Yep. I went to Paris again. I returned to perform in the Jazz Opera: "Don't worry, Be HaRpy." It was a wonderful trip - grueling (we were driving constantly to rehearsal and soundchecks) but wonderful. But it didn't start off that way. I should note here that things got amazingly better almost immediately, but I have to describe it to you!! …
Paris and a Jazz Opera: Anxiety Sets In!
There's no turning back now! I am close to departure date and all in all I am in good shape though I haven't packed yet. I have written a list and checked it twice. I have listened to this Opera so much that I hear the melodies in my head day and night. I find myself tapping out the rhythm of the songs. Luckily, I love the songs very much and have great admiration for the composer so it's a joy actually. With each melody or song lyric I memorize comes great elation and relief. Yet I am still …
The New York Chronicles: 36 Hours in the Big Apple, Part 2
What an adventure! What a pain: 6AM flight on no sleep, buses, subways, steamy subway tunnels and finally a nice nap before I ventured out to embark on my mission - promoting my upcoming City Winery NY show. Read all about that in Part One. Part Two continues the adventure: The venue and the concert in the pouring rain ... me with my hooded rain poncho and Swarovski encrusted flip flops City Winery NY I got to the venue, walked in and after being greeted warmly by the hostess and other staff, I …
I don’t want to go to Chelsea.
Actually, that is completely untrue. The title of this post is a line taken from an Elvis Costello tune that I remember from my college days. (My sophomore roomie at Northwestern was a punk music fan.) The truth is that I am very excited about going to Chelsea (New York's West Village) for a day. I will be there for only several hours. I went on-line to find the perfect cafe to hang out and read or write in, and I picked out a place. Or maybe I will just walk around a bit. …
Ready to go
I am packed: clothes, laptop, camera, plugs, adapters, power converters, sheet music, lyrics, feather boa and snow boots. It's cold in Riga but the weather is better than last week when temperatures barely made it above zero. Now, there's plenty of snow and highs in the low twenties. It's practically a heat wave! Packing stresses me out. …