Vielen Danke

Many thanks for all the well-wishes for yesterday's recital. It went very well- I sang well, there was great attendance, and a nice reception. I also was very surprised to see several ooooooold friends, for which I was very thankful. It's always nice to be remembered! It was also a success for me because this is the first recital since last summer for which I haven't felt a fear of bombing.
Last summer, I did a joint recital in Pittsburgh with a friend from WVU. The idea for the recital was great- the programming was not. I was trying to learn an entirely new program (with the exception of one aria and one duet that I hadn't sung in 4 years) after just finishing a role with Summer Opera, moving, fighting allergies, etc. Excuses, excuses. Combine that with 2 quick rehearsals (working with a coach/accomp. I had never met), me not feeling great about my singing, and there you have the recipe for a bad performance. I supposed it wasn't as bad as I imagined it to be- you are your own worst critic. But, that was only the second time in my life I cried after a performance (the first time, I was 19 and sick). And to top it all off, my old voice teacher, who hadn't heard me sing in 3 years, was there- realizing my every mistake.
So, being that singing (and a lot of performing) is largely psychosomatic, overcoming that mental block was difficult- IS difficult. I'm happy to say, for the time being, I am over it.