Life

I haven't been writing for the past months because in march I got hit with a never ending cold. I've been frustrated for two months and it was sort of been the end of the world.

My friends and teachers and my family have all been very positive and supportive through out. I'm very grateful to be surrounded by so many positive people and my urge to sing is even greater than before!

I can sort of say I'm myself again, but I still get coughs every now and then, I don't want to over share, but we singers talk a lot about, you know, slime and stuff... anyway, I still cough up slime...sorry. Gross, I know!

SLIME, SLIME, SLIME!!!

LIME!

Never mind...

The thing that has been most frightening is that as soon as I could sing again I didn't recognize my voice. I'm still adjusting and I'm freaked out! My teachers say it's a good thing, that it's a good change, but when I have such an important performance ahead it's scary suddenly not having the voice you had before or more the voice you knew how to sing with. I think I notice bit more stability in my singing and my vibrato, or at least I've been thinking so much about it that maybe my mind has overpowered my body and sent a cold to let my vocal chords rest.

Anyway, lately I've been singing a lot of soul as well. I told me teacher yesterday and he plainly said that "any lust for singing is good as long as it doesn't hurt." I found Alicia Keys all over again. I used to listen to her a lot when I was still dreaming of a pop-star life, but since I found Opera I haven't had the urge. until I saw THIS:



and THIS:



and THIS:



Isn't Jamie Foxx amazing? His piano playing and then that voice, I mean... Swoon!
The lyrics just crack me up! That's my sense of humor.

So I've been combining opera and belting while I run about my day at home. I think I have some "Spring Cleaning" motions going on. I washed out my entire laundry basket and sang while doing so. I've still got lots to clean.  It's going to be so nice here for spring!

I met my neighbor the other day at the grocery store. He likes my singing and commented that he hears me every now and then. I bet that's not what my neighbor underneath me thinks.  At least I've got one person om my side. Since I moved to Stockholm I started getting angry letters in my mailbox suggesting that I never sing at home. I never practice ridiculously early or late (except for the occasional party, and last time we did that, she liked it!) And I usually stick to maximum and hour if there's a situation where I have nowhere else to practice. But usually I'll just take 5-15 minutes warming up in the morning (9.30-ish) which is when the construction people start anyway. (They even start drilling and pounding at 8.00 am!!!!!) I just take is as a message that I can practice at home if they can drill that early in the morning.

More Poppea updates to come!

xx Erika Grace

Photo by Erika Grace