I have some decisions to make. How to make them? What questions do you ask yourself before you make decisions? I bet it depends on the decision you are trying to make. If you are trying to dress for a dinner out perhaps you call someone else who is going to ask that girlfriend…
I’m rereading Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg. It is a wonderful book about writing and being a writer. Basically she reminds the reader that to be a writer you have to write. In Chapter One she reminds us of the importance of buying a journal/notebook to write in that isn’t to fancy. …
What drains you? What nourishes you? I’ve recently felt that familiar nagging feeling that the boat of my life is sailing away from the dock and I’m not on it. Or if I am, I’m somewhere in the hold doing the grunt job and not on the deck enjoying the view. I know I just…
No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues. Bertrand Russell -British author, mathematician and philosopher 1872-1970 In my life and in my work, I often find myself coming head to head with one of the seven deadly sins, and not one of the fun exotic ones. Envy. Quick and dirty example-I meet a singer at…
Did you know that more people make resolutions for fresh starts in September than even New Years? I guess we never get over that first day of school and the love of a ‘clean slate’ start. The new pages, the pencil case, the new year at school full of possibilities. With that in mind, why…
I made an appeal last week to those of you in young artist programs to share what were your challenges and reward’s this summer in your studies. Having just given a class via Skype for the St. Andrews opera program, I was definitely having flashbacks to my own summer program experiences. It is summer vacation…
Opera/Concert Singer/Performer Needed This job is full time in unpaid preparation with often only part time paid hours available. There are a variety of duties involved and numerous skill sets required. In the unpaid portion of your job you will be required to spend numerous hours alone in a tiny practice room with a piano…
In the previous blog “The Dragon at the Dressing Room Door” I wrote about my experience with criticism post performance. In this blog I wanted to share my tools in the days and weeks that followed that turned me away from the cave of shame and self criticism and directed me towards my own authentic…
I coach, write and workshop on dealing with gremlins all the time. The Gremlin is our inner critic who usually is telling us we are either not enough or that we are too much and therefore we should quit risking the status quo and we should turn back now. I like to think of it…
Change is inevitable. I fight it with all my habits and rituals so it seems like I’m in control. Certainly the Arm Chair Critic in my head thinks I’m in charge. But I’m not. Control is an illusion. I tell myself if I work hard enough, if I am smart and recognize the opportunities, I…
