I was looking through my blogpost ideas for today and came across something I saved marked Offensive/Defensive, and I thought it would have something to do with football (the Super Bowl is this Sunday). But it actually came from a Seth Godin post about offensive/defensive behavior and finding the place in between. It pertains more to marketing.Continue reading “Are you an Offensive or Defensive Performer?”
Tag Archives: Baltimore singing teacher
National Get Up Day
Today is National Get Up Day, a holiday created in 2017 by U.S. Figure Skating to commemorate the end of January (National Skating Month). For those of us with wobbly ankles who only remain upright on the ice with the assistance of well-placed friends on either side of us, how does this impact us? OtherContinue reading “National Get Up Day”
How Singing Mozart Taught Me To Count
[Warning – adult language ahead] Now that I have your attention: Today is Wolfgang Amadeus (although some write it as “Amadé”) Mozart’s 265th birthday (and he doesn’t look a day over 250). As a lyric mezzo-soprano, I have sung a lot of Mozart. I loved the movie Amadeus My favorite contemporary composer, Stephen Sondheim, has beenContinue reading “How Singing Mozart Taught Me To Count”
Why Community Matters to Me
We think of community in terms that may or may not be positive. Community theater is often thought of as less than in quality and value than professional theater (NOT TRUE) Community college is where you go when you can’t afford a “real” college (NOT TRUE) A community choir implies that there were no auditionsContinue reading “Why Community Matters to Me”
Memorization Techniques and Tips
Memorizing music and lyrics always came easily to me. Whether it was classical or musical theater, English or a foreign language, I could learn music and have it ready to perform just like that <snaps fingers.> Not so much anymore. Maybe it’s aging. Maybe it’s lack of practice – before I moved back to MilwaukeeContinue reading “Memorization Techniques and Tips”
So How DO I Actually Focus?
I’ve picked my Word for the Year, and it’s FOCUS And that’s all well and good, but exactly what steps am I taking to facilitate this? It’s not enough to say, “This year, I’m going to focus,” or even to establish on what you’re focusing, but what am I doing to ensure that this actuallyContinue reading “So How DO I Actually Focus?”
Creating Your Own Holiday Traditions
I have written before that I grew up without any real holiday traditions. My dad was Slovenian (or at least that’s what I was told – in recent years, I’ve been told secondhand that he was born in Slovenia to Croatian parents) and my mother was Estonian. You would think that my childhood Christmases wouldContinue reading “Creating Your Own Holiday Traditions”
What’s on your life playlist?
I was looking for something that I had posted on FB and came across a playlist of my life that I had done for a group called The Singer’s Journey, facilitated by Peter Jacobson of Total Vocal Freedom. These are all from 2015, I believe, and relate to my development as a singer and asContinue reading “What’s on your life playlist?”
Stephen Sondheim, 1930-2021
Last Friday, immediately completing my 5 Tips for Giving a Great Golden Age video, I opened up Instagram to see a post from Rachel Bloom with no words, just a picture of Stephen Sondheim. As I glanced down the screen, I saw more pictures posted by other people, and I said, “no, no, no, no….”Continue reading “Stephen Sondheim, 1930-2021”
5 Tips for Giving a GREAT Golden Age Musical Audition
This past Friday, I made a video for singers who are auditioning for Golden Age musicals which I called “5 Tips for Giving a GREAT Golden Age Musical Audition.” You can watch that here (and I hope you do): Or you can read on and I’ll outline the tips for you. For specifics, watch theContinue reading “5 Tips for Giving a GREAT Golden Age Musical Audition”