tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15950186785443945472012-01-14T21:54:37.506-05:00(after I've cooked it first....)MGnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-35658517440514078272012-01-14T20:55:00.010-05:002012-01-14T21:54:37.514-05:00

This post has nothing to do with singing, parenting (2- or 4-foot), photography, or any other stated brief.It's about paint.You know, that stuff that people put on their walls because it's "cheap" and (as the magazines cheerfully say) "such an easy facelift!". I have friends who paint regularly. And by "regularly", I mean pretty much as often as the Pottery Barn catalog comes out, or a new

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-38743748837068449472012-01-02T10:36:00.009-05:002012-01-03T13:07:43.627-05:00

I am regularly reminded by my Dad that I have taken blogging Epic Failure to a whole new level. Five months without a post? Pathetic.I've thought long and hard about why I've found it so hard to write this year. I've half-started any number of posts (at last count, I think there are at least 6 in my "drafts" folder, and those are only the ones I actually got so far as to start writing down), but

MGnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-17218627013973708462011-07-28T15:23:00.004-04:002011-07-28T15:28:21.817-04:00

I'll be back. I promise. Really.In the meantime:

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-65420426730792082442011-06-14T16:10:00.008-04:002011-06-14T16:18:25.696-04:00

How I Spent My Day

MGnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-55693743360509311032011-06-07T10:24:00.004-04:002011-06-07T12:43:20.743-04:00

1. Very important open letter regarding the future of New York City Opera over at Musical America, and a statement from Maestro Julius Rudel at the New York Times2. Cf previous post.... anybody know any good recipes for mulberry wine?

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-74082031790076844852011-06-07T09:22:00.016-04:002011-06-07T12:42:08.942-04:00

Some more photos from "The Daily Coop" (as my buddy over at The Next 100 Pounds has dubbed my tendency to post pictures of the little guy on Facebook):I promise that he isn't really a stuffed toy even if he looks like one! Baby Beardies are unspeakably cute - puppies for this breed (which of course look nothing AT ALL like their adult selves) are hard to ignore. This is, in fact, one of the

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-1020544643935014272011-05-31T11:27:00.005-04:002011-05-31T11:33:28.952-04:00

He's no dummy!(Lest my photographer friends think I'm colour-blind: there was about an hour between the small and the large shots during which the light had changed, hence the difference in colour temps!!)

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-15993738244384338122011-05-16T09:47:00.003-04:002011-05-16T10:08:39.840-04:00

This packed (intensely hard-work, but ultimately very successful) semester is over and, although I have a new role to prepare for next month and there will no doubt be theatrical musings once I get into rehearsals, life for the next couple of weeks is entirely focused on the newest member of the family:

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-6645595422072155632011-04-28T01:22:00.004-04:002011-04-28T01:26:59.077-04:00

The article about NYCO I linked in this post has run a correction on what is a pretty glaring error:"The New York City Opera has suspended plans to announce its fall season. The headline of a previous version of this article incorrectly said it has suspended its season."Glad to hear that it sounds like merely a delay in finalizing plans rather than scrapping them altogether, but shame on you

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-36380175027629978982011-04-19T08:59:00.011-04:002011-04-19T20:01:23.688-04:00

Ok, so a day late - although I don't think a dollar short, and no less heartfelt.Those endless hours at the typewriter in Los Angeles! You were determined that there were never going to be any real financial concerns to scare a kid into wondering if everything was going to be ok. To make sure that I really could keep up with the horses and the horseshows. That I could go back to the UK to

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-16945494169081196642011-04-14T10:00:00.005-04:002011-04-14T10:12:12.316-04:00

This has been so much fun - the entries are really a hoot. Funny if you're only passingly familiar with the stories, and even funnier when you know them well (or have sung them!). Great stuff.The prize list is growing all the time, so I encourage everybody to have a look and a try, if only for a giggle! For those not familiar with twitter, to find the summaries go to www.twitter.com search the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-30385114334417059772011-04-12T14:28:00.003-04:002011-04-12T14:33:43.073-04:00

Click here for rulesShort version: summarize an operaplot on Twitter in a status update of 140 characters or less. Tweet must include the hashtag #operaplot.Even if you're not an opera fan, it's worth tootling over to Twitter and searching the hashtag #operaplot to check these out - anybody who thinks opera, opera singers and opera fans are boring fuddy-duddies is in for a surprise!

