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posted by nathan at 8:20 AMDecember 28th, 2011
It's time to start thinking about a resolution, or a "revolution" as my 9 year old son calls it. His is to become more "awesome" this year. It sounds like a revolution to me. His sister wants to become more independent also she is going to still live at home and let me pay for stuff and let her mother cook for her. I've heard from friends about how they are going to lose 10 lbs. or not work as much. Some are going to try to be in contact more. That sort of thing doesn't interest me too much although they are all things that I should be doing. Now that I'm 41 years old I do think that I should take better care of myself. I should eat better and go to the gym regularly, etc. Maybe I will, but it's not good enough for a "revolution". Maybe mine should be like Nick's except with a twist. Maybe I should resolve to be okay with not having to be awesome? It's kind of the same thing and probably a lot easier to attain. I suppose the hardest part will be keeping a strong work ethic while letting go of trying to control the outcome. Hmmmmmmmmm, it's worth some more thought.
posted by nathan at 8:07 AMDecember 19th, 2011
I had the most amazing time in Salt Lake City this past week. I've been telling everyone I know about this and I thought all of you should know as well. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas special is absolutely beautiful... and I mean that. The music is gorgeous, the venue is a tremendous 22,000 seat auditorium, and all those involved to make it happen are full of enthusiasm and love. Really, I've never been involved in an event that had a 400 person volunteer choir of such high quality, a fully volunteer orchestra of such high quality and everyone back stage (probably another 500 people) working on such a professional level. And the most amazing thing about all of this is that everyone there was having a great time! They all worked so hard. Everyone from the attendant at my dressing room (Everet) to the littlest boy playing a peasant (Romney) to Maestro Mack Wilberg gave everything they had to make this Christmas special come alive. Jane Seymour, a lovely woman and beautiful actress, told the story of King Wenceslas set to music composed and arranged by Maestro Mack and also narrated the story of the birth of Christ from the Gospel of John. She was terrific and I loved getting to know her and her family. I sang a variety of pieces from Bach to Ken Darby (guess which piece that was :-)
They were incredible hosts to me and my family treating us with an unusual amount of love and kindness. I'd like to thank all of them, including Ron Gunnell, for making this trip a most memorable one for me. I really do appreciate all that you did to make me comfortable and welcome during my short stay.
And for all of you out there, be sure not to miss this Christmas special. It will be aired nationally next Christmas. It's absolutely beautiful and will kick the season off just right.
posted by nathan at 7:00 PMNovember 26th, 2011
One thing I love about having my birthday being on or near Thanksgiving is that I always am reminded of the things I'm thankful for. This has been a wonderful year. It's been a turbulent year. I'm incredibly thankful for my work and how much I love it. I'm thankful for my loved ones. I'm thankful for old and new friends. I'm thankful for the students I teach. I'm thankful for football. I'm thankful that I have a full head of hair and all my teeth. I'm thankful for my children being out of diapers. I'm thankful for smoked brisket and cigars. I'm thankful for coffee and scotch (in that order). Last, but not least, I'm thankful for my dog Nacho.
:-)
posted by nathan at 7:00 PMOctober 22nd, 2011
The HGO season has officially opened! Last night was our first performance of The Barber of Seville here in Houston. Everything went as planned and I hope the audience enjoyed watching the show as much as we all enjoyed performing it. This production has something for everyone: great singing, excellent schtick, goofy predicaments, crazy costumes and tons of creative going-ons by actors and extras. This has been one of the most enjoyable Barbers I've been involved with and I'd like to thank the production team and all my colleagues for making it so. We really are having fun.
Today, though, is a day of celebration for my son's 12th birthday (which was yesterday). We're going to tour NASA, buy some birthday outdoor camping stuff, and finish the day at Foco de Chao, a restaurant that makes grown men giggle. Off we go...
posted by nathan at 1:53 PMOctober 10th, 2011
I'm so confused! It seemed like Fall when I left home, but here in Texas it's like summer. I find that to be very confusing since I travel so much. I even end up forgetting what month it is. The other day I actually thought it was 2012 and the beginning of summer. Sheeeesh... this is not good :-) This new production of The Barber of Seville opens here in Houston on October 21 and we are already raring to go. The production is being directed by Les Comediennes, a troupe out of southern Spain. They are a group of four men who have their own specialties but which work as a unite. It's a very interesting experience. The also use every amount of scheduled rehearsal time giving up not even a second. Most striking is their attention to detail from the way a prop is created and then used on stage to the looks on every chorus member's face. And it makes a HUGE difference! I'm loving my time here, as usual, but working on this beloved opera with Les Comediennes is a huge treat.
