SINGING & SELF
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Baby vs. Bathwater
Baby vs. Bathwater (sourced on Snappa.com, Feb. 1, 2024) We hosted a guest voice class from one of our most prominent and successful alumni the other day, Jane Archibald (check her out! janearchibald.com), and she provided our students with some wonderful insights and...
Taking up space
All the colours of the rainbow (taken on Hallowe'en, October 31, 2023) This week a big theme in my voice studio has been allowing oneself to Be Large. Regardless of one's physical size, it's a fact that for many of us, the idea of taking up space is challenging....
When words are not enough
“singing, expressing through voice, seems to be the best way to get to the deepest stuff. Heartbreak deserves excavation and communication. And what better way to communicate than through sound, through song? David Whyte, in this short essay-poem on Heartbreak tells us that heartbreak is at the very essence of being human, a necessary component to our growth, our becoming…”
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?
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...
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...
Chemistry is change
Courage is at the root of change–and change is what we are chemically designed to do…
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...
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