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-36402786498006060022011-04-10T18:20:00.012-04:002011-04-12T23:24:03.913-04:00

I generally avoid discussing politics in public, having taken to heart sage advice given to me as a student that the three things you should never talk about on the job are politics, religion and vocal technique. Well, I've never managed to keep my mouth entirely shut about the latter, and apparently I'm now going for a two-out-of-three failure rate, but so much is going on that I'm finding it

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-9003680798915954872011-04-04T20:30:00.004-04:002011-04-04T20:34:54.062-04:00

The Cardinal's NestI don't think it's just us mezzos who regularly face this, but a recent blog post I stumbled over has sure hit the nail on the head, almost word-for-word echoing my own experience and understanding! I won't even add comment here, since the author has said everything I would have myself.Enjoy!

MGnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-64416753355497296332011-03-14T22:35:00.016-04:002011-03-16T22:41:57.148-04:00

5 auditions, three photoshoots (that I took, rather than was in!), two headcolds, and a full production of Figaro. Talk about "feast or famine" (and that's before we include my husband's concert commitments, as well as our daughter's school play and charity dance performances.) It's been insane!It's also been fantastic. Figaro, as always, was such a joy to work on (Mozart's music never seems

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-78699077920464450012011-02-06T18:25:00.010-05:002011-03-14T22:49:53.926-04:00

It seems that last year's "Catching up on missed TV" festival chez nous has rolled right on into the new year without missing a beat, and we've kicked off 2011 by finally watching the modern series' of Dr Who. We've wanted to give it a look for a while - like many, harboring fond memories of the show from our own childhoods, and wanting to see how they resurrected it - but when we discovered

MGnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-39015455746589430582011-01-31T08:13:00.004-05:002011-01-31T08:13:00.223-05:00

We didn't go far out of town, but one of the beauties of Scotland is that from the major cities you can be away from the city and into rural countryside in a matter of minutes. Callander/Killin used to be one of my favorite "get away from it all" spots when I was working in Scotland and living with the family in Glasgow, and - thanks to the glorious weather (we're still marvelling at the 50

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-42470491733337550612011-01-28T09:00:00.001-05:002011-01-28T09:00:10.910-05:00

(PSA: this post probably ought to come with a tilt-shift alert!! The camera I was using recreates the effect of these adjustable focal-plane lenses digitally and since I love it I may have... uh... indulged a little..... :)Duddingston Village (from Arthur's Seat)Towards the Lothian Coast (from Arthur's Seat) Duddingston Loch (from Arthur's Seat)Edinburgh from the Castlesame view without the TS

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-19003185718310990172011-01-25T09:00:00.001-05:002011-01-25T09:01:49.167-05:00

The University Yup, blue sky. In January. Kelvingrove Art Gallery(organ recitals - in the art gallery - most lunchtimes)The Burell Collection, in the idyllic grounds of Pollok ParkPollok House(The tilt-shift feature of my Canon s95 saw a lot of use this trip...!)One of the themes of the entire visit: Muckle Coos (aka Highland Cattle).The prizewinning herd at Pollok House are known around the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-10607631559053386312011-01-18T15:48:00.024-05:002011-01-24T13:00:00.655-05:00

Nearly thirteen years.Since I left the UK I've had a baby, established a career, and watched my life morph from what was more-or-less still a student lifestyle to that of boring (but stable!) suburbia. I've been re-assimilated into my birth country and had the luxury of living near my parents and getting re-acquainted adult-to-adult. I've learned to accept and enjoy the higher standard of

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-56139331048106495302011-01-01T20:27:00.043-05:002011-01-03T14:26:07.888-05:00

A well-timed nudge expressing pleasure that I'd "finally posted again" (!) reminded me I hadn't yet posted my annual roundup for the year. Somehow while working on that I was also moved to experiment with a "new year, new look" for the blog so apologies for any glitches - work in progress! So, without further ado:In 2010 .....I finally caught up on about 5 years of British television I'd

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-7975120641055484222010-12-29T20:16:00.008-05:002010-12-29T20:34:42.799-05:00

Nul points for me on the blogging front this month, I think. Student juries and recitals, a delicious string of Messiah performances, Christmas preparations and a feast of food and family (groovy alliteration, huh?!) have kept me good and busy. It's been an unexpectedly joyful season this year, which was a lovely boost - good music and good people do a lot to restore one's faith in humanity, and

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-32522240323912849762010-11-25T12:33:00.003-05:002010-11-25T12:35:11.594-05:00

Giving Thanks, Giving Back

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-79170125354253757302010-11-05T11:06:00.011-04:002010-11-06T01:19:22.672-04:00

