What to do when I get home

Top 10 Things I will be doing once I get home, in no particular order:

1) Getting a deluxe pedicure. All of that walking has wrecked my feet!

2) Eating a burrito. I miss my Mexican food!

3) Sleeping in my own bed - probably for days.

4) Eating sushi. What I would give for unagi right now...

5) Driving my car! Ah, the small luxuries.

6) Working overtime to pay for the cool things I saw and did while over here.

7) Working out at the gym to lose that gelato weight. All worth it - but it needs to come off.

8) Creating a book with all of the photos from my trip.

9) Seeing a movie in the theater.

10) Planning my next concert! I'd love to have a concert to show my friends and family how I've grown over the summer, as well as talk in depth about my experiences in Austria.

Last Week at AIMS - Photos!

My fabulous voice teacher, Evangelina

My awesome voice coach, Darryl

Dirndl shopping with the little lady

Meistersinger Competition - winner is in white

All gussied up with my daughter for the Meistersinger Competition

Austrians make the best open-faced sandwiches!

Masterclass with Maestro Edoardo Muller!

Last Week of AIMS - Thursday

Thursday was another big day, as I had my last coaching with Darryl, another agent audition, and our very last AIMS concert - the Meistersinger Competition - to attend in the evening with my family. I had a great session with Darryl and then we said adieu. I will definitely keep in touch with both him and Sra. Colon. They have been absolutely wonderful to work with, and I will miss them. My second agent audition was for another European agent, and that one went almost as well as the first one on Tuesday. I introduced myself to him and again sang "Caro Nome" as my first piece. He then chose "Depuis le jour" as my second aria, and it felt better than before the summer but not quite as legato and full as I had done in my lessons and coachings earlier. Good but not fabulous. Afterwards, the agent asked me what my plans were and I told him my intentions to audition and apply for young artist programs if I didn't get any job offers. He didn't offer any more feedback than that, so I thanked him for his time and walked out of the room. After I spoke with some of the other students that auditioned for the agents, sometimes they offered very specific feedback on what the singers needed to work on and sometimes they said nothing. I have sent the agents a follow-up email and am hoping they will respond with their feedback on my auditions so that I can get their perspective. The audition training seminar instructors both said they thought I did a great job; that I had come a long way on my arias over the past several weeks. Hoorah!!! Thursday evening was the last AIMS concert - the Meistersinger Competition. While I didn't advance to the second round, I feel good about how I did while acknowledging that nerves had an impact on my performance that day. Anyway...the 8 finalists and 2 alternates each performed an aria with the orchestra. The top 3 winners received prizes, and most likely contracts with agents. It was a fabulous concert and a great way to end the summer at AIMS. One of my favorite AIMS people - Siobhan Stagg - was the winner and she was just stunning. She and I sang some of the same arias over the summer, and she won singing "O quante volte." She will definitely have a great career, and I look forward to cheering her on with her success.

Last Week of AIMS - Wednesday

Okay, so Wednesday was less exciting than the previous two days. Instead of attending the Bo Skovhus lieder masterclass, I chose to spend time with my daughter and parents. I've missed my girl so much. In the afternoon, she came with me for my last coaching studio class with Darryl. As most of the other students were at the masterclass, it was just me and two other women in the room. I sang "Quando men vo" and after Darryl had me make a few changes and sing through it a second time he asked the other people in the room for feedback. My daughter piped up with "Mommy, that was better than the first time." We all had a chuckle over the honesty of my little critic, and I think Darryl became enamored with her very professional opinions of my singing. :) My girl has a good ear, and as most children are, she's very honest about what she likes and doesn't like. Darryl suggested I start paying her as a coach... :)

Last Week of AIMS - Tuesday

Tuesday was yet another busy day, thanks to an agent audition in the afternoon and a Spanish concert in the evening. Oh yes, you heard me right, an AGENT AUDITION!!!!! I received permission from my instructors to audition for a European agent on Tuesday (each student that signed up for an audition had to be deemed ready). After my morning classes, I changed into my audition clothes, had a final coaching with Darryl, took a deep breath and walked into that room with an intention to project confidence and bring that energy to every moment of my arias. There were two agents in the room as well as my audition training seminar class instructors. I presented my resume and headshot, handed the music over to the accompanist, announced my name and my first aria "Caro Nome." I worked really hard on that aria all summer and am really happy with how I sang it during the audition. I focused on really being Gilda, with all of her first-love emotions and colors and excitement. I didn't even feel nervous - a really great moment of success for me. Instead, I felt excited to sing and so alive and proud that I have something great to offer the world. After the aria was over, the agent asked what other arias I had prepared. I listed "Depuis le jour," "Ach, ich fuhl's" and "O quante volte." She asked me to sing Pamina, so "Ach, ich fuhl's" it was. I nailed that aria - nailed it! I wasn't trying to be Pamina; I WAS Pamina and I was singing to Tamino with his back to me, begging him to turn around and prove that he still loved me. After I was done, the agent asked me in German if I spoke German, and I answered "ich kann ein bissien Deutsch sprechen" (I can speak a little German) and both she and the other agent said that my German was, and I quote: "very good." :) And then she said "sehr schon, sehr schon" (very pretty, very pretty). I thanked her and the other agent, and then walked out of the room. While I didn't get a job offer from her or the other agent (yet), I am really happy with what I offered. Again, a fabulous moment where I realized "I'm in Austria, auditioning for agents and I'm holding my own!!!!!"

Later that evening I performed in a Spanish concert which was held at a retirement home. I sang "Del cabello mas sutil" and "Al Amor" by Obradors; two beautiful songs that I have sung many times. Thank goodness I didn't have to worry about memorizing them; I was able to just relax and enjoy making music. I really love Spanish songs, and was given a great compliment by one of the Puerto Rican students when he said that he could understand every single word I sang. What a glorious day!

