I have been asked that question in one form or another (“What are you writing, a book?”) by persons waiting for me to draft a quick reply to an email, or leave a comment on Facebook, etc. At times, recently, the answer was a resounding yes! One back-burner project that I moved to a front-burner… Continue reading
Some other time
Twenty-four hours can go so fast. When I was a wee lad, twenty-four hours seemed an interminable time to wait for anything. Christmas Eve in particular must certainly have been longer than any other day. Each year I thought Christmas Day would never arrive, as I stared at the clock willing the hands to move… Continue reading
TU ES PETRUS. . .
ET SUPER HANC PETRAM AEDIFICABO ECCLESIAM MEAM. Translation: You are Peter [Rock], and on this Rock I shall build my Church. Those are the large letters written above the columns on the interior of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, a lovely building on Capitol Hill (Washington, DC). I was truly blessed to be invited to participate… Continue reading
Beware the Ides of March!
Update! Here is the YouTube video of “Caesar and the Mannequin,” a short opera by Andrew Earle Simpson and Susan Galbraith, based on the painting “Shakespearean Equation, Julius Caesar” by Man Ray. Part of the Alliance for New Music Theatre’s “Short Gems” series, it’s only 29 minutes long. Despite what I said in some recent… Continue reading
Virtual Church Job
When he heard that we were moving back to Northern Virginia, David Lang offered me a position in the choir at Saint Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in McLean, VA. Because of the pandemic, this is currently a “virtual choir.” Each week, David emails us mp3 files of his organ accompaniment to the hymns, with detailed instructions… Continue reading
Bel Cantanti Choir
Katerina Souvorova is an opera Impresaria/Maestra who runs Bel Cantanti Opera, a small but tenacious opera company she created in 2003 to give performance opportunities to local operatic talent. I sang the role of Marullo and chorus in her production of Verdi’s Rigoletto in 2004, and have enjoyed seeing many subsequent productions. When the pandemic… Continue reading
Voiceover work continues. . .
I actually started doing this not long after we moved to Miami in 2017. Voice acting is not singing, but I have discovered what I consider a kind of symbiotic relationship between the two. For one thing, before spending hours in my secluded, sound-proof closet speaking into an extremely sensitive microphone, I find it best… Continue reading
Practice, practice, practice!
The origins of the joke are obscured by time. But the message remains clear and a current as ever: New York tourist to man carrying violin case: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Violin Man: Practice! We’ve all read articles and blog posts about how performing artists have suffered during the pandemic. Aside from… Continue reading
I can sing!
Yes, I can sing! WordPress seemingly won’t let me add italics to the title of this post, so I repeat the affirmation here with emphasis. Lest anyone should worry that I was wallowing in self-pity or complete inactivity after reading my last post, I offer some follow-up posts to inform you of what I’ve been… Continue reading
So, can I sing?
I am not asking, “May I sing?” I am not asking, “Should I sing?” After a full year of quarantine, during which virtually all public performing opportunities have dried up, I am asking if I can still sing. Many of my artistic colleagues have asked this, as well as related questions. We have dealt with… Continue reading