Wrapped up a warm, fuzzy weekend of Amahl and the Night Visitors. This experience was loads of fun and it has me counting blessings this week. Here’s a short list of life-lessons learned.

1. Singing is more fun when you are surrounded by friends.

Have you ever noticed there’s no singing 4-part harmony by yourself?

2. Talent is God-given. However, it demands an incredible amount of dedication and perseverance to develop to full potential.

Enjoyed talking to these pros about their experiences.

These guys were amazing and left me speechless at every performance! Bravi, bravo, (or is it hur-ray?) for honing your craft and reminding me of what greatness can be achieved with hard work and focus.

You guys were nice, too. Thank you.

3. Memorization is just plain difficult. I thought the music in Amahl was easy to sing. Yes, the notes were pretty easy....but yikes.…the laundry list of names and items we sang about were daunting.

Assumed the lists were more difficult for me because of my old, moldy brain. It was like singing tongue twisters.

In retrospect, the task seemed difficult for most everyone.

For me, memorizing requires repetition, re-pe-ti-tion and more REPETITION. I got tripped up a couple of times, but by the last show, I finally got it!

Memorizing is hard. There are no shortcuts.

4. I have a touch of claustrophobia.

The backstage area was cramped. I sensed the walls closing in on me. Tried hard not to have body odor, but they instructed us not to wear anything with fragrance because it can set off people’s allergies. So….I can’t be sure. Singers are a sensitive bunch. Thank you cast, for your understanding. The same can be said for unexpected flatulence.

5. Amarillo has an abundance of home-grown talent.

Who would have thought Jackalope Flats could be an artsy oasis? Better believe it, because it’s true.

6. Watch the conductor. Want to have success in navigating the music? It’s nice to glance his way once in a while.

7. Having kids in the audience makes for a more energetic and fun audience.

This show was perfect for the 5-and-up crowd. The Kings’ entrance made for some wide eyes and dropped jaws.

8. I find meaning in being part of ‘something bigger’ than myself. (See #1)

I enjoy being around people. There’s always something new to learn and ways to have the imagination stretched.

Thank you Amahl cast-mates. Thank you, Amarillo Opera for the opportunity to sing and for allowing me to be a small cog (or shepherd) in creating this art for our community.

Promise to continue working on the body odor issues.

Mignonette-love to all.