Last week at AIMS - Monday

So today was my very last day in Graz, Austria and I am now sitting in a Pension in Salzburg trying to process everything that happened over the summer. I'm not yet ready to post my all-up summary of the summer and AIMS program, but at the very least I can write about that last crazy week.

On Monday I was honored to have been one of eight singers chosen to do an aria read-out with Maestro Edoardo Muller and the orchestra!!! I was one of three women selected to sing the same aria - "O quante volte" - and be given some professional instruction by the Maestro. Maestro Muller has an incredible resume and has conducted at almost every major opera house in the world and worked with the best voices out there. Needless to say, I felt incredibly honored to sing in front of him and receive his critique. I was warned prior to the masterclass that Maestro Muller can be very blunt and has been known to tell singers they will have no career! :( I tried not to worry about that, but instead focus on doing my very best with where I'm at right now and try to take as much out of his critique as possible in a positive way. In his intro speech, Maestro said that if he didn't remember us after 3 hours that meant we weren't going to have a career; that being a successful singer is more about personality than the voice. I took a big gulp, and tried to calm my nerves. So the first girl went up to sing "O quante volte" and after she got through it, Maestro told her she had too much vibrato and a few other things that made me cringe a bit. I made eye contact with the girl that was supposed to sing after me, and we had a moment of "oh crap - what is he going to say to us." When it was my turn, I took a big breath, and made it through the aria, trying to focus on each word and its meaning and the emotion, while trying to enjoy the fact that I was singing one of my favorite arias with an orchestra and a world-class conductor! I thought I did reasonably well - not amazing, but decent. Maestro then turned to me and said that I didn't have enough vibrato. What I was doing was holding my tone at the beginning of each note and then releasing my breath which allowed the vibrato to come through. It's a bad habit I've accumulated over the years of singing early music and choral music - and it's unfortunately what I revert to when I'm not focused on the right things or am tired. Awilda, Evangelina and Darryl have all called me on it, and of course, Maestro Muller identified it right away. It is so frustrating that I can't seem to conquer that bad habit just yet. Breath is so incredibly fundamental to singing; it is life - and it's annoying that I am still holding it. I know in my head that I will always have more breath if I release, but somehow my body doesn't trust that just yet. It is something I have to specifically think about while I'm singing (along with the other gazillion things that are in my head). Until I nail that breath issue, I will always come up short because holding it makes the energy flat and my tone sound dead. Good, consistent, energized breath allows the tone to ring with overtones and sound "alive." It's also what helps a voice carry over an orchestra. While some of Maestro Muller's comments were a bit blunt, I know exactly what he was talking about and am grateful for his good intentions to help me fix something that is holding me back. I had the opportunity to sing through some passages of the aria while specifically focusing on the vibrato/breath issue and the Maestro congratulated me on the progress and told me to keep it up. It was incredibly intimidating to get picked apart in front of an entire orchestra, a world-class conductor and all of the other people (about 30) watching the masterclass, but wow, what a great experience! While I was singing, I couldn't help but think "I am so incredibly lucky to be here right now in this moment. I am in Austria, singing one of my favorite arias while being accompanied by a full orchestra." It was extra special to have my mother in the audience.

Week 5 Photos

At the top of the Schlossberg with my little lady

Operetta Orchestra Concert #1 at the Kasematten at the top of the Schlossberg (I'm in the middle in purple)

Operetta Orchestra Concert #1 close-up

Operetta Piano Concert #1 at the Casino

With Hans Stolz after Operetta Orchestra Concert #2 in Weiz

Barbara Bonney!!!

AIMS Recital, singing "Depuis le jour"

She's Here!!!!

The long six weeks have finally passed...and my beautiful daughter is HERE! My parents and daughter arrived in Graz last night, and I was able to touch, hug and kiss my little girl after six long weeks away from her. It is so good to be with her again. Although she looks a bit taller than last time I saw her, she is still the spunky, funny, sweet girl I know so well. It is a little surreal to have her and my parents here in Austria. Life is a little crazy some times. I showed them my tiny cell - I mean dorm room - and then we had a nice dinner at a local Italian restaurant called Fontana. Today I took them up to the top of the Schlossberg, where we had lunch and wandered around. This evening was my very last operetta concert with orchestra, and I am so incredibly grateful that my parents were able to attend and see me perform!!! It almost didin't happen, as the concert was supposed to take place outside in the open air in front of a church in this beautiful down called Frohnleiten, and the weather forecast was calling for serious rain and thunderstorms. The clouds looked ugly all afternoon as we went through sound check. The word was that if a single drop fell down, the conductor would stop the concert, since any sort of rain would damage the instruments in the orchestra and all of the sound equipment. So...we all waited patiently, and the concert started, and halfway through the very first number some drops started falling. So the orchestra rushed inside and put away their instruments, and I was praying for the rain to stop so that my family could see the concert. Fortunately, the bigwigs in charge decided to move the concert inside the church. After a 30-minute break to allow the stage crew to rearrange everything inside, the show went on! Us singers sat in the back of the church and walked up the aisle when it was our turn to go. My duet went well with my partner, and the ensemble numbers went well too. I had so much fun! And the audience loved us!!! One of my favorite moments was when the 80+ year old woman in the pew next to me started singing along. Fabulous experience. I asked my daughter what part she liked best and she said "the part when you sang, mommy." I have her trained well. :) I'm so glad my parents and daughter were able to see the show. Tonight I realized how wonderful all of this operetta has been for me. I've struggled with being animated on stage in a sincere way prior to Austria, but operetta has required me to be very animated and over-the-top. Singing operetta makes it easy to have fun on stage - and I love it! I wasn't nervous at all tonight, and had a really good time.

Wow, what a day!

