The Lady of the Hour is ACCEPTING THE CHALLENGE.

DUDE!!!!! I know it's been a long time, but I'm back.  Sometimes I just don't know what to say or write.  Well, I've been thinking about it and I think we should try a new approach today.  In this blog, I would love for people to talk back to me.  Topics......  Life........ Feelings...... Moods...... Questions.....  As long as there is life in our bodies, we have something to talk about.  I'm going to make time for you.

I recently saw a YouTube post.  I really loved.  Shameless Maya!  Do you know her?  I think she's great, fun, funny, adventurous..... she's just living her life.  Her post: "Back to School or College Drop Out?!?" is really on point.

https://youtu.be/ywedOlbSK7A

I have been going back and forth on this dilemma for about 2 years now. LOL... I know right.... just tell me to get it together... But it's a hard choice.  I just recently got married to my wonderful husband and I am thanking God for him everyday.  I love him so much!!!!! Aaaahhh!!!! But you know, once you get married, their is so much more to life.  

The big question is WHERE DO WE GO NEXT?!?!?!  Yeah, I said WE.  It's not just me anymore. But there are still MY dreams.  Thank God for a man that wants to see me happy and my dreams fulfilled.  That just makes me want to help him more when it comes to his dreams.... But I am rambling.  WHAT DO WE DO NEXT?!?!? WHAT DO I DO NEXT?!?!

                   

CAREER/OPERA                                  TRAVEL.....                                                             BABIES...

In my heart, I want to sing and perform.  What I do well is sing, perform and teach (by example). Let's put a name to it TEACHING ARTIST!!!! I can handle that. But how do I make this happen? If I look around, I am.  Sometimes, it doesn't seem like much.  A lot of the time, it seems like way too much.  My goal is to keep performing and thinking of new things to do so.  I have to keep networking.  I must take care of myself.  I have to say NO when it is necessary.  I must say YES to a challenge.  I am in the "school of life" right now and if I don't try at this school, I will never succeed. There will always be a time to go back to school for a doctorate.  It's all about what am I doing now.

 !!!!!  I ACCEPT THE CHALLENGE  !!!!!

Be sure to leave your comments!!! 
Let's Talk About It!!! 
What challenges to you need to face???

The Lady of the Hour in Soulsville USA!!!

AAAAHHHHH......... S.N.A.P!!!!!!

That's what we say here at Soulsville USA, here in Memphis, TN.  Yes, that's right folks.  I'm in Memphis, TN where the legendary STAX Records resides in all it's glory of what it has become.  I am walking the halls and streets where great artists like Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Issac Hayes, Sam and Dave, Kirk Whalum and many others have trailed.  I am also in the very city where Martin Luther King, Jr. preached towards the end of his life and it feels good to be a part of that history.

I am honored to have taken on the role of Artist in Residence at Stax Music Academy, www.staxmusicacademy.org, but the blessing doesn't stop there.  I am also the Artist in Residence at the famous HBCU (Historic Black College/Univerisity), LeMoyne Owen College. www.loc.edu.  It has been a pleasure growing and learning here.  I see so much talent in the students at both sites and I'm glad to spend my time being a mentor to them.  It's a wonderful experience making connections here.

AND Speaking of connections, the Lady of the Hour is also making strides in the opera scene.  Both LeMoyne Owen and Stax have made it possible for me to help bridge the gap in opera and classical music. I'm happy to say that I am also working with Opera Memphis this season.  For February, I will be honoring Mrs. Florence Cole Talbert McCleave, in the Black Roots of Opera segment.  Mrs. McCleave was the American soprano, believed to be the first black artist to sing the title role in a fully staged Aida in Europe in 1927. Ms. McCleave made her home in Memphis. As a singer and educator, she paved the way for future generations of black artists.










Here's to new beginnings, making a difference in other people's lives, making and appreciating history, and being the opportunist.  Stay tuned for more....

The Lady of the Hour Gives Thanks for the Small Things...

Hello Bloggers,
I am amazed by last year.  I have learned so much and I am thankful for even more.  Part of the reason why I have been such a slacker in Blogging, is because there was a sudden surprise.  Last year in November, I was asked to sing another Berta for Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the New Orleans Opera Association with conductor Robert Lyall holding the reigns.  It was quite a blessing.  I got to sing with THE man, Samuel Ramey which was one of the highlights of my year.  I do apologize for not letting you know about that, but I will do my best in updating when it comes to situations like that.  It comes to show that if you are prepared and present yourself as an easy to work with professional, things will happen for you. Here are some great shots to show you how much fun I had.

Friends, it's wonderful to say that I now have 2 new small roles (one repeated) under my belt from the year 2012.  I am very grateful for that.

 

 

And now, on to 2013.....

 

 

It seems as if this year is a bit of a repeat year.... Not in a bad way, but in a learning period or season.  I spent my first 3 months back at Sarasota Opera for the winter season and I am honored to say that I will also be returning to New York in the summer for the Martina Arroyo Foundation Prelude to Performance Program to sing Antonia in Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann.  I am very excited!  I have started learning my music and am fascinated by Offenbach's harmonies and melodies.  Antonia is such a great character to play.

