Forewarned is forarmed. Not really anything directly to do with creativity, but with the performing life, one ends up in hotels quite a bit....

Check-in:

Morning Pages: 3/7. Slow but steady wins the race

Artist's Date: took the laptop to the whirlpoo and soaked with a DVD (Meet the Robinsons)

Walking: Nothing serious. Have been focusing on stretches and knee exercises - also left hip flexor is driving me crazy.

Synchronicity: Finding a couple of good stretching books at the library - so a few new ideas.

Nice Thing for Me Each Day: a brainwave CD

Issues: Breath work - add in Weill's breathing exercises. Also thinking about the notes - get so inside the music (a la Yo Yo Ma) that it comes from your brain, not your throat. (I know - the last statement was there before, but well worth leaving on.)

Technique, technique, technique. Breath. Exercise/PT

Goals:

Gigs: Syracuse Opera outreach: Pigs; Ready... Set... Opera!; Telephone
St. Paul's Lessons and Carols
Christmas Eve: Fairmount, B'ville, St. Pauls (duet with Nora)
B'ville Methodist: cantata

Day Job: call temp agencies. Set up interview with a new one.

Listening/Opera Videos: Telephone and Pigs

Diction/Dialect/Accent Tape: speech therapy exercises

Pedagogy Work: a good solid foundation of breath and relaxation

Creativity Book: The Creativity Book

Performing Business: read through ILL scores. go through YAP Tracker

Sight Singing: focus on basic technique - use simple art songs

Acting: monologue memorization; basic warmup

Piano: scales; play through vocal rep

Cello: on hold for a couple of weeks

Guitar: on hold for a couple of weeks

Flute: on hold for a couple of weeks

Physical Program: E2L and food combining principles; yoga/other stretching, Pilates, PT exercises, strength training 3x/week. Read Beck diet. TLT exercises.

Family: Christmas present work

Spiritual: DQT - focus on the Gospels; read 1 chapter of Proverbs (corresponding to the day). TLT exercises.

FlyLady: keep decluttering

Car: clean out; oil change


Formal checking:

DO OR DIE:
1. loose weight
2. declutter
3. practice
4. language work
5. faith - DQT
6. mail
7. TLT
8. TOOLS

Important Tasks:
1. HTML
2. laundry
3. piano
4. outreach brushups
5. vocal technique rehab

Wish List
1. creative writing
2. scrapbooking
3. genealogy
4. crochet
5. flute
6. cello
7. guitar
8. massage therapy license

The tree lighting last night in Syracuse was beautiful. For whatever reason, the tree looked better than last year - maybe it was due to the snow (yay!). Saw Enchanted afterwards - loved it. If you go, check for the spoofs all the way through, including some not listed in imdb.com. I was on the floor, and want to go through the cast list for even the smaller roles to see who has a Disney cartoon credit. It's a definite keeper for the DVD collection!

Onward to two weeks of outreach work - both Pigs and Telephone, but first, the talent competition. It's always a treat to judge for David Blight. We're treated really well and work with some great people. I'm also grateful for some concert work in the month of December as well.

I'm learning a lot in the coachings with the new MD for Syracuse (Douglas Kinney Frost) It's like being back at Rising Star again. He's suggested some arias that have begun to crop up from others as well, so I've pulled them out and begun working on a couple. It'll be interesting to see where the journey goes from here.

Check-in:

Morning Pages: 2/7. Better than I have been.

Artist's Date: avoided. Had a nice browse through the bookstore - which I really should avoid. I need to do another reading deprivation session.

Walking: Nothing serious. I fell backstage at Carousel and did a number on my knees. Sigh

Synchronicity: Two great temping days. Nice people - good gig!

Nice Thing for Me Each Day: a brainwave CD

Issues: Why change it?: get back in tune with Gail's breathing ideas and thinking about the notes - get so inside the music (a la Yo Yo Ma) that it comes from your brain, not your throat.

Technique, technique, technique. Breath. Exercise/PT

Goals:

Gigs: Syracuse Opera outreach: Pigs; Ready... Set... Opera!

Day Job: call temp agencies - return two phone calls.

Listening/Opera Videos: Magic Flute DVD; Puritani DVD

Diction/Dialect/Accent Tape: speech therapy exercises

Pedagogy Work: a good solid foundation of breath and relaxation

Creativity Book: The Creativity Book and Fearless Creating (Maisel),

Performing Business: update address book; revamp address labels; read through Little Red Riding Hood score. Update audition binders.

