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...
It feels like appropriate timing that this message is coming to you on the first day of summer, when the sun shifts into the constellation of Cancer, the zodiac sign of the Great Mother. The Mother shows us how to receive. (Because we already know how to avoid.) My...
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...
Last summer while visiting my family's favorite spot in Maine, my little one Adrian and I were joyfully clambering over some of those ancient glacier-scraped rocks on the shoreline by our cottage. Alas, we were quite shocked when came upon a dead harbor seal pup who...
Imagine my delight when I opened the latest issue of The New Yorker to discover a full-length feature article devoted to my muse, Saint Hildegard von Bingen. Alex Ross wrote a comprehensive piece, and it was wonderful to witness the legacy of the great creatrix seen...
Today, February 1st, we are crossing through fire. It is a quiet, but significant, turning point in the year, marking the ancient Celtic feast of Imbolc, as well as Saint Brigid’s Day. It’s so easy to plow through this “dead” time of winter, just keeping our head...
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...
This morning I padded down the stairs with the cats in the cold, pitch black before dawn, filled with a sense of newness and readiness.My inner voice said: go look out the window! On any typical morning, the first thing I opt to look at is the coffeemaker. But I...
Think back to the last time you were about to start singing something. What was the first thought that came to your mind?I hope this comes out ok.Don't do it wrong.What will they think of my voice?Is there enough ________?Am I doing all the things right?At the same...
Sometimes I joke that everything I have learned about life I learned from singing. But it's so true! It has been quite the journey, though. Sometimes it was pretty tricky, sticky, and ugly. But then also wildly illuminating, crack-you-open joyful, and triumphant. The...
I know you may not talk about it, but I know you have A Thing that's been on your mind for a while. That quiet vision, that unspoken desire, that shimmering dream, that kernel of an idea, that sticky feeling that you really, truly, wholly want something. Maybe it's a...
If there is one thing I could teach you about the voice and singing, it is this: You already have everything you need. You can continue to acquire skills and knowledge, better coordination, musical experience, expanded range and breath support, etc. But that's not...
One time recently I was watching the Beatles documentary, Get Back. It's a long, arduous haul through a rocky period for the band. But there was one moment caught on camera that created a new awakening for me about the creative process. It's a scene featuring a mumbly...
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:...
You endlessly compare yourself to others, breeding either an inferiority or superiority complex, setting yourself up for disappointment, and ultimately, holding yourself back from what is truly important to you.
What does the term greatness bring up for you? I believe we all strive to realize our best, and seek our own, personal version of greatness in our lives. But somehow, when it comes to music, art, the voice, and personal expression, we tend to relegate "greatness" to...
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...
Have you ever experienced that inner longing that hungers to know... How am I supposed to use my voice? It creeps within our consciousness, and bubbles up every so often (or sometimes very often), because it's a really important question. But damn, the answer can seem...
I recently hit a major parenting milestone: it was (finally!) time to crack open Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone with my little one, Adrian. 🪄 Some of my very favorite stories are centered on characters with one specific archetypal quality... Harry Potter. Luke...
It was over dinner the other night that Adrian, my darling six-year old, eagerly reminded my husband and I that we hadn't yet asked him what happened at school that day. Well, it wasn't pretty. In a nutshell, he became so frustrated with himself that he couldn't spell...
Tapping into your essence does not have to be a hit or miss situation. It is a radically simple formula and practice to be applied whenever you create the intention to do so. It can be a Thing You Do all the time.
Many of my clients will identify with one of these two designations, usually so they can tell me what I can expect when I hear them sing! However, the answer to whether you are a Singer or Non-Singer has everything to do with... you. But it is a perennial question...
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...
I have mastered the art of "Don't let 'em see you sweat." That's easy. That's what you learn in professional training: the art of illusion. What I have not mastered is the art of Not Sweating. Have you? What do you sweat about? I sweat about, oh God, the same thing I...
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...
This post could also be entitled: The most unhelpful advice your ego could ask for. Because let's be honest: we all want Great Things right now. And according to Eckhart Tolle, a remarkable spiritual teacher, the great things are simply an illusion. I recall when I...
The discovery and cultivation of my Sacred Voice has been an exquisite and beautiful journey that I could ever hope to take. It has morphed into an integral aspect of my vocation. As a coach, it is my privilege to lead others on their own, unique telling of this voice...
How can we stay centered on the deeper purpose of our singing?
We learn how to focus our awareness in order to focus on our purpose. Awareness heightens the senses and calms the thinking mind. It connects us with our instrument, and keeps us focused.
As Hildegard states, and as I teach in the Studio, we focus our awareness on our heart. The heart is the seat of the Sacred Voice. It is here that we are both connected to our divine source, and here that we experience that longing to praise the very same divinity.