As mentioned in yesterday's post, I was one of the lucky 15 invited to join David Hobby on an "advocacy journalism" shoot (definitely a case of being online on the right day at the right time and thus responding before he closed the opportunity!!). The landscape and architectural subject matter is very different from the kind of thing I usually shoot, but I really wanted to take advantage

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-45518347407533850542010-11-04T15:09:00.009-04:002010-11-04T15:50:15.521-04:00

The worlds collide. Again.Sunday, we opened the Poe recital. It went extremely well for a first outing, I'm happy to say: a momentary glitch as the page-turner grabbed 3 pages at once resulting in the usual flurry and slapping of paper that accompanies such things, but otherwise it went pretty smoothly. The Poe-settings were well received, and we can also now say that we have taken Erlkoenig and

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-51446963041494267542010-10-26T16:31:00.003-04:002010-10-28T17:09:46.019-04:00

Radio interview with WBJC's Dyana Neal here

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-57764311971007662242010-10-26T16:09:00.006-04:002010-10-26T16:19:33.908-04:00

Preview of "Telltale Hearts and Twilight Fancies" from The Baltimore Sun here

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-6476795471458564982010-10-10T13:59:00.006-04:002010-10-10T14:36:41.379-04:00

Today: home maintenance as my husband (bless him!) deals with gutters and reapplies the roof-elastomeric glop which (in theory at least) keeps our roof water repellent, kids alternating between playing outside and watching "Glee" upstairs, and I'm working on promotional materials, dates and repertoire for the Poe recital; after the Roof Glopping, we'll squeeze in a quick rehearsal.I think this

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-37706171776117520122010-10-01T23:03:00.007-04:002010-10-01T23:11:20.708-04:00

In between rehearsals this week, I also was busy with a couple of photoshoots, including a 40s-style session with a friend. We had a blast!More Poe-recital ruminations coming soon, but in the meantime, a touch of Old Hollywood in the 21st century..........

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-50861029127486687562010-09-22T15:33:00.007-04:002010-09-22T16:48:26.908-04:00

True confession: I finally started following Twitter. I made an account a while back but didn't quite catch on to how it worked, and it's only now that I've been making a point of checking it regularly. (You can find me @MezzoMG if you're interested in following.)After two weeks of active participation, while I can see how it could be a potential time drain - especially since so many of the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-22299594538947296272010-09-01T18:21:00.006-04:002010-09-02T11:57:50.531-04:00

Let's face it - there's a point in a musician's life (ok, in THIS musician's life) where you start to think you're pretty well-versed in repertoire. You've studied, listened and learned. You've been around the business a while and are a self-confessed repertoire-holic (even as a teenager I used to dig through volumes of song and choral rep just because it interested me). And when you're married

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-45223790457190169942010-08-28T15:17:00.008-04:002010-09-04T11:53:44.530-04:00

I had such high hopes for regular blogging while I was away. I figured I'd have enough spare time on my hands that I could write a little more than I do at home, and really consider some thoughts that have banging around my head for a while now.Well, to say that the gig was intense is an understatement. Absolutely wonderful, inspiring, stimulating, challenging (in all senses of the word) and

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-71458164558685293722010-07-07T23:33:00.008-04:002010-07-08T00:11:04.216-04:00

Which, after yesterday's 103-in-the-shade (no joke), felt positively balmy.Mishmash, in bullet points:Long but beautiful drive north - armed with some great audio (how wonderfully easy it is with mp3 players!), I took the long way around both to avoid traffic and to enjoy a more scenic route, which I most certainly did - clinging to the interstates or the main routes with their endless vistas of

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-20037637235581763112010-06-23T18:15:00.007-04:002010-07-08T00:02:05.296-04:00

11 musical numbers and 12 dialogues to finish memorizing before rehearsals start on July 6th.Two photo shoots to complete.School's out.Heatwave.All washed down with a healthy dose of "Gene-Genie-isms", since our continued march through the British TV we've managed to miss in the last 5 years includes currently catching up with Ashes to Ashes (aside: it's slightly dangerous to let my husband

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-6332869892275276302010-05-29T13:22:00.004-04:002010-05-29T13:27:03.863-04:00

or, perhaps, "La Jeune Fille aux iPod Violet"I'm enjoying a couple of days off before the likely maelstrom which will be June begins next week, and this idea dropped into my head for a photo challenge with the theme, "Yesterday or Tomorrow". I couldn't resist....