Today was a crazy day! This morning I had my first rehearsal for the operetta concerts with orchestra. We received our ensemble music *yesterday*, so nobody had really looked at it before our rehearsal, and yes, we are supposed to have it all memorized by Thursday. Gaaah! The entire vocal cast for the concert got together to learn the music from 10-12:30pm today. And - surprise! - I have been given a solo part in one of the ensemble pieces. Woohoo!!! So I have three ensemble pieces plus my duet for the orchestra concert. I'm telling you, it's a LOT of music to memorize in 3 days. Time to get very focused and just brute-force those words into my memory. After the 2 1/2 hr rehearsal, we rehearsed with our conductor from 3-4pm, and then had a private coaching with him for 30 minutes from 4:30-5pm. Oh - and I also found out at breakfast that I was to sing in tonight's recital at 7pm. But I wasn't done after that - I had another operetta rehearsal from 8-9:30pm. Phew!

The conductor for the operetta concerts is from the Volksoper in Vienna, and he's been great to work with. After the private coaching with my duet partner, he complimented me on my solo singing from our earlier rehearsal. He also said he was interested in hearing me sing "Depuis le jour" at the recital!!! Very cool. Even though I was exhausted by the time the recital came around, I had to dig deep to find the energy to perform to the best of my ability - especially with a conductor in the audience that was there specifically for me. While it certainly wasn't the best I've ever sung that aria, I do feel like I made improvements on my stage presence and connection to the emotion of the character. I felt in control on stage, and my guestures felt so much more natural than in the past. During the intermission, my stage artistry instructor came up and told me how proud she was of me and gave me a big hug. Yay!!! After the concert, the conductor asked me how I felt I did. I told him that I didn't feel like I had enough energy to keep the forward momentum of those long legato phrases. He agreed and said that he could tell I had more sound to offer and that he thought I was holding back vocally. I honestly think that I could've done a lot better had my voice, body and mind not been so tired. I've got to be careful about pacing myself and resting enough so that I don't burn out. It's great that he showed an interest in me and got to hear me sing one of my favorite arias, and I'll continue to work hard this week and next to show him what I've got. No holding back! And with that...it's time for bed.

Week 4 photos

Eating dinner with some of my AIMS friends

Inside the Stefaniesaal, where our orchestra concerts take place

Schniztel - dinner of champions

On our way to the first operetta concert at the casino...looking a *bit* stressed

Week 4

Wow, the week has just flown by! The last week and a half of classes have been fantastic. Voice lessons are fabulous, my coachings are going well, I couldn't ask for more - except for things to slow down a bit. It's really shocking to think that I only have two more weeks left of the program. But WOW, what a couple of weeks it will be!

Most students went out of town to Vienna or Salzburg last weekend, but I chose to stay in Graz to relax, refocus and catch up on sleep. On Sunday I went to a spa about an hour away and basically spent the day in a hot tub. Not a bad way to spend a free day. :) I'm finding that rest is just as important as the work, as a lot of students are starting to get sick. There are so many things to do, and us singers are pretty social folk, so it's tough to say no and stay in my room. I've taken naps over the past week as I've needed them. This is mentally and physically exhausting work, and I certainly don't want to get sick.

So...updates on concerts! I was cast in 3 of the 4 operetta concerts with piano AND 3 additional operetta concerts with orchestra!!! We had our first operetta concert with piano this last Wednesday at the Graz Casino, and it was an intense experience. I had little time to memorize the music (with all of the other work I'm doing), so I felt incredibly nervous. The show went really well, considering how anxious we all were. There was one terrifying moment when I forgot about 4 measures of words and had to make up some German nonsense lyrics until my memory kicked back in, but I just had to keep going. Oh well. My other duet went really well so overall I felt good about the experience, and I have two more opportunities to perform the songs. I'm singing a different piece for the orchestra operetta concerts, so yet another song to learn in record time. This song is a duet and I can't wait to perform it with the orchestra! Our first orchestra concert will be at the top of the Schlossberg, which will be so cool.

Tomorrow is a really big day for me, as it's the first round of the Meistersinger Competition! 45 students signed up for the competition, and then 24 will proceed on to Round 2, and then 8 for the final concert. We all had to list 3 songs for the competition, but will only be singing 1 of the 3 tomorrow. My three are "Caro Nome", "Depuis le jour" and "Ach, ich fuhl's." I really wanted to get "Ach, ich liebte" in a good place, but it's just not competition-ready yet. And I guess it's a good thing, as I saw that four other women listed that song as one of their three competition arias. I feel really good about my three arias, and have chosen to sing "Caro Nome" tomorrow. I've had lots of time with that aria this week and feel confident I can rock it for tomorrow's competition. It's hard not to get all worked up about the competition, and wonder what other people are doing, but again, I just need to keep my focus on doing MY very best. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers!

Today was a very special day, as it was Abby's 8th birthday. I've never been away from her on her birthday, so I felt a bit of sadness throughout the day. I did get to Skype her this afternoon and send her my love and kisses, as well as a special happy birthday recording from me and my friends here at AIMS. I love her so much, and can't wait to see her in a week!

Okay, bedtime for me! Time to get in the zone and become Gilda (the character that sings Caro Nome). Gute Nacht!

Week 3 of AIMS

So after a dizzying first week of real classes, I had a fabulously relaxing weekend. Saturday was an easy recovery day for me, where I had the chance to catch my breath and refocus. Sunday evening was the very first AIMS concert, where the orchestra played "Fanfare for the Common Man" and "Also sprach Zarathustra," and Linda Watson sang some gorgeous Wagner.

