Wait! Are we still talking about weight?

Mezzo-soprano Tara Erraught was recently slammed by no less than five British critics for not being THEIR ideal size or physique for the role of Octavian in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier. There’s been quite a bit of backlash from singers, other critics and the general public regarding the remarks of these gentlemen including UK’s The Guardian, NPR Classical, as well as international mezzo-sopranos Jennifer Rivera and Alice Coote. What has been most fascinating is not that weight is NOT an issue in opera, but that critics are responding to an artist’s shape before they say anything about the voice which is what opera is all about! In the age of Hollywood and HD, opera singers feel pressure to sound great and look great. It’s not uncommon for artists to lose out on jobs because they are deemed too “zaftig,” “round”, “unattractive,” or just plain-old “fat.” But somehow we, in the industry, are moving away from the thing that drew us to it in the first place; the voice. Yes, we want “believability,” but I am certain that most opera goers want to hear an extraordinary instrument that can do all that is vocally required.

Before my return to singing, I went to gym sometimes twice a day at least four days a week. I was in extraordinary shape. When I got back into singing, I fully believed that I needed to be in top shape in order to compete. It did help with landing the role of Jake in “Porgy and Bess.” But a mere four years later and I know that I am a little “rounder” in certain places. But in addition to that physical change, there has also been a vocal one. I have more “strength” when it comes to supporting long phrases, I am able to sing for longer periods of time and I have much more confidence in my artistry now with the additional lbs. What is funny about being an opera singer, is that while your looks may or may not get you the audition or the role, the operatic voice is spiritual and transcends the “trends.” I am certainly working more now because I am singing SO much better and am focusing on the voice and all it demands (the interior) and not worrying as much about the bod (the exterior.) (I feel like this could work better for all of us in life as well.)

Opera seems to be in a huge dilemma. Companies are having trouble figuring out their relevance in a world that values youth and beauty. There are singers who have the “whole package” of being extremely talented, young and easy on the eyes, but there are only so many roles that those people can sing. What about the roles that require more voice, more drama, more granduer and finally more “physical presence”? Isn’t there a place for them in opera? Very few mezzos can sing both Octavian and Cenerentola, but Ms. Erraught can. Shouldn’t we be excited by this as “lovers” of opera? (I put lovers in quotes because it seems like fewer and fewer of those critical voices actually LOVE opera.) It isn’t coincidence that many of the world’s greatest artists of the past (and many of today) are not known for their bodies, but the voices that come out of them.

In my humble opinion, opera will not survive by beating up its own; by trying to mirror movies, tv and magazines in looks, or by diminishing the miraculous thing it is to be able to sing an entire 3 hour (or more) long opera over an orchestra in the original language beautifully. So I say, if opera wants to become “mainstream,” then represent the mainstream. In this age of individuality, why not have our art-form celebrate that very fact. We have a veritable boatload of composers of every language, period and style. Why wouldn’t we have opera singers that represent such diversity? Right now, society is recognizing that all shapes and sizes are sexy and that diversity and inclusion make us all more successful. Hopefully the opera world will take notice of this and move in this direction.

Finally, if one is going to the opera to see “believable” then you’re in for a big surprise because in opera they sing everything (and we love it.) In the real world, if people started singing everything, we’d walk across the street. (I should know as I have been the singer and seen people move and been the mover who saw the "crazy" singer.) Ms. Erraught is still in her 20s and is a fine talent. I am certain this experience has toughened her skin. But I hope that because of the words of those five critics, Ms. Erraught gains more fame and fans. As they say, success is the best revenge. Succeed, Ms. Erraught, succeed!

Peace,

Eric

Cough, Cancel and Connect

This season has been incredible! I have been on the go since late August and haven’t really stopped to live life. However, I am grateful because I love being an opera singer. I've traveled from Milwaukee to St. Louis to Washington DC to New York to Naples, Florida and then to Lebanon, Ohio. I have sung Beethoven, Gounod, Johann Strauss, Hans Werner Henze, Gershwin and of course, my favorite, Rossini! I have been grateful for every role, company and colleague (even the ones that complain throughout the entire process…you know who you are!) So it came as a bit of a shock when I was week out from flying to California for a world premiere opera when the flu* hit me.

