Great news!

I have excellent news to report! My leave of absence was approved by T-Mobile today! This is a huge step toward making the trip a reality, so needless to say, I am very excited! Thanks for continuing to celebrate with me!!!

~A

Update...

Another exciting week (0r two?) has flown by, and I have sent my acceptance letters for both programs! They also requested the list of the repertoire I will sing on concerts, recitals and master classes while I am in Italy, and also an acceptance deposit. Included in these forms, I have requested to sing with a teacher my own voice instructor recommended, so I will post that information as soon as I know who I will be studying with.

I am both excited and anxious because I have begun the process of requesting a leave of absence from T-Mobile, my current full-time job. Please pray with me that the HR department sees this as an important experience for me, and that I will get 6 weeks of leave approved with no problems! T-Mobile continues to be an excellent opportunity for me to work with people and learn new things about technology. It would be the best-case-scenario if I could resume my position there after I return, but I am preparing for every outcome. (On a side note, there is only one drawback to traveling to a foreign country...my beloved Sidekick 3 will not work overseas! I am going to use a different phone to use while I am "international," and then of course I'll hurry home to my texting addiction, hehe)

Preparations for my upcoming recital are going very well. I am thrilled to announce that Jennifer Brandon, a new classmate of mine at CTS will be singing with me on one piece that evening. I am excited that we will be able to exercise some of my material before I travel to Italy.

More to come very soon...

~A

A few more details...

It has been quite a day, sharing my news with people and exploring more details of my upcoming time in Italy. I have been accepted to both the Opera Division and the Young Artists Division at La Musica Lirica. I have the role of Suor Infermia (a nun) in the Puccini opera, Suor Angelica. I will perform my role at least twice during my time there (from June 18-July 20). The Young Artists Division includes learning and performing scenes from operas, Italian lessons and several voice lessons each week.

A million thoughts are in my head as I dream of flying over the Atlantic, rehearsals, performance gowns, making connections with world-renowned singers and teachers...but most of all, I keep pinching myself and realizing what a gift this is. Thanks to all of you for your words of encouragement. Please ask any questions, and I'll do my best to post as much info as soon as I get it!

~A

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my very first blog! I am so excited to share this big next step in my life with all of my family and friends! :-) As most everyone knows, I have been singing basically since I could speak, and for years I've dreamed of making it my career. I'm in my second year of seminary, and I'm continuing to discern where I need to be. At the encouragement of my voice teacher, I auditioned for a summer opera program in Italy to help me decide if this is a path I could take. I am thrilled to report that I am on my way to Europe (for the first time) in June and I could not be more anxious to find out what is in store for me there!!! In the meantime, I will be learning lots of music for my role, brushing up on Italian (language and culture) and also performing a recital at the seminary on Sunday, April 15th at 5:00pm, showcasing the repertoire that I have studied over the last year. Stay tuned!!! ~A