Still Life

For the past few years, I’ve been creating little shrines at my dressing station every opening night, built up of all the cards and trinkets and candies that appear from colleagues throughout the evening. To be brutally honest, my expectations were low for this show, considering that almost the entire cast is male, and, well, guys aren’t generally known for their collection of cute stationary. So imagine my joy - and shamefaced-ness!! - when I walked into my dressing room to find that almost everyone had not only placed a card on my table, but had gotten their cards out even earlier than mine! Opening night calls should really be about half an hour earlier than other nights, since we spend time running from room to room, handing out goodies and hugs and spitting over each other’s shoulders to keep the devil away.

Included in this photo: more chocolate than I can eat in a month; Rosina’s last-act hair ornament; the perfect lipstick & pencil combination (for stage, anyway), as paired by Tom, my awesome makeup guy here; a new Moleskine; a rose-scented candle (my gift to my cast - and one for me!); the envelope to the Mo’s card, which is labeled with a transcription of the sweet moment when Figaro and Rosina spell her name; and what will likely be the first in my collection of kaleidoscopes, a gift from someone very special. Oh, and a cigar from JR, which was dutifully enjoyed post-show with the cast. An embarrassment of riches...

It’s a reflection, really, of the chemistry of this cast, both on and offstage. We have had such a great time! Tonight we’re meeting at a local piano bar for some karaoke, a fact which we should maybe keep quiet, as opera singers tend to be either “too good” or spectacularly bad at karaoke… It’s going to be an awesome night!

Opening night was pretty awesome, too, and felt like a real triumph. About ten minutes before curtain, I was almost overwhelmed by nerves, including that very rare voice trying to convince myself that I wasn’t ready, that I was going to fail. That was a scary moment, one I’m not really used to. I sought out MB, a castmate for both this debut and last month’s Susanna, and asked for a hug and a pep talk. His calm joyful energy helped, and the butterflies and fear gave way to excitement. The night got off to a great start, with a wonderful energy in the house and light-hearted interactions between us onstage. As we entered the final chorus at the end of Act II, I think I did a little hop of joy, so happy to have made it through!

I felt like the dress rehearsal was at about 85% of what I wanted to accomplish with the role, and opening night felt like a 95. Pretty damn good, but room to grow! There were some fun moments of discovery onstage, musical and dramatic, and new things were happening (in the best way), so I am excited to see how this character will continue to develop this week.

Tomorrow night we have a donor event, and then I think I might make a midnight trek into the woods to watch the spotted salamanders mating… stay tuned!

Guess who got a new toy?!?This day has been a long time coming. I finally bit the bullet and bought a digital SLR - a "grown up camera!" I am so excited to learn everything about it, and I'm even more excited to get my hands on my dad's Canon lenses next time I'm in CO for a visit... Better check my luggage before I go home, Dad!

I join the illustrious ranks of photography-loving opera folks. We should start a support group! Stay tuned for (brilliantly composed, perfectly exposed) pictures from my adventures...

Things I can’t live without

I’ve done my best to avoid creating a pre-show routine, something that I depend on in order to perform well. Life on the road (and life in general) is too unpredictable to expect to have things a certain way for every performance. (Of course, were I working on Broadway, on a long-running show, I would totally have a routine, and would likely be a “nester” as described in this article from last weekend’s NYTimes.) But there are a few things that I try to have around me, things that give a bit of support no matter what else is going on around me.

Ricola cough drops I almost always have one tucked into my costume somewhere (wrapped, of course… although I have a do story about unwrapped ones…), and I keep one in my mouth almost all the time when I’m off-stage. They just do the trick, soothing and comforting.

Throat Coat tea I usually sip on a mug of this while I’m getting my hair and makeup done. I’m not sure what’s in it, but it feels so good…

Good shoes Whenever I learn that I will likely be put into standard character shoes for a show, I do my best to convince the costume coordinator that my black Beautifeel shoes will pass the mustard muster. (See the comments!) Take my word for it, these are the most comfortable shoes EVER. I wore them throughout Figaro rehearsals last month, and I get to use them for this show, too. Black, ankle strap, “character-ish,” with extra padding on the ball of the foot, they were worth every penny and make all these active on-my-feet roles bearable!