Imagine a truck running over you, backing up and running over you again and then just to make certain all is balanced, running you over from both the left and right sides. That’s close to how bad I felt. In less than 24 hours I went from feeling a bit tired to having a headache that felt like someone was drilling for oil coupled with a cough that liked to get up at 3 am. Imagine a chest full of phlegm similar to an uninvited party guest that won't leave and a body so achy I was certain that any time I made a trip to the bathroom to spit out the hug gobs of phlegm, I would fall as my legs would seize up refusing to move any more.

I was supposed to go to Lebanon (OH) at the end of the week and then would leave immediately for California for three weeks, then come back and start work with Salt Marsh Opera and immediately fly to North Carolina for an audition. I wouldn’t get any recovery time until mid-May. Normally, I like being so busy, but with a singing voice that sounded like a combination of Bea Arthur and Animal from the The Muppets, I had to figure out how I would find time to restore and what that meant career-wise.

After careful consultation with my agent and the opera company in California, we decided I should cancel, get well and allow the company to find a replacement. (The replacement would have three weeks to learn the role and be ready!) It was a terrible feeling (on top of the physical crap that was keeping me from sleep,) but I knew in my heart that it was the right thing to do. I had to put aside worrying about how it would affect others and focus on myself.

Well, it’s been nearly two and a half weeks and I am doing pretty well. I made it through the concert in Ohio with only a few coughs appearing as back-up accompaniment for other artists performing. While I did lose out on the fee from California, I am grateful to the Universe for providing some teaching artist opportunities in the Bronx (you better feel well to keep up with these kids!) and two concerts so, financially, I’m “feeling a lot better.”**

The biggest upside to having this time free is that I have been able to spend more time being home for the wedding planning process with my partner. On top of that, I am seeing people and experiencing events that I would have missed by being away. It is my true belief that the Universe, GOD, Good Orderly Direction or whatever name you call it, wanted to find a way for me to stop, slow down and live my life…the life I have been disconnected from by flying all over the place. It has given me a lot of time to think about balance and if it takes the flu* for me to reconnect, then I am grateful for it.

Peace,

Eric

*There is someone (and they know who they are) who doesn’t believe I had the flu. We will agree to disagree.

**The same person will hopefully chuckle at the words in quotation.

Stories from Schenectady

As I sit on the Amtrak train heading home from an audition in upstate New York, I am reminded of several things.

1) It takes a great deal of love for something to give up an entire day of one’s life to sing for about 10 minutes in the hopes of possibly getting hired.
2) The opera world is truly small and everyone knows someone that knows someone
3) Just when you think that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket, you discover that there are beautifully kind people who inhabit this great sphere.

I was scheduled to sing for an opera company in Niskayuna, NY at 1:36 pm. Niskayuna is located a mere three miles outside Schenectady, NY. In order to make my audition I decided to travel via the Chinatown Bus from New York to Schenectady, then take a cab to the audition site (which happened to be in the pianist’s home.) I wanted to travel a little bit better so I opted to pay more and travel home via Amtrak.

My day began by catching the LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) at 6:28 am and getting to Penn Station at 7:44 am in order to catch my 8:30 am bus. (Actually my day began with the thought that I must be a fool, but once the espresso kicked in, I was up and rearing to go.) The Chinatown Bus is in no way glamorous, but it is inexpensive and pretty fast. So fast in fact, we arrived nearly an hour early! The bus stop was in the middle of the ‘hood so I caught a cab and went to the audition site (a whole hour early to the chagrin of the pianist who was trying to settle in for a peaceful lunch. Surprise!) Luckily he kindly let me change and warm-up as he waited upstairs for the auditions to begin.

Slowly, people began to arrive (and by people I mean sopranos, because there are a billion of them.) In auditions I tend to avoid the small talk of what arias are you singing or where have you performed. However the lovely girl sitting next to me was having none of it and wouldn’t stop asking questions so I decided to actually engage in conversation. I’m glad I did as I found out that she was currently working with a conductor with whom I’d worked. We both commented on his fabulous conducting as well as his wicked wit. I think we both relaxed a bit. Eventually it was my turn to sing and everything went incredibly well. The pianist, most likely hearing me warm up with bits and pieces of my arias during his “peaceful” lunch seemed to know my every whim and played exquisitely. Because we were auditioning in a house, everyone could hear me. Thank goodness, it wasn’t crap!

