Open Intervals

As It Is In Heaven - Big-time conductor takes over small town church choir

This is a fantastic movie for music-lovers, choral-singers and music enthusiasts. A famous conductor, Daniel, falls ill and decides to return to his small hometown in Sweden to recover. The pastor asks Daniel to take over the church choir, full of vibrant characters. The moment Daniel takes over the choir, their lives change.

Each of the singers goes on their own journey, from the Pastor's Wife to the enthusiastic salesman from the town's largest store, and from the town gossip to Daniel's youn…

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The Pug Under the Piano Bench

My wonderful, first voice teacher, Nancy Burman, loves animals. Every animal they have ever owned, whether cat, dog, or hamster, has enjoyed an entertaining atmospher e, copious amounts of love from Nancy's numerous voice students and their own family. The Burmans' animals live the good life!

A Pug dog.

When I was in high school the Burmans had a pug named Betsy. Betsy was one of the happiest little dogs I've ever seen. She'd wave her little tail and greet you at the door every week. She loved to sit unde…

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Cook Up Your Resonance: Drop the chicken!

Few people have informed my singing the way Julia Child did.

 

Really.

 

Here in the Midwest, we don't speak with much resonance. Out East, moreso. But where I come from in Wisconsin, we lock our jaws, freeze our lips, sink the sound to the back of our throats, and cut off all signs of resonance. It's a vast tundra of non-resonant speaking and lack of pronunciation.

This is not helpful when you're learning Classical singing.

It's like only having months-old frozen hamburger in your freezer when …

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Presentation of Our Lord Vespers - February 3, 2013

Presentation of Our Lord Vespers

February 3, 2013 at 4:30 pm

Mit Fried und Freud ich fahr dahin, Cantata 125, Johann Sebastian Bach

Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen, Heinrich Schuetz

Reception to follow.


Christ Church Lutheran
3244 34th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612.721.6611

 

The Elm Ensemble - Sally Messner, conductor

Roster:

Soprano:

Jenny French
Melissa Culloton
Naomi Staruch
Kelly Boie
Brittany Kallman
Martha Schwehn
Leslie Nightingale
Megan Engel
Mary Keltgen

Alto…

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Free to Create - Feast Day of St. Cecilia

Disclaimer: Some, but not all, of the links in this post are Affiliate links and are followed by: (Affiliate link). That means if you click through that link and make a purchase, I may receive a small portion of that purchase, for which I thank you. I don't see who bought what, only what was purchased. Read the full disclaimer here.

 

In her audio program "Seeing in the Dark: Myths and Stories to Reclaim the Buried, Knowing Woman" (Affiliate link) Jungian psychoanalyst and cantadora (keeper of…

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Featured in WE Magazine for Women

WE Magazine, "Inspiring Women in Business and in Life"

WE Magazine, an online magazine for women, featured me back in April of this year. Their section "Women on the Move" features women under 35 who have their own businesses, are creating a name for themselves, and are role models for other women.

There are loads of free audio programs, resources, and articles for any woman entrepreneur, especially those of you who are spiritually minded.

Read the article about me in "Women on the Move" here, a…

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Applause: Ballet!

Sit back and enjoy! This video speaks for itself.

 

[embed=videolink]{"video":"http://youtu.be/E-iaTFbFNYE","width":"800","height":"450"}[/embed] 

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A Job for a Singer

Finding a day job that supports you financially with the flexibility you require for a singing career is tough. Add the basic need of quality of life (e.g. eating decent food, being able to stay out of debt, and havi reasonable health care options) and it seems almost impossible. But it's not. And you might even find a job that's fun and leaves you with enough energy in the evening to practice and enjoy your free time.

1. Calculate: Find out how much you will be paid, figure out what it will cos…

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"Sing something for me--RIGHT NOW!"

People really do say this to singers. It's SO ODD! It's like saying "You're an accountant? Do my taxes. NOW!" Or saying to a landscape architect, "Landscape my property. NOW!" Who likes to be put on the spot like that?

Who puts people on the spot like that, anyway?

Here are a few answers I've heard, ranging from downright sassy to politely diplomatic. Because I honestly don't know what the most appropriate response is, but maybe different demands can be answered with different responses.

The Sas…

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