The Middle-Aged Soprano

Here I am in Southern Colorado and I LOVE it! I moved here in 2010 from New York City, where I worked in Development/Fundraising at the Metropolitan Opera. It was great seeing all my friends in the cafeteria every day...but they were on stage and I was in the background. Not a bad gig, but I just loved performing and teaching too much to keep it up.

I finished grad school at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (it wasn't called that when I was there) a long time ago at this point, and headed to Chicago. I loved living in Chicago. It was a perfect city to call home in one's twenties. My life was like a dream sit com. All my friends were performers. We practiced together, got each other gigs, and supported each other's endeavors. We picnicked at Grant Park and Ravinia, had lots of brunches after our church jobs, and didn't worry too much about the future. We just wanted to perform. Then I turned thirty. I figured "it's now or never" so I headed for the Big Apple. Some of my friends had moved on to NYC or Europe and it was my turn. It was definitely a love/hate relationship living up in Inwood. I loved the city when I was singing and hated it when I wasn't. I had an amazing teacher and coach and some really good gigs, but I could never calm the anxiety of working a job...getting a performing contract...quitting my job....finishing the contract...getting another job...you get the picture. Let's not even talk about health insurance! I won a grant and spent some time living in Berlin, where I did tons of auditions and am proud to say, acquired a couple agents. Berlin is great. However, the anxiety crept back up when I was told I'd have to move to Germany full time and find a non-singing job, while booking contracts. The thought of teaching English while speaking broken German did not appeal to me, so back to New York I went. 2010 hit, and I heard many agents say "You're great. I don't have enough work for the sopranos on my roster." Now it is 2022. I'm here in Colorado, and it's been the best decision I've ever made. I am a senior instructor at the university and have a lovely singing career, which I never expected. I have incredible colleagues, a pension (whew!) and am ready to get back out there and see what the second half of life might hold!

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