Just an Update

I called Amsterdam House (the nursing home where my partner had been, which has a beautiful room with a piano) and they said they were totally booked for concerts in 2017.  I said I would like to book something for the Spring of 2018.  They said that they weren't taking bookings yet - to wait until the Fall, then call, although the man who coordinates all this took my phone number.

When I told my teacher, he said, no, I shouldn't wait that long, that I should call the nursing home where I put on my birthday concert.  I was hesitant to do that because the piano was out of tune, but my teacher said it didn't really matter.  He had been to that concert and hadn't been disturbed by the piano.  So I emailed them and now have a date to sing on October 1.  I will use my birthday concert as a template, but will remove some pieces so that my teacher and I can sing a duet and he can sing an aria and a few songs.

I can't believe I am saying this, but finally after 12 years, I am bored with both the "Habanera" and "Mon Coeur".  I am going to sing the "Drinking Song" from Lucrezia Borgia.  My teacher and I will sing the love duet from La Gioconda.  The last time I sang that was with The Mentor.  The point here is to focus on material that is upbeat.  I will of course sing "Let Me Call You Sweetheart", "I Dreamt I Dwelt" and "Home Sweet Home".  We will then decide the rest.

I can't believe I am saying this either, but I think I've reached the point where I'm bored by the heavy Verdi and verismo pieces.  I am just not in the mood for anything heavy right now.  My teacher said this is because my life has been sad and stressful.  This does not mean, however, that I am going into vocal retreat!!  My upper register continues to be easier and easier (although my teacher said I don't need to vocalize above a B most of the time) and I intend to tackle some new difficult pieces ("Tanti Affetti" from Donna del Lago comes to mind) just to see if I can do them.  That has numerous B flats but most of them are in elaborate coloratura passages which is something I am good at.

We are almost out of the woods with my partner and her health issues.  We are settled with the managed care company.  She will continue to have 24/7 home care, but not the split shifts.  It will be three different people sleeping in.  We will have two of the people we already have, and then will have to find someone new for Tuesday-Thursday because the woman who has been with my partner in the daytime on those days does not want to sleep in.  There are still problems with her landlord not accepting the checks I write on the Supplemental Needs Trust bank account but I think those may be on the way to being settled.

Now I am off to sing an 8 part "country" piece to welcome our new pastor.  I am a little nervous because it will be my first time singing the second soprano part with the first soprano part.