SINGING & SELF
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The journey inward

The journey inward

What does it mean to sing? How is voice an expression of self? Where does song come from? Why do we want/need to do it? Why does it also cause us pain and grief? How does it, when done well (meaning: profoundly, thoughtfully, bravely) lead to deeper expression and understanding of self?

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Wintering

Wintering

Winter on the cow pasture (photo by Markus Philipp, December 2023) It's the quiet time of year. As a solstice baby (December 21 Birthday greetings accepted by email or other means!), this season holds a special place for me. It's also the end of term, and that's...

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Face to face

Face to face

Estruscan tomb (Kimberly Barber, Volterra, Italy, 2014) The impetus for me to begin blogging about Singing and Self was the desire to explore the interconnection between voice and identity. This exploration particularly pertained to the singing voice; both my own...

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Je ne regrette rien

Je ne regrette rien

Visionaries, queens, rulers, women. (sourced on Snappa.com, Nov. 16, 2023) Yesterday I went to hear a former student of mine sing a concert of all Edith Piaf songs--the music of my heart. I had a feeling that I would be in for a treat, but when Keiko opened her mouth...

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The Power of Vulnerability

The Power of Vulnerability

Vulnerability=Power (sourced on Snappa.com, Nov. 9, 2023) Singing is scary. The emotional exposure it involves requires great personal courage. Just showing up at a singing lesson can test your ability to exercise bravery. Case in point: one of my students arrived at...

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Baby Steps

Baby Steps

Baby steps (sourced on Snappa.com November 2, 2023) We are all in such a hurry to “be there”, to have arrived. There is little patience in our crazy hamster-wheel-of-a-culture for the small increment, the piece-by-piece, the growth mindset that allows for gentle,...

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One bite at a time

One bite at a time

They say the only way to eat an elephant (when, metaphorically speaking, you've got a LOT on your plate and it seems like you'll never be able to do it all) is One Bite At A Time. One of the hardest things for my students is time management. Like all of us, they...

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Past, present, future

Past, present, future

Past, present, future (sourced on Snappa.com, October 19, 2023) In my line of work, the practice has been to lean heavily on the knowledge and teachings of the past, often handed down to us from generations of teachers and practitioners who learned from the...

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The Love of the Thing

The Love of the Thing

The love of the thing (sourced on Snappa.com, October 5, 2023) Some reflections here in the afterglow of a powerfully authentic and inspiring visit to our campus last week by Shad, Laurier alum and rapper extraordinaire.  Too often, creatives stay in their...

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I shall not have sung in vain

I shall not have sung in vain

"Outside the opera house" (uploaded from Snappa.com, Sept. 28, 2023) There are moments these days when I feel as incongruous as this country guitarist outside an opera house--which is not an opera house as I know it--where maybe he belongs more than I sometimes feel I...

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The tools we need

The tools we need

It's been a bit of a tricky start to this academic year (understatement). For starters, a colleague died suddenly on the first day of classes, someone who had worked for us for many years, and who worked alongside so many of the students I care for in my opera class....

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this old dog’s got new tricks

this old dog’s got new tricks

Riffing in an improv session at the Shenandoah CCM Vocal Pedagogy Institute, July 2023 (photo LD Brown Arts) My blogging has been sporadic: forgive me, dear readers. I have been up to all kinds of new tricks, including riffing, death metal growls, jazz stylings and...

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I’m not gonna stay in my lane

I’m not gonna stay in my lane

Stay in your lane (sourced on Snappa, August 3, 2023) One of the gifts of aging is that we start to see more clearly all the ways in which we are hindered from being our fullest self. Among the most pernicious of society's constraints is the admonition to "stay in our...

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