Back at home...at least for a few days

Its a little surreal going from performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City on Wednesday night to doing laundry and arguing with a Korean at a bakery in Sachse, TX about the authenticity of their "picante" sauce on Saturday. Its a great life I live. I mean who else can say that they auditioned for Glyndeborne on Tuesday and then was faced with a dust storm in Dallas!? Seriously, it was SEHR WINDIG today. The sky quickly went from blue to brown. I havent seen the likes of this since my 2 year stint in Lubbock. Ah, the variety that life gives us.

Tonight we grilled AMAZING tenderloin steaks on my wonderful grill. I tell ya, its amazing what a piece of beef can do to a guy. I could seriously eat steak everyday. Speaking of, I'm joining the gym. I've decided that its time for me to join the rest of the world in getting serious about eating better and EXERCISING! There is a fantastic gym down the road from me that offers everything from waterslides to free weights to a salon and spa. I also need to get a scale. Uggh. My friend tells me that its important to ge tthe one that tells you your BMI. Thats the % of you thats actually lard and that needs to be shed. So, I am on a mission. Wish me luck!!

Sorry that this is so scattered. I feel like I'm trying a little too hard with this post, but a certain lovely Texan mezzo yells at me when I dont update it regularly...so, I'm trying to keep everyone happy. Heehee! Hi! :o)

I feel like someone should start a school for opera singers. I know that these already exist...but, it seems that the schools that are out there arent giving their students the information needed to have a career in this field...and thats kinda the point, right? I'd love to retire from performing and be the head of an opera theatre group whose duties would include Voice Teaching, Anti-Master Classes, Seminars / Lectures about the career, and to be a liasion to all my friends in the business that are General Directors of companies...to make sure that my students get heard by the people that actually HIRE in the REAL world!! Hmmm...maybe one day. For now, its my performing career that keeps me up at night wondering how I'll get from point B to point C. (I feel like I navigated A to B pretty well)

So, I head back to NYC on Tuesday for an audition and then again the next Monday and then again the next week! WHEW! 3 auditions, but, they are important. Lyric Opera Chicago, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Seattle Opera. then I'm back again in April for Der ferne Klang with the ASO at Avery Fisher. Should be fun to say the least!!!

I'm off to watch SNL -- Rainn Wilson is hosting and he is pretty much my hero! (Watch THE OFFICE)


Until next time...

Excuse me sir, how do you get to Carnegie Hall?

I'll never forget waking up on the morning of my audition for Boston University's Opera Institute and realizing that I had forgotten my pants to the suit I was to wear! Looking back, I cant believe that I did what I did! I looked in the phone book for a Rochester Big & Tall store (thats where my suit was from) and found one on Wall street of all places. I remember that I was staying with my sister at her apt in Brooklyn. So, I took the subway to Wall street and waited for the Rochester store to open. I was the first guest in the store and they treated me like a million bucks. I found a nice pair of slacks to match the suit jacket that I had and I was on my way...then I thought, wait a minute! How in the world do I get to Carnegie Hall from here? You see, my audition was at the Kaplan studios which are located in the same building that Carnegie Hall is. So, me being the ignorant Texan asks, "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" They reply in unison as though it were planned, "PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!" ...and start laughing!!! I look at them completely confused and say, "no, seriously, what subways do I take to get there?" I think that they were pretty freaked out / impressed that I was really headed that way...but, they pointed me in the right direction.

Its funny what a few years make. This morning I have my final dress rehearsal in Carnegie Hall for the Wednesday evening performance of Cilea's L'ARLESIANA with Opera Orchestra New York. This will be my fourth time performing in this amazing concert hall. Its such an honor to sing where so many have shared their music. Its quite humbling to think of standing on the same stage that ALL the great singers and conductors have stood before you. Its a special place to say the least that I am honored to be able to perform in.

Speaking of various concert halls, yesterday I auditioned for the San Francisco Opera at the 92nd street Y in the beautiful Kaufman Concert Hall. I truly wish that every company would spend the $$ to hear singers in a nice recital hall like this. The audition went quite well, and I really hope that it leads to something with the company. Tomorrow I have another audition in a not-so-good space, known as "Di-CRAP-o" DiCapo Opera Theater is located on the upper east side and is a very VERY small opera theater. Its nice that they have a stage, so you do feel that you are "on stage", but come on! I'd much rather sing almost anywhere than there. Its maybe the worst hall to sing in in all of NYC! People have always said that AGMA should actually do something for us singers and rent out a space that would be ideal for audition and have all AGMA affiliated companies hold auditions in this space. What an idea! Grab a pillow and bury your face in it and then start singing and you'll have some clue as to what it feels like to sing in Di CRAP-o!

I'm very excited for my OONY debut. I have friends coming this morning to hear the dress rehearsal and have family and a few friends that are shelling out the big bucks to come see the performance on Wednesday. This role, while I'm supposed to be an old shepard, feels great! I love the range and style of the piece. I definitely feel my voice headed towards the heavier bel canto / verismo / and then eventually Verdi repertoire. ...and me likey! I remember listening to all the great Verdi baritones when I was an undergraduate just hoping to one day sing these arias. I certainly have a long way to go, but I'm happy to say that I'm well on my way.

If any of you are reading this that are in the NY area, come see L'arlesiana on Wednesday night at Carnegie Hall!! Curtain is at 7:30pm. See you there!