The last three days I've been immersed in my classes. I've been focusing this week on "Caro Nome" and "Ach, ich liebte." I am determined to conquer "Ach, ich liebte"!!! Sra. Colon thinks that I sing it well and has been very encouraging. She has suggested to take some of the weight off my sound at the bottom of my runs, which has helped a ton. She has also been working on me rounding my sound so that there are more overtones in my notes. I have a horrible habit of spreading my mouth/sound horizontally. I need to think vertical. Looking in the mirror while singing is key for me until my mouth gets used to opening more vertically. One of the best moments of this week was when Sra. Colon said that she thinks I am very capable of having a successful singing career in Europe!!!!

There is a big singing competition at AIMS that I am entering next week - called the Meistersinger Competition - where there are two rounds of auditions and then the final 6-8 winners are chosen to sing with the orchestra in the very last AIMS concert. I need to have three songs prepared, and am still finalizing my choices with my teacher's help. Of course everyone else here is entering the competition, so my challenge is to figure out how to make my arias special and unique for my voice.

I have been cast in a few concerts, which is totally awesome! I will be singing in the Spanish music concert in a few weeks, as well as the Operetta concerts (there are four of them, plus one with orchestra that hasn't been cast yet). I am completely new to Operetta, so it's been great to learn a new and completely Austrian genre. What is not great is having to learn FIVE SONGS in one WEEK. I think I will be sleeping with the music under my pillow tonight and pray for osmosis to kick in.

Okay, time for bed! I have to wake up early tomorrow to do laundry, as I'm out of clean pants and it's supposed to be cold and rainy all week (like typical Seattle weather). I consider it a gift from the universe to help me feel love from home. :)

Governor's Reception

All gussied up with some of my AIMS friends.

On Friday evening (July 15th), AIMS was invited by the Styrian Governor to attend a reception at Schloss Eggenberg. They sometimes call this the "AIMS Prom" because everyone gets all fancied up. This is inside the "Planet Room" - so incredibly beautiful.

In the courtyard at Schloss Eggenberg.

Standing in front of the Schloss.

Wow - things are moving fast!

Has it really been 8 days since I last blogged?! Time is going by quickly over here. I am now in my second week of classes and am BUSY. :) Thanks for your patience.

So last week was amazing. My voice lessons and coachings have been so wonderful. It's really great to get two of each type of instruction each week. Each day is so incredibly full; it's a bit overwhelming at times. I have to consistently remind myself to focus on what my main priorities are here so that I don't spread myself too thin or get off track. Daily German classes are helping me learn the language, but I find that I'm a bit shy using it out in the 'real world' - except for in a restaurant. I'm pretty good at ordering gelato, but need to expand my repertoire, shall we say...

One of my favorite classes is Stage Artistry. I have a fabulous instructor, and she has been so helpful with providing me the tools to add more interest and color to my arias. I have some worksheets that I'm filling out for each of my arias, to be very purposeful with my actions/thoughts/emotions while singing. Very cool class - and very helpful for me.

As I wrote in a prevous post, I was really hoping to get cast to sing a certain aria with the orchestra. Unfortunately I did not get it, but a really talented and wonderful singer did and I wish her the best. I was upset about it for a night - thinking "I spent the last six months learning that aria and I think I do a really great job with it. What did I do wrong? Why didn't I get it?". But the next morning was a new day, and I realized I was being too competitive and that my energy should be spent focusing on improving myself, not on the things I'm NOT getting cast in. There are so many great singers here that I'm catching myself comparing what I have with others. I need to just keep focusing on doing my best, and great things will come in the right time.

We've had an agent and an Intendant come to AIMS this last week, which has been very informative. They have each spoken to the students about how the German/Austrian music system works and how a potential client can audition and work with them. A singer will audition for an agent, get signed on, and then the agent will send the singer to auditions that are appropriate for that singer's voice type and experience. When a singer auditions, she is expected to introduce herself and her song in German, and be able to converse with the panel in German afterwards. Talk about motivation for learning more German!!! The Intendant spoke about what singers should wear, what songs they should choose, what qualities he is looking for in a singer before offering him/her the job, how much money singers should expect to make their first year with a smaller house, benefits, etc. The Intendant and agent have been auditioning students who are ready for an international career. I have not been chosen to audition for them yet, but will keep you posted.

Masterclass Photos & More

World-class Wagnerian soprano, Linda Watson - giving a masterclass

My fellow students, watching the masterclass

Before the Faculty Concert

Linda Watson Masterclass & More

World-class Wagnerian singer, Linda Watson, gave a masterclass tonight, and wow, it was fabulous! I can't believe I'm in the presence of so many great singers and instructors. This is really top-notch training I am receiving. There is so much to learn from watching and listening to other singers, and I feel like we are a supportive bunch. I love cheering on the other students, and there is always something that I hear that I can apply to myself.

I'm still waiting to find out which concerts I'll be performing in over the next several weeks. I am really sending a plea out to the universe to let me sing in an orchestra concert, hopefully for "O quante volte" (I Capuletti e i Montecchi) but I'll just have to wait and see. There are plenty of opportunities for us students to perform (masterclasses, voice studio, stage artistry, voice recitals, etc) but I REALLY want to sing that particular aria while being accompanied by the AIMS orchestra. I'll let you know... :)

My Class Schedule

Wow - what a wonderful couple days it has been! I received my class schedule on Sunday, and here it is:

Mondays & Wednesdays

10:40-11:25 German

11:30-12:15 Voice Lesson w/Evangelina Colon

12:15-1:00 Lunch

1:00-1:45 French/German/Italian Diction

4:15-5:00 Voice Recitals on Mondays / Vocal Coach Studio Class on Wednesdays

Tuesdays & Thursdays

9:50-10:35 Stage Artistry

10:40-11:25 German

11:30-12:15 Audition Training Seminar

12:15-1:45 Lunch

1:50-2:35 Voice Coach w/Darryl Cooper

4:15-5:00 Voice Studio Class on Tuesdays / Special Seminars & Concerts on Thursdays

Fridays

10:40-11:25 German

Isn't that fabulous?! I get to sing and learn about singing ALL DAY, and there is usually something exciting going on in the evenings.

