Happy Summer Y'all!

My last performance went very well, and just as quickly as this whole experiment in being a working opera singer-mom began, it's all over- at least for 2 months!

Of course, that doesn't mean I won't be practicing, coaching my upcoming Zerb which will be my first ever since I did the 2nd half in a studio program as a young'n, learning a NEW role for January (modern music aaaagain, and this time I'm PRETTY sure I can't use the score for half of it! ha).
I will of course be attempting to do that while juggling a 4.5 month old through 7 month old- which means- teething, first foods, and did I mention teething?

I've gotten back into Bikram. Can't go as often as I'd like because it just doesn't work that way with a baby that decides that rather than every 3-4 hours, he'd NOW, RIGHT NOW like to eat, RIGHT NOW- which puts a damper on actually getting out the door and 'doing things'.

Also the whole sleeping thing (ie, lack there of) is pretty rough. There are better nights and worse nights. This past week was a phase (hopefully!) of.. worse.

SO. Enough about babies.
Let's talk about career stuff!!
There are two possibilities that are still open for next season, and that I really really really hope I can be considered for.
ONE is my ABSOLUTELY FAVORITE music/composer (I actually had the overture on my 'birthing center room' playlist..who knows if it played or not, I was pushing and 'operatically screaming' too loudly to hear anything else)-- and as of right now I THINK that there is a role that is still not yet cast. Waiting to hear from manager about whether it is cast, and whether I can be considered with or without an audition there!

The second one is another Koenigin- but one that I've done before that is having a Wiederaufnahme next year. Soooo- from ALL of the Queens that they've had as Einspringers there, and the ones that were Fest and maybe not anymore, I would LIKE to be the one they choose to invite back.

We shall see. Both inquiries have been made by my manager and now we just wait and see.
I guess I shouldn't think about it TOO much, but ahhh-- it would be SO nice to JUST add these two small things to my season next year and then I'd be a happy momma-singer/singer-momma.

So far the work-life-balance thing has not even been a question. I've enjoyed every second of rehearsal AND every second of being at home. And also every second on the road, in the car, in the train, back and forth, and traveling SO that I could have 'balance' and not just stay in a hotel for a week by myself and then sing a show.

Happy Summer to everyone- not sure how much I'll be updating unless I start to seriously do some coachings that I write notes here about.

weeked o' crazy, part deux

Opera Saturday night, arrive home 1:20am, feed baby 2:30am, wake up at 5:30 to feed baby again, alarm goes off at 6:40 on Sunday morning, get up, get to the train station, 3.5 hour train across the 'country', train delayed by an hour, arrive for show #2, drink hot water with ginger and honey, warm up a TINY bit to make sure the F's are there, get in makeup and wig, pump (yea, see, I went there again), get in costume, SUNDAY MATINEE of Magic Flute, pump during intermission, get out of costume, get on 4 hour train ride home (longer because at night the ICE's stop in more places), sit next to a guy who didn't wear his shoes and smelled like he hadn't showered in a few days (ie: STUDENT), he gets off one hour later, then stuck with a woman taking up more than her share of the seat and doing crossword puzzles, freeze in the over-air-conditioned train cabin, 10:56 get out of the train, 11:10 arrive at my door. WHAT a weekend. Totally worth it. Last Flute of the season. ONE more show until I'm on 'vacation'- meaning, music-LEARNING, rather than performances until late August.

threeeee more shows and then ..

Summer break! So far this has been going WELL. I do not want to jinx anything. It has been challenging. It has been TIRING. But it has been good. Good to be 'back to work' so soon and to just take life as it comes with baby and career and all. But I can't hide the fact that I'm GLAD I only have three more performances left through the end of May, and then I get a big ole summer break until mid-August. Sure, I need to learn a modern opera (again!?!) during that time period...but that's different than having to show up with my A game for rehearsals, performances and just basically be on the ball all the time.

Whew. Looking forward to the next three and then looking forward to after.

two-fer

This past weekend I drove 4 hours to sing Koenigin der Nacht on Friday night, went to bed at 2am due to an overactive baby, woke up at 5am due to a hungry baby, drove 4 hours back home for a 2 hour 'nap'- which meant that I fed the baby and was up the whole time, then drove 2 more hours to my makeup call at 5:30 for my OTHER show on Saturday night. Sang the show (fed the baby at 7 shortly before curtain), and got in the car at 10pm, arrived home at midnight, FED THE BABY, and went to sleep.

I was a zombie on Sunday, but I did it! Weekend of "crazy" is over. I have to do it ONE more time in 2 weeks (2 shows in a row, this time the 2nd one is a matinee, so no naptime). How did this all happen smoothly? The husband.

He took off work for a day so he could do all the driving (ACTUALLY we requested an AUTOMATIC rental car, but when we got there they only had manuals left...and I only know how to drive a manual 'in theory'- never road-tested!). He took care of the baby when I wasn't there while at the same time having conference calls with his bosses in the UK and Spain. He brought the baby to the dressing room to eat, then took him back promptly so that no spitup would end up on my Koenigin constume! And then he got in the car late at night and drove home.

It's about a support system. No, I don't have a nanny. And no, my mom didn't fly in from across the ocean to help and neither did his. Maybe one day these are things I'll need to think about. But right now we are LUCKY to have the flexibility with his job combined with the weird demands of my schedule, and it's working.

THREE more weeks of shows, and then a trip back to the US, then 2 months 'off' where I need to learn 2 roles (one new one previously learned but never performed) and then work again in the late summer!
So far, so good. Healthwise I'd still love to lose a few more babyweight pounds/KILOS, but every sunny opportunity we have I'm walking between 4-5 miles with the stroller, and TOMORROW I'm starting Bikram again- after a YEAR off. Oh lords above please pray that I don't pass out like a fool in the first class.