Non-sequiter... One of the reasons as to why I sing...

Our all girl band just did a huge benefit concert for Autism Awareness. Below is the link from WPTV.
Thank you all for your support!


http://www.wptv.com/dpp/news/Mom-raising-awareness-about-autism-with-a-concert-in-West-Palm-Beach

The Juilliard Years Part 2

The Juilliard Years....  One of the highlights into the second year,was an opportunity to sing in a Gerard Souzay masterclass.  What an honor it was for me to do that!!! I sang En Priere by Faure.  There were 5 singers that sang that day and I was third up.  I sang the En Priere, Mr. Souzay corrected me on some pronunciations of the French ,and said that he had nothing to say about it since he said that I knew the song better than he did!  I was the only singer to be called back to the stage and then tried singing Je dis que rien m'epouvante.  That was much harder because  at that time I was working with Cynthia Hoffman as a voice teacher, BIG MISTAKE, and  had no middle in the voice and no technique to assist with that. Ms. Hoffman was one of the worst teachers I have ever had, who cannot teach to save her life and took the color of my voice out, and made it ten times smaller that when I entered Juilliard.  How do you go from singing Pagliacci at 21 to almost nothing in 2 years?

Mr. Souzay certainly help boost my confidence and said that he hoped to see me one day singing in France.  I am still humbled and still hoping.

The Juilliard Years part 1

I began Juilliard ..being asked to sing in Evelyn Lear's Masterclass.  I sang in front of a full house and the aria was 'Stridono Lassu" from Pagliacci.  I remember being really nervous, because now I felt I had to really prove something.  Boy, was it proven to me how much I needed to "let go."  Ms. Lear was gracious and kind, and at the time I was starting lessons with Edith Bers... oh boy, my first mistake...but continued studying with her thinking that I couldn't really do anything about it.

 At that time, in the same voice studio with me was Audra McDonald.  I remember us having lunch together and having bitch sessions about how bad the lessons were and how we wanted to do something about that. 

Ok... back to the master class...LOL...

During the time that sang in the aria, Ms. Lear stopped me and acted like Canio, and said,"I will kill you..." this brought back a huge flashback of a not so good childhood and I broke down and cried...she hugged me and asked if I was ok...I said yes...and continued...She asked me sing the entire aria again without stopping and after I was done, I  had a standing ovation.

People still write to me about this and I learned how to release the voice maybe for the first time...really the first time in my life.  I knew what it really was to be in the moment of singing and using my voice and giving it permission to be really seen as truth. 

Evelyn Lear, and the President of Juilliard and many people congratulated me in the President's office, all claiming that they will see me at the MET...

Little did I know that life would take many twists and turns to make this happen!

I was very fortunate at such a young age to have a great voice teacher and vocal coach.  Mary MacKenzie and George Trovillo who happened to be Jussi Bjorling's pianist for ten years.  All this on scholarship, never once paying for a lesson and coaching.  They believed in me and what I could do and saw what my potential was at that time.  My voice went through many changes and had at 21 years of age it all came together! All of sudden, it just seemed your voice, technique and skill came all together.  Then 22 hits...oh boy and the big growing up begins.... Chapter 2 to follow.... :)

Renata Tebaldi, "La mamma morta", 1960

I guess I will start posting about my first mentor- my favorite Soprano Renata Tebaldi. She was someone I listened too when I started my path with operatic singing. At 19, my first voice teacher Ms. Mary MacKenzie a Wagnerian Contralto and the sole winner of the Met and the Naumberg in her day, said that I had similar colors to Tebaldi's voice. I had no clue what she meant or who Tebaldi was. All I knewthen, is that after hearing Tebaldi sing in a listening room at the music library at SDSU, following my first voice lesson with Mary, I lost it and felt compelled and honored to even have any remnance of her color and timbre. Mary would know exactly how she sang and what she sounded like since she sang along side her at the Lyric Opera of Chicago back in 1960, and also sang with Maria Callas at the Dallas Opera that same year. Wow... I am honored to just be able to right that, and to have had Mary as a wonderful mentor and teacher.Thank you Mary!

Coral Springs Arts Program Filling The Void At Cash-Strapped Schools

Coral Springs Arts Program Filling The Void At Cash-Strapped Schools

I guess I have a lot of stuff to speak about when it comes to singing and I am so grateful and blessed for so many gifts that have been given along the way.  With every singer, we all have our doubts and question our gifts, but really there is no reason to do that.  People will question you and try to mold you into who they think you are.  No way!! Be the singer that you are.  NOT manufactured sound, not molded.  Your voice is a true gift from God and should RELEASED, RAW, REAL AND NATURAL.  I guess I will stop speaking on my soap box, but when I can I will explain my vocal history and share some key issues to protect your voice and all together your heart and soul when it comes to singing and hopefully just everyday life. 

Much love and light!

Birgit Nilsson - Ozean du Ungeheuer

Absolutely one of my favorite arias! I will be singing this very soon! Thanks to some great work wtih Jeremy Silver!

Sesame Street: Will.i.am's Song "What I Am"

Had to post this! Keep it real, simple, and honest!

Welcome!

So you glad that you have made it to my blog!  There is so much to do in so little time.  Please take the time to ck out our J.E.T (all girl band blog as well).  I cannot believe that I am going to have a blog about myself and singing and am truly grateful to be back in all genres of music, especially opera! Its been a long time coming and now its time.