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-42093355242093759662010-05-23T19:41:00.007-04:002010-05-23T20:01:00.873-04:00

Firstly, given the sight that greeted me this afternoon (picture) I think it's fair to say that my roses really liked spending February buried in 6ft of snow, and I suppose the current wet and warm (but not too warm) conditions must be agreeing with them too! They've put on a spectacular show in the last couple of days, and it's pretty exciting to see what I had envisioned when I planted them

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-33722656147012714012010-03-26T16:09:00.014-04:002010-03-26T20:18:00.384-04:00

Well, I think as a working mom I'm always a bit of a split personality, but the past couple of weeks have taken it to new heights.The recital two weeks ago went far better than I could have hoped: I had set myself some particular goals and challenges, and I think that I achieved what I'd set out to do, which was very satisfying. Not to say that it was a "perfect" performance (what's one of

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-18178514079785108962010-03-16T09:44:00.003-04:002010-03-16T09:47:26.746-04:00

For anybody else who, like me, is a BBC radio junkie, I can heartily recommend this little utility, Radio Downloader.Simple and easy to use, you select the programs you'd like to hear, "subscribe", and the software goes and fetches them for you automatically as soon as they're available at the BBC radio website. I find this more appealing than live-streaming since I can match up the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-18760284099750351012010-02-26T13:10:00.007-05:002010-03-31T23:56:46.066-04:00

I recently picked up some books I've been promising myself to read for years, one of which is Patsy Rodenburg's extraordinary The Actor Speaks.While much of Rodenburg's book is the building blocks of actually making and manipulating sounds, there is a LOT (and I mean lot) of the philosophy of acting and LIFE mixed in. Best of all, coming from the British tradition of theatrical training (of

MGnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-65397393860002597602010-02-15T16:55:00.008-05:002010-03-27T22:55:59.394-04:00

I'm not quite sure how it went from the carefully planned work curve I mapped out for this month to zOMG, but it has.So, this is just a short update. I suspect part of the sudden feeling of 0-60 comes from losing a lot of "normal" daily life to the weather (I believe we're now up to about 80" of snow for the season, and it's just started dumping it AGAIN), and also to the wonderful 4-day-trip to

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-25738550789824838382010-01-14T08:11:00.008-05:002010-01-14T11:06:17.582-05:00

Inspiration is a funny thing. I've written several times about taking it where you find it - however unlikely the source - and, in general, I've been lucky in that way. I've always felt motivated to go above and beyond just because something, somewhere, made me think about how I could go further and how I could use that thing which inspired me in my own artistic efforts; a kind of "paying it

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-14365823482568661652010-01-08T16:19:00.022-05:002010-01-26T10:17:10.451-05:00

No, not the Hollywood film, but the BBC adaptation of Mrs Gaskell's socially conscientious, almost-penny-dreadful, almost-epic novel of the same name set against the Dark Satanic Mills of 19th century "Milton" (Manchester) in "Darkshire" (Lancashire) which we caught up with over the last few days. How on earth we missed this one when it was first released in 2004 I'll never know, but better late

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-76051272912700075922010-01-02T17:54:00.004-05:002010-01-02T18:22:02.907-05:00

I've thought long and hard about what to write at the turn of this particular New Year, following one of the hardest years in a long time. Just about everybody I know has kicked gloomy, broody, unpredictable and unkind 2009 out the door with considerable relish, and is passing on hopes for a better 2010.While I heartily agree, I hesitate to repeat the same message yet again so I'll just take

MGnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-82452202143827373682009-12-28T20:32:00.002-05:002009-12-28T20:34:26.175-05:00

.... both as performer and photographer, written by my wonderful colleague Susan Eichhorn Young. What's in a Headshot?

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-18088603386434947872009-12-27T18:19:00.010-05:002009-12-28T11:07:55.155-05:00

I realise that this blog has gone in all sorts of different directions since I started it. Initially, I envisaged it focusing specifically on the challenges facing an "opera mom" out there in the trenches. Well, clearly there have been plenty of entries about that (welcome to my life!), but also a lot of entries on things rather peripheral to that. In a way, that's a bit what 2009 has been

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-45375706554911922922009-12-20T16:55:00.004-05:002010-11-04T23:54:53.763-04:00

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-26969549689345910052009-12-19T20:44:00.009-05:002009-12-19T21:08:57.287-05:00

continuing in the same vein it began. Oy.The snowstorm which is passing over the Northeast has sadly snowed out my concert weekend - we made it through last night's performance of Messiah, but this evening's planned concert was a non-starter with 2-ft of snow falling overnight. I know, I know - in Minnesota, Alaska or even parts of Pennsylvania and New York this wouldn't so much have caused