posted by nathan at 8:18 AMAugust 28th, 2011
THINKING OF ALL MY FRIENDS IN NEW YORK. I can't imagine how scary it must be to sit through a hurricane in the city the size of NY. Well, New York is like my second home and I have many loved ones there. I'm worried sick, but I know what New Yorkers are like and even though they are a family that bickers when a crisis occurs they stop the fighting and come together. Well, we in the midwest are thinking of you.
posted by nathan at 10:08 AMAugust 14th, 2011
I'm back from Latvia, have been to Santa Fe, to the Glimmerglass Festival and am now back home. It's been busy! My time in Latvia was unforgettable. I left with very warm feelings about the people there. I was treated incredibly well and had an amazing artistic experience. Thank you, Sigulda Festival.
Julie and I have been traveling the past few days. Our first stop was the Santa Fe Opera where we spent two days and three nights getting re-acquainted with the opera and the town. We gave a master class for some patrons of the opera, went to see Griselda and Boheme, and attended a press conference where their commission of a new piece, "Cold Mountain" was being announced. That was the primary purpose of our visit because I'll be singing the part of Inman in the opera which will be written by Jennifer Higdon / libretto by Gene Scheer. I just want to say how wonderful it was to be back. It had been nearly 12 years since my last visit to Santa Fe. The opera has grown so much over the past 12 years. Julie and I were treated with great hospitality while there and can't wait until we get to go back in 2015.
Our next stop was the Glimmerglass Festival for a concert. Francesca Zambello is now the GM and asked us to do a fund raising concert for her. Cesca has been so kind and generous to me over the years that it was impossible to refuse. We performed in the lovely Busch Theater on Friday afternoon and then enjoyed a couple of hours of socializing with many of the Glimmerglass patrons. Later we attended Annie Get Your Gun staring Debby Voigt and Rod Gilfry. We LOVED it. Now THAT is how American musical theater should be performed. I was particularly impressed with the level of singing and dancing from the YAPs.
What a couple of days! It's comforting to see companies like these thriving in the midst of such economic uncertainty. Congratulations to them both and to all those working behind the scenes and on the boards. We performers really can't thank you enough.
posted by nathan at 6:19 AMAugust 1st, 2011
Today I'm traveling to Ventspils, Latvia for the second and last performance of Onegin that will happen tomorrow here at the Segulda Festival. This festival is a hidden gem as is the country of Latvia itself. Yesterday was a day off for me so I was finally able to do a little exploring around the old city of Riga. It's marked with all sorts of interesting buildings, such as the "Cat House" (cats are big here... they wander around the parks freely stalking birds and probably rodents), enormous cathedrals and lovely outdoor markets. Most of the buildings are made of stone, but strangely enough, particularly for a city, there are many buildings made of wood. I noticed that besides the cat the Latvians seem to take particular pride in their amber, soap stone, and woolen socks. Of course, I've only been here for a 6 days now, but this is what I've observed. Another unusual thing about the city of Riga is that it's not at all ethnically diverse. I don't think I've ever been to a city so homogeneous. The town and the surrounding area, the land between Sigulda and Riga, is very green, probably as a result of the many rivers that run through the country. Riga has beautifully sculpted parks in the city that have canals running through them and winding paths for the many strolling families. I must say, that it's wonderful seeing so many families in the city. I even saw a couple walking through the park yesterday with four kids. How rare is that?
The festival, held is Segulda on the first night, was very well attended and couldn't have been located in a more beautiful spot. The stage is situated on the crest of a hill in the midst of castle ruins. There is a river hidden behind the trees in a valley behind the stage which helps to cool things off on some of the hotter summer days. Across the valley looking to the right (if in the audience) there is another castle made of red stone. It's incredibly picturesque.
I should mention that my colleagues have all been wonderful to me. I'm sure they were wondering who this American was that was being brought in to sing the very Russian role of Onegin, but I think I've won them over, and that could only be because they were so open to the idea. The musicianship of all my colleagues and their commitment to the drama of the piece is a reminder to me of why I travel all over the world singing.