A healthy dinner I’ve always aimed for something high-protein and low-fat, something that would stick to my ribs and give my energy throughout the evening. Fish and rice works sometimes, but these days I’m enjoying a lentil and wild rice dish I made up in Grand Rapids. I eat about 2/3 of a sizable portion about an hour before curtain, and then finish it up after the show is over. I have to eat fairly quickly after the show is over or else I crash - HARD! Last night I paired it with an avocado and some pita chips… yummm.

My iPod I’m constantly studying my score throughout the evening, but every now and then, and definitely on the ride home, I need to rock out. Rogue Wave, The Killers, and (guilty pleasure alert) late-90s country hits fit the bill these days.

Dove facial cleansing cloths Just one easily takes of a full face (and neck) of stage makeup. Add some tinted moisturizer, mascara, and Cherry Chapstick, toss out the pin-curl hair, and I’m ready for the post-show party!

Final dress rehearsal tonight… how did we get here already?! For kicks, here’s the lentil recipe. Happy eating, or I guess I should say, “Mangia!”

1 medium onion, diced
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 tsp chili powder (maybe more? I never measure…)
1 C red lentils
2 C water
pre-cooked wild rice, about 1 1/2 C
1/2 C pistachios or other flavorful nut

Soften the onion in about 2 Tbsp of oil. Add the lentils and stir to coat with the oil; add the spices and stir. Add water and simmer uncovered until most of the water is absorbed and lentils are soft. (They won’t really retain their shape.) Stir in wild rice and pistachios and adjust seasonings.

Generosity

If there is a word that has been a theme in my lessons and coachings and rehearsals over the past few months, I think it might be “generosity.”

JD first mentioned it a few months ago during a French coaching. In the days following Pavorotti’s death last summer, when video and audio clips of his singing were everywhere, she was struck by the overwhelming generosity with which he sang. “He never kept his voice from the audience,” she said. It seemed to her that he was always pouring out his entire voice, always giving it, never hiding it, and the audience could tell.

This kind of vocal generosity is two-fold, I think. One element is technical: singing with an open, unrestricted throat, a mouth and jaw that know how to freely and easily form language, and a fully engaged breath that allows the sound to pour out unimpeded. This is the sound that makes you say, “Wow, what a voice…” Moments of vocal disconnect are few and far between with this kind of generous singing.

The other element is, of course, mental. Or maybe even spiritual. It’s the ability to open your heart to your audience, to give freely of your artistic self, without fear of rejection or expectation of reward. That could be the definition of generosity, right? This is the kind of sharing that makes you think, “Wow, what a singer…”

In the greatest singers, like Pavarotti, both elements are present. Generosity of voice, generosity of heart. There are some days when it’s easier than others to be generous of heart, and some days when the voice is more unwieldy than others. But with practice, generosity can become the normal state of things. (This obviously applies to other areas of life, too, right?)

Our director mentioned generosity the other day as we were staging the finale. He encouraged us to “practice being generous with the audience,” even though we currently don’t have one. Things like keeping your eyes bright, or feeling the love and joy and excitement of the music passing through you into the theater, or even just smiling when you sing - these are things that can be practiced. The more you practice them, the more truly they come through once the audience - the recipients of your gifts - are finally present.

Tonight is our piano dress rehearsal. I am a bit heavy of heart today, and my voice feels funny, but I am going to practice generosity tonight. Practice, practice, practice… Who knows, maybe there is someone there who needs what little I have to give.

Preview

There is a fantastic preview of Barbiere in the Dayton City Paper today - complete with a huge picture on the cover! You can see that both the Figaro and Almaviva are red-heads; I’ve been tempted to dye my hair! Of course, we’ll all be wigged for the performances (none of us look particularly Spanish), but for this photo shoot we just went au natural.

This afternoon I’m actually going to participate in some tourist activities, something I rarely have the time or energy to do on the road! We’re going to check out the National Museum of the US Air Force, which will satisfy both the museum-loving dork and the Air Force brat in me.

Speaking of being a Brat: I’ve written here before of the difficulties of not having a home town, per se. When filling out my paperwork for Dayton Opera’s program, I was once again faced with the question: What is your hometown? I decided to take a chance, and I wrote “Military Brat!” I spoke with the Artistic Administrator at the Gala on Saturday, and she said that when she read that, she took it to the General Director and they discussed this unusual answer. Then it dawned on them that one of the largest Air Force bases in the country, Wright-Patterson - is right here in Dayton! There will be a large portion of the audience who will completely understand the concept of not having a hometown!!