Well it was time to go, so I called the cab company and asked them to pick me up. The woman on the other end assured me they would be there in 15 minutes. 25 minutes later, a sweet soprano who I hadn’t even talked to, but had overheard me calling the cab company offered to take me to the train station thus saving me time and money. While I rarely get into cars with strangers in cities I am unfamiliar with, I figured if things got dicey, I could take her, dump her in the trunk and drive myself to the police station and try and convince them that a white girl from Schenectady had tried to abduct a black man from “the city.” Lucky for me none of that came to pass. During our brief conversation, we realized that a colleague I had worked with a couple of years ago was her voice teacher. We laughed about how small the world was as we bopped to Michael Jackson.

She dropped me off in front of the train station all the while with me thanking her about 100 times. As I got out of her car, I noticed that my phone was ringing with the number of the cab company. They had indeed arrived (and only 40 minutes later than promised.) I celebrated by not answering the phone and treating myself to a coffee with a shot of espresso while I waited on my train that was to depart a couple of hours later.

I am now en route to New York and I’ll arrive at Penn Station around 8ish and then take the LIRR home with an estimated arrival time of 10 pm. What has been most fascinating about today’s audition was that I was singing for future seasons since I am unavailable for the productions in August (I have this little wedding thing going on and I am not allowed to book any work in the month of August or I will have to “deal with the consequences” as I have been told.) Anyway, who knows if anything will come from today’s adventure, but I can’t help but feel happy that I have experienced so much (joy, kindness, music, coincidence, travel and espresso.) What is certain is that each day brings something new, unexpected and interesting and I am utterly grateful that this is my life.

Peace,

Eric

Technique Talk

I rarely, if ever talk about vocal technique, not because I don’t think about it (often!) However, I have learned that like many things, it is very personal and while I do believe the end results of optimum singing are the same, the process each singer goes through can be quite different. I bring this up because I recently finished singing the role of Don Parmenione in Rossini’s “L’occasione fa il ladro.” After one performance, I was told that someone in the audience was very complimentary of my technique. At the same performance, one of the orchestra members complimented me on my singing and musicality. While I love that I received a wonderful review, I was most happy that it was recognized by others that I had worked hard on my technical security in order to make the work sound “easy.”

When I started studying voice as a freshman in college, I had NO idea about technique. I simply sang and when it was too high or too low I figured the piece was not for me. Luckily by my junior year, I found a teacher who got me onto the right path and that luck continued throughout grad school and now into my professional life with teachers who really talk about HOW the voice works and what it should FEEL like. (Note that I said “feel” and not “sound.”)

A talk on technique could take up pages and pages, but in order to give some insight into what I do; I will break it down into the SSS system. When I am warming up my voice, I am always aiming for Space, Spin and Squillo. These three elements working together help me feel like I am singing at my best.

Space. As an undergrad, I learned a lot about singing on vowels. Vowels are what we singers spend so much time on during the act of singing. But what I also learned is that depending on what part of the range one is in, the vowel’s space will alter and in my case modify. So most of my warm up time is finding where a particular vowel resonates best within my range. For me, the space is created by the amount of lift of the soft palate and the placement of the tongue. This is an amazing coordination act and yet, for me, is the foundation for all my sound. My current teacher believes it is necessary to find your optimum space on each vowel (and there are lots of them, especially in French!) in each part of your voice. I’ll admit, it can be VERY tedious, and yet so helpful when learning a role.

Spin. This is what I call continued airflow. Many people use a myriad of words and images to describe this: support, energy, imagine a ball floating on a fountain, etc… But for me, I think of the voice vibrating at an “intense, yet relaxed rate.” One of my first warm-ups before I sing anything is to sing “La, Le, Li, Lo, Lu” on one pitch. This helps me coordinate the amount of spin in the voice with the vowel space. I know my breath or spin is working when it feels easy. Some days it clicks faster than others, but I always try to be patient as we know voices have a personality of their own. As I go higher, I often think of a “sigh” into the vowel as it makes for an easier coordination of onset and spin. Again, this did not come easily, but it helps to ensure that I am using breath and space versus muscle to sing in the upper part of my voice.

