Happy Teacher’s Appreciation Week! In some ways, we are all teachers in some capacity.

Kid humor week:
“Last week I got teary singing our goodbye song. This week I farted.”

If I taught you, I’d love for my former students to reply to this post and tell me how you are doing and what you are doing (school, job, career, family, etc..)! Share a funny story from our time together. I’d love to hear your insights. I hope to see other teachers of all types share this post❤️🙏🏻🥰
——————
And to my own influential teachers….
Thank you, Church youth group teachers Virginia Joseph Barry Schaefer for encouraging my interest in spirituality, song leading, and all that is theatrical.

Thank you Mrs Jan Goldberg for opening my eyes to different world viewpoints as a teenager.

Thank you voice teacher gurus Jerry Daniels Sarah Stedman, and Patricia O’Neill for your keen ears and formidable vocal technique tools. It was also invaluable to have you as role models as I found my tribe.

#teachersappreciationweek

SINGING SLEUTHS

By E. Perryman 

5.5.2025

It’s true, I love me some scintillating evil kin, bride-killa, mother may I murder, wives with knives true crime stories. It dawned on me tonight that learning to sing is similar to a series of delightful investigation discoveries sans homicide. Call us singers “sleuths of sound.” We work undercover throughout the seasons of life using Italian vowels, breath flow, and registration blend (to name a few tools) to find our authentic sound. We seek an optimal singers format: an open and balanced resonant tone and a voice that carries with its natural ring. We have to be brave enough to explore our own personal voce di strega aka witch voice which will allow access to effective projection as a result of specific placement of the vocal tract. 

Very few people I know have been able to just open their mouths and sing correctly without training. Think athletics. Training as an athlete is essential regardless of innate ability. And if it DOES come easy for a singer, it’s not necessarily a good thing. Life WILL life. When things go sideways, we will need handy, personalized, and reliable tools to keep the motor running or retool the transmission. 

My student tonight after many years of study and professional singing continues to make strides and grow in her technique. Tonight we found a delightful freedom in lifting up and molar separation. I admire her tenacity and continue to be inspired by our path together.  

Giddy up.  

https://youtu.be/GCluRCd2YuM?si=Zq-oP2rKSTz-ecGg

Fine tuning fun today with Queen Act 1 aria and this talented young dramatic coloratura @miriam.lupu_ who lets me lay challenges in my manic way without batting an eye. So excited for her performances as First Lady on Saturday and Queen of the Night on Sunday (a mommy dearest momma for Mother’s Day). All the best to the great cast of talented students and all who are making this happen!! @wagnercollegevocalperformance @wagnercollege #magicflute #mozartislife

PERFORMANCES

Saturday, May 10th at 7:30PM and Sunday May 11th at 4:00PM on Wagner College’s Main Stage.

Wagner College Main Stage, Main Hall Theatre, One Campus Rd, Staten Island, 10301

Patrons are welcome to park in the Tiers Lot Visitor Parking and the Stadium Parking Lot. To find the Wagner College Main Entrance with aGPS, use 631 Howard Ave, Staten Island, NY.

TICKETING

General Admission: $20

Wagner College Faculty/Staff/Students: Free

At this time, we can only accept cash payments; all proceeds go directly to WCO productions. You can pay at the door or visit the Wagner College Theatre box office during operating hours to purchase your tickets in advance.

“We were the lucky ones” is an extraordinary limited series on Hulu. It has stunned me with its gut wrenching story and exquiste acting. The only thing I fully know after witnessing what this family endured is all that matters at the end of day is the sharing of our humanity. #WeWereTheLuckyOnes

https://www.hulu.com/series/we-were-the-lucky-ones-a38ad6b4-57fb-44d3-89ea-4e74c36823fc

Live Stream:

The Haydn Creation holds a special place in my musical core memories. My dad gave me “With Verdure Clad” as my first oratorio aria in middle school and the creation was my first Eastern Illinois University college choir Oratorio. In 2025, I am grateful for some thrilling 18th century classical creation music making with gifted peers Haydn’s Creation- Cathedral Choir & NJSO. Bravi Tutti!

Happy Hatch Day 5.2.2021; 4 year old kiwi!

https://youtube.com/shorts/6BWa3f605mI?si=l3FRyB9S5WH3aq69

It’s generally true that we artistic folk can be hot tempered er full of intense feels. I watched my Dad mellow exponentially from his fiery 1970s to being a little lambie with elementary kids in the late 1990s. I have mellowed over the years as well as I’m learning to put it all in perspective. That being said, today was time for THE SPEECH. A fave opera director Ben Spierman has called it the “take the suck out speech”. You know the one. Coaches have these speeches too. It goes something like this “you have the talent, should I just let you be sloppy and get away with being just ok? It sure would be easier for me.” Anywho, after my expressed concern, the kids rebounded and put the spring show on its feet by the end of the final spring concert rehearsal. Just in time.😮‍💨 #SpringConcert2025 #juddchorus