On Staying Healthy

Fall and winter in Seattle seem to sneak up on us every year - the leaves change color, the air turns crisp, the rain begins...and within a week or so half the city is sick. I was just hit with the flu 2 weeks ago, and now the crud is making its way through the school, causing missed lessons and lingering coughs that make singing (or even walking up the stairs) a difficult task.

Living in a city that is damp for over half the year makes it nearly impossible to completely avoid illness; however, as singers we rely on our voices and really can't afford to be sick at any time. The best thing we can do is take preventive measures to lessen the chance of catching a virus and make sure we're in the best overall health possible. Most of these measures are pretty standard: maintain a healthy diet (lots of green vegetables, not too much junk), drink plenty of water, exercise regularly, wash your hands often, get enough sleep. Seriously, I can't stress enough the importance of getting enough sleep!

Every once in a while, though, you can feel something coming on. Is it a cold or just allergies? Do I need to drink more water or is my throat dry because I'm getting sick? For these occasions, I have a few favorite homeopathic tricks up my sleeve.

**Please note that these are observations based on my own experience and are not a substitute for professional medical advice. I recommend that you visit your primary care physician before embarking on a treatment plan, and always check to make sure that the remedy you choose does not conflict with any of your current medications.

Favorite over-the-counter cold/cough remedies

When I feel a cold or sore throat coming on, I swear by Anti - V Formula. It contains a potent form of echinacea along with astralagus root and reishi mushroom, and it tastes disgusting. But it really works for me, and has stopped many a cold before it started. (Couldn't stop the flu though.) I first took it two years ago when I had a throat infection that wouldn't go away; within a day and a half of taking this every 3 hours, it was gone. Love it!

Singer's Saving Grace is a natural throat spray that can really help with dry, scratchy throat. The mint flavor tastes sort of like Aveda products smell, but it makes my throat feel much happier and I'll put up with a lot of funny tastes for that.

If you've already got a cold, Umcka can help shorten the duration; I have several students who have great success with this product. If you decide to use it I'd recommend getting the alcohol-free drops so you don't get too dried out.

Sometimes you just need a lozenge. My new favorites are Halls Vitamin C drops and Ricola Honey-Herb, but I'm pretty fickle. Find your favorite flavor and keep a stash with you.

For more homeopathic remedies to help with sinus congestion, visit my March blog post about allergy remedies for singers. Whether it's allergies or a cold, the sinus pain and remedies are pretty much the same.

Sometimes you just get sick and there's nothing to be done about it but let the virus run its course. If this happens to you, do everyone a favor and stay home! No one wants to get sick because you were so dedicated to your rehearsal, lesson or class that you couldn't stay away. Take the time to care for yourself, watch some bad TV, get well and come back when you're healthy.

The Voice Box recommends

A selective listing of vocal performances 11/6 - 11/8:

Balagan Theatre presents The Full Monty

From MTI:

Seeing how much their wives enjoy watching male strippers during their "Girls' Night Out," unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo, New York come up with a bold way to make some quick cash. In the process they find renewed self-esteem, the importance of friendship and the ability to have fun.

Based on the 1997 film of the same name.


The Full Monty
Balagan Theatre
Friday, November 6th - 8 pm
Saturday, November 7th - 8 pm
Sunday, November 8th - 2 pm
Tickets $12 - 20, available at brownpapertickets.com

*****
Tacoma Opera presents The Daughter of the Regiment

From Tacoma Opera:

Boys meets girl. Boy sings a bunch of high notes. Boy loses girl. Girl sings a bunch of high notes. Boy gets girl. Everyone lives happily ever after.

This comedy about a young woman raised by a French regiment is that simple, that sweet, and that utterly delightful.

The Daughter of the Regiment
Tacoma Opera
Friday, November 6th - 8 pm
Sunday, November 8th - 2 pm
Tickets $12.50 - 62.00, call 253-627-7789

*****
Tacoma Little Theatre presents Lend Me A Tenor
LAST WEEKEND

From TLT:

It’s 1934 Cleveland. Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is expecting Tito Morelli, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as Otello. Through a hilarious series of comic mishaps, two Otellos end up running around in costume with two women chasing them in lingerie. For ages 13 and older.

Lend Me A Tenor
Tacoma Little Theatre
Friday, November 6th - 7:30 pm
Saturday, November 7th - 2 pm (Actor Benefit), 7:30 pm
Sunday, November 8th - 2 pm
Tickets $16 - 24, call 253-272-2281

Catching up

Whew! The end of October really flew by, and between coachings, dress rehearsals and recitals (congratulations to all the participants!), there wasn't much time for blogging. Getting back into the groove, though - check back this week for a post about staying healthy during the raging cold & flu season, as well as the latest edition of The Voice Box Recommends. In the meantime, enjoy this intriguing version of my favorite autumn song. Iggy proves that it's not how great a singer you are, it's how you deliver the song that counts.

Obama On My Mind

This Thursday Seattle's Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center will begin previews for their US premiere of the topical musical Obama On My Mind, written by London-based expat Teddy Hayes.