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-3273294386482475792009-12-08T17:36:00.011-05:002009-12-08T17:59:20.954-05:00

(Note the fake nose and black fingernails!!!)It's been another crazy month! Every year I think that I will be more organized and less frantic throughout the autumn months, and every year I am proved wrong.Hansel and Gretel finished up well - it was challenging to put together a new role on the tight rehearsal schedule we had, but the outcome was good and I'm tremendously glad to have done it. I

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-26150182896956570182009-11-05T11:48:00.004-05:002009-11-05T12:13:44.029-05:00

...where I'm hard at work on my next performances. I'm blessed with talented and delightful colleagues, staying with lovely people in a warm "college town" community which has me entirely charmed, and we've even had beautiful weather! Life is good. It's funny that my last post was about preparation... because sometimes all of that goes right out the window and you just have to roll with the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-51080760582570623422009-10-18T13:12:00.008-04:002009-10-18T21:19:30.207-04:00

People outside the singing world often wonder exactly how one goes about preparing an operatic role. Many think that it all happens in rehearsals, yet nothing could be further from the truth!The preparation process may sometimes have begun YEARS before a role is even performed - most of us have "core repertoire" that we learn and work on even without any kind of offer in sight, the idea being to

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-6386160777533106422009-10-14T21:30:00.003-04:002009-10-14T21:37:42.863-04:00

I've had several monster posts on all sorts of subjects kicking around my head recently, but somehow real life seems to keep the thoughts in my head instead of flowing out my fingers onto the screen. Soon, I promise.In the meantime, greetings from H1N1 central.I admit it: last spring, I pooh-poohed the hyperbolic alarm over swine flu as the usual media irresponsibility, but after 5 days of living

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-79742638070203045092009-08-15T09:11:00.009-04:002009-08-15T20:58:34.594-04:00

I find transitions are always popping up to be negotiated both as a parent and as a singer. Moving from one phase to the next, from one place to another, from musical style to style, from supporting role to lead, from one group of people to a completely different cast sometimes in as little as a matter of hours, not to mention the scheduling variations (and conflicts!) as one switches worlds

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-7463499300859347052009-07-24T12:56:00.005-04:002009-07-25T10:22:19.740-04:00

... that until this week I didn't even know was there. Ok, so it's not exactly the Pacific (or even the Atlantic coast), but it's got sand, tides and saltwater, and is only about 15 minutes from home! We had a good time.(click image to see slideshow)

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-22977548259562069982009-07-17T08:31:00.009-04:002009-07-18T21:33:08.733-04:00

Currently, I'm prompted to reflect on the two foods which I have long considered perfect.The first is toast. Is there a more versatile food? Meal, snack, pick-me-up or just because, toast always holds its own. Toast with butter, toast with jam, toast with cheese, toast soldiers under egg, toast with cashew butter... the list goes on. Toast after a long winter's walk, providing the perfect warm

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-56438847951054117732009-07-12T09:19:00.012-04:002009-07-12T10:31:34.626-04:00

It's been a fascinating month. My daughter was asked to join the chorus of a local light opera company, and watching her find her way through her first semi-professional appearance has been interesting and enlightening indeed.One curious thing is that everybody(myself and my husband included, I'm sorry to say!) has made an assumption of prior knowledge simply because she's our daughter: she

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-61815110165692089392009-06-27T00:09:00.005-04:002009-06-27T00:19:01.399-04:00

A friend recently wrote of a longing for a simpler time, and tonight while watching my young'un eat her ice cream I couldn't help but think of it. Somehow, this is summer the way we want to remember it: warm lingering twilights out on the porch; watermelon, fireflies and ice cream, with a seemingly-endless vista of days filled with nothing but possibilities.....Summer.

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-89330875135789557662009-06-08T12:58:00.004-04:002009-06-08T13:00:04.027-04:00

... to my daughter, who yesterday received an achievement award for her contribution to the Children's Chorus with which she sings. Proud mom couldn't resist taking a few photos!

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-85868825708422910822009-06-04T23:16:00.003-04:002009-06-04T23:21:30.638-04:00

... I happened to stumble over this marvellous blog/column by casting director Bonnie Gillespie. While written for actors and presenting things from a film industry point of view, there is much of relevance to just about any branch of the performing arts, and I'm finding it refreshing to read things seen from a slightly different angle. Recommended.

