Almost a year later...

And what a year it has been... I spent most of the year in "boyfriend land" and not too focused on being the "traumatic soprano" that I aim to be. I don't feel bad about this at all! Sometimes in life taking care of yourself and indulging a bit, nourishing your spirit is more important than fighting for your career. Hell we cant be expected to play convincing characters on stage if we've never felt their emotions off stage. So this year I spent falling in love, dealing with heartbreak, and learning how to navigate the glorious and treacherous waters of love and spirituality. (I still don't know much about either but that's the fun... right?)

So here I sit with 6 more weeks of "summer Fridays" to look forward to and a goal to focus on my career. Tomorrow I will have my first lesson with a new teacher who is supposed to be great with giganto voices like mine. I'm hoping she will be inspiring and encouraging and maybe even kick my ass a little. I know this is the year that I need to really make a mark because I am running low on putz around time... Its about time my body and voice caught up to each other. And even though dramatic sopranos peak in their late 30s/early 40s I really need to get started on the right track! I have had a lot of positive feedback and encouragement over the years but it's high time that turned into roles and that's where working my butt off comes in.

So here's to a new year and a new resolve!

Audition Season has officially begun!

So i had my first audition of the season this weekend and started off with a call back! That is a great way to start the season!! It was a bit of a strange situation in that for both auditions they were not interested in hearing my first offered piece, but I sang well and thats all I can ask for!

09/09/09

Its 9/9/9 and aparently 9 is a symbol of Long life in Chinese culture... And about a million other metaphysical feelings surround the number 9 as well... http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090908/sc_livescience/why090909issospecial

Well the day is half over and I have yet to see anyhting special about it... However I hold out hope :) But if the Japanese have anything to say about it today will suck... Hmm...

How do you feel about 9/9/9? Anything special other than the re-release of every Beatles album ever produced?

A New Season!

A new season begins... not only is it feeling like the start of fall in the atmosphere, but all of the usual start of season bustle has begun! It is the beginning of fall, the beginning of my new school adventure, the start to the Carnegie season, and once again audition season!

The summer was one of new experiences and change. I had started and finished my first relationship and kicked off social media mania at work. It was fairly uneventful in the travelsphere but thats to be expected when youre broke :) I am looking ofrward to this new season with anticipation as I feel good things coming around the bend!

I am back in school part-time studying German and of all things Video and Sound production! Should be interesting!! So here's to a new year and new adventures... Wish me luck!

Life in The Big Apple Part Deux

Ive been living here for a little over 9 months now and I still LOVE it!

For the first time in my life I make enough money to pay my bills on time (not enough to further my opera studies but I'm working on that), I live in an apartment with my best friend in Brooklyn, Im taking a great class which has enhanced my musical life in more ways than I ever could have imagined and finally my weight loss efforts are back to paying off! All in all despite the occasional hiccup my life is going pretty well!

Now that I feel like I have settled down a little I finally have the time and the drive to put into areas of my life that I feel have been neglected and that is very exciting. I am so glad I came to NYC I finally feel like I'm in a place where I would like to stay for a while!

I am so grateful for all of the amazing people in my life! I have some of the most supportive and loving friends in the world and though I may not express it often enough I hope they all know how appreciative I am of them and that I love them more than they could ever know. I know that many people in the world would count themselves lucky just to have 1 person in their lives like my circle so I don't think there is a word equivalent to how I feel. I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

Life in the Big Apple

Sooooooooo I moved to NYC! I know crazy right?? CA just wasn't cutting it... I love my friends and family but I need the city, its smells and sounds and things to do at all hours of the day or night! If youre bored in NYC youre doing something wrong!

I am living in Astoria, Queens which is the chic area of Queens in a TINY little apartment with 2 Albanian male roommates. One of which I never see, the other is very friendly and we often have dinner together and chat.

I have quite a few friends here and there is always something going on. It is very expensive but I am learning to live within my means... almost. :)

Last night I saw Wicked on Broadway which I have wanted to do FOREVER!! It was awesome! I was in the front row on the side so Some of the action was covered by chorus members but it was still awesome! Everyone was great and Elphaba spoke a bit after the show because they are campaigning for Broadway Cares right now so that was fun! It was all I could do not to sing along... I definitely want to see it again!

