My New Recorder

It's no secret that it doesn't take much to excite me to no end. Right now I'm pretty darn excited about my brand new recorder. I got it before Christmas, because I'll be teaching recorder this term and needed one for home to do my prep work. I haven't really had time to play it until now. Why am I so excited you ask? Because it's not your ordinary plastic recorder. Mine is pink and sparkly and it's super sassy!!!! It's so fuchsia pink that it's almost red. It was cheap (mind you I get an educator discount), it came with a matching pink case and a notation chart and did I mention that it's pink and sparkly!! Yup, teaching recorder is going to be fun fun fun!! It's a shame that the kids get stuck with the boring cream coloured ones. Too bad, so sad:( Did I mention that mine is pink and sparkly :)

Said and Done

So, sometimes . . . ok, most of the time I don't say exactly what I mean to say to people. I water my thoughts down, edit my words, and try not to fully bombard people with my feelings. Well yesterday, it so happened that by accident an unedited e-mail conversation between my friend and I was sent to someone who I ordinarily would re-edit and re-edit my exact words to . . . the conversation was actually about telling the accidental addressee what I was thinking and I was trying to get this person's e-mail address. . . so I would have shared my thoughts, just not in such a blatantly honest way.
Once I discovered that this person was now fully aware of my un-edited thoughts I was embarrassed. It revealed a real vulnerability and weakness of mine in a true unaltered light. . . . I was certainly not ready to be so vulnerable with such a person.
As I thought about it more. . .perhaps full blown honesty was exactly what was needed to get my point across. I really shouldn't be embarrassed, but am - and now it all comes down to pride.

Panera Bread

Christmas morning came early for me today cause I discovered that Panera Bread has finally come to Canada . . . . Aaaaaaaaaaah!! I could hear the angels singing. I was seriously so excited!! I didn't stop today because of the snow, but you can bet that I'll be having lunch at Panera over the holidays. It was my favourite restaurant while living in IN. Once a month I'd head to Fort Wayne or South Bend and treat myself to a yummy lunch at Panera. I always wondered why it hadn't come to Canada yet. . . but it's here!!!! I feel like I just unwrapped the bestest Christmas gift!!

BYOB

So I told Julia that we will be having a sleep over on Christmas. I told her that it'll be soo much fun cause Auntie will be sharing her bed. She looked at me with a worried look on her face and said, "Oh . . . Ok . . . I'll sleep here and you'll sleep there . . ." She then looked at me very sternly and said "but Auntie you have to bring your own bear!" :)

Tired of Me

Sometimes when I'm teaching I think to myself:
'I'm so tired of me - la la la - blah blah blah - jump, run, dance - twirl, swing, clap - shake, tap, snap- etc, etc, etc. I wonder if the adults watching me feel the same.'
I can tell that the kiddies are having fun, but gosh there's only so much toddler entertainment that a grown adult can take.
Then again I do give 12 performances a week - most of the adults only catch me once a week.
I think I have good reason to be tired of me.

Diva Battle

This Sunday I'm going to see Kathleen Battle. This will be the second time I've seen her in concert. 11 yrs ago my parents bought me a $125 ticket to see my favourite diva as a gift to celebrate my high school graduation. It was so exciting!!! I dressed up in my prom dress and headed to the gala opening of the Mississauga Living arts centre all by myself. I sat in the 3rd row from the stage and was mesmerized by the diva as soon as she opened her mouth. I always really liked her voice and she was just so wonderful to see and hear in person. She lived up to everything I had imagined her to be. She was such a story teller and just so beautiful.

What I secretly have always loved about Kathleen is that she has gained the reputation of a "Diva". She certainly hasn't earned that title as one of respect either. She has the reputation of being a stereotypical ego driven opera diva. The met fired her in 1994 because of her diva attitude. And there are several stories about her performances in Toronto. Including one where she threw her accompanist off the stage and sat and accompanied herself for the remainder of the concert. . . . .

I really think that's her game though . . . she now has to live up to that reputation . . . so something divaesque has to happen at every concert. . . it's like everyone in the audience is waiting for her diva moment.

Back in 1997 her diva moment came apres intermission. She came out on the stage traipsing across in a slow dramatic way, then suddenly stopped when she noticed a music stand sitting on the stage that was not supposed to be there. She paused, turned her head, and glared at the stand for what felt like hours, she then swiftly turned around and knocked on the stage wing that had just been closed. The poor stage hand came out and Kathleen dramatically gestured with one arm to the lone music stand and said in a crisp projected voice "I'd like that music stand removed from the stage." . . . . if it were a soap opera I'm sure that dramatic "dun dun dun" music would have rang out in the background at that very moment. The poor stage hand apologized, scurried quickly onto the stage and removed the stand. Must have been incredibly humiliating for him. But it was what we were all waiting for. To me it just seemed a part of the act. I actually found it quite amusing. . . . . and I still find it amusing to this day.

As I've grown as a singer over the past 11 years, I've come to realize that Kathleen is not at all the greatest singer around. . . her diction is actually pretty atrocious, and she has a few bad vocal habits that singers should not imitate. I still do enjoy her voice though and there has certainly never been any doubt in my mind that it's her charisma that makes her.

My taste has matured since 1997 as I have come to admire other singers for their technical abilities and dramatic abilities. Nonetheless, Ms. Battle continues to be a great inspiration for me; afterall, the tales of her "lovely" Diva displays and the opportunity to actually witness one in person prompted the creation of my alter ego, "Diva" 11 years ago:) I really do need some new material . . . I can't wait to see what she pulls out of her extra long flowing diva train this time around . . . . if she doesn't please me I'll be super disappointed. I may just have to start a diva cat fight in the middle of her recital!! Now that'll be a Battle worth fighting - just for the sheer entertainment of it all:)

Me on TV

So, last night the Mom's were talking and decided that I should seriously consider doing what I do on Television . A compliment? Yes . . . I think it means that I'm doing a good job at entertaining their 2 yr olds.
Since the Polka Dot Door is no longer around, perhaps I should consider applying to be one of those hosts on Sesame Street. I always liked Bob. . . he sang nice songs, spoke sign language and always helped Telly with his anxiety. He's still on the show after all these years too. Could be a promising career move, I could be the washed up opera diva who moves into the cardboard box next to Oscar's can, with several of her neurotic cats (muppet cats of course) and spends her day singing songs to all her muppet friends . . . . I wonder how I'd go about pitching that one to the Children's Television Workshop.