Imagine your brain is a garden, except instead of growing flowers, fruits, and vegetables, you grow synaptic connections between neurons. When you learn lots of new things, your brain builds connections, but they’re inefficient, impromptu connections. Your brain needs to prune a lot of those connections away and build more streamlined, efficient pathways. It does […]

When I looked up the word “perfect” I noticed that most of the denotation for this word deals in religious ideals, which are different for each religion and human striving in ones behavior toward that religious goal, which is often unrealistic. There is nothing wrong with that, but it says nothing about there being “a” […]

Don’t know if you knew this, but 35 years ago I took a hiatus from my career, and moved back to my home state of Arizona when my children were about to enter High School. In making this decision, I knew I would find great support from my family who lived there. It was at […]

Practice, Practice, Practice? How and what do you practice? Practicing is a commitment to excellence that starts with a solid strategy, defined goals, a realistic tactical plan, plus a brand story that will continue to develop your brand voice (singing voice) with authority and authenticity. This means getting relentlessly fierce mentally as you focus on […]

In the winter of 333 B.C., the Macedonian general Alexander and his army arrived in the Asian city of Gordian to take up winter quarters. While there, Alexander heard about the legend surrounding the town’s famous knot, the “Gordian Knot.” A prophecy states that whoever is able to untie this strangely complicated knot will become […]

How do you spend your time and energy when you practice singing? Do you have a method of practicing that doesn’t take much time, but breaks the singing process into its individual components which helps you set up the entire structure both mentally and physically for singing? Do you start this process by first focusing […]

Because I have recently adjudicated several competitions in succession, this subject is heavy on my mind. There are so many different aspects, of being comfortable and prepared for each and every audition, that most singers don't even seem to be aware of. Of course there is the obvious. You have to gather the information about […]

In the Sunday, October 22, 2006 edition of the New York Times, critic Anthony Tommasini wrote an interesting article "A Lamentation on the Dearth of Divas." He begged the question, "Where are the singers to give voice to opera's grandest music? Probably tackling a wider repertory." He went on to say that everyone is singing […]