Also I am working at Carnegie Hall which is great because I get free tickets to concerts and my boss loves female singers! He is also on the Board of the NE Region of the Met comp so he will be there when I sing next month! Hope I do well!!!!!!

That is all for now! Peace!

A funny thing happened on the way to the bay...

Well I finally arrived safely in CA but not without some major hiccups... and tears, and avalanches...

Lets give you the play by play...

Sun, June 3, 2007:

8am Last Sunday singng at St. Pauls: The choir sang a goodbye prayer to me and I had a tearful goodbye with a very good friend.

230pm Erevan Concert: Sang for the Armenians, they were sad to hear I wass moving later that day and hopefully I will get to come back at christmastime we shall see...

630pm Going Away BBQ: Daddy ran the grill while my friends enjoyed the day. It was really a great party, I drank half a bottle of tequila in about 5 mins :) The proceeded to spent the next 3 hours crying about leaving and not seeing my friends...

Midnight went to bed exhausted while people watched "Willow"

Mon. June 4, 230am: Said a very tearful goodbye to one of my best friends in the whole world. Got in the car and drove off towards CA.

345am: Car Overheats... If you know me at all you know this has been an issue and one that I have spent $2000 trying to fix

530am: towed to nearest Chrysler Dealer

8am: Need new radiator... GREAT!

12noon: $600 later have new radiator and full stomach

1:30pm: Car overheats again!!!!!!! WTF

6pm: Arrive back in Boston... a little worse for the wear but alive

Tues. June 5: 615am Daddy flys back to SLC I return to home and pass out

7pm Suprise Party for Kevin: Yup still here... goodbye No. 388059725

Wed. June 6th: 10am Take car back to Dealer... can't figure out whats wrong with it... changed out the cooling sensor hopefully it will fix the prob. need to test drive on the pike...

6pm: Joel and I take the car out... seems to be fine maybe Ill leave tonight drive to SLC fly from there to the wedding and then go get my car later...

7pm: Car overheats again at the exact same location as it did with daddy!

8pm: Olive Garden... love me some breadsticks!

930: Back in Boston Again... Drop off Car at Dealer

Thurs. June 7th: They cant figure out whats wrong with the car no matter what they do... CAlled Chrysler Factory and they suspect a busted Cylinder Head... $3200 to repair

Fri. June 8th: 10am Pick up car, start selling all possessions... Thank God for Craigslist!

Sat. June 9th: Flight to CA is at 820pm Still no takers on the TV... 645pm Sell TV and race to airport...

Flight leaves on time... has to stop for Gas in Kansas City, MO... Thats normal right? The last flight I took we drove through McDonalds so Gas makes sense...

Midninght: Arrive in Vegas... Connecting flight was at 1159p missed it by 1 min!!! Airlne pays for hotel and dinner... Its Josh's Bday and he lives here... meets me at Hotel

Sun June 10: 130a arrive at hotel and meet my brother... dinner at Hardrock and a little Craps
Am up $125 YES! Must walk away... Not so much, brother convinces me to keep going... Lose $200... boo!

1145: Flight to San Jose...

115: Arrive SJ... Must be at rehearsal for Donna and Josh's wedding by 330!

345 arrive to rehearse and miraculously sing the right notes as second alto in "Set me as a Seal"

5p-12m: The most amazing Wedding ever! Everyone was so gorgeous I felt so honored to be counted amongst Donna's Friends. We had a wonderful time It was really the Party of the Century!

Mon June 11: Exhausted but Dana and I go to SF for the day... Beautiful!!! I love the Bay! Saw golden gate, Lunch in North Beach, Knocked Up, Dinner at Assab my favorite Etritrean restaurant in SF with Shondra, Leave Dana with Shondra, go home and pass out.

And so ends the saga of my cross country voyage... it was a long haul but here I am! Wish me luck!!!