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-46078630553708003642009-05-24T23:08:00.005-04:002009-05-24T23:22:32.172-04:00

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

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-2629238908015504772009-05-10T22:54:00.006-04:002009-05-10T23:23:38.768-04:00

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

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-53317224845611364532009-04-27T09:52:00.004-04:002009-04-27T09:55:19.751-04:00

By the side of the rural road, high on a hilltop....

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-23895960701166716912009-04-24T21:18:00.002-04:002009-04-24T21:25:17.775-04:00

Wow. I get to be a singer again for a week! After the enforced hiatus, I appreciate my luck at being able to make a career out of a passion even more than usual, and am really looking forward to this one (for so very many reasons, not least of which an amazing piece to sing, and with colleagues who are not only wonderful musicians but old and valued friends). Of course, with unerring accuracy,

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-29213881209640586182009-04-14T20:28:00.007-04:002009-04-14T20:52:25.758-04:00

Wow. Do I get the proverbial FAIL for this long lapse in actual content?It's been a tough winter, no doubt about it. The constant bad news in the world at large and continued traumatic impact on the opera biz, sub-zero temperatures for most of January and February, winter colds and general gray malaise has made it hard to find something to blog about that didn't simply sound like whining.But

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-5377015634630276542009-04-03T09:15:00.002-04:002009-04-03T09:17:31.825-04:00

Between family illness (nothing serious, fortunately, just time-consuming) and continued bad news in the industry, there just hasn't been anything positive to say, or much time to say it in, but I'm still here - more substantial posts to come, but just a brief confirmation that this blog is still alive and kicking!More soon....

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-90293269730881946882009-03-14T16:02:00.002-04:002009-03-15T09:43:49.418-04:00

And so it's official: my local opera company which had hoped to weather the recession with the reprieve afforded by declaring Chapter 11 bankruptcy announced this week that they are now filing for Chapter 7 and liquidating the company.I've been privileged to sing many supporting roles with the company over the years, and was also scheduled to sing with them this spring before they cancelled the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-46310322545832559682009-02-23T21:23:00.005-05:002009-02-23T21:47:40.961-05:00

Thanks to the miracle of the internet, we've been able to keep up with some of our favorite British television shows, not least of which the cozily old-fashioned, all-for-the-honour-and-glory (ie no monetary prizes) and wonderfully academic University Challenge.We've been following it avidly, not only enjoying the sometimes absurdly arcane questions, but also enjoying watching the competitive

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-44116132129742289482009-02-13T14:55:00.009-05:002009-03-15T09:43:49.420-04:00

to blog anything that isn't bad news in the arts at the moment. Another regional opera company bit the dust this week and has publicly announced they are ceasing trading and I think we're all getting worn down by article after article expressing concerns over the future of the arts in general. While this last collapse didn't affect me directly, the demise of the company where I held contracts

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-3134165290516744642009-02-04T14:45:00.003-05:002009-03-15T09:43:49.421-04:00

a must read article about the current state of opera.While the news is grim, I find this post far, far more realistic and hopeful than a lot of other commentary I've been reading. Here's hoping some of the views expressed are possible realities; they certainly suggest a better prognosis than the current state of affairs.

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-69353920038103041262009-01-25T22:17:00.004-05:002009-03-15T09:49:30.332-04:00

I love the philosophy of song recitals: just you, your accompanist and the composer fusing to come together as (one hopes!) a coherent, expressive and trascendent musical whole. "Pure" music, without the trappings of costume, the multitude of musical opinions in the orchestra as many strive to become one... it's in many ways the apogee of singing to express at such a simple and heartfelt

MGnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-6570916354991883662009-01-24T23:19:00.004-05:002009-01-24T23:24:13.345-05:00

Yes, I know - it's January. It's supposed to be cold. But in the 10 years I've lived in this state, I don't ever remember it being THIS cold THIS consistently for THIS long. Not much snow, just day after day of sub-freezing temperatures and a hefty windchill. Brrrr!But life goes on, however chillily (is that a word?!). The colleges start back next week, so we'll be resuming our routine - I

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-70858313831363536022009-01-15T13:39:00.005-05:002009-02-04T14:49:26.358-05:00

It feels like the entire world is "on hold" just now. Even the ground is frozen solid as subzero temperatures sweep across the Northern Hemisphere (thankfully, we're merely in the teens rather than below zero, but it's still jolly cold for this part of the world!). The economy is caught in its mudlocked matrix which shows no signs of moving terribly quickly, and the rest of the world is

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-12495428669312229802009-01-12T13:13:00.003-05:002009-01-12T13:28:39.520-05:00

