Yes, I am still alive and kicking...

Seems like so much time has passed since my last post. Well, actually, so much time has passed. Too much, as a matter of fact. (Mental note...do this more often!)

Time flies so quickly these days. Had my first audition experience in well over a year recently and just got the PFO yesterday. I sang well (better than well considering the fact that I sat for almost 1 hour and 20 minutes...cold). Most importantly, though, for the first time I did not have negative thoughts flying through my head when the auditors began to write. That was the direct result of having participated as a "vocal consultant" for the second year with a company that holds its auditions in NYC. I was able to think upon the times that I sat there and wrote positive comments when certain singers sang. In the past I would have jumped to the conclusion that they were notating how much I suck! Typical singer poor self-image, eh? Well, I really did not expect much and so the PFO came as no real surprise but it also came with no real disappointment. You know you've matured when these things just don't mean anything anymore! When you start cranking all this down, it gets harder to audition but easier to accept the rejections. Ah, youth is wasted ....

I saw a sad post on the NFCS site today. Apparently, Marianna Christos died last Saturday. She was a fine soprano...special voice...special actress. I distinctly remember a very moving Mimi that she sang opposite Ricky Leech at NYCO in the mid-80s (on second thought, may be it was Robert Brubaker?). I had heard that she was teaching privately over the last few years. I am betting that she was quite a good teacher. She'll be missed by this community.

Now that tax season is over (how, stressful is that?) and the semester is winding down to the last 2 weeks of classes (lessons), it is time to find a new project for the fall...an artistic, musical one as opposed to the normal ones that a home owner incurs. Summer is currently booked with a directing assignment ... a challenging one, at that.

Hmmm... a themed recital? A joint one with a few of my fellow faculty mates? Something with my students? This will require some thought...