Coaching, Audition, Pagliacci…

Hi there!

I hope you're doing well!

Unfortunately, this week I've been dealing with a stomach bug. I must have eaten something in Hamburg last week because I got quite sick afterwards. I went to the doctor, got some medicine, and it's definitely helping, but I'm still in the recovery phase.

I really enjoyed my lessons with Merrit last week, so I've been trying to apply the advice he gave me. Because of my stomach, I don't feel like I'm singing at my best right now, but I'm still doing some practice. I really like the way he's guiding my singing—it makes a lot of sense to me, especially at this stage of my life and career.

This week I also had another performance of Pagliacci. I'm really enjoying spending time with my colleagues and making new connections. I'm having a lot of fun with Beppe as well. Every performance I try something a little different, both on stage and vocally. I like using the music to shape the phrasing in slightly new ways each time, so Beppe always feels alive and spontaneous.

I also had a small audition for a possible project. Unfortunately, after checking the dates, I realized they overlapped with another offer I had just accepted, so I had to decline after the audition. Even so, I was happy to sing and to make a new connection that could hopefully lead to future opportunities.

I also had a coaching with Ansi to prepare the repertoire for an upcoming concert in Japan at the end of July. I have a mix of songs, arias, and duets to prepare, so I took some time to polish the pieces. I already know the repertoire, so it's mostly about refreshing everything and refining it both musically and technically. I'm really looking forward to these concerts. They'll be in Kyoto as part of a festival a friend of mine is organizing. Aki and I will be singing two gala concerts—one shorter program and one full recital.

Because of the stomach bug, I had to cut back my exercise this week and only worked out three times. I figured it was better to rest and recover properly. On the positive side, I kept up with my daily reading and my morning pages.

I hope you're doing well. Take care, and I'll see you next week!