Sight Singing: focus on basic technique - use simple art songs

Acting: monologue memorization; basic warmup

Piano: scales; play through vocal rep

Cello: scales and other technical exercises

Guitar: scales and finger busters

Flute: technical drills

Physical Program: E2L and food combining principles; yoga/other stretching, Pilates, PT exercises, strength training 3x/week

Family: Christmas present work

Spiritual: DQT - focus on the Gospels; read 1 chapter of Proverbs (corresponding to the day)

FlyLady: keep decluttering

Car: clean out; wash


Formal checking:

DO OR DIE:
1. loose weight (SP)
2. declutter
3. practice
4. translations
5. faith - DQT
6. mail
7. TLT
8. TOOLS

Important Tasks:
1. HTML
2. laundry
3. piano
4. languages
5. outreach brushups
6. vocal technique rehab

Wish List
1. creative writing
2. scrapbooking
3. genealogy
4. crochet
5. flute
6. cello
7. guitar
8. massage therapy license

Red Scarf Project 2007: Scarf Pattern Links

Am gradually getting addicted to Ravelry. Here's another interesting crochet blog to note. I admire all these people who come up with their own patterns. I have to remind myself that I am a crochet baby compared to many - maybe my own creations (other than ones done with a single stitch) will be in the future.


Red Scarf Project 2007: Scarf Pattern Links

Ok, Ravelry, where were you when I needed you? 6 K sized hooks are far too many for one person to own, no matter how many projects they've got on the fire. Seriously - if you like to knit and crochet, hop on over to Ravelry and check things out. It's a social network for the hook and needle crowd. It motivated me to clean up my yarn stash, implement collection and books so I can truly be ready for the holiday rush. And I actually think I have spare yarn with which to make a few presents! Using what one has on hand is always a good thing.... decluttering...... a novel concept!

The creativity odyssey is slowly progressing, albeit slowly. That's ok. It's about the journey anyways. Have slowly been making inroads on the health issues, too, via SparkPeople, Setting Captives Free, and - of course, the help and inspiration of family and friends.

First coaching with the new music director of Syracuse Opera - Douglas Kinney Frost. Am taking in Regnava for starters. Also have Musetta, Pamina, Marie (La fille). I'd love to understudy Norina in February, but we'll have to see what happens.

Renaissance Soul Life Design

Renaissance Soul Life Design

Ravelry - a knit and crochet community

Ravelry - a knit and crochet community

Please click on the photo to take you to the rest of the album on Webshots by the user Still131.

Checking in:

Have been reading Joan Anderson's two memoirs: A Year by the Sea and A Walk on the Beach, so I'm not too bothered that I have put the other books to the side. I highly recommend both. We also have two family members we're praying for rather intensely:

Anna, who is down in Texas battling cancer at MD Andersen in Houston. It's been a 10+ year fight. Her brother Arik is with her, and they have friends with them (Mom was even thinking of going down). Please pray for her - and her brother.

Sophie, our sweet 6 month old poodle baby, was found to have 1/4 the liver she should have - one of those flukes of nature. Both vets have given the diagnosis of only a few more months of life, even with dietary modifications. For the time being, Sophie is happy and running around like nothing is wrong.

Formal checking:

DO OR DIE:
1. loose weight (SP)
2. declutter
3. practice
4. translations
5. faith - DQT
6. mail
7. TLT
8. TOOLS

Important Tasks:
1. HTML
2. laundry
3. piano
4. languages
5. outreach brushups
6. vocal technique rehab

Wish List
1. creative writing
2. scrapbooking
3. genealogy
4. crochet
5. flute
6. cello
7. guitar
8. MT license

Blogging against abuse - I received this notice in my email box - hopefully others will see this and join in. It's also a reminder for me to post on September 27th.

Gather article

Check-in:

Morning Pages: Nothing this week. Nada. It was hard getting going after a break last time, so I'm not too surprised.

Artist's Date: Glimmerglass! Loved the Gluck, was puzzled by the Monteverdi ( Christopher Alden directed), which frustrated me, because I'm usually not quite so dense about symbolic directing. The singing was amazing and inspirational.

Walking: Nothing serious. The tendonitis is still an issue, so I'm not pushing things here. The PT is more important.

Synchronicity: I haven't been looking for it, so I'm out of shape. I'll have to think about this one and edit as needed.

Nice Thing for Me Each Day: light a candle

Issues: I'm leaving this one in from my cut and paste: get back in tune with Gail's breathing ideas and thinking about the notes - get so inside the music (a la Yo Yo Ma) that it comes from your brain, not your throat.

Technique, technique, technique. Breath. Exercise/PT

Goals:

Gigs: Syracuse Opera outreach: Mule. Oswego Opera: Carousel this fall.