So, let's hope tomorrow's show is as good as Saturday's. It's a different venue this time. It's inside in a small 700 seat theater so I don't have to worry about swallowing any bugs.... yes, I ate one last show. It was sort of disgusting, but I didn't want to have to stop singing so I just gave a little chew and pushed it down. BLECH! It wasn't very big, though. Still, it was pretty disgusting.
Anyway, off to Ventspills!
posted by nathan at 7:02 AMJuly 30th, 2011
I don't have the words to describe how wonderful the School for the Arts is. The charming surroundings, the kids in their nickers and different colored tube socks, the devotion of the teachers and the loyalty of their alumni is impressive. I am now sending my second child there and she is having as good of a time as the first, maybe better. This year I was invited to perform with the World Youth Symphony on one of their concerts and to give a masterclass. The first rehearsal (at 8:30am... something I must admit to having thought was a misprint in my schedule) almost choked me up. We were rehearsing some excerpts from Elijah and when we arrived at the quartet which sings "Cast Thy Burden Upon the Lord" it was sung with such purity and joy that I almost came to tears. Of course I didn't allow that to happen because I certainly wanted to avoid having the kids think I was losing my mind, but it was so beautiful and so full of joy that I was close. These kids reminded me of why I'm in music. It's because of the music. I love this human language. No wonder it communicates to directly to the human heart. It's a language we all understand instinctively.
Anyway, I was moved. The following day was a masterclass the Julie and I did with members of their advanced choir. Those kids got up there an sang their hearts out. They were all very well prepared (better prepared than many of the undergrads we have at Illinois) and tried everything that asked. High school age kids are different from college age kids, though, and it was very interesting to learn from, for example, the conductor Jung Ho Park. He knew that when it came to the orchestra and the chorus there must be no surprises. I'd forgotten this about that age. When in doubt they just stop. So, as a result, my performance with them gave me something I'd never had before. I was able to "teach" while I was performing. I was able, with the help of Maestro Park, guide them and shepherd them through Elijah, The Five Mystical Songs, and Julie's arrangement of Shenandoah. It was a wonderful feeling.
I'm probably rambling on here, but it's all very hard to describe. I am so proud of all those kids and feel privileged to have been able to work and perform with them. I'm really looking forward to returning there and I wish the seniors all the best of luck in finding a college where they wish to study. If any are looking at the University of Illinois they shouldn't hesitate to contact me. Bravi to all of you!!
posted by nathan at 7:00 PMJuly 29th, 2011
Now that I've had a good night's sleep I actually feel like I can write something about my experiences the past couple of weeks. I'm in Latvia, by the way, Riga to be exact, and I'm here to sing a couple of performances in the Sigulda Festival. It's a festival that is not very well known in Europe or the United States, but is gaining popularity because of it's high musical standards, it's hospitality, and it's overwhelming support by the citizens here. But, before I get to that I thought I should say something about the Onegin in Cincinnati and also the concert I did with the World Youth Symphony in Interlochen.
Well, Onegin in Cincinnati was a great experience. The second and last (I know... very sad) show was the best. The audience loved it and embraced me and Julie like one of there own. Julie came to work with the young artists and did a terrific program of American songs on the stage of the opera house. She really knows how to put a program together and the young artists seemed to have a great deal of fun. I really can't wait to come back to Cincinnati. Now that I know the city a little better and I know some of the people that live there I feel a connection that I up to now hadn't felt. Love to everyone there!!!!
From there I went home with my daughter Madelyn, who had just finished journalism camp (editor of the high school paper) and Linda (my mother-in-law). They were both down for the show. A number of friends from home also came. It really does make a difference when family and friends come to see my performances. For instance my Mom and Dad drove 5 hours to see it and then left the next morning in order to get home before their next big trip, one of which would take them to Interlochen to see my concert there. Anyway, we drove home stopping in Indianapolis for a fabulous brunch at a tapas restaurant and then, basically, got ready for my next trip to Michigan and then Latvia. I managed on Tuesday to get a round of golf in and a massage. I also enjoyed a wonderful dinner with friends at their new (and first) house. The rest of the time I was working on music, getting clothes cleaned, taking care of business, blah blah blah.
------this entry is getting long. I think I'll get to my trip to Interlochen and the magical time I had working with those students. Or maybe it just seemed magical because the rehearsal started at 8:30...AM!
