While I was in Las Vegas last week for the NATS Conference, I got a chance to review a planner that a friend of mine, Nancy Bos, has put together. Nancy is a prolific writer and an excellent teacher, and I’ve been looking for something that would help me us focus on our energies moreContinue reading “Singer’s Practice Plan, Log, and Journal – A New Tool for the Studio! (One of many!)”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Cabaret as Personal Musical Theater
I was looking through my past blogs to see if I’ve defined cabaret before and couldn’t find anything. This past Friday, I was thrilled to reunite with Ryan Cappleman to perform a revised version of my first cabaret, “Oh! To Be a Movie Star!” at Germano’s in Little Italy (the revision includes the addition ofContinue reading “Cabaret as Personal Musical Theater”
What I hope 2018 holds for me
I hope that 2018 is filled with good performances, good students, travel, learning, writing, playing, and open-heartedness among us all. Things I have coming up (besides my regular Thursday/Sunday job at CMOQ): 1/5-6: Do It Now! The William Donald Schaefer Musical. Yes, there’s a new musical about Willie Don, Baltimore’s former mayor and Maryland’s formerContinue reading “What I hope 2018 holds for me”
A 2017 Retrospective
A lot of things happened in 2017. One of my friends did a chart with colored markers but I’m much more into typed lists than I am graphic design, so here’s part of it: Directing Little Women at Third Wall Productions (directing debut and role debut as Marmee) In addition to doing a reprise ofContinue reading “A 2017 Retrospective”
"A creative adult is the child who survived."
Two blogs in one day! Last night I did a cabaret show at Germano’s Piattini in Little Italy – “The Not Here Cabaret” with Michael Tan. This was a reprise of a show we did at Spotlighters in June. It went, very, very well. I felt so at home in the format, with the audience,Continue reading “"A creative adult is the child who survived."”
Why a Bachelor’s Degree?
A former student asked me to write a letter for a friend who was being threatened with deportation (!!) while doing a degree program in music. This person wants to be a voice teacher, and apparently TIIC don’t understand why that career choice requires any kind of formal training. (Slowly I turn…) So I wroteContinue reading “Why a Bachelor’s Degree?”
Mind the Gap
This morning’s meditation again asked me to draw attention to the momentary gap between inhalation and exhalation (and vice versa). Although I reject the concept of suspension when it comes to teaching breath management, as I have discussed before, I do understand the value of taking a moment to reflect. In England, there is anContinue reading “Mind the Gap”
Home should be where the heart is
I am sitting on my bed in the Journeyman Hotel (a Kimpton Hotel) in The Third Ward of Milwaukee. Bill is on his computer and Pippin is between us. It’s pretty much like any other morning except that we are in Milwaukee. Again. We’re here for Milwaukee Irish Fest, the world’s largest Irish Music Festival.Continue reading “Home should be where the heart is”
Attend the Tale of Lea DeLaria
I had the great fortune of going to see Lea DeLaria at Blues Alley in DC last night. [quick aside – why on earth are women with beautiful Italian names pronouncing them so Americanized? Lea DeL/ae/ria — Laura Ben/ae/nti? Seriously, folks, people would be able to wrap their mouths around the taller /a/ vowel withoutContinue reading “Attend the Tale of Lea DeLaria”
Suspending the breath – why I don’t teach it
This morning, the subject of my meditation app involved a lot of focus on the suspension/stillness between inhalation and exhalation. The momentary pause that exists both before the initiation of each. It’s infinitesimal and you really have to be aware to notice it even exists. I don’t really feel it and I don’t find itContinue reading “Suspending the breath – why I don’t teach it”