Concert flyer 

Paul, Cathy and Michael

The family is in town for Cathy's Dad's 75th birthday. First time I've seen little Mickey A ever (he's 4) and not Paul for at least a couple of years. Good to hear that he likes his new job and is doing well, being brand new homeowners and all. Too bad I don't have a camera with me.
I've been enjoying the past couple of weeks. I've only had choir and it was a much needed break. Next week I start rehearsing for Hansel and Gretel and Traviata, and mondays will be rehearsal from 5:30 to 10pm. Kind of crappy, but hey, at least it is all on the same day. And the we have our opera concert next saturday so I will be done. The Chorale is exploring the idea of a smaller chamber choir. I'm quite psyched about the idea, though I still can't sight read for nuts so we'll see.

Angeles Chorale Recordings

Some of the Chorale's concerts are now on our website. If you're interested in hearing how we sound that's the place to go.

I'm so relieved to be done with Pagliacci. Towards the last couple of weeks the rehearsals got so intense that I basically had no time in my life to take care of myself and things like chores, bills etc. So I took yesterday to unwind, go for a run, and do my laundry. Finally feel that my life is back in order again. It was fun though, and I met many interesting and wonderful people, many of whom I will probably see again for Traviata. That's one of the nicest parts about being active in the arts, or any other activity for that matter. That are only so many people who are hardcore like myself, and after a while you pretty much know all the people who do it. The only thing I have this week is choir and the piano class. Phew! I'm grateful for the break.

I discovered that asian women (or any other person for that matter, but there seems a disproportionate of asian ladies who fit into this category) who drive fancy cars but are unable to execute simple maneuvers like backing up in a straight line should not be allowed on the road. I had to back my car up in an s shaped curve yesterday because some stupid bitch couldn't back hers up in a STRAIGHT LINE so I can pass.

Kat and I goofing off at Brandon's birthday party 

Baby Lucas Tu 

My costume for the Pag. Amazingly enough it is something I would actually wear. 

Hansel and Gretel

Just got an email from Mary Lou about playing a youth/child in the chorus of Hansel and Gretel. My youthful looks are finally paying off! Not sure about all the details yet, but I believe it's also a paid position. My understanding its not a whole lot of money, but it will cover gas, which in these days is definitely a good thing.

Qiang and Haixia's baby boy arrived friday morning at a hefty 9lbs. The parents are very happy, but of course very tired. No name yet though, at least that's what I think, though Roger called me this morning asking me for some possible opinions I might have. My personal feeling--stick to the tried and true ones, after all, nothing can be more stressful as a kid than a weird name, and take the time to really find a name you like rather than give in to the pressure at the hospital.

Nothing tomorrow night! Whoo hoo, this is like the first monday I have off in at least a month, until H & G starts of course.

My first paid gig!

I feel all professional at the moment. I got a gig this christmas singing in the chorus of Amahl and the Night Visitors with the Intimate Opera Company. It doesn't pay a whole lot, but most workshop companies don't even pay their principals, let alone chorus members so in that sense it's not bad. Not to mention that I really need to get as many productions under my belt as I can right now. Besides, what's better than getting paid to do what you enjoy anyway? I even had to sign a contract, which added to the whole "Oh I feel so professional thing", and the fact that I am booked for a gig 6 months in advance. I have the nasty feeling that it is going to conflict with the Angeles Chorale concert schedule, so I might have to pass on the fall concert. Well I guess it depends on what they are going to be singing as well.

Yesterday we started staging for the Pagliacci, which was really quite fun, even though I am a little under the weather at the moment. I think Danielle might have give me her cold. So far I am still holding on to the hope that it might just be bad allergies, but at least it's now and not next week. Kat and I are both playing ladies on the prowl for a husband, and we get into a little spat with Diana. Ha ha, I still get messed up on the words but I'm sure it'll all get better from here.

So right now I have:
Pagliacci next week
Chorale Opera Gala in June
Magic Flute in July
La Traviata in August
Amahl in December

Things are going ok on the research front. Need to get this set of QPCR data to EHD (after I DO the experiment, of course). But I think I'm really close to finishing the cis reg part of the project and now just need to work on the binding sites. I just hope all goes well enough so I don't have to have more experiments to do all the time. :P

Different directions

I was just reading the blogs of some friends from secondary school and couldn't help but think about how different our lives are, how we have all chosen different paths. Some of us are mothers or mothers-to-be, some of us are pursuing careers, while others are settled in domestic bliss, and one is going on this great trek across Asia. What an intersting hodgepodge. Could we have predicted how each of us would turn out back in the days when were were teenagers? I think to some degree our personalities are pretty much the same, having met many of these friends over the years the one thing I am amazed by is how little we have changed. And when I look at the toddlers of my friends', I have to admit that you can already tell which parent's personality the kid takes after, Behavior is such an interesting thing, truly more of its is programmed in our genes than we are inclined to believe. If I were to do a postdoc I would definitely work on behavior or some other form of neurobiology; the brain is the last frontier in my opinion. But I'm not, still, I think about it sometimes.

Am meeting Cheryl and some others for dinner and bowling tomorrow. I couldn't recall when was the last time I did anything social. I have been so consumed with research and music that many things have gone by the wayside. I am having a really good time, I just wish there were more hours in a day.

V saw me yesterday and asked me how my other life was going. It was rather funny, but in a way I do lead two lives, the scientist/PhD student research life, and the then the musician life. So far this week I've had some sort of rehearsal everyday and tonight I have piano. Phew, I have to admit all the nights out make me rather tired....after all, I am getting on in years :P The opera gala concert is progressing really well, though I will have to miss the next two weeks because of the Pagliacci, so I'll probably have quite a bit of catching up to do when I return. Pagliacci is going well though, at this point I just need to sit down and bang out some of the SII notes and then listen to the CD and memorize the part before our first staging rehearsal on tuesday.

Kathleen will be leaving for Sweden on tuesday and will be gone for 5 weeks! I'm going to get one more lesson in before she leaves, and have talked to Desiree about a couple of lessons while she is gone. I'm not really sure about going to another teacher, but Desiree is cool with having a few lessons and it might help me stay on my breath and singing in the right place. I'm still trying to figure out where to place the tone. I have a tendency to "fall back", which results in me sounding woofy, particularly in the middle range, so I have been working on singing forward. But while learning the dew fairy part from Hansel and Gretel I was starting to overcompensate, and the sound was a little too lateral. So I'm working on getting the right balance, and to stay on the breath through my middle range. I suppose its a lot to think about, but hopefully once I get it right then it becomes second nature (?). Who knows, seems like there are some demons that never quite leave us.