Time, well, spent.

Ten years ago I entered the Santa Fe Opera Young Artist program, had the time of my life and began the incredible journey as an opera singer. Ten years. What? Really? Yes, here I am ten years into an aspiring and inspiring, yet challenging career and I've had an amazing time. I've traveled the world. I come from a three stop light town in Georgia and music has given me the greatest gift of meeting interesting people, learning about different cultures, devouring intoxicating food, seeing the beauty of the earth. Ten years have passed. There they go. Poof, into the twilight. There are so many things I could say about the passing of time but I'll save that for another posting. I'm focusing now on how I spent the past ten years and how thankful I am that I took risks and I listened to the positive voices rather than the dark gremlin on my shoulder. I wouldn't change anything from this time. Not even a tear shed or a lonely night. It was a wild and crazy ride and at times I held on for dear life and other times where I breezed through with loud pulsating joy in my heart. Don't worry, I know it may sound as though I am throwing in the towel. No, although I have thought about it, mostly seldom as most artists do during a difficult recession. I am not giving up on the opera business. But, I am finding myself as a new season begins thinking ahead a bit to other inspiring adventures and contemplating what I can add to my music making to ensure that I am putting it all out there to shine a bright light. You see, I make music so that the world is a better place. I feel when we gather together and experience beauty, raw emotion, primal sound, we are better off than if we run amok through our day to day only hearing the latest negative sound bite from the latest negative event. I feel a vibration that is higher than myself when I make music and I know I have a responsibility to put that energy out there for everyone else. There are many ways to connect to people and music just happens to be my medium as well as my occasional writings and my various twitterings. My job goes beyond standing on stage and playing a dying courtesan. So, the past ten years was time well spent on honing a difficult craft and knocking on doors to get it all strengthened into motion. I learned an immense amount of music and I dug my feet in the dirt, wiped the sweat from my brow, and never gave up. Looking ahead I can see all the remaining beauty and guts I have left to give to this business and I am more excited and eager than I was on that first day in Santa Fe. It is time for me to start throwing more into the mix. More guts, sweat, beauty, rawness, primal intuitiveness, and pure soul is what I aspire to give. I hope that whatever you choose to do, you can also find more soul to bring. Bring it. What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail? What risk would you take if you knew you wouldn't fall? Where would you go if, if, if? What awesome power would you be?