Squillo. This is another word that many people talk about in which there are multiple terms: placement, ring, steel etc…For me, this was one of the last elements to come into my voice, not because it wasn’t naturally there, but because I spent several years listening to myself and I liked what I perceived as a warm, rich, velvetly sound. Unfortunately, no one else could hear it and all that “color” was getting lost. It was my current teacher who talked to me about really bringing “focus” to the middle voice as it sounded a bit dull (open, but without clarity.) For a while squillo sounded “ugly” and we talked at length about how to balance the ping and the warmth. (In undergrad, I became a huge fan of chiaroscuro, the balance of light and dark elements in the voice that many opera singers work to achieve.) This was when the three elements that I had worked on separately came together.

Space is the darkness, or warmth and squillo the light. But I also realized that “lightness” had another meaning and that was the spin or shimmer in the voice, that creates a lightness or ease of production or coordination of these elements. It all sounds so simple, but any singer will tell you that to balance these elements is like walking on a tightrope. Then on top of all of that, we add text and drama and it’s no wonder opera singers are INSANE.

But there is an incredible joy of breaking all of these elements down and putting them together. And it is even more exciting when someone (ANYONE) recognizes the hard work of making it seem easy.

Peace,

Eric

The Facts of Life

“You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life.” Thus begins the opening song to a show favorite that I have loved for years. I thought of these words as I sit here preparing for a rehearsal today after a wonderful opening of another opera yesterday afternoon. The 2013-14 season has been incredibly exciting and I have had more than my share of success. In those moments, this operatic life, even with its nomadic existence, constant hustling for work and financial struggle, is a wonderful journey where I feel connected to my best self.

But the last couple of days I have felt an anxiety in my stomach. The worries of money, regarding not only being able to make it to upcoming auditions throughout the country, but simply surviving has been gnawing at me. Even with all the work that I have had and is to come, I go into the future worried about finances. How is it that a singer can work so much and still have to struggle? It is simply the nature of the art-form. Many singers have to figure out how to sing and survive so I am not alone. Also, many singers have an incredible support system in place and I am grateful that I do have people in my life who believe in my talent and encourage me when I feel like I want to stop.

It doesn’t help that I just received word that I did NOT get a role that I was hoping to get. So yesterday was a wonderful success and today (at least this morning) feels like it is not. And thus is the artist’s life. Rejection, rejection, rejection, struggle and then, just when you least expect it a moment of success. Or sometimes, and this is something that RARELY, if ever is discussed-success, success, joy and then when you least expect it, a moment that gives one pause and makes them question everything.

My belief in “the moment” lets me know that, at least from an intellectual level, this anxiety will pass. I have fantastic work coming up, a wedding and some wonderful opportunities next season (which I will announce in July/August.)
Ultimately these moments of fear, anxiety, sadness etc…help to make me tougher when it comes to how to negotiate this life; this career. So in a few hours when I am singing Papageno and having an incredibly good time, I will remember how lucky it is to be an artist.

Peace,

Eric

Comedy to the rescue

Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the operas I am working on are delightful. After spending six weeks immersed in the world of Hans Werner Henze’s masterpiece “El Cimarron” and suffering the super chilly temps of my arch nemesis Polar Vortex, I am grateful for the music of Rossini and Mozart to bring me back to a bit of sanity. “The Magic Flute” and the lesser-known Rossini gem “L’occasione fa il ladro” remind me what a joy it is to sing comedic works and warms me from the inside no matter how cold it is outside.

“The Magic Flute” is being performed by the Metropolitan Opera Guild and will tour to schools throughout New York City. The Universe (God, luck, coincidence or whatever you like to call it) brought this opportunity to me through a series of events that began about a year ago. The Metropolitan Opera Guild was looking for teaching artists go into schools and introduce opera while working alongside educators to implement core content standards. With my background in arts education and my performing experience, I knew that this would be an ideal pairing. After a wonderful (and intense) interview process, I was hired and yet my performance schedule kept me from attending the teaching artist training sessions. I knew that I would be able to attend a future training session so I kept them on my radar hoping that other opportunities would arise…and they did. First, the Met Guild, who had always brought schools to the MET, decided it was time to take opera to the schools. They selected a reduced version of the Metropolitan Opera’s current English translation of “The Magic Flute” and set about to find singers who had in-school experience and the chops to sing it at 9:30 am. Second, the Director of Education knew me from my apprentice days at Nashville Opera where he was the former Director of Education. During that time we toured (you guessed it!) “The Magic Flute” and he remembered me and asked if I would be interested. Third, I happened to be free and able to attend the rehearsals and performances (in the a.m.) and there was little conflict with the Rossini opera. It was a go! So from this I have learned several things: you go in for something and yet you get something much greater based on your experience and those who know you. When they say the opera world is small, they really mean it!