Full steam ahead

Dear friends:

The show’s going well in Dayton. The Figaro is so dreamy, I just can’t stand it! This is the best Figaro EVER and did I mention that the Figaro is really good?!?

Ok, so the above paragraph was dictated by Andrew Garland, my fabulous Figaro here in Dayton. (I’ve been lucky enough to have back-to-back fabulous Figaro’s!) We are all here at “our coffeeshop,” on a break after a very useful rehearsal in which we all ran through our recitatives, working to get the flow going and to get past the “what words and notes am I supposed to sing here?” stage to “let’s communicate and tell a story here!”

I have to say, the hardest part of learning this role in two months has been really getting the language into my head, getting past the long-vowels and double-consonants stage. With Susanna, I carried around those papers with my texts on them for weeks - months, even - until I knew my lines forward and back. It’s been a bit of cram this time around… I finally had to just let go of the thinking and jump to the feeling. Once I put my book or my cheat sheets down, I’m free to really connect with my colleagues on-stage, to find the natural connection of one line to the next, rather than just trying to remember what comes next!

I’m also still building the character - who is Rosina? I’m going to write a post exclusively on this topic to cross post over on the DO blog, but I will say here that it has been a real challenge to get Mozart’s Countess out of my mind. (The Countess in Nozze is Rosina, five years or so after the events of Barber take place…) The way we have the finale of Barber staged, there is even a moment of staging that is a “flash forward” to a moment in Nozze; I find the (unintentional) symmetry beautiful.

Today: an afternoon working session, hitting on some things in Act I that need finesse, and then tonight we “stumble through” the show. A day off tomorrow, then another stumble through on Saturday morning and the Sitz Saturday afternoon. I can not wait to get with the orchestra for this one!

A teaser: by the end of the 08-09 season, I will have repeated a role!! Boy, am I ever looking forward to that experience...

Out of touch

I’m having a harder time than I expected dealing with the lack of internet at my home stay… I enjoy getting to bed at a decent hour because I don’t spend too many hours on Facebook, but I feel really out of touch with my friends and family. I’ve never been a big fan of talking on the phone, so my primary communication method for years has been the internet: blogs, IMs, emails, and of course now the addition (addiction) of Facebook. I never feel far from my “people,” no matter what corner of the world they may be wandering.

But this week has been different. I haven’t been aware of my friends’ every move through their status updates. I’ve had to binge on blogs, which doesn’t really allow for true digestion of content. I haven’t written as many emails, and you can only GET email if you WRITE email. So, in short, I’m feeling lonelier than usual when on the road. If you happen to get a phone call from me this month, don't pass out from the shock!

Lonely is a funny thing with me. I really like being alone and I need a certain amount of silence around me in order to really feel at peace. And being alone is different than feeling lonely or out of touch. I haven’t been getting enough time alone this week, either, so I’m a bit out of sorts. Out of sorts and and out of touch makes ACB a little bit of a downer...

The lack of internet has affected my blogging, too, in that I’ve only been able to write when I’ve been at my coffeeshop. I think this has much to do with the fact that I tend to do several things at once while I write: write emails, do searches for references for the post, read other blogs, etc.. And in order to do those things, I have to be online. Meh. I just found a Panera closer to my house than the downtown coffee shop, so I may get over there more often. We’ll see. I miss writing! I didn’t realize until this week how much this has also become part of my balancing routine.

Sorry for the downer post, and sorry for the lack of writing this past week (and likely the next few weeks)! Another facet of this crazy wonderful life. The opera is having their annual black-tie gala tonight, so I am looking forward to getting all dolled up (remember that Badgley Mischka gown I bought in the fall?!?!) and having a good meal and hitting the dance floor!

In other news, I found an art gallery here in Dayton with some paintings by a local artist. There are some landscapes that I absolutely LOVE… I might just have to buy one. My souvenir from Dayton might end up being art instead of clothes… stay tuned!

Keeping up

Since I don't have internet at home, I'm in the process of adding RSS feeds to my .mac mail program. I have felt so out of touch with blogs this week! Hopefully this way I'll be able to keep up... Tips for new blogs?

More updates soon! We have a day off tomorrow, so after a night out and a sleep in I'll do a "week in review."