I am so fortunate to be working with my voice teacher, Evangelina Colon. She is from Puerto Rico and has a ridiculous amount of performance and teaching experience. Her teaching philosophy is similar to Awilda's, so I feel like we are already speaking the same language. In our first lesson, we mostly spent the time getting to know each other. She also vocalized me to get a sense of my range and timbre. My current range is a low E to a high F! Yay! She suggested that we work on my songs that highlight my coloratura abilities, so we are going to be working on "Caro Nome" (Rigoletto), "Piangero" (Giulio Cesare) and...my dreaded "Ach, ich liebte" (Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail). I sang "Ach, ich liebte" for my Met audition last Fall, and it has since gotten worse - mostly because I feel a deep anxiety when I sing it and so my throat literally closes up. I really want to overcome my issues with that aria, because I know it fits my voice well and could be a fabulous song for me. Just need to get over the mental part. 90% of singing is mental. I'm really looking forward to working with Sra. Colon!

I am also incredibly fortunate to be working with Darryl Cooper. As a vocal coach, he will be making sure I am singing my songs with proper diction, phrasing and with proper musicality for the aria. He currently works at the San Francisco Conservatory. We had our first coaching session today, and I'm already a big fan. We worked on "Ach, ich fuhl's" (Die Zauberflote) - and he helped me think about the song in new ways. We talked about Pamina's state of mind when she sings the aria in the opera, and how heartbroken she is, as well as how I can phrase the music to reflect the emotion while staying true to what Mozart wrote. When I lift my head up I need to BE Pamina, with all of the heartbreak and deep sadness at the thought that her love with Tamino is gone. Darryl told me to just go for it, and let go, and take risks. I didn't realize how little I was opening up my heart with this song. I have felt deep sadness, and need to let that come out to connect with my character and ultimately, my audience. If I don't feel it in my heart, how can anyone be touched listening to me sing? Darryl is going to be great for me.

This is so exciting...I am just incredibly happy to be here and know that it's going to be a great summer! I go to bed exhausted every night, but it is a good exhaustion. I am so energized by this work.

Photos

Here I am at the top of the Schlossberg (big hill with an old fortress at the top)

The Studentenheim - home for the next five weeks

Inside the Graz Dom (cathedral)

Week 1 at AIMS

Hi again! So it is Saturday morning, and I'm reflecting on the past five days of my AIMS program. What a whirwind! It's been a stressful week, for many reasons. I'm settled into my dorm room, and getting the hang of things around the 'heim (Studentenheim = dorm). I've met a lot of really wonderful people, all in different stages of their careers with music. Most are students in college, but there are a lot of professional singers here to get additional training. I'm really enjoying talking with the other students and hearing their stories and where they plan on heading with their careers.

AIMS is so smart; they give us this week to really get settled and oriented to Austria. The schedule has been fairly loose this week so that we don't get overwhelmed. There is a LOT to take advantage of here, and so it's easy to get overwhelmed by it all if one isn't careful. One of the best parts about this program is that I can tailor my experience here to what I need. They offer a bunch of classes, and it's up to me which ones I want to attend. My daily German class runs from 10:30-11:30. It's fun to be learning German with the opportunity to use it every day in real life situations. I participated in a Period Movement course, where we learned how to use a fan, walk on stage, maneuver a cape. I attended a seminar by Roberta Cunningham, who had a very successful career here in Europe. She talked to us about the European music system - very informative! I've also attended hours of masterclass performances by other students...

We had our first masterclass instructor this week. Gabriele Lechner had a very successful career with the Vienna State Opera (Wienerstaatsoper), and even sang with Pavarotti. AIMS randomly selected students to participate in the masterclass with her, and I was one of them! My turn came on Thursday evening. I chose to sing "Depuis le jour" because I know the song really well, but want to fine tune it to the 'breathtaking' stage. I felt some anticipation earlier in the day because my body is still getting over the last bits of cold (some sinus congestion, dry throat). But once I got downstairs, I started to get nervous. It's been a while since I've sung in front of a room full of other singers. Being nervous is the worst thing that a singer can let happen, because it causes a person to stop breathing - and singers need to breathe!!!! Anyway, so I got up and tried to take a few deep breaths and talk to myself before singing the song ("I am in AUSTRIA singing! let's make this fun!"). I sang through the song with as much as I was able to give, but knew there were spots where I didn't support as well as I should have. Frau Lechner is a great teacher, and told me that I sang the song well and have a lovely voice. She acknowledged that it was a very difficult song, as it sits on the passagio (a part of my upper voice where I 'switch gears' to get to the even higher notes) and has massively long phrases. She completely called me out on being too tense and told me I needed to relax my throat more when I took a breath at the end of a phrase. She told me more things, but I'll save you... :) Overall, I felt disappointed in my performance because I let those nerves constrict my breathing. Other students told me that they really enjoyed it - but I know it wasn't as awesome as I have sung it before. I really need to learn to relax and get through the nerves and BREATHE!

When I went to bed that night, I told myself that I needed to put my disappointment away and analyze my nerves another day, as the following day I had my hearing audition and didn't want any residual emotions to cloud that experience. Friday was a new day, and I needed to focus on being open and relaxed so that I could bring positive energy into my audition. For my hearing audition I was able to choose two pieces that I felt best showed off my voice. I chose "O quante volte" and "Ach, ich fuhl's." I walked over to the audition location (a block away) with some other students, took a deep breath, and walked into the room. The room was incredibly hot, and filled with about 30 members of the AIMS faculty. I walked confidently to the stage and introduced myself and my first song. "O quante volte" went well. I tried to convey the emotion of the character, breathe, own the space. The accoustics of the room were pretty dry, so I didn't get much sound back. Just had to sing and trust that my technique was allowing my sound to fill the space. "Ach, ich fuhl's" went well too, but I almost wish I had chosen something a bit more upbeat, since both songs are sad and slow. I will make it a point to work on more upbeat songs with my voice teacher over the next few weeks. So I felt really pleased with my audition! I was way more relaxed than I was in the masterclass.

