What I learned about money from Enrico Caruso

Op-ed

The voice in my head wants me to be a brilliant actor, an incredible singer, the best blogger, a life changing financial planner, and everyone's favourite friend. I want all the things. You see… I'm not the kind of guy who can do just 'one thing'. I like having multiple focuses… focusi? And so I'm constantly in conflict with my want to do all of things, and my want to be great at all those things. The smaller the focus, the larger the voice.

Oh look, it's the "elitist" argument again...

Op-ed

But here's the kicker in my eyes: no one bats an eye when someone says, "Oh, she's a Susanna, not an Ariadne," but thinking that this Susanna would also sound great as Lucy in The Secret Garden garners a completely different response.

In defense of the "day" job

Op-ed

But for real...for some reason, I have found that the "day job" has a negative connotation within the performing arts/musician community. As if accepting the day job is a form of "giving up," a "distraction." That because I am focusing my attentions on this alternative to support myself, (and you know… feed myself,) that somehow I have lost focus and am not giving the dream my all, that I am in a sense... throwing in the towel, or "not working hard enough."

Why 'mezza voce' and budgets really don't matter

Op-ed

There are a million ways to communicate an awesome idea. I sing opera. Maybe you paint on canvas, or channel your soul through the words of Shakespeare. There are also a million ways to make peace with money. I use financial planning and teach it to others, but that doesn't mean it's the right tool for you.

Tenors' redemption at an historic Grey Cup in Toronto

Op-ed

“I don’t think we can see ourselves performing with Remigio again,” fellow Tenor Fraser Walters said in July of this year. Rightly so. The backlash received by the quartet immediately after Pereira's "going rogue" prompted the decision back in the summer, and no amount of back-pedalling by Pereira was able to save his spot in the roster - imagine. Not even this non-apology released on Soundcloud was enough to save him.

A diction lesson: French Canadian swearing

Op-ed

Words like tabarnak, câlisse, criss, simonaque, ciboire, calvaire, viarge and esti are nouns, so they generally require a "de" after them when they are used to describe something. A few of them were used as adjectives on a few occasions, which sounds off to a native speaker. For example, you can't say "that tabarnak chair". A connector word is missing: "that tabarnak de chair", "cette tabarnak de chaise". It's like saying "that f*ck chair", it just doesn't work, it has to be "f*cking" for it to make grammatical sense.

Don't miss: yoga & mindfulness for singers

Op-ed

On December 15th, opera singers will come together for a yoga and meditation practice specifically designed for their profession. We are Opera Yogis Madison Arsenault and Danielle Simpson, and we have designed a 2-hour workshop for singers who want to carry the benefits of yoga into their singing.

This year's Elizabeth Krehm Memorial Concert: a follow-up

Op-ed

At last count, the evening raised over $20,000 for the ICU at St. Michael's Hospital, showing once again that music can heal almost any hurt. On the whole, since the inaugural concert, the Krehms have raised over $60,000 in support of the place that provided Elizabeth with the top-level care and support.

What crippling stage fright taught me about money

Op-ed

A money technique is built in the same way, by investing hours of time into building solid fundamentals. Instead of breath, it's cashflow (the daily ins and outs of your money), instead of onsets it's deliberate decision making (learning to stop making default money decisions and make the ones you really want), and instead of working with someone to lift your soft palette, you work with someone to find one of a thousand little ways you can make your money life easier (by building a safety net, learning to save, and eliminating debt).

...and then it was November

Op-ed

You may be the title-holder of a thousand singing prizes. You still didn't fit the bill. You may have been the toast of the town at the end of last season - but you still didn't fit the bill. You may be the most delightful person to work with - but you still didn't fit the bill. You may have received nothing but glowing reviews - but you still didn't fit the bill.