What a joy it is to be teaching again! I didn’t realize how much I missed it really. I spent most of my time in London trying to find singing work, or a teaching job, that I didn’t really try hard to find private pupils. So, as a consequence, I didn’t teach much at all. I had a couple of people call me (they saw my entry in an online teachers list) asking for a lesson to prepare for an audition they had coming up. But they weren’t interested in learning how to sing. Later, close to the end of my stay in London I took on 2 pupils, one a Canadian who I met at Carol Baggott-Forte’s course in Brighton, and the other a woman who’d found me through the internet. I was very sorry to leave them in the lurch like that, having only just started teaching them and leaving town just a few short months later.
But now, here in Hannover, I have tried a little harder to find pupils right away, but not much. I hung a few notices in Libraries and such and put up entries on various classified type websites, but that was it. And as of now I have 3 pupils who’ll come regularly and one who’s coming after Easter for a trial lesson, but who seems keen! Not bad.
Now if I could just find someone to hire me to sing sooner rather than later, I’d be happier than a clam.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Lighting Out, by Ken MacLeod
So, the StarShipSofa has posted the next short story that I've narrated: Lighting Out, by Ken MacLeod. You can go listen to it by clicking on the title of this post.
It's been short-listed for the BSFA award for 2007 and the SSS is releasing each of the 5 stories in audio form, one each day. This is the first of 2 of the nominated stories that I've narrated. It's an interesting far future story, which extrapolates on what life might be like if the internet and computer technology we have today keeps evolving at this rate.
It's been short-listed for the BSFA award for 2007 and the SSS is releasing each of the 5 stories in audio form, one each day. This is the first of 2 of the nominated stories that I've narrated. It's an interesting far future story, which extrapolates on what life might be like if the internet and computer technology we have today keeps evolving at this rate.
Friday, March 07, 2008
New Students
I have a couple of new singing students lined up, but alas, 'tis the season for illnes, I guess, and both cancelled just before their first lessons. Have rescheduled, but hey, it's frustrating. Anyway, it's gone pretty quickly getting interest in lessons. Which reminds me, I have to try to reach another person who contacted me again. She said she's hard to reach...
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Infinity Syrup, Laurel Winter
So, it's up, it's online, it's being broadcast into a home near you - why not yours?!?
Of course, I'm talking about the story I recently narrated for my friend Tony's podcast "StarShipSofa" - click on the title to go straight to the website. After this week you can find it under the Audio section of the website. Or subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you'll get the weekly audio short story (and I'll be narrating more in the future!) and also the weekendly podcast proper on various Science Fiction authors or themes. It's great fun! Hope you enjoy!
Also, check out Laurel Winter's website: http://www.laurelwinter.com
Of course, I'm talking about the story I recently narrated for my friend Tony's podcast "StarShipSofa" - click on the title to go straight to the website. After this week you can find it under the Audio section of the website. Or subscribe to the podcast via iTunes, you'll get the weekly audio short story (and I'll be narrating more in the future!) and also the weekendly podcast proper on various Science Fiction authors or themes. It's great fun! Hope you enjoy!
Also, check out Laurel Winter's website: http://www.laurelwinter.com
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Diane - Narrator!
I recently completed my first audio recording of a short story narration!
When I mentioned to Tony of StarShipSofa that I read aloud to my husband every night before we go to bed, he asked if I'd be interested in narrating a story for his short fiction series. I've always wanted to try my hand at this, but since he asked, I felt motivated to really do something about it. I had fooled around with Audacity software, a couple of months ago, when I was toying with the idea of doing a podcast (but I never could come up with an interesting theme), so I had that. We have a bluetooth headset I used when I chatted with MA on her podcast "Better Late Than Never" . So when Tony sent me a story to narrate, I did a sample. He wrote back and very politely said that the microphone was cr*p - but my reading was fantastic. I was pleased with his compliment, but what should I do about the mic? He suggested a couple and I did some research myself on what is available here in Germany and got hold of one very quickly. A couple of days later I had my first draft finished and sent to Tony. He gave me some feedback, which I incorporated and now I've submitted the finished product! I'm not sure when he's going to put it out into the ether, but I'll be sure to let you know!
When I mentioned to Tony of StarShipSofa that I read aloud to my husband every night before we go to bed, he asked if I'd be interested in narrating a story for his short fiction series. I've always wanted to try my hand at this, but since he asked, I felt motivated to really do something about it. I had fooled around with Audacity software, a couple of months ago, when I was toying with the idea of doing a podcast (but I never could come up with an interesting theme), so I had that. We have a bluetooth headset I used when I chatted with MA on her podcast "Better Late Than Never" . So when Tony sent me a story to narrate, I did a sample. He wrote back and very politely said that the microphone was cr*p - but my reading was fantastic. I was pleased with his compliment, but what should I do about the mic? He suggested a couple and I did some research myself on what is available here in Germany and got hold of one very quickly. A couple of days later I had my first draft finished and sent to Tony. He gave me some feedback, which I incorporated and now I've submitted the finished product! I'm not sure when he's going to put it out into the ether, but I'll be sure to let you know!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sad News
On Sunday 3 February 2008 my beloved teacher and mentor, Cornelius L. Reid, passed away just short of his 97th birthday.
