New Year, New Chapter, New Blog

Yesterday morning, I woke up earlier than usual (meaning I set an alarm instead of just sleeping til I woke up). Had a good breakfast, showered, went through the somewhat elaborate routine to control my curls, got dressed, even put on makeup. And all the while I did this, I had butterflies.

Situation normal, right? This sounds like every other morning that I’ve gotten ready for an audition, especially one I was particularly excited about. Butterflies are nerves that, in my experience, are not fear-based, but are rather indicators of excitement and anticipation. I get butterflies when, as B says, I’m prepared and excited to see how the audition is going to unfold. No fear, just curiosity.

That pretty much sums up how I felt yesterday, but I wasn’t heading to an audition. We were going to St. Vincent’s antepartum unit for our 1st trimester ultrasound. That’s right: The Concert is pregnant!

It goes without saying (and yet I will say it) that this is going to change our lives in a big way. And not just our lives as people, but our opera-singing lives as well. It already has, in that I had to decline two really awesome contracts for summer work, and I’m preparing my spring roles with a mind towards the fact that I’ll be in a very different shape at that point! B is going to have changes come his way, too, as we agree that we’ll need to take turns, as much as possible, with the sacrifices and compromises that parenthood will bring to our careers. We’re not just two opera singers having side-by-side careers now; we are a family of opera singers! God help us.

The Concert has been, up to now, a blog about finding my way as a professional opera singer. I’ve pretty much found that way, and as such, haven’t really had much to write about for a while. But entering this new chapter in my life and career makes me think that I might have new things worth sharing, new things I might need to suss out through writing. And so, I’m moving to a new blog: Baby’s First Opera.

Now, I promise that this won’t turn into a “mommy blog,” and I’m not sure I can even promise to write more than once a week. Not every post will be about family, and maybe not every post will be about singing, but it seems like a natural progression for the blog (as it is for my life) to work through the trials and joys of being an opera singer and a mother. What’s it going to be like to sing Marguerite at six months pregnant? How is my technique going to be affected? How will B and I navigate our travel schedules with our home life? Can babies nap through their mother’s (or father’s) practice sessions? I have no idea at this juncture, but I hope you’ll join me for the ride. It will undoubtedly be unlike anything I’ve yet experienced, but through it all, there will be singing.