I think it's feeling neglected.Between the holidays, getting back to school, starting to prep some (small) forthcoming projects, and becoming completely and totally immersed in picture-taking (what can I say? I'm hooked), I've fallen badly behind. More substantial musings to come, Little Blog, I promise!In the meantime, a project I've started for myself, namely the Photo a Day gallery, which

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-71945462409731732352009-01-01T19:13:00.003-05:002009-02-04T14:50:22.064-05:00

Started this blogNot only survived, but ENJOYED a substantial and entirely successful home remodel ... even on a (very) tight budget!Enjoyed a full performing calendar, including singing opposite the most famous living exponent of my own voice type in a stupendously received concert - it was a year where I was truly "living the dream"Had it reinforced once again that I am blessed by truly

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-87320079810050647392008-12-31T12:58:00.003-05:002008-12-31T13:08:35.041-05:00

A more substantive post to come, but in the meantime a fun little goodie for those of the word-y persuasion (thanks, Kent)Anagram makerHere's to a new year!

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-27810631858159869102008-12-24T23:47:00.005-05:002008-12-24T23:50:40.975-05:00

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-28422903212548132222008-12-19T10:20:00.004-05:002009-03-15T09:43:49.422-04:00

I admit it - I've felt hard done by and hard hit, and there have been times in the last days where everything seemed pretty futile. The grim news headlines are enough to make anybody want to pull the blankets over their head and stay there, and the continued bad news for us personally was getting pretty hard to weather.But this week, pinpoints of light ahead. Only small, but they're there.The

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-10335343922457151932008-12-13T22:08:00.011-05:002009-03-15T09:43:49.424-04:00

It's been a tough week. The first wave of personally-affecting bad news from the economic kaboom hit not merely close to home but AT home, as my local opera company declared bankruptcy and cancelled the remainder of the 08-09 season and all future plans which sadly includes a couple of (good) contracts of mine. This has of course been bad news for me personally, but is also distressing for

MGnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-51485791344773770692008-12-06T20:48:00.010-05:002009-01-01T22:05:34.084-05:00

Taken on Thanksgiving day, a chance capture when I spotted the frozen leaves while outside clipping herbs for the turkey. This piece of ice fell off its perch and shattered into smithereens seconds after the shutter was snapped.I am, to say the least, delighted by the outcome!First Place Winner, Dgrin Challenge #13 "Clarity or Diffused"Iced Foliage

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-59579102512518528792008-12-05T14:05:00.008-05:002009-02-04T14:50:22.069-05:00

An interesting, if possibly controversial, article over at The Strobist. I'm not quite sure how/if it can (or should) apply to the musical world, but it's certainly interesting food for thought.

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-38305468368429214932008-11-30T22:07:00.008-05:002008-11-30T22:38:04.462-05:00

Three auditions.End of semester recitals and exams. Sick kid. Holiday concerts (husband's, child's, students' and my own)No matter how carefully I prepare for the two weeks after Thanksgiving, they always catch me by surprise. To my delight, two more auditions came in for this period (the third one was scheduled weeks ago); this is historically ALWAYS the busy time, but so many companies have

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-23587780621883203002008-11-27T22:05:00.005-05:002008-11-27T22:14:13.691-05:00

Well fed, well loved and deeply grateful. Happy Thanksgiving!

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-73222581944516146152008-11-22T23:07:00.004-05:002008-11-22T23:14:07.365-05:00

but I managed to grab this. (Yes, that IS a rosebud. In November.)I call it "Survivor"

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-5384724384259415532008-11-16T20:45:00.004-05:002009-01-15T13:52:37.023-05:00

While standing in line today as our local bedding and household store finished its final day of trading before closing down, I had a lot of time to think. Being a devout bargain shopper, I was thrilled to score some seriously cheap goodies, but even as I gloated over the absurd discounts on the items I purchased, it all rang rather hollow; faltering retail is for sure a sign of the tough times

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-89502991281211852842008-11-15T21:23:00.006-05:002008-11-15T23:43:24.805-05:00

It's hard to know how to start writing an entry at the moment. Is it "business as usual", or is the world as we know it in the process of imploding? Probably a bit of both, really.Normally even-tempered folks are on a short-fuse, stores are all promoting sales, coupons and discounts like their survival depends on it (which it very well may) and it's impossible even to do a quick check of the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-61061329050895943192008-11-14T13:25:00.003-05:002008-11-14T14:56:54.842-05:00

My good friend over at The Next 100 Pounds recently posted some thoughts about the holidays that were a more than timely reminder in these testing times. Check it out.

