My Blog

I’m so excited! We’re doing a piece in choir that we did at Arkansas Governor’s School when I was 17. It’s a crazy 20th century one where a bass gets fed up and walks off stage…..Governor’s school….such great memories. This choir is also going to NYC to possibly sing at Carnegie Hall next semester, which I did when I was 15. Again, sweet memories……..

So I have a new roommate. She moved in on Monday. Her name is Erin. I STILL haven’t met her. How weird is that? Her bed magically set itself up today. There’s a mysterious third toothbrush in the bathroom. But have I laid eyes on an actual living, breathing being? No! And it’s not like I haven’t been around. Wierd.

This summer has been an eventful one. I’ve been studying with a voice teacher in Kansas City and working on my technique for the past two years. This summer I met with one of the faculty of KU. She’s been singing professionally for 35 years and sang at the Met for 14. She gave me a voice lesson and encouraged me to audition at KU. Well, I auditoned on Tuesday, got in, got registered for classes on Wednesday, and started class on Thursday. This week has been crazy! Much to do, gotta run! Thank you to all of you who were so supportive during this crazy week. Ciao!

I went to see Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright at the City Market in good ol’ KC MO last night. The show  was good, but the breakfast at the greasy spoon diner at one in the morning was better. Here’s to my old friend Jim, my new friends, Aaron and Nate, and the sisters Craft, "A toast! A toast! Some toast!"  And here’s to singing Verdi’s Requiem with my sister. I missed you when you were in Germany, Jo! And now you’re learning Turkish! Such a language geek! Well, I’m a music geek and damn proud of it. And let me just say that Ben Folds played his song, "One angry Dwarf" so fast last night, that I thought his hands would fall off. He’s awesome.

I saw that on a bumper sticker on the back of a pick up truck that was parked in front of my house today…. along with a Greatful Dead sticker. If I’m going to be in Kansas, I’m glad I’m in Lawrence.

I’ve been back in town for a few shin-splinty days after a trip to Colorado. The last full day I was there I took a ten mile hike. Five miles up and five miles down. It was AWESOME. The aspen trees alone were well worth it. Halfway up, we stopped at a waterfall to eat lunch. I managed to find a little crevice where a tree was determined enough to grow and settled in. I leaned back between tree root and rock wall, put a shoe under my head, pulled my roommate’s floppy brimmed hat over my face, and dozed under a tree, next to a waterfall, on the side of a mountain. It was bliss for twenty minutes. And then resume hiking…..