On Sunday night all the students will get their 'real' schedules for the rest of the program, with voice teacher and voice coach assignments as well as performances assignments. I'm so excited for the real work to begin next week. :) But for now, I'm heading to the local pool to relax for a few hours (I need to have down time too!). :) :) :)

Day 1 at AIMS

Today was my very first day at AIMS, and I'm about ready to crash into bed. This morning I mailed a few things, checked out my hotel and took a taxi to my home for the next six weeks: The Studentenheim. It's a 4-story dormitory where all of the students, staff and faculty for the AIMS program will live over the summer, in addition to other residents. (Just to note, AIMS is the American Institute of Musical Studies and has been present in Graz for the past 40 summers!) Today is also the 4th of July, and ah, one of my favorite holidays. I'm sad to be missing the family BBQ and fireworks, but am nonetheless incredibly happy to be here in my dorm in Austria. :)

I was one of the first students to check in, and had the opportunity to get all set up in my room. And what a room it is. Not in a good way. LOL. It's a dorm room, so of course it's tiny, but at least it has a sink and places to stow my many things. After putting my things away, I toured the building a bit to get my surroundings, signed up for laundry time, and got my internet access all squared away.

After all that, I joined about twenty other AIMS students for a tour of the city. Our guide took us around to some great places and gave us a short history lesson on Graz. More importantly, I was able to size up my competition! Bwahaha (evil laugh). Okay...just kidding on the evil laugh part. I was able to get to know some of the other students - where they came from, why they are here, etc. They seem like great people with a wide variety of experiences and stories. It is clear that some people really want this and others are vacationing for the summer while singing here and there. I'm in it to win it! And by 'win it,' I mean give it my all. In addition to singing the very best I can, I am here to learn how to market and differentiate myself, network with professionals in the biz, and refine my performance skills. To open my heart to my audience.

I'm excited to get started, but this is going to be an interesting week. Tomorrow is another orientation easy day, as students are still arriving and getting through their jet lag, but then we will have our hearings. By Sunday all of our hearings should be done and we will have our teacher and coach assignments and our final class schedules. Classes start Monday, a week from today! Yay! I'm ready to get to work.

Successes of the day: Ordering two meals completely auf Deutsch! :) I tried ice cream with pumpkin oil, a local specialty. I also had cheese spaetzle and goulash. Yum! Tomorrow I will stay away from the fatty stuff and stick with vegetables, otherwise I won't be able to fit into my dresses!!! :) Gute nacht!

Graz Photos

Wedding party wearing traditional Austrian clothing (bride has white top and purple/white skirt)

Dirndl galore!

The Graz Rathaus

River Mur

I'm in Graz

Alright - I made it! I'm here in the pretty town of Graz. Population: 250k. English speakers: maybe 5 (out of the 20 or so people I spoke with). Lesson of the day: Learn more German!!! It doesn't help that the Styrians speak a different dialect of German than I'm used to. Fortunately I will be taking German classes once my program starts next week.

After a night's sleep on the world's hardest bed, I got myself downstairs for a tasty breakfast of bread, meat, cheese and scrambled eggs with the other hotel guests. I'm staying on Mariahilferstrasse, which is very close to the main part of town and across from the Art Museum. On Monday I will move over to the Studentenheim where all of the students and faculty in the AIMS program will be living over the summer. After breakfast I made my way over to the Hauptplatz (main square). Since it was Saturday, almost everyone was out shopping and running their errands. Lots of energy! I sat down at the fountain and was just people-watching when I witnessed an impromptu concert. A few people started singing randomly at various parts around the square, and then cheerleaders started doing a routine while others started playing American football. All in the middle of the main square. The singers congregated and sang two songs and then they all left. It all happened over the course of 10 minutes. Random but cool. After that activity was over, a wedding party came out of the Rathaus and posed for photos by the fountain. It was so neat to see the entire wedding party (bride and groom included) wearing traditional Austrian Trachten - lederhosen and dirndls.

Another discovery: I found a department store! While I'm pretty sure I packed my entire closet into my two suitcases, there is a fabulous Nordstrom-like store in the middle of town if I need anything over the summer. Five or six stories of goodness. I found a few cute things for my daughter in the kids section, and plan on sending them to her when the post office opens on Monday. Fortunately I have been able to talk with her over Skype two times so far and she seems to be doing well. I'm bummed I am missing her first baseball season but I'm grateful she will be joining me here in Graz later this summer. How many more weeks until I can see her? Oh yes, five. :(

After touring the town, I spent the rest of the afternoon resting, organizing, and updating my blog. :) For dinner I had a burger at a cafe and *almost* made it through the whole process in German but forgot how to ask for the bill auf Deutsch. I need to keep a cheat-sheet with me.

The weather has gotten pretty cold and cloudy - a la Seattle - so I feel right at home in that regard. I'm grateful I brought several pairs of jeans and my rain jacket. The weather is usually in the 80s in Graz over the summer, so I'm hoping to see the sun again.

I plan on spending the rest of the weekend relaxing and studying my music. I want to make sure my voice is rested and ready to be at its best for my auditions next week. While sight-seeing is fun, I haven't forgotten the real reason I'm here and how next week is super important. I want to make a really great first impression on the AIMS faculty, and rock my audition. That second audition (I already auditioned to get into the program last March) will determine which voice teacher and voice coach I will be working with and which concerts I'll be performing in over the next six weeks. Big stuff, but I'm ready for it!!!

