables.There are 19 people performing tomorrow – we are opening with Rodgers’ “It’s a grandContinue reading “It’s a grand n̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ day for singing!!!”
My Lenten Resolution/Your Lenten Challenge
I grew up Catholic, but with a non-Catholic mother. And although she had to swear that she would raise her children Catholic when she married my very Catholic father, she found ways to get around that. The whole idea of Lenten sacrifice was something that she really couldn’t wrap her head around. She never sacrificedContinue reading “My Lenten Resolution/Your Lenten Challenge”
The Incredibly True Story of How I Pissed Off Robert Goulet’s Widow
I blame one of my Facebook friends, I really do. She posted the video – I viewed it and I told myself, “Don’t read the comments, don’t read them – it’s like reading comments in the news. You’ll just get in trouble.” Well. I did. As most of my friends know, Julie Andrews is whyContinue reading “The Incredibly True Story of How I Pissed Off Robert Goulet’s Widow”
Defying Stagnancy
Too late for second guessing – Too late to go back to sleep – It’s time to trust my instinct, Close my eyes – and leap! So now that my studio is full of wonderful, talented people, I have a teaching job at a university, and my remodeling project is almost done, what am IContinue reading “Defying Stagnancy”
When to let a student go
If leaving a voice teacher is difficult, think about how difficult it is to let someone go. First of all, you’re not “firing” someone in the sense that you are paying someone and that person isn’t working out, so you let them go to use your money more efficiently. Your student is paying you to teachContinue reading “When to let a student go”
When to leave your voice teacher
The relationship between teacher and student can be a very close one, and a hard one to leave. It can be hard to know when it isn’t working. I have studied with six teachers since I was 18 years old. I’ve been fortunate – three of those have been fantastic. The other three weren’t badContinue reading “When to leave your voice teacher”
The Ultimate Music Theatre Audition Workshop
On June 29, I attended The Ultimate Music Theatre Audition Workshop, presented by Stage Door Access. This was a pre-conference workshop that I was grateful to have been paid for by Cardinal Stritch University (as well as the registration fee for the conference itself). I got some interesting information, both from the written handouts andContinue reading “The Ultimate Music Theatre Audition Workshop”
Benjamin Britten Centenary Celebration
On Sunday, July 1, 2012, I was blessed to perform two duets at the 52nd NATS Conference in Orlando. The composer was Benjamin Britten, 1912-1976, whose music I’d only performed before in opera – as Florence and Nancy (two separate productions – Peabody and Opera North) of Albert Herring and in the chorus of Peter Grimes atContinue reading “Benjamin Britten Centenary Celebration”