[To Terry Gross on FRESH AIR]“When I’m standing in the wings, waiting to go on, I kind of plant my feet and feel a kind of strength coming up from the ground into me. And then I think about giving back this gift that I have been given. And when I do that, then IContinue reading “Thank you, Barbara Cook”
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Milton Peckarsky, 1920-2017
I’m not sure exactly when I met Milton Peckarsky. It was probably around 1997, a year or so after I arrived in Milwaukee. I think I had sung on a MacDowell Club Concert, and he approached me to ask if I would be interested in exploring some contemporary music. I had done a little contemporaryContinue reading “Milton Peckarsky, 1920-2017”
Annuals or perennials? Blooming where you’re planted
Competitions are a big deal in the music business, from childhood talent shows, to state school solo-ensemble festivals, to the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions, and to the big time, The Voice or America’s Got Talent. I’ve often said that I hated doing competitions, but that’s a lie. I didn’t feel comfortable in them becauseContinue reading “Annuals or perennials? Blooming where you’re planted”
Finding your umami/Balancing your flavors
This morning I saw a Forbes magazine article about why you should “let” your child major in music (the idea of a parent determining what his/her children choose to do with their lives makes me cringe a bit, but I get it). Before the article opened, this quote popped up and caught my eye. AContinue reading “Finding your umami/Balancing your flavors”
Watch your language!
I have been doing morning meditations using an app called The Daily Calm. At the end of each meditation, a graphic comes up summarizing the most important point of the day’s “lesson.” Today it was language. Shortly after I finished my meditation, I went to peruse Facebook (big surprise, I know), and came across aContinue reading “Watch your language!”
Seize the day (the hour, the minute, the second – just grab it)
I only have 4 weeks left of summer break before school starts. In that time, I have quite a few projects that I want to finish, all of which I’ve enumerated in previous posts. There’s not much time left. And it makes me think of the passing of time and things I won’t ever getContinue reading “Seize the day (the hour, the minute, the second – just grab it)”
Decluttering
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about decluttering my life in all aspects. I’m trying to organize my garb closet/prop room so that things are easily accessible and no one is screaming on the morning that we’re heading to the Maryland Renaissance Festival, “Where is my hat? Where are my leggings? Why can IContinue reading “Decluttering”
Taking criticism
Some of the negative criticism I’ve had, professionally: “My dear, you are not a mezzo. You do not have the low notes to be a mezzo and if you don’t by your age, you never will.” (Judge at a competition – I was 30 and had just started working with my teacher a year before;Continue reading “Taking criticism”
My Favorite "Sings"
I wrote this nearly 17 years ago (!!!) when I was in the infancy of my teaching career, and it still pretty much describes my approach to vocal technique. I may have published this before but I can’t find it, and it showed up in my FB memories this morning, so here goes: My FavoriteContinue reading “My Favorite "Sings"”
Found a composer!
I am thrilled to announce that Garth Baxter has agreed to accept a commission to compose three Irish songs. Garth and I have been Facebook friends for awhile now, and he has written some pieces for a good friend of mine, soprano Annie Gill, and so I thought I’d check out some of his workContinue reading “Found a composer!”