Saturday, March 8, 2014
My Dad’s passing was actually very peaceful and mercifully quick. At age 91, he had been having various non-life threatening issues over the past years and months, some related to his post polio syndrome – mobility problems, weakness in his limbs, swallowing problems, a little pneumonia, a little blood infection in his leg, a little bladder infection. Nevertheless he seemed to be enjoying his life at Stonebridge and could often be heard whistling merrily as he drove his scooter along the hallways. Continue reading
I’m writing this much later, luckily with the perspective of some distance, but for whatever reason, I thought I should document this part of the journey. January 29, I finally had my long awaited appointment in Philadelphia with Dr. Sataloff, famous ENT and healer of many singers. I figured I might as well get scoped by the best and see what was going on with my chords. 
It was wonderful to return to Forest Refuge for ten days just as the peak of fall colors were blowing away in the wintery winds. My yogi job was sweeping the decks and entrance ways, and I learned a tremendous amount about letting go and letting be from the ever blowing leaves. By the afternoon, there were always more leaves on the decks no matter how many I swept away in the morning. 
This is the first time that a major Katzenjammer reunion has been held outside of the regular Princeton Reunions festivities. Since graduating in 1982, I have made appearances at most of my major reunions every five years on the ’2’s and ‘7s. The Katz events (SATB a cappella singing group for those who don’t know) are held the next year on the ‘3’s and ‘8’s resulting in two years in a row of too much P’ton Hooplah. 
The Holidays were very early this year, for my 19th year going to Wichita as the “rent-a-cantor” at Congregation Emanu-El. Has it really been 19 years!!!??? The weather was beautiful for Rosh Hashanah as I flew out of a deserted Newark airport on Labor Day. Because of various scheduling issues involving Tony the pianist and the local High School musical, we rehearsed, if you can call it rehearsing, a day early. 
Michael and I are standing in front of Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane, Australia, with Mimmi Fulmer on the last day of the 8th International Congress of Voice Teachers. More than a year ago, I had been asked to contribute a chapter on ornamenting Classical and Bel Canto arias to a book edited by Scott Harrison, who teaches at the Queensland Conservatorium. He was also involved with hosting the conference, and he suggested that I give a talk on the material from the chapter. 
What an amazing experience! I got to play triangle in the Princeton University Orchestra’s two performances of Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloe. Years ago when I asked Michael if I could play percussion, he had said he wouldn’t trust me to be able to count 247 measures of rest from an instrumental part and then go “ding” in the right place. After all, I was used to singing the ongoing melody from a piano/vocal or full score. OK, I was offended, but I basically agreed. Since then, I have actually played percussion in various small things and not totally messed up. Daphnis, however, was another matter – long, hard, tricky. In the big climaxes there are 8 different percussion parts all whacking away. 
I have decided to take a break from practicing. The Richardson Chamber Players concert two weeks ago was a big success.Yet, as I wooped up to the high C at the end of Bachianas Brasilieras, I realized how much pressure I had been feeling leading up to this concert, and how relieved I was that I had gotten through it. 