“Unless I’m willing to be changed by you, I’m probably not really listening.” — Alan Alda I went to a singing teachers conference last week and learned more about listening than singing. One session I attended was called “Children Will Listen” and covered the topic of teaching children between the ages of 5-12, a demographicContinue reading “World Listening Day – July 18”
Category Archives: General
I learned something today…
The phrase, “I learned something today,” is one that is associated with the incredibly and self-consciously earnest sitcoms of the 1990s where there were always very special episodes. As soon as you heard that there was going to be a very special episode of a TV show, you knew that someone was about to learn a valuable lesson.Continue reading “I learned something today…”
July 17 Master Class with Lissa deGuzman
I am so excited to announce the first of which I hope will be many masterclasses featuring former students of mine who have gone on to thrive as working artists. Our first artist/clinician is Lissa deGuzman, who can both belt her face off and soar to the heights of soprano-land. When she studied with meContinue reading “July 17 Master Class with Lissa deGuzman”
NATS 56 – Virtually Fantastic!
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!”
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”
“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)”
We breathe to live – we breathe to sing – but can we do it together? (Part 1 of 2)
This the hardest and probably the most important (at least to me) blogpost I’ve ever written. About a year ago, when I cleaned up my website, I changed my mission statement a bit and put the original in a blogpost so that I wouldn’t lose it because it was some important information. The part thatContinue reading “We breathe to live – we breathe to sing – but can we do it together? (Part 1 of 2)”
Why I DIDN’T Sing – For Far Too Long
When I lived in Wisconsin, I spent about 8 years in a sort of vocal quarantine. I suddenly found my private studio taking up more of my time and energy, and I chose to stop seeking work in Chicago, where I’d been doing the bulk of my singing, and reduced my performing with professional choralContinue reading “Why I DIDN’T Sing – For Far Too Long”