Vienna - Day 2

I woke up on my second day in Vienna feeling better than the day before. Less congestion, less scratchy throat...but wow were my legs sore! I started off the day with a visit to Schonbrunn Palace, the summer palace of the Habsburg family. It is a massive yellow complex surrounded with acres of gorgeous gardens. It said that Schonbrunn can only be rivaled by Versailles. I've never seen Versailles, but wow was this place incredible! Since I had heard that it gets really crowded at Schonbrunn, I got there right when it opened at 8:30am and pretty much had the palace to myself until the very end of my tour. I saw the many opulent imperial rooms where Empress Maria Theresa, Emperor Franz Josef and the famous Sissi (and families) lived and worked when they weren't at the Hofburg. My favorite room was the Lacquer Room, with its amazing inlaid wood floor and panels with gorgeous lacquered paintings. After the tour, I walked around the gardens in the sunshine, reflecting on how lucky I am to be here.

After Schonbrunn, I slowly made my over to the Kunsthistorisches Museum to see the Habsburg's world-class art collection but realized I had left my ticket back at Christina's apartment. Argh! :( Since I didn't want to pay for a ticket again and my feet were hurting, I chose to lay down on the lawn in the Maria Theresien Platz (large park next to the Museum with a huge statue of Maria Theresa) and enjoy the sunshine while studying my music.

After my little break, I walked over to the Naschmarkt which is a market with produce stands and yummy places to eat. I meandered through the stalls, and was reminded of the Pike Place Market back home. Succulent cherries caught my eye at one stand, so I motioned to the vendor that I wanted a handful (he didn't speak English and I have no clue for 'handful' in German). When he asked for 6 EUR (about $8.70), I thought I had been swindled due to the language barrier. I glumly paid and made my way to lunch at a sushi stand. Food was decent, and I took another opportunity to study my music and rest my feet (I'm thinking I might need to invest in another pair of shoes over here). Christina later told me that all the produce in the Naschmarkt is expensive, so she didn't think I was taken advantage of. Just normal prices for cherries in early summer at the Naschmarkt. Good to know.

Christina was able to get off work early, so we met up and headed home to relax a bit before my transit to Graz via train. Since there is no way I was going to manage the U-bahn with my two gigantic suitcases in tow, I called a taxi to take me to the Bahnhof (main train station). I managed to catch the right train and arrived in Graz at 10pm. Another taxi (with a hilarious driver), and I made it to my hotel! Thank goodness there was an elevator to take me to my fourth-floor room!!! After a long and wonderful day I blissfully crashed into my bed, grateful to have been able to spend a few days with my childhood friend in the wonderful city of Vienna, and excited for the next stage of my adventure - GRAZ!

Vienna Photos

The delicious Sacher Torte and Eiskaffee

Here I am standing on the back balcony of the Schonbrunn Palace, overlooking the gardens

This is the front of Schonbrunn Palace

Inside the beautiful and ornate Stefansdom, where Mozart was married

Yay! Here I am inside the Vienna Opera House! :)

Inside the main courtyard at the Hofburg Palace. The imperial apartments are on the third story on the right.

So many delicious things to eat!

Hallo aus Wien!

Hi everyone! I made it to Vienna on Wednesday night after a very looooong set of flights, and have spent the past two days sight-seeing around this beautiful city! I unfortunately caught my daughter's cold the last day before my flight out of Seattle, so I've been struggling through the sniffles and a cough since Tuesday. It's rare for me to get a cold and the timing is terrible BUT I'm not worried because I gave myself an extra week in Austria before the start of my program in case something like this happened. I wanted to be able to adjust to the time difference and get over anything if I got sick on the way over here. Thank you, intution! :) I feel a bit better today and can vocalize just fine without straining so I'm confident this won't affect me next week. Whew!

To sum up the past few days: I love it here! The city is just gorgeous, the people are friendly and there are a lot of great things to see and do. Yesterday was jam-packed with fun stuff. I rode the U-bahn into the city center with my friend Christina (she and I were friends in middle school and she has graciously let me stay with her while I'm in Vienna). After she went off for work, I made my way to the Hofburg Imperial Apartments to see the incredibly lavish residence of the Habsburgs, and then I went to the Treasury. Wow, there is some serious bling there! The crowns and ceremonial clothing are incredible. What a dynasty.

After walking the palace, I headed to lunch at a Polish cafe where there were slices of bread with about 30 different varieties of various toppings. I didn't understand most of the description cards (my German is still a bit rusty), and the line was long, so I just pointed to a few, smiled and paid. They were very tasty, even if I wasn't completely sure what I had. :)

After lunch I headed to the Opera House for a tour. The official opera season ended last night, so I unfortunately wasn't able to catch a show, but it is going to the top of my list for next time I visit Vienna. The opera house is absolutely stunning, and what a history it has! I joined an English tour, and we saw the reception rooms, the main staircase, backstage, and of course, the main hall. I was sitting in the third row and had to pinch myself for actually being there and knowing that some day I might be singing on that stage. What a thrill!!!! Visiting the Opera House made me even more motivated to do my best in my opera program over the summer. I really want to get on that stage and knock 'em dead.

After that - to celebrate - I had my very first Sacher Torte! I sat down at a table at the Sacher Cafe (right behind the opera house), and gave my order completely in German. I was feeling a bit proud about it...until the server brought back my Sacher Torte (chocolate cake with apricot jam and whipped cream) and what I thought I had ordered as an iced coffee (Eis Kafe) but was really a gigantic parfait glass filled with ice cream, coffee and whipped cream on top (and a few cookies inserted because I needed more calories). Whoops! Oh well...at least it was a tasty mistake. :) After my filling dessert I headed to Stefansdom to try to burn off the million calories I had just consumed.

