It may not always seem that way, but you are on a Hero's Quest. We all are. Today is my birthday (46!!), and I am committing today to romance my life like a hero. A creative hero. (Even if I don't always feel like one.) It's part of the human story, our archetypal...
When I was working as a voice coach and mentor, I observed something that almost every single student of mine was struggling with. It had nothing to do with their singing voice. But it troubled me. To distraction. (Because I had the same bloody problem. 😩 )Despite...
One of the most difficult things about the emotional journey of a creative is that sometimes there are simply no logical explanations for your experience. (Kind of like dating. Super fun!) Especially if we are prone to placing the value and acceptance of our work in...
I remember when I was a brand new mom. Oh man, I was having a devil of a time. Personally, I was splintered in a drastically unrecognizable way. I couldn't recognize any rational thoughts from the irrational kind (which were abundant). Enemies were everywhere. And my...
I define a creative vocation as The Thing you are called to do for 1) your own specific, conscious reasons and 2) the will of creative consciousness, otherwise known as Life itself. Creative vocation is the meeting place of Your Will and Divine Will. It is the...
As you may know, I have been working as a professional singer and musician for some time, and have many notes from the field to share. Especially on how to weather the various conflicts of heart and mind that come up around our singing. I have sensed for the longest...
I've been taking some time over the past few weeks and months for some deep internal processing, allowing a great deal of space for a process of "wintering.” Although I would not have called it that, had it not been for Katherine May’s beautiful book, Wintering: The...
I want to share one of the most defining moments of my life. A sophomore, I was in my college dorm room and had just cued up a new CD that just arrived in the mail. (Remember that?)I heard the first strains of the first track, and immediately felt my whole body and...
One of the most exciting moments I experience as a voice coach comes when a student encounters what I call "The Wobble." It's when their voice goes all wonky as they learn something new. The Wobble happens when an old habit meets a new habit. Alas for any student who...
Have you ever thought... If only I knew exactly how I am supposed to use my voice! This is one of the most common questions I hear, borne from a deep, soulful longing mixed with some heady, existential frustration. Let's reframe the question so it seems less fretful:...
One of my favorite movies of all time is The Wizard of Oz. I even had a mural of Oz painted in my girlhood bedroom! My parents were crazy about classic films, and we had a non-stop stream of movies playing on our television during my entire childhood. But this film...
When I was a junior in college, I had a very audacious and ambitious voice teacher who was making a go as an opera singer. She managed to wiggle herself and two of her budding students (including me!) into a workshop series led by Nico and Carol Castel, legendary...
W R I T T E N B Y Allison Mondel [dssb_sharing_buttons columns="5" btn_padding="0px||||false|false" _builder_version="4.9.2" _module_preset="default" share_font="Alata||||||||" share_text_align="left" width="90%" max_width="100%" module_alignment="left"...
I'll never forget the time when this man laughed in my face when I was just about to sing. Or looked down at his desk in disappointment after I had just started to sing. Or spent 45 minutes telling me why I wasn't up for the job. And then asked his personal assistant...
As we have safely landed on the shores of 2021, I have found myself wanting and hungry for the Next Steps. What in the heck should I do now? However, I know now that I am getting ahead of myself. Because one of the most valuable lessons I have gained this past year...
Because I recognize that my mistakes are borne of my fears. And when I can shed light on my fears (even teensy ones), they are transformed into feedback. Feedback that can help me change my habits and undo those tendencies that irk me the most and hold me back. Feedback that can help me heal.
"We are meant to shine as children do." - Mariann Williamson When do singers lose our joy of singing? When we do we become fearful of being heard? When do we become terrified of making mistakes? Last year I had the eye-opening experience of sitting on a panel with...
I had a dream the other night that was such a transparent display of unconscious fears that I laughed out loud when I woke up. In the dream, I was trying to help out some conductors. (Oh God, this is too much!) By "helping" I mean pleasing, being pleasant, can-do,...
I decided on Valentine's Day that I would no longer be a soprano. I mean, a "Soprano," as a title on my resume. Ironic, that this decision should come to me on the Day of Love. I made a decision to let something go that made me feel no love. (I love that!) I had...