From Hayes' website:

OBAMA ON MY MIND is a musical comedy about a peculiar group of Obama campaign workers in a small American town and how these weird and humorous characters panic when Sarah Palin comes into the presidential race causing Obama to fall 20 points behind in the national polls.

This is a musical in the style of classic American musicals like “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum”, “Damned Yankees” and “The Music Man”, with lots of energetic dancing, catchy songs and great fun.

The soundtrack ranges from pop to gospel to soft rock bringing together a cast of 11 loyal, obsessive and plain peculiar personalities striving to get their man into the white house.

In a statement given to Broadway World, LHPAC Artistic Director Jacqueline Moscou said, "In the arts, opportunity is often fleeting and timing is everything. The election of Barack Obama was an historic moment in American history and resonated around the globe. This cross-Atlantic artistic collaboration with a Black American living in London is current and needs to be presented now. Like last season's Bobbie & Jerome, Obama on My Mind continues my commitment to seek out new voices and present new works. And I am thrilled to have cast this show entirely from within the Seattle community."

The show ran March 5 - 21 in London; most of the reviews I found didn't mince words, calling it "opportunistic even at its most syrupy"(The Guardian) and noting that there were "chances missed to give the hard-working cast more substantial characters."(Times Online) A common complaint in the reviews I read was that the characters were reduced to broad stereotypes. MusicOMH reviewer Sam Smith was kinder, observing that Obama On My Mind was "strong on characterisation." He added that "certainly, by the end, I doubt there was a single audience member who didn't emerge singing the catchy title song to themselves." (You can hear the title song for yourself at Hayes' website, sung by the gifted Ruby Turner - whether it's the song or her voice, there's no arguing that it is a catchy tune.)

I'll probably see this show for a few reasons: it's the US premiere; I firmly believe in supporting local theater; and after reading the London reviews I'm just plain curious.

Obama On My Mind
Langston Hughes Performing Arts Center
Previews October 15 - 22
Show runs October 23 - November 15
Showtime at 7:30 pm (10/24, 10/31, 11/7 at 2 pm)
$5 - 22.00
Tickets available at Brown Paper Tickets

Reviews of the London performance:
Guardian
The Londonist
MusicOMH
Times Online

The Voice Box recommends

Neighborhood festivals combine two of my favorite things: food and music, both prepared and shared with a love for the community that inspired them. Here's what's cookin' this weekend (9/25 - 9/27):


St. Demetrios Greek Festival
St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 2100 Boyer Ave E
Friday, September 25th, 12 - 9 pm
Saturday, September 26th, 10:30 am - 9 pm
Sunday, September 27th, 12 - 7 pm

Souvlaki, spanikopita, gyros, moussaka...are you hungry yet? Admission is free but bring plenty of cash for all the food you'll want to eat. After you grab your first plate, have a seat and enjoy the traditional Greek music and dancing.

*****

Wallingford Wurst Festival
St. Benedict School, 48th and Wallingford
Friday, September 25th, 4 - 10 pm
Saturday, September 26th, 11 am - 10 pm

Mmm...bratwurst and sauerkraut. Or grilled salmon and fried sweet corn if you prefer (but why would you when there's bratwurst to be had?). Also, lots of great local music including Portage Bay Big Band and Klez Katz!

*****

Music Back on Jackson Street
Flo Ware Park, 28th and Jackson
Sunday, September 27th, 12 - 5 pm

What a perfect way to spend a Sunday: a free concert in the park with a special musical tribute to John Coltrane. Plus there will be barbecue and a dunk-a-cop booth - love it.

Recital wrap-up 9/20/09

Whenever I watch my students perform, I try to listen with a neutral ear so I can give honest feedback if it's requested. Still, every once in a while I can't help but wonder if my reaction will be more like the mom in Bride and Prejudice during the "Cobra Dance":



Okay, I'm probably not quite that bad! But I definitely feel a sense of pride for my students and the work that they've put into their performances. Last night that feeling was especially warranted as Achil Jackson gave an impressive solo voice and composition recital. For the 45-minute program, she prepared 14 songs, including one solo and three ensemble pieces of her own composition. Jeremiah Oliver accompanied as Achil sang her way through a variety of musical genres and styles, with songs themed around the sun, moon and stars. Fellow students Arlene Havlark and Barbara Leigh lent their voices to the recital for the duet and trios that Achil had composed, and the three blended beautifully on the final two a cappella pieces.

Congratulations to Achil on an outstanding achievement, and thanks to everyone who participated and attended!

(And yes, this post was an awesome excuse to share that clip.)

Opera in the news

Two fun articles about opera in the NYT yesterday, one about the young American soprano Danielle DeNiese and another that provides an entertaining look inside the world of Ring enthusiasts (with special attention paid to Seattle Opera).

Magazine
Opera’s Coolest Soprano
By CHIP BROWN
Published: September 20, 2009
Danielle de Niese sings at Covent Garden, tops the iTunes classical-music chart and is about to marry opera royalty, but she isn’t above flexing her voice to the beat of Beyoncé.


Travel
If It’s Tuesday, It Must Be ‘Siegfried’
By HENRY ALFORD
Published: September 20, 2009
Wagner’s “Ring,” a towering blend of music and myth, continues to send a certain breed of operagoer in quest of the next performance.