Let's start at the very beginning

I've been asked to contribute to the Dayton Opera Artists' blog, and what follows is my first post. It was interesting to write a "get-to-know-you piece," of a sorts, rather than just building on my established relationship with the the blogosphere... I hope I found a good balance, and hopefully I'll introduce a few new folks to the glory of the opera blog world!

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Rehearsals have begun! Today we started getting Barber up on its feet, yet we spent nine hours together before we started the staging process.

The first three were spent in “table talk,” a conversation led by our director, Gary Briggle, which took us through topics like characters relationships, what sort of story we’re hoping to tell; and how exactly we hope to tell that story. For my character, Rosina, this led to questions like “How did she come to be the ward of Don Bartolo?” and “What is her friendship with Figaro like?” and “How does her attraction to and intention for the Count change over the course of the opera?” This is the sort of conversation and work that is crucial to good honest story-telling on-stage, but due to short rehearsal periods, it is so often skipped over. What a joy to start off with this level of detail work! It felt so indulgent! It was also a great way for us all to get to know each other a bit before we started the business of being friends and adversaries and lovers on stage.

Another thing Gary asked each of us was how we are hoping to define a success in our work here with this production. What a wonderful question! I am the only member of the principal cast who is performing their role for the first time, so my idea of “success” has everything to do with the music. There are so many notes, and so many ornamentations and fancy outbursts (often called “cadenzas”) that are “traditional” or “stylistic,” and, frankly, they are a bit intimidating! I will feel that I have given a successful interpretation of Rosina if every one of those cadenzas is inspired by the emotion Rosina feels at the moment or is motivated by the action she is carrying out. I am looking forward to discovering the emotions and motivations behind all of those little black dots...

And speaking of little black dots, the other six hours were spent in music rehearsals with our “maestro,” Neil Gittleman. In a masterful example of efficient time management, we worked our way through the entire opera in two rehearsals! With an opera like Barber in which there is a vast history of “performance practice,” it is so important to take the time to make sure the singers and the conductor are on the same page: what ornament are you singing here? what tempo do we want there? how do we get from here to there? what cuts are we doing? We found a lot of answers and established a great foundation that we can build on as we work through staging.

For me, singing all this with colleagues for the first time, it was a great opportunity to see which spots need a bit more attention! As would be expected, there are a handful of moments when Rosina and Almaviva sing very intricate lines together, expressing their excitement and desire for each other. It was so fun - and a little terrifying! - to sing those with John, hearing the potential for an absolutely thrilling musical experience. Everyone is being very supportive and patient with me as I work out my routines. They all sang their roles for the first time once, too, so everyone understands my nerves!

As rehearsals progress, these moments that are new will become familiar, nerves will give way to excitement and fear to joy! Stay tuned…

Here, there

Sure enough, Saturday's blizzard in Ohio caused my flight to be canceled and afforded me an extra day at home. “Found time,” a friend called it, and it was lovely. All the stress I’d been feeling on Friday dissipated and l pretty much just relaxed. No need to stress about packing for a month: I was already packed! No need to stress about wanting more time to study: I had another afternoon! And of course it’s never any use stressing about the weather, because there is absolutely nothing I can do about that! So I ordered in from my favorite Thai place and alternated study sessions with episodes of LOST.

Streaming TV episodes online, my new indulgence. But alas - no internet at my home TH! (Temporary Home, in case you missed that its first time around.) So my addiction to Facebook and Bloglines and checking my email obsessively is facing judgement day. I expect the shakes and sweats of withdrawal to start any moment now. But thank god for coffee shops with free wifi! I’ll have to find one tomorrow. (*Updated: It took an extra day, but I found a great coffee shop across the street from the theater. I’ll likely become a regular…)

This time around I’m in a lovely green-walled room with a Florencia en el Amazonas poster above the bed and sweet white bedding with pink and green flowers that reminds me of sheets I had when I was a kid. I’m sitting in the chair in my room with one of my magic travel tricks: the rice sock. I pack a (clean, never worn) soft cushy sock, and then fill it with two pounds of Jasmine or other scented rice when I arrive at my destination. In this case I didn’t even have to go out and buy it; my hostess had an extra bag. Pop that baby in the microwave for two minutes, and voila! A balm for tight neck and back muscles. I think LR back in Seattle first introduced me to this wonderful innovation. I have one that I keep at home, but figured it didn’t make sense to lug around two extra pounds when I could just buy the rice at my destination. I tried it out on my last trip, and can’t imagine I’ll leave it at home ever again!

