First Entry

Dear Readers...

I am creating this blog as an "alternative" to my class participation in Graduate Seminar for the first half of the semester. In class we are asked to write every week about our experiences with the classes which focus on many topics that are aimed to prep us for a career as a classical singer. So this blog will serve as my journal where I will write about my experiences over the course of the semester as they pertain to the subjects covered in this course. I also hope that this will help my friends and family know how I'm doing and what I'm doing. And I hope this will also be an outlet for me to talk about my experiences and process them. So perhaps this "blog" (I never thought I'd be a blogger, even though I've been an avid journaler for years) will be beneficial in many ways.

This situation has come about because I have been offered an apprenticeship with Opera Santa Barbara. I will have the opportunity to perform in pre-festival concerts singing Carmen's arias as well as the final duet in Act IV. I will officially cover the role of Mercedes and perform as a Grisette in The Merry Widow. I am so thrilled to have these opportunities and found it to be a justifiable reason to take a semester off of school. Ok, and I'm also really excited to leave Chicago for the months of February and March. ;-) I've spent pretty much every winter of my life here, so I think I've earned it!

Before leaving for California, I will be performing with Cedar Rapids Opera Theater's outreach production of Little Red's Most Unusual Day, where I will play Granny, as well as singing in the chorus of Madame Butterfly. I was fortunate enough to be in their production of Aida this past summer, which despite the massive flooding that happened in Iowa during the month of June, was an amazing experience. Getting to observe the singers singing the lead roles, including Hope Briggs as Aida, was so inspirational and educational for me. And the fact that the show went on despite a great natural disaster (though in a high school auditorium rather than Theater Cedar Rapids, which was damaged in the flood), symbolized hope for the community. I'm so happy to get to work with this company again, and I hope that this will also provide to time for me to study my music for OSB and practice alot.

Anyway, today I am sick with a cold and am letting my voice and body rest before Christmas Eve services tomorrow and alot of practicing before I leave for Iowa. I'm sure that much of this blog will be reflecting on the lifestyle of this career, living in home stays and out of suitcases... It will be a challenge, I'm sure, but this is a part of what this career is about. It is part of making the music and theater that I love, so I hope to find all of the possible elements of joy in it. In Iowa I will be lucky enough to reconnect with friends from the summer. I already know that there will be lovely people who are also apprenticing with Opera Santa Barbara, and I hope to meet more wonderful people as I have in many places I have sung before.

I have always written in journals, so please forgive me if my blogs are somewhat stream-of-conscious. I know I had a difficult time getting through the writings of James Joyce, so I'll try to be concise.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you... May the New Year bring a revitalization of all our hopes and dreams.

Caitlin