At the same time, I am singing the role of Don Parmenione (think George Clooney meets Pepe LePew without the smell) in Little Opera Theatre of New York’s updated production of “Opportunity Makes the Thief.” We are performing the piece in English and setting in the 60s near the Almafi Coast. I marvel at the comedic genius of Rossini and this early one-act opera has a definite connection to Mozart that at certain points you feel as if Wolfgang himself had a hand in writing the opera. The production features some wonderful talent and also gives me another chance to sing in NYC. I enjoy singing in the City for several reasons: 1) I get to go home and sleep in my bed every night. 2) I get to work with singers whose careers are in motion (and some that I’ve worked with before!) so we all get to sit around and talk “shop,” have fun and learn a thing or two about technique by listening and 3) Little Opera Theatre of New York is part of the New York Opera Alliance, a consortium of NYC based opera companies that produce everything from standard rep to lesser-known works to contemporary operas. I have already had the pleasure of singing with other members, Bronx Opera and the Center for Contemporary Opera and because there is such depth of opera in the city, more and more of these companies are getting recognized by various reviewers including Opera News which shows that not only is opera alive and well, but incredibly diverse and vibrant.

Even though the threat of snow, ice and wind chills that seem more at home in Antartica continue to plague the city, I am grateful for the sparkling music of Rossini and Mozart. Besides being musically satisfying to sing, the warmth of Papageno and the suave elegance of Don Parmenione keep me all smiles and fill my brain with great melodies and my heart with warmth.

Peace,

Eric

Is it really 2014?!

I debated for many days what to write for my first post of 2014. Should it be an insightful look at the current production that is taking place? Should it be words of inspiration about the upcoming year and what is ahead of me? Or should it be something light and fun since I feel like my last few posts have been so serious?

I have been performing a piece called "El Cimarron" by Hans Werner Henze. It recounts the story of Esteban Montejo, a slave in Cuba who ran off to live in the woods, returned to civilization following the abolition of slaves, worked in the sugar fields, became a revolutionary during the Cuban-Spanish war and then went off to live life alone. Pretty heavy stuff.

I know, I'll tell you how I unwind! I love movies and television. I haven't had the luxury of going to movies as I am in one of the coldest places in the US and there are no movie theaters nearby. So I have been huddled up in my (very warm) hotel room watching television to keep my mind entertained (and sane) when I am not working on "El Cimarron" or the other two operas that on the horizon.

So here is my list of things to watch:

1. American Horror Story: Coven. Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk continue to give us a frightening look at human behavior, but beautifully masked within the confines of a witch tale. Issues of race, gender, the (un)subtle conflict between the quest to remain young versus how the young and beautiful are viewed between women and how human beings react when placed in extreme situations are all present. However, just when you think the show is trying to push these themes down your throat, you find yourself laughing at the high level of camp that gives this season a much lighter feel. It perfectly balances the dark actions and situations and continues to enthrall.

2.Downton Abbey. I saw season 1 and fell in love. I did not see seasons 2 or 3, but by George, I was bound and determined to watch the season 4 premiere. So I did what anyone needing to catch up would do. I turned to the Internet and read all the spoilers and watched all the recaps in order to get caught up. In those 35 minutes of reading and viewing, I gasped out loud several times, but I was ready for season 4. The 2-hour premiere episode took time to regain it's momentum, but I feel like this season will present even more challenges for the main characters as alliances and secrets will continue to crumble and spill out.

3.Cutthroat Kitchen. Alton Brown seems downright sadistic as the host of this show where chefs are not only called on to create dishes on the fly, but sabotage is served up in ample portions. The tension and psychological game play are so fun (and sometimes unnerving) to watch that it really doesn't matter about how the food tastes. This show is all about the process versus the product, yet it is the product that sends one home or gets them the prize. How big that prize is depends on how much the winning chef spends in order to make their opponents cooking trials difficult.

