I know. I haven't written my blog in awhile. It is not for lack of want. It simply got the back burner. Like many things do these days...

Recently, I was musing over my perception of the public's perception of the life of an opera singer. Admittedly, much comes from fantasies as a child of a movie star's life: we tend to idealize such creatures of art, imagining them using all of their grand powers to transform into these otherworldly beings. The mundane tasks of life: taking out the garbage, doing the dishes, folding laundry, schlepping to the grocery store wearing sweatpants and green crocs, etc.....Artists are above that. (Okay, maybe not the schlepping wearing green crocs bit, but the rest is sort of true). The successful ones have someone else do it for them. The others, well, let's just say they live in a more "bohemian" state....

Of course, media perpetuates these ideas. In this age of celebrity, we are constantly inundated with a fantasy world of existence for artists. I remembered one biography of Callas which characterized her time with Onassis. Yes, she was married to a wealthy gentleman. But as a youth, I just thought simply that's how sopranos lived:

"Ostensibly, she was living on a yacht in Monte Carlo...The sixty-member crew referred to her privately as la patronne. She conferred on the daily menus with the head chef, was hostess at their small, on board dinner parties, and occupied Onassis's bed in 'Chios'. A second suite had been converted for her use as a private sitting room. They dined at the Maona, a new nightclub in the heart of Monte Carlo, where they danced....When they were not together, she occupied herself with the business of decorating her apartment, or she worked with an accompanist to keep her voice in shape."

from Maria Callas, an intimate biography by Anne Edwards

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Now, I know Callas is one in a million (okay. one in 5 million? you can bet your bippy there are millions of sopranos out there! (:). And we do not live like princesses. But you would be surprised how many people think that because you are singing a lead role in an opera, even if you are not rich or famous, that by day you must rest, take care of la voce, be healthy, spend your time pondering, developing, honing your craft so that by opening night magic can take place. I must say, even in the Conservatory bubble, we are taught such things. Our body is our instrument, and when taking on something big, every iota of energy must go towards that end. (Walk through a conservatory hall the day of an opera performance and you will see an abundance of beings wearing scarves, drinking tea, sucking on various lozenges, not speaking, staring quietly into space or their score. And methinks there isn't one student who mopped or scrubbed a toilet on performance day). But seriously, folks, that isn't life.

Which brings me to my story (finally, right? Brevity isn't my forte...(:). And I must say, my story IS the norm. Every performance you see is filled with artists who not only work magic at night, but also do the same multitasking by day as 'regular' folk: be it a day job, or domestic job. And it ain't easy to juggle both. Right now, I am in that 'it REALLY ain't easy' stage....

So here I am, a multitasking Goddess (see Mercy photo, above). I am trying to manage being a Mom to two amazing young girls who are home with me full time (ages 5 and 3), doing all of the housework, cooking (no frozen meals here! I COOK), cleaning, errands, etc., teaching voice lessons, and investing as much mental and physical energy that Violetta deserves. After two weeks of 15 hour days jam-packed with busy-ness, multitasking, singing, and constancy (Yes, boys, stay at home Moms DO have challenging jobs! (:)., I am realizing something has to give. And thus far, Violetta has been the one to sacrifice. However, she cannot any longer or else she will die of consumption before the opera even begins!

But in 2 weeks, the curtain will rise and the audience will expect greatness. They will not care whether Violetta vacuumed, scrubbed floors, or managed tantrums that day. They are paying to see a soprano do the very best she can give them.

Have Mercy.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guan_Yin)