Singing for my supper

Another established area company hit by financial uncertainty; another cancellation to my season. Although deeply saddened by the news both artistically and financially, I'm trying not to think about it too hard since it's too much of a downer to dwell on it. The matter is out of my hands and all I can do is keep my own spirits up and try to keep the joy in making music, even as the world around me is spinning out of control. Surprisingly, it's proving easier than I thought; maybe the sadness will affect me more down the road, but so far this particular hit is making me want to put my energy into moving forward rather than dwelling on what's now done and outside my control. Here's hoping. In the meantime, the garden has finally burst forth in full bloom. The weather pattern for the year means everything is terribly late, but now that it's getting started, it's been worth the wait!

All my good intentions to blog regularly in recent weeks have clearly travelled the proverbial road. Oh well. The concerts last weekend were a wonderful experience. Following a satisfying week of intensive rehearsals, the performances were moving and deeply rewarding as a performer, and it was a wonderful week at so many levels. Alas, I brought home more than the warm glow of a job well done, as I was laid flat by a bad upper respiratory infection almost as soon as I crossed my own threshold, and this week was basically crossed off the calendar even though it included my daughter's 11th birthday. I wound up on antibiotics and cancelled almost all commitments (except the birthday, which was thankfully a very happy one) until Friday when, fully recovered or not, I simply had to get out to teach my long-suffering students (finals and recital week coming up), attend a long evening meeting/rehearsal for my daughter's dance troupe (final rehearsal before they perform in NY at the R