New Links

I’ve added a few new links to the Blog Roll:

Although I’ve been a reader for quite some time, I kept forgetting to add Terry Teachout’s About Last Night. It’s there now, and we are all glad to hear that TT is recovering, and with his wit intact.

For a view from the piano bench, check out Christopher Foley’s Collaborative Piano blog.

At Vertesi, another singer joins the rank and file of music bloggers, this one a young bass finishing up a Bachelor’s degree at Indiana University. (His girlfriend, a soprano, also blogs at Too Many Sopranos.)

Finally, Kim Pensinger-Witman has embarked upon a blogging journey through a year at Wolf Trap Opera. From the application and audition process, to choosing singers and repertoire, all the way through to closing night next August, follow along as an opera administrator gives us a glimpse into the business of opera. For an introduction and explanation, be sure to read her first post.

I will also point to her post on blogging singers. This topic – is it safe to blog? – seems to be giving a lot of bloggers a lot of grief these days, and KPW has some good things to add to the conversation. Specifically, her “test” for everything she writes: I imagine that I am reading it from the perspective of the following people: a colleague, an aspiring singer, an amateur musician, a classical music fan, and an arts patron. That doesn’t mean that every sentence is relevant to all readers, but it does assure that it’s not inflammatory. If important ideas don’t pass the test, they’re not jettisoned, just reframed. Good advice. We’re all happy to have you along for the ride, Kim!

Thanks to all the bloggers, anonymous and otherwise, who have made 2005 such a fun year for me. I’ve discovered new friends, new musicians, new interests, and most importantly, new things about myself. I hope you all, bloggers and non-blogging readers alike, can say the same for your Year in the Blogosphere!