Stefansdom is the city's most impressive cathedral. This was the place where Mozart married his wife, attended Mass, and had his funeral. What history! So incredible. Finally, after a very long day getting to know some of Vienna, I took the train home, ate dinner, played games with Christina's 10 year old daughter and had a great night's sleep. What a day!!!!

Here I go! It's showtime

Wow, so this day has finally come. After months and weeks preparing and dreaming, it is now time for me to step on a plane and do amazing things in Austria. I slept relatively well, considering the situation, and feel pretty calm this morning. I've packed and re-packed my suitcases several times to make sure I have everything I need, and nothing I don't. It's hard to anticipate everything I'm going to need for 8 weeks. I've got all the regular stuff, plus my singing things. Six pairs of shoes (3 are dress shoes), 3 gowns, 2 audition dresses, skirts, blouses, piles of sheet music, audio recorder, etc. It all fits in those 2 suitcases, so keep your fingers crossed that I am under the weight-limit! :)

So today is going to be one loooonnnnggg day. Seattle to Amsterdam. 3 hour layover. Amsterdam to Munich. 3 hour layover. Munich to Vienna at 7pm. And then I will be taking a taxi to my friend's house and hitting some zzzzzzs.

Okay, time for me to finish getting ready and spend some quality time with my daughter before driving to the airport. Wish me luck! Auf wiedersehen, Amerika!

Hard Day - goodbye to Pamina

Today was a very sad day for me and my daughter, as we had to say goodbye to our beloved cat Pamina. It became apparent over the past week that her health was deteriorating quickly, so I took her to the vet and received the confirmation that she was terminal and most likely would not survive the week. I had to make the tough decision to let her go before she was in too much pain. Dad accompanied me to the vet, and I was with my sweet Pamina until the very end. Dad, Mom, Oma, my daughter and I held a burial for her and had a sweet little service. She has been laid to rest in their yard, and is probably playing in heaven with all of the other kitties we've had in our family over the years. Pamina has been with me for the past 11 years, through moves to five different homes, the birth and growth of my daughter, numerous frustrations and heartaches. She was considered a cherished family member, and will be deeply missed.

Almost there!

Wow - so today is my last Saturday before I leave for Austria. I can't believe how the months have flown by, and now I am only 4 days away from getting on that plane. It's been one whirlwind of a week, as I'm sure you can imagine. It's one thing to go on a vacation for two weeks, but it's another to go out of the country for two months! There are a ridiculous amount of things to take care. You should see my 'to do' list...

Friday was my last day at Microsoft until the end of August. Yes, my work place is amazing! My incredible manager is letting me take two months off work for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and actually holding my position for me until I get back. Who does that?! It's craziness, I tell you, craziness. Okay, so it's really yet another example of things working out so that I can pursue my dream. I tell you, once I made my decision to go to Austria, things have just been falling into place. It tells me the universe wants me to keep singing!

Anyway...back to work. I have a wonderful lady filling in for me while I'm gone, but I only had one day (Friday) to brain dump everything I could before leaving. I sure hope I covered everything! There was a lot to wrap up before heading out, especially with the end of the fiscal year, but I just have to keep repeating to myself that everything will be fine. Work will go on just fine without me.

Every day I've tried to tick a few things off the list - cancel the newspaper, make photocopies of my sheet music, buy those last-minute items, etc. And of course I've been trying to spend as much quality time with my daughter as possible. Oh, I'm going to miss her so much! I signed myself up for Skype today, and plan on using that A LOT to keep in touch with her. Good thing we get to look forward to meeting up in Austria at the beginning of August. I know that first hug after being apart for so long will be cherished.

Photos from the concert

Post-Concert Bliss

My fund-raising concert on Saturday, June 11th was a complete success! Over 70 friends and family members supported me in person that evening, and I had a blast singing for them. While I always have room for improvement, I felt more comfortable on stage than I ever have before. It's performances like that that remind me why I'm doing this - it's FUN!!! Not only did I have a crazy fun time singing for my friends and family, but I raised enough funds to pay for my Austria training!!! Mission accomplished.

I am so deeply touched by how much support I've received, especially over the last few months, from so many people. People are coming out of the woodwork to help me along my journey to achieving my dream of being an opera singer. It's almost overwhelming how generous people have been, and continue to be, in their various forms of support. What gifts I have received... I am incredibly blessed. My parents have truly been the most giving, and I will always be grateful to them for believing in me and doing everything in their power to help me. When I'm singing in Austria, I will certainly remember how many people believe in me and will do my best to make the most of the experience.

Thank you...
Larissa

Welcome to my blog!

Tonight is my fund-raising concert! I have the opportunity of a lifetime to realize my dream of singing opera by going to Graz, Austria to participate in a 6 week intensive opera program this summer. I will learn roles, perform, meet other singers, coaches, conductors - people who will provide the training, resources and networking to get my foot in the door. Tonight's concert is to help me raise funds to cover the cost of the training. I've never taken a leap of faith this large or asked for anything of this magnitude before.

I'll be performing some great opera solos, and will also have the pleasure of singing with two of my good friends - Carmen and Michael Nemeth. We are doing some crowd-pleasing duets from Marriage of Figaro, Lakme, The Phantom of the Opera and more. I already know that my absolute favorite moment will be at the end, when I get to sing with my lovely daughter. I'm really looking forward to singing for the many fabulous friends and family that are encouraging me to go for my dreams.

I leave for Austria in late June and return home to Seattle in late August. Two whole months of singing - could I ask for more?! I can't wait to get over there and do what I love every day. I'm excited to see how much I improve over the weeks. I plan on coming back to Seattle with a very competitive edge. This is going to be a FABULOUS experience, and I can't wait to get started. The journey so far has been mind-blowing so I can't wait to see what's around the corner. Bring it!