Day Job: call temp agencies

Listening/Opera Videos: Manon DVD from library; new CD: Orpheus and Euridice (Gordon/Futral)

Diction/Dialect/Accent Tape: speech therapy exercises

Pedagogy Work: a good solid foundation of breath and relaxation

Creativity Book: The Creativity Book and Fearless Creating (Maisel), A Weekend to Change Your Life (Anderson)

Performing Business: update address book; revamp address labels; study Castel books before returning to the library

Sight Singing: focus on basic technique - use simple art songs

Acting: monologue memorization; basic warmup

Piano: scales; play through vocal rep

Cello: scales and other technical exercises

Guitar: scales and finger busters

Flute: technical drills

Physical Program: E2L and food combining principles; yoga/other stretching, Pilates, PT exercises, strength training 3x/week

Family: Christmas present work

Spiritual: DQT - focus on the Gospels

FlyLady: keep decluttering

Car: clean out; wash

I've discovered some interesting books in the library this summer, and will be using this blog to chronicle my journey of self-improvement. Having already gone through Julia Cameron's The Artist's Way, I'll use that platform (morning pages, etc) while reading other books - saving a reread of AW for a later date. Also, as Eric Maisel's book The Creativity Book is meant to be done over the course of a year, I'll do one exercise from that a day. The check-in format from the CS AW group will be used as well - checkins to be done over the weekend. This is all prompted by my discovery of the website

Tools To Life

Check it out!

Creativity Book Response: Read the intro this morning. Ok - so he recommends using Fearless Creating to help with some of the exercises. I'll add that to my library list!

My choice of project for the coming year: rehabing my vocal technique. It's not exactly "creative" per say, I know. I could pick writing or composing, two areas I've been itching to re-explore, but the voice needs my attention first, and fits with the suggestions for the "non-creatives" using the book.

Workspace: the only real space I have - my bedroom. Task/Goal: keep the desk functional. Use FlyLady HotSpot cleaning each day to keep it cleaned off. Also keep decluttering room (and posessions in general).

Other steps to note:
1. Maintain a journal (thank you for the present, Aunt Charlene!). Connects up with AW. Fine - I'm sure there'll be plenty of times I'll need a journal as some things will be too private to post here - and I certainly don't want the world reading my morning pages!
2. Exercises (also as in AW - it'll be interesting to see if there are similarities). Some are pretty bizarre - good thing they are suggestions, although I recall Cameron saying we resist most that which we need the most. Right now, I can't imagine wasting good food ingredients on screwing up a recipe, but there'll be a method to the madness. Will have to see where that one goes.
3. Be an everyday creative - no problem!!

This will be an interesting journey.

Book: A Weekend to Change Your Life by Joan Anderson

An interesting choice of self-discovery reads, considering Maisel's statement that "you don't need to slip away to a retreat on the coast of Maine" to become a creative. I also have other books of hers on my list.

Current Fiction Read: The Knitting Circle by Ann Hood. Am almost halfway through at this point. It's very touching, and I think about its message every time I crochet or knit (I prefer the first) from now on. I've always found creative, repetitive acts like these to be meditative, but hadn't thought about them in connection with healing during the grieving process. Interesting, since my grandmothers were the ones who interested me in handcrafts.

I never thought of myself as a political blogger, but have been thinking lately about all the family and friends I have that have served this country faithfully, both here and overseas - and I don't want to let their sacrifices to have been in vain. I've been a little haphazard in my voting over the last few years, but my hopes for this planet have to start with change in myself - which includes putting my money where my mouth is by voting and standing up for what I believe.

The debate tonight was certainly different. I found it interesting that on the final question, nothing bad was said about Edwards. The questions were at the very least, interesting, and in some cases, very pointed. I firmly believe in supporting our troops, but desperately want to see them come home. I wish this planet could pull together and work on the issues that truly affect us long term:

1. Caring for the environment and finding alternative sources of energy
2. Reform the educational system (and give our hard-working teachers the support they need and the parents the time and support they need to take part in their childrens' education)
3. Implementing universal coverage for health care - including some program that would encourage both the medical community and the patients to put preventative self-care first.
And
4. Funding research on curing diseases and issues like cancer, hunger, Alzheimers', and Parkinsons.

Who would I vote for right now? I'm not sure. I'm going to watch the rerun at 11 and maybe I'll have a better idea. I certainly need to put in more research.

RIP, Beverly Sills

She was my favorite soprano, and one of my favorite personalities - extraordinary singer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. Check out some of her performances on YouTube:



Obit from NPR:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11618782

Our two new poodle girls!

Sophie's sister is coming home with us!! Yahoo!!! Pictures to follow.

Our new puppy girl - meet Sophie!

Theme for 2007: The Year of Technique

A new beginning. I'm looking forward to Lucia (who wouldn't!) and the other gigs I've got coming up at the beginning of this year, but I'm also eager to find a place in the city I can call my own and really network. I met so many wonderful people over this last year, and am hungry to keep creating and singing as much as people will let me.

This theme will include not only vocal technique, but acting and speaking technique as well. I was given Stella Adler's acting text as a Christmas present (well - it was really a B&N gift card, but you get the idea), and have picked up Shurtleff's text as well, and will be working through those as the year progresses. I've reconfigured my work space to encourage this idea - pulled the two texts and have them in a nice white wicker shelving unit along with some basic singing vocalises, my audition binders (MT and opera), Ottmann's sightsinging text for review, and my workout equipment. And, of course, the two concert pieces, outreach scores, and my Ricordi score for Lucia...

Here's to 2007!