I got it covered....

Kind of.

I realized this morning, that I've been going non-stop since about September 1st. Some major life changes have occurred, and it's taken me 'a minute' to get into the swing of things.

This economy has bit the arts pretty hard. Shows are being canceled, reassigned, and moved from season to season. After having found my own 2010 season a little light on opera, but full of concerts/recitals, I decided to make lemonade out of my abundance of lemons: I'm back in school! Although I once enrolled as a Master's student at Juilliard, I dropped the degree, wanting to perform with the then JOC program. I had no regrets at the time, but now that I'm, ahem, older, I'm find myself missing that particular piece of paper- the one that can open other kinds of doors, and prove me to be a more informed and up-to-date voice teacher. It was funny indeed, when admissions asked me if I'd like to have a performance emphasis, along with my Vocal Pedagogy focus- I wouldn't have the time! To be honest with you, I don't see how today's music-focused graduate student finds the time to complete the course work, satisfy the choral and operatic requirements, your research papers while still maintaining their own extra curricular activities. I suppose that's why you see so many YOUNG grad students- they've just got more energy, and have already been in the mind-set for school for at least 4 years. For me, I find the psychological shift from full time professional singer, to full time student AND full time professional singer somewhat confounding.

The first day of class, I was obviously the oldest one in the room (save the professor) and found the lecture hall chairs a wee bit, er, confining. Give me a full desk and chair, I say. A light bulb went off in my head, when our illustrious professor asked us to go around the room and announce just how long we'd all been studying privately. I heard many "1 Year", "3 Years"...and Jennifer, how long have YOU been studying? Well, let's just say my number was over 15 years, and less than 30. I rationalized that I may have been studying privately longer than some of my colleague have been alive. I suppose at one point or another, we all have a moment like this, whether you're in school or not.

Overall, I've adjusted well, but I do find myself a little sleep-deprived. This last 3 weekends I've been performing in Boston, and Philadelphia- with another recital in Philly this weekend. Any older student knows, when you enter the class room, your 'real' life doesn't matter. You're in the same boat with everyone else, papers are still due and no one cares that you were up until 2am memorizing Tin Pan Alley lyrics for your impending gig...Even those married students need to find a balance with their significant other, pets, and extended families. We've all got stuff to do, so one just has to buckle down and get the job done.

Some highlights of this, my first semester balancing full-time student/professional status, have been:

Raising a ton of money for the Sing For Hope Foundation, at their annual gala, honoring Tony Bennett (see photo above!)
Returning to the Gardner Museum for our Tin Pan Alley programs (with Randall Scarlata and Laura Ward)
Finding out I'm going to be an AUNT
A last minute day-trip upstate to partake of sun, apples, and cider dougnuts
Returning to Stony Brook University to direct the Fall opera scenes
and oh, getting a "check PLUS" on my musicology paper....