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-11367874984833146012008-11-13T12:35:00.002-05:002008-11-13T12:37:45.557-05:00

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-19555694976501459962008-11-12T19:29:00.003-05:002008-11-12T19:34:20.722-05:00

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-21160006963203373252008-11-10T10:56:00.001-05:002008-11-10T10:57:32.623-05:00

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-6661071206993370082008-11-06T12:52:00.002-05:002009-01-15T13:52:37.024-05:00

But, like just about everybody in the US and possibly even around the globe, this week has by necessity been about politics. It has been a whirl of election mania, activity and emotions, somewhat foreign in a country which in recent years drifted into civic apathy. Strangely, there were fewer lawn signs and stickers than I have ever seen before, but perhaps people were putting their energies

MGnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-43913146541197131152008-11-02T10:32:00.007-05:002008-11-14T14:58:58.119-05:00

I have decided that - this week at least- I am a diva-mommy rockstar.Following the 2008 New York-Every-Two-Days commuting marathon, we managed to host a Halloween party for 10 10-year olds. Granted, the long drives up and down highway 95 gave me lots of quiet time to come up with scavenger hunt clues, but even so - I always question my ability to "do it all" at times like this! (Happily, the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-20870580918931535162008-10-28T11:47:00.003-04:002008-10-28T11:50:23.893-04:00

(sorry folks - I just can't resist posting lots of these! We had so much fun with this shoot, and this costume is one she's designed all for herself so I promised I'd post lots of them. On Friday she plans to add sparkly false eyelashes and gold glitter spray to the mix so there will likely be more to come...!)

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-61120031512742317902008-10-26T16:19:00.001-04:002008-10-26T16:28:01.459-04:00

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-60288015104370008842008-10-22T16:51:00.008-04:002008-10-22T17:25:03.496-04:00

So, it would appear that I have managed to get through the last week. Three roundtrip daytrips to NYC in 6 days (the first two only 48hrs apart).Life was complicated by my daughter acquiring Some Kind of Chest Thing and having to stay home from school(we're still not sure if it's allergic asthma or an incipient bronchitis, but she's been thoroughly miserable) , but Grandma stepped up to the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-72465840527121788842008-10-15T13:33:00.001-04:002008-10-22T16:51:29.330-04:00

(Btw, this photo isn't blurred, but was processed using a Photoshop technique called The Orton Effect - it's more effective in a larger image than the one blogger posts, and I just love the painted, dreamy quality it gives the image)

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-89263951032519880402008-10-14T13:25:00.006-04:002008-10-14T22:33:41.759-04:00

In Operaland in the US, "audition season" has historically peaked in the weeks immediately before and after Thanksgiving, with a big surge in the first two weeks of December.I guess 2008 missed the memo, because it appears I have 3 auditions before the end of this month. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining - far from it!! - but (since I already had a lesson booked in this period) what this

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-21325366686597303572008-10-08T21:54:00.004-04:002009-03-15T09:57:31.423-04:00

There was something very special for me about last weekend's performances. I've sung Beethoven's 9th symphony several times now and, of course, known the piece for years as An Icon of Western Music. But (true confession) I've never liked it.Even the most die-hard fan of Ludwig will usually concede that the vocal writing is ungainly, but my detachment from it has been more complex than that:

MGnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-8483279994782684902008-10-05T11:11:00.002-04:002009-03-15T09:50:16.110-04:00

The good: BEEEYOOOOTIFUL weather pleasant colleagues enthusiastic conductor despite having been to something like 35 of the lower 48 states, I had never before seen the Mississippi river, something I have now remedied. The hotel is practically IN the river, and I am completely seduced! I'm very sad that I didn't bring the big camera (oh, how sad!), but I'm having fun with the little

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-10543831251943005532008-09-29T09:30:00.006-04:002008-09-29T10:01:59.903-04:00

An "interesting" week all round (in both the good and bad sense!) .The good:A great trip up to NYC to do some work on coming projects - the performance schedule is spaced more favourably for me to book some lessons and coachings, and I'm taking advantage of it during this period when I can (for my non-singer readers yes, it is "normal" for professionals to keep taking lessons throughout the

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-53333408452936983132008-09-26T00:44:00.002-04:002008-09-26T00:46:48.145-04:00

MGnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1595018678544394547.post-46916135399178393222008-09-22T11:12:00.003-04:002008-09-22T11:13:59.432-04:00

MGnoreply@blogger.com0