Other comforts of home: my favorite picture of my grandfather, my “good-luck” ladybug beanie baby, my perfume (by the time I get back to NYC, it’ll be time to switch back to my spring scent! yay!), beautiful new stationery (a birthday gift), and probably more pairs of shoes than I really need. Tomorrow: get my rental car, get some groceries, find some internet, and then meet the cast! We have a “table work” session tomorrow afternoon and then Act I musical tomorrow night. Here we go!

Are you kidding me?

I am having the worst luck with weather and travel this winter!!

Hmmm. Suddenly I feel like just going to bed and waiting to pack until I see if my 2pm flight is actually going to make it out of here...

And speaking of packing, how do I fit the transition from blizzardy winter to spring in two medium suitcases? It's a mystery.

Follow-up links

My concert-mate from last night, DJA, has written a wonderful post about virtuosity. "You learn that the flashiest elements of virtuosity -- like the ability to play very fast with a lot of accuracy -- are not necessarily the most important, and that subtlety and nuance are both more meaningful and more elusive."

And if anybody cares to hear Facing North, check it out in this episode of WNYC's New Sounds. Excerpts from Facing North start around minute 29, with "Long Shadows" starting at minute 37 and "Hocket" just before minute 43. So amazing...

So glad I didn’t stay home...

I’m not at all sure how to put into words the experience I had tonight at the M6 concert at Symphony Space.

First of all, I remembered Sid’s post about memorizing Boatman, and I realized that my little charts for the Barber ensembles are child’s play. The nuance in the performances tonight was exceptional. And it was all memorized! And had a feeling of improvisation and freedom and joy that can only come from knowing something inside and out. I was humbled!

I was also proud to be witnessing the beginning of something new, something “next.” A legacy in progress. Congratulations to all involved.

But mostly I left with an incredible excitement to sink my teeth into... The Barber of Seville!! When I said this to TM, he replied, “That’s like me going to an Eliot Carter concert and saying I can’t wait to get to work on a Mozart Flute concerto!” I know, I know, it sounds crazy, but hear me out.

There were two specific elements that inspired me, things that I needed an infusion of passion for before I could be the Rosina that I want to be. This role is iconic. Everyone knows her, there have been so many incredible interpreters of the role, and I feel like I need six more months to fully understand her character and the musical world Rossini created for her. But, obviously, I don’t have six months! I’ve been learning and studying and singing, but I think I’ve been really scared.

Tonight the things I learned from the M6 performers have given me courage - and excitement! - to sink my teeth into this role in a new way.

One was virtuosity. Nothing says “virtuosity” like Rossini, or is it the other way around? And I’ve been approaching all of these melismas (runs of fast notes) with serious trepidation, knowing I could sing them but unsure how to “sell” them. What was the point? Isn’t it just about showing what cool things you can do with your voice? What’s exciting about that?

Nothing, really, if your only goal is show off the cool things you can do with your voice. Virtuosity for virtuosity’s sake is gross. But tonight I saw virtuosity with intent - musical, dramatic, emotional, intellectual. And it was moving! Exciting! Beautiful! This seems like a no-brainer, but I’d become blinded by all the little black dots and flags. All I could see was the music. I’d completely forgotten what the music is there for.

Which leads me to the next thing I saw on that stage tonight: communication. These performers were TALKING to each other. Sharing ideas, having arguments, loving and consoling and laughing with each other. And yet not a single “word” was sung or spoken. It was all gibberish, “nonsense” syllables. But I saw more true communication between people tonight than I’ve seen on many an opera/theater stage, where there are actual words in actual languages.

This incredible openness and communication paired with virtuosity created, as you can imagine, an unparalleled performance. Truly inspiring. I was sorry it was so late when I got home, because I wanted to do nothing more than launch into “Una voce poco fa” at full volume! Tomorrow...

Oh, and another thing I took away from the concert tonight? I now have a new requirement for my future boyfriend: he must be willing to learn Monk’s Facing North with me and sing it as we walk down the street.