4.Speaking of food, if you're not watching Bob's Burgers, then you are missing one of the funniest animated shows on TV. Bob Belcher, his wife Linda and their three children are just like any other family trying to run a hamburger joint where the daily specials have names like "The Cauliflower's Cumin from inside the House Burger" or "Home for the Challah-Days Burger." The only difference is that they are CRAZY! I find myself laughing so hard at the antics of this misfit family who just wants to be successful. Most interesting are the three children who range from the always-slightly depressed-but-often optimistic Tina, the odd-ball, but endearing son Gene, or the devilishly insane Louise who is a pint-sized Tasmanian Devil in a cute pink hat. It takes about three our four episodes to understand the flow, but once you do, it is a pure delight!

5. Chopped. Chefs compete to create world-class cuisine using mystery basket ingredients that often do not go together and must do it in an allotted amount of time. They are then judged and one chef after another is eliminated until a Chopped Champion is named. Pure adrenaline meets incredible creativity. Note: Don't watch this when you are hungry and have nothing in the house as you will most likely make something that would get you chopped in the first round.

6. I have a crush on Mindy Kaling. She is absolutely hysterical on her show The Mindy Project. Nothing is funnier than people who are professionally adept, but emotionally a mess and this show has a host of characters that will delight you and make you cringe. But what sets this dysfunctional work-place comedy apart from many of the others is the complicated (and very interesting) relationship between Dr. Mindy Lahiri and Dr. Danny Castellano, played by the wonderful Chris Messina. The two have a great chemistry that seems ideal for a romantic relationship, but the only problem is that they seem to not get along. And yet when they do, it is quite lovely against the kookiness of the show.

7. Project Runway. Fashion design, high-pressure challenges, incredibly knowledgeable judges and some of the most interesting up-and-coming talent in the field makes this show a massive success. Each season serves up all the drama and style we love, but keeps it fresh with new contestants and surprising challenges. Add in the mentorship of Tim Gunn and you have a perfectly fashionable show.

8. The show that no one knows (unless they are under the age of 10) is the charming animated series Steven Universe. Everything from it's anime-inspired look to it's sweet story of a young Steven Universe trying to discover his gem powers under the guidance of three very different Crystal Gems named Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl make it a must-see. Each of the Crystal Gems work to save the world while acting as a mentor for Steven. Steven has strong power, but no idea how to wield it and the three Crystal Gems are quite different personality wise with one being brainy, one being a wild-child and one being very Zen. A bonus is that Garnet is voiced by English R and B singer Estelle.

9. What do you get when you have a nighttime soap opera about a woman involved with a married man? What if that man were the President of the United States? And what if it was the job of that woman to "fix" Scandals in Washington DC while trying to figure out the twisted web of lies, deceit and secrets that surround her and the ones she holds most dear? Well, then you would have Scandal starring the beautiful and amazing Kerry Washington as Olivia Pope. What is most intriguing about this show is the delicate balance of the characters, all trying to live and love while also shielding dark secrets. Olivia's own past with her mother and father are merely a personal commentary on the twisted and often shocking situations that she and her associates (warriors they call themselves) are asked to fix. Just when you think you have something figured out, a fascinating twist comes and knocks you on your ass. I have screamed at the TV several times in disbelief. Fun, fast and at times eerie as you question how much of this is based on the real inner-workings of Washington DC.

10. I love, love, love The Amazing Race. Contestants from all walks of life compete on a whirlwind race around the world completing challenges all while trying to come in first. The last team standing wins a million dollars, but for me I love watching the relationships and how teams work together. It doesn't take long to pick out my favorite teams and cheer for them to win, but I also love watching teams learn to communicate or not as they face difficulty after difficulty. It's AMAZING!

Other shows that I like, but didn't make my top ten are Veep, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Giada at Home, American Dad, Revenge, Love it or List it and House Hunters. There are also several shows I have not seen, but are on my radar to see: Breaking Bad, Girls, True Blood, Orphan Black, Portlandia, Helix, Masters of Sex, Don't Trust Andrew Myre, Game of Thrones and Chozen.

Basically, I love TV and it helps balance the solidarity of learning music, traveling and having to be a disciplined singer.

Happy New Year!