 

 

But I bet you are wondering why I titled this post ...Thanks for the Small Things.....

 

Well,

 

The Lady of the Hour is spreading her wings and going to the other side of the world to be a blessing to the little ones.  Thanks to Joni Chan, in a week exactly, by this time I should be in Hong Kong for 2 weeks.  I will be singing a charity concert for the Save the Children.  I am so honored and I want to do a wonderful job for this cause.  God has privileged me to be a blessing and I feel that this is definitely one of the reasons I have this gift. 

 

 

The recital is called Songs of Spirit and Love.  You can find the program on this site: www.songsofspiritandlove.weebly.com For more information, please give a visit.  I also want to encourage you to give a donation through the site if you are interested.  This is going to be a great experience.

 

 

So, until next time, share your light with someone less fortunate and pay attention to the small things, because they become the big things that matter.

The Lady of the Hour is back in the Motor City

Hello Bloggers, 

It's been a wonderful year.  I have been up and down the east coast rockin out with Verdi!!! Earlier this year, I was at Sarasota Opera singing in 4 operas: Carmen, Lucia di Lammermoor, Otello, and Vanessa.  I spent 3 months in the winter season having wonderful down times at the beach and tasting great cuisine....GRAND Seafood!...and meeting new friends.


                                                             Photo by William M. Brown


Here in the Northern part of our great countryside, I'm in Upstate NY at the Glimmerglass Festival finishing up my last week of another amazing 3 months.  I never thought that there would be great opera in the middle of NOWHERE!  It's a well kept secret. It's bittersweet.  I've had an amazing opportunity to sing for some wonderful companies and make some great connection.  Not to mention being able to sing on the Glimmerglass stage with so many talented singers including Noah Stewart, Michelle Johnson, Deveda Karanas, and Adina Aaron. Francesa Zambello's production of Aida was well received among thousands this summer.  I'm so glad I had a part in it as the High Priestess.  We have one more run of all the shows in the next 4 days; Armide, Music Man, Lost in the Stars, and Aida to close out the season.

Then it's on to the next thing......  THE MOTOR CITY!!!!

I have been invited to sing the role of Berta in The Barber of Seville. YAY!!!!! This production will take place at the Detroit Opera House with the Michigan Opera Theater.  It is my pleasure to be performing with this company again.  I was a fellow chorister in the operas Margaret Garner and The Elixir of Love so I have fond memories. Not to mention my alma mater University of Michigan right down the road.  I can't wait. Go Wolverines!!!!! Go Blue!!!!!!

Stay tuned for dates and times later.  I would love for y'all to come by and see me.  But until then, TTYL8R :-)

The Lady of the Hour in the BIG APPLE!!!!

Hello my fellow bloggers,

You've probably been wondering where I've been for the past few months. After I finished my Easter Sunday Recital with my amazing friend and colleague, Ling-Ju Lai; that was a hit by the way, I finished my Performance Diploma and Indiana University and started to hit the Mozart world again.  I've been spending my time in Mozart's Don Giovanni learning and preparing the role of Donna Anna which looked a bit overwhelming at first, but is now all taken care of.  A recit. a day keeps the scary flutters away! You can quote me on that. Why this preparation, you ask?  :o)

Well, (drum roll, please.....cymbal crash!!!!!) I'm in New York City.  I have had the privilege to be a participant in the Martina Arroyo Foundation Prelude to Performance Program of 2011.  http://martinaarroyofdn.org/about.html  





I'm having a wonderful time.  It's been an amazing experience to live the New Yorkers life for 4 weeks now.  This program is 6 weeks long and we get to do what we love.  The PTP program is an intensive program where we learn about the character that we have been asked to sing.  Our classes involve, stagecraft, libretto study, Italian language, stage combat and most importantly role class study.  We focus on such things as the origin of the opera (where the story comes from), the period (what was it like in the time period), the composer and his mindset which involves his or her thought process of creating a certain character, and the true characters themselves.  And that is only the half of it.  We have to take all that information and make the character come alive and believable to the audience which will happen in a fully staged, fully costumed performance.  And all of this is with Ms. Martina Arroyo, herself and Mark Rucker, famous international singer, and many other wonderful people who have been gracious enough to share their knowledge everyday.  Intensive is right.

But during my down time, I'm meeting some wonderful people.  My colleagues are such wonderful singers and I'm learning from them everyday.  It's a fun crowd I must say.  Going out with them is such a treat whether it's for dinner or going out to the movies or just hangin' in the park, it makes being in the BIG APPLE a whole lot  easier.  I'm getting to know city; if not the city the subway routes, the people, the culture of good ole America.

If you have time to stop by, come and enjoy an evening of Don Giovanni.  I sing on July 16th at 7:30p at The Kaye Playhouse.... details are on the flyer.  Until then, this is the Lady of the Hour signing off and wishing you a very Happy 4th of July.  Cheers!