'Tis The Season

With Halloween a distant memory (!!!), we are fast approaching the Christmas Season and all of the musical possibilities it brings.  To kick it all off, please consider spending the evening of November 19th with DeCantus as we perform a free concert for friends, family, and all lovers of joy and frivolity! Here's the info:


You are invited to the second annual DeCantus Holiday Caroling Event!  We will be singing for our family and friends at the OriginalBroadway Bar & Pizza and would love for you to join us!

Date and Time:
Saturday, November 19th, 2011
Doors open 6:00pm, music begins at 7:00pm in the Banquet Room downstairs.

Location:
Broadway Bar & Pizza
Banquet Room (downstairs)
2025 West River Rd
Minneapolis, MN 55411
(612) 529-7745

Additional Information:
- No cover charge or entrance fee. Food and beverage will be available for purchase.
- DeCantus CDs and download cards will be available for purchase.
- Facility is not handicapped accessible.

Websites:
http://www.decantus.com

http://www.BroadwayPizzaMinneapolis.com

We look forward to seeing you there and to singing for you!  And in the spirit of the upcoming holiday season:  Bee of Good Cheer!

~Members of DeCantus, an A Cappella Victorian Caroling group

Also, please take a look at my Current & Upcoming Performances located on the left side of my homepage.  I keep it updated, so check back often!

Still Plugging Away

Rehearsals for the Holiday Season with DeCantus are in full swing.  In fact, we are only four weeks out from our Holiday Concert, which will be open to the public. (More details to follow) 

I hosted a rehearsal for all 15 members this week in my tiny St. Paul house. We squeezed and all fit! Lola (my dog) loved the attention once I finally let her in to see everyone. Veteran members brought skirts and other costume pieces so the newbies had a better idea of what to wear.  I had my fitting for my skirt and the final stiches will be sewn this weekend.  I still need to solve the problem of aquiring a heavy cloak for outdoor performances.  Not sure if I'll be able to borrow or what.  Regardless, I will be layering! Going to have to trek out to Fleet Farm eventually to pick up some thermals.  I'm sure my husband will try to convince me to go ice fishing once I have them. We'll see...

I'm still cantoring and singing with the quartet at Presentation.  We had kind of an off-weekend last Sunday.  I received a text from our director/tenor/accompanist at 4:30 that morning that his wife had gone into labor and we would be on our own.  Our flutist stepped in to accompany, and we did what we could. I'm sure the congregation understood, but I am always dissappointed when I can't perform my best. I'm hoping we can make it up to everyone the next time we sing in November.

I'm finding a lot of my time is being spent as a mom lately, which is wonderful, but I will need to carve out some time in the near future to update my repertoire on this website as well as get a recent recording up.  I have some tidbits that were recorded live, but this old computer I'm working with doesn't have the software I need in order to edit the tracks and post them.  I'm sure there is a solution.  The trick is making it a priority.

The new translation of the Mass is looming near and will be in effect this Advent season.  I'm anxious to get my hands on the new text and specifically the new Mass parts.  I do take my job as Cantor seriously, and I want to be prepared to lead the congregation.  I just joined a 5-week Bible study that focuses on the Mass and the new translation which I can attend while my son is in school. I'm hoping to gain a deeper understanding of the Mass.  I look forward to this journey.

Meanwhile, is anyone else already tired of rehearsing Christmas carols?

Project On Hold

The decision was made recently to put Harmonic Patina on hold for about a year until our members are more available to make it work.  I am saddened by this, but am the first to acknowledge that projects have to flow and when you are repeatedly coming up against conflicts, there's no sense in forcing it.  We all have other places to focus our energies currently, and hopefully we can revisit the idea later with renewed zeal.

Meanwhile, rehearsals are underway for DeCantus, I am working to increase my wedding/funeral repertoire, and the Quartet is learning more new pieces for the Homecoming Weekend at Presentation.  I am quickly drowning under all this sheet music!  I am definitely in need of a new organizational system for my music, but, besides the obvious space issues, I don't know where to begin.  Should I file strictly alphabetically? By language? By season? By style? So many pieces cross genres that I'm constantly pulling them out and putting them back in different places.  Any ideas, fellow musicians? How do you organize?

New Opportunity

I had an audition on Saturday that I felt pretty good about for a cappella group DeCantus. Especially having just had sinus surgery a week and a half earlier and having woken up with a migraine that morning, I thought it went well.

Apparently it went VERY well because I've been asked to join as mezzo for their holiday season! There are three people for each part, so I will be dividing gigs with my two fellow mezzos. They have about 45 songs in their repertoire (for this season) that I will need to learn (not memorize), and I will need to acquire and construct some Victorian caroling garb. They provide a pattern and material for the skirt so, does anyone know a good seamstress? My grandmother taught me to sew, but without a machine I'm pretty limited to buttons and hems. I have three rehearsals with just the newbies, then full group rehearsals start September 13th. I've got a lot of music to digest before then.

Surgery Recovery

I finally got my long-anticipated sinus surgery on July 20th.  Everything went well and I'm recovering as expected.  My sore throat (I was intubated while under general anesthesia) has disappeared and now I'm dealing exclusively with the sinus pressure from the packing and swelling as I heal.

Interesting side-note: I met with the anesthesiologist before the surgery and he asked me the normal questions about allergies and underlying medical conditions. In passing, I mentioned that I was a singer, which prompted him to assure me that they would use a smaller tube when they intubated me.  I was taken aback because I didn't even know that was an option.  So, to any singers getting surgery, be sure to mention your profession!  I admit I was a little nervous about the intubation in the first place, but didn't realize they could do anything differently.  I have learned my lesson and will now make it a point to mention that I'm a singer whenever seeing a new doctor.  When your body is your instrument, there's no telling what complications can arise that could put you out of work.

Attempted Improvements

We set up the sound system to record the funeral this morning to aid me in my attempt to get some updated sample tracks to use for this website.  Something went wonky and it only picked up my microphone and not the instrument mic that was setup to record the piano and organ.  So, if anyone wants to hear my a cappella version of On Eagles Wings... (you really don't).

We'll do better next time.

In the meantime, I need to sit down and actually order those business cards that I keep telling myself I need to get.  Maybe next time someone compliments me on my performance, I can casually slip them a business card.  Girl's gotta make a living, right?  Need to be careful of appropriate business-card-giving moments.  After a funeral? Probably not.  Working with a new accompanist?  Definitely!

I think the trick to getting jobs in this business is referrals.  I mean, we all want to work with people we know, and barring that, we want to work with people whom the people we know know, you know?

Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Blessed

After Mass today, a parishioner approached me, squeezed my hand, and said, "Hun, let me tell you... Hearing your voice was the most wonderful thing I've ever heard in my life." She looked like she'd had a long life.

Once again I'm reminded just how blessed I am to have this talent and what a privilege it is to be able to share it with others and bring them joy. While I'd like to be able to make a living by singing and performing, this is ultimately why I do what I do. This is what brings me life.

May we all find renewed joy in our artistic endeavors.