Of course, one knows that it is inevitable, but in a way, he seemed immortal to me. Afterall, I met him when he 86 - already a ripe age! But in the heart of my heart I think I'd always hoped he would live on forever. I was never able to work with him as much as I wanted to. It was made difficult by the very fact that we lived on different continents. At the beginning though, he came to Frankfurt, where I was living, on a yearly basis, and I made that into an opportunity for intense study. I took several lessons from him myself and listened to his teaching all day, every day for 2 weeks. In addition, I had work in Philadelphia on a yearly basis, which allowed me to travel to NYC for lessons, which I otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford.
Nevertheless, I learned more from this great man (and not just about the voice and music!) than I learned from any one person - save perhaps Robert Fountain at the UW-Madison. His ideas are so unique and yet so sound, I don't know how anyone can doubt the truth of what he re-discovered!
I consider myself blessed for having known him and hope, with all my soul, that I will prove a worthy "disciple" in carrying on in the spirit of his work.
Luckily, I began working with Carol Baggott-Forte, one of Cornelius' long-time students and a fearless teacher of singing herself. She is much younger than Cornelius and very fit and comes to Europe several times a year. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem likely that I'll ever be able to take advantage of proximity and take lessons from her in Canada, but one never knows.
I miss you Cornelius!
Of course, one knows that it is inevitable, but in a way, he seemed immortal to me. Afterall, I met him when he 86 - already a ripe age! But in the heart of my heart I think I'd always hoped he would live on forever. I was never able to work with him as much as I wanted to. It was made difficult by the very fact that we lived on different continents. At the beginning though, he came to Frankfurt, where I was living, on a yearly basis, and I made that into an opportunity for intense study. I took several lessons from him myself and listened to his teaching all day, every day for 2 weeks. In addition, I had work in Philadelphia on a yearly basis, which allowed me to travel to NYC for lessons, which I otherwise wouldn't have been able to afford.
Nevertheless, I learned more from this great man (and not just about the voice and music!) than I learned from any one person - save perhaps Robert Fountain at the UW-Madison. His ideas are so unique and yet so sound, I don't know how anyone can doubt the truth of what he re-discovered!
I consider myself blessed for having known him and hope, with all my soul, that I will prove a worthy "disciple" in carrying on in the spirit of his work.
Luckily, I began working with Carol Baggott-Forte, one of Cornelius' long-time students and a fearless teacher of singing herself. She is much younger than Cornelius and very fit and comes to Europe several times a year. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem likely that I'll ever be able to take advantage of proximity and take lessons from her in Canada, but one never knows.
I miss you Cornelius!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Things are getting serious around here! The movers are here packing up all our belongings! They are being very kind and waiting to separate me from my Mac! :-)
Hopefully I'll have something interesting about music or my singing to write before too long, once in Hanover.
But in the meantime I have something that will keep you busy (as if you needed that, right?): Go right now to http://www.playingforkeepsnovel.com !!! Do not pass go! This is a multimedia podcast novel by a very talented writer and podcaster - Mur Lafferty. She came up with the idea for this novel years ago - long before the TV show Heroes - and has been working on it ever since. Now, you can read the novel or you can listen to it as a podcast, narrated by Mur Lafferty herself. It's all completely free, too! I would recommend subscribing to the Playing for Keeps Experience through iTunes directly from the site. It's fun! There are little surprises in the form of "Easter Eggs" in the pdf files, so if you decide to listen to it, be sure to download the pdf too and click on the link embedded in the text.
Enjoy! And see you in Germany!
Hopefully I'll have something interesting about music or my singing to write before too long, once in Hanover.
But in the meantime I have something that will keep you busy (as if you needed that, right?): Go right now to http://www.playingforkeepsnovel.com !!! Do not pass go! This is a multimedia podcast novel by a very talented writer and podcaster - Mur Lafferty. She came up with the idea for this novel years ago - long before the TV show Heroes - and has been working on it ever since. Now, you can read the novel or you can listen to it as a podcast, narrated by Mur Lafferty herself. It's all completely free, too! I would recommend subscribing to the Playing for Keeps Experience through iTunes directly from the site. It's fun! There are little surprises in the form of "Easter Eggs" in the pdf files, so if you decide to listen to it, be sure to download the pdf too and click on the link embedded in the text.
Enjoy! And see you in Germany!
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