Tim says this is self-explanatory

ACT I FINALE

A - Mi par d’esser con la testa in un orrida fucina,
B(b)[∑] - dove cresce ([e mai] non resta)
C - del l’incudini sonore l’importuno strepitar.
D - Alternando questo e quello
E - pesantissimo martello
F - fa con barbara armonia
(g)G - (murie e volte) rimbombar.
W(w) - (E il cervello), poverello,
X - gia stordito, sbalordito,
Y - non ragiona,
Z (z)[s] - si confonde, (si riduce [ad impazzar])

1 A A B b C
2 D E D E
3 D E E E
4 F F g g G SI D E F G
5 W W X W W X Y Y Y Z Y Y Y Z
6 W W X Y Y Y Z
7 WXYZ
8 s s z

RECAPITULATION

1a A A B ∑ b C
2 D E D E
3 D E E E
4 F F g g G SI D E F G
9 W X Y Z W X Y Z
10 w z
9 W X Y Z W X Y Z
10 w z sssss

Any questions?! :)

Awesome things people have said about Rosina:

“Man, that’s a lot of recit.” I guess maybe it is, but after Susanna’s recits, this feels like nothing. I think I could fit all of my lines on one piece of paper - with translations, even. A walk in the park.

“She only gets two real arias, right?” Right. Only. Two really long arias with more 16th notes than I’ve ever sung in my life. AND I’m supposed to come up with something creative and original for all the cadenzas?! Ohibo. Maybe for my next Rosina; at this point I think I’m too scared to be terribly creative. (More on this…)

“Yikes…. you know it’s bad when you’re saying the only thing on your plate is Rosina and you feel relieved about it.” This from an iChat with AC (my mezzo alter ego ), and it pretty much sums up how insane the past six weeks have been! I’m still very nervous about starting rehearsals, but I have a bit of clarity and perspective now that makes me think I’ll get through it. Somehow.

Gardening

I thought the world was sugarcake, for so our master said.
But now I’ll teach my hands to bake our loaf of daily bread.
We’re neither pure nor wise nor good; we’ll do the best we know.
We’ll build our house and chop our wood and make our garden grow.

When I first sang these words as a high school junior at State Choir in Salt Lake City, I thought it was the silliest song ever. I distinctly remember thinking, “This song makes no sense.” Ah, the folly of youth.

I’m a bit overwhelmed by the awesomeness of today’s Sing For Hope concert. All I know at this moment is that my friends and colleagues are first rate, talented and generous and sweet. We have laid some outstanding groundwork for future collaborations with and for Children’s Aid Society. (People are already talking about next year’s event.) But there were also some new connections made today among my friends, folks who didn’t know each other but who discovered many awesome things in common.

Something I forgot to mention in my short speech today was another part of my inspiration for this concert. A couple of years ago, maybe even just last year, my mom asked that instead of giving her birthday/Mother’s Day/Christmas presents, we instead give a “random act of kindness” to a stranger. (I think I’ve mentioned this in terms of giving away my post-concert flowers.) This idea has really grown in me this year, and I have sought out opportunities to give back more and more often. This concert was in part a rather large manifestation of that, a late Christmas and early Mother’s Day gift to my mom. Thanks, Mom!

I have not always been a giving person. I think I had a lot to work out before I could be open enough to give without fear of “running out,” without wondering if there would be anything left for me. Or, frankly, before I could even see that anything needed to be given, before I could extend my view beyond myself. But now I think I truly understand the ideas behind the adages “to whom much is given, much is required,” and “the more you give, the more you receive.”

I’m promptly running out of steam, as my post-show high wears off and my nose gets more and more stuffed up (currently I can only breathe through my mouth), so I’m going to wrap this up, unfinished and unfocused as it is. The point I really wanted to make was that I have fully embraced my status of being “neither pure nor wise nor good,” and through the daily work of (metaphorically) chopping wood and building my house, I have found that I have more to give than I ever knew.

I would like to think that we planted some seeds today, both in the hearts of folks who support CAS and other wonderful charities and also in the minds and spirits of the students who saw and heard us perform. I know at least one student in the choir is considering a career in music, and I hope we encouraged her and others to follow that dream. It’s a wonderful life! (Crazy sometimes, but wonderful nonetheless!) If you would like to help us make this garden grow, please consider making a contribution to Children’s Aid Society. When you call or print out the form, please mention Sing For Hope and the music programs. Unlike cooks in the kitchen, it’s impossible to have too many gardeners in this garden...