Post-Hurricane Sandy

It's Sunday....the usual day of posting musings...

Today we have power and heat.  After 5 days of no power, heat or water,  it is something I cherish yet again.

However, so many post-storm have lost so much more.  I see so many angels out there organizing donations,  volunteers,  just offering a hot meal, a hot shower, a place to charge your phone!

If you can,  help however you are able.

Here are few links that may be of use!

https://www.facebook.com/BreezyPointHurricaneSandyReliefFund

http://interoccupy.net/occupysandy/

http://newyorkcares.org/donate_now/text_giving.php

volunteer!
https://ww3.hunter.cuny.edu/shelter-volunteer/view.php?id=2



There are obviously MANY MORE sites, including the red cross - but these sites will take you DIRECTLY to where help is needed with no red tape.  It is a start.  Do what you can if you can.

Here's another one sent to me: I would assume drop off would be possible too - makes more sense:

HELP SANDY VICTIMS:

If you would like to assist in the relief efforts for Hurricane Sandy, my nonprofit organization, Healthwork Solutions, INC is collecting the following items and have arranged to have them picked up and disseminated to the relief center for victims in Rockaway area and Breezy Point- areas hit very hard and is receiving no support as of yet from Red Cross.  These residents are staying in FEMA shelters set up around NYC and have no homes, clothes, food etc.  There are hundreds of children staying in these shelters and we are in need of the following items:

Disposable Diapers – various sizes

Pull-ups

Baby Wipes

Formula – various types

Infant / Toddler warm clothing (onesies, socks, thermal pjs, sweatsuit type clothing, hats, gloves, coats)

Infant Cereal / Baby Food /  Bottled Water/ Infant Juices

Granola Bars

Dry Cereal (like Cherrios)

Coloring Books/ Crayons/ Toys

PLEASE MAIL ITEMS ASAP TO:  Healthwork Solutions Inc 2205 3rd Avenue Suite 4E New York, NY 10035   

For a tax write off, our EIN # is 20-593-1031

Brazil in July 2013

Thomas and I are thrilled to announce we are part of an esteemed faculty at the FESTIVAL OF INTERNATIONAL OPERA OF THE AMERICAS in BRAZIL July 2013 for its INAUGURAL SEASON!

The website is up and changing daily - more auditions and information coming soon!  Check back often for more info!

Hope we see some of you there!

http://www.fioamericas.com

It's a Fine Fine Line...

Happy October Sunday!

I have written about this before, and as I move toward the 18 month mark post-accident in the healing process (which will be on Winter Solstice!) I see many interesting comparisons.

What conversation are we willing - and able - to have with ourselves?  It is a fine, fine line between reality and delusion,  reality and blame, reality and self-abuse, reality and obsession, reality and fixation,  reality and ...You get the idea.

As I continue in my recovery,  I have had to have MANY conversations with myself.  Daily.  The reality is,  I have been in a life-altering accident.  The reality is,  I will never be the same.  The reality is,  my life is a miracle.  The reality is,  I have worked hard.  And, even two months away from a crucial 18 month mark, the reality is,  I will never have full capacity physically.

Now, before you try to be Pollyanna with me saying "there's still time",  "but you don't know",  I don't need that.  Due to the many and ongoing conversations with myself, and having medical professionals in my life who are straight with me and have pushed me to find everything I can find,  I am okay with this.  I know I will NOT be the same.  I accept that.  I do not accept sitting down and feeling sorry for myself.  I still fight to get stronger;  I still fight to do what I can in a new way;  I still work to discover other aspects of my life or my career that might not have been thought of before.  I am still discovering more possibility.

I see this fine, fine line in singers.  (It's everywhere else too, but let's focus on US!).

What kind of conversation do you have with yourself?  Are you even having one?

Are you excuse-ridden?  Do you really HEAR those who you have around you?  Do they enable you? Do they encourage you?  Do they give you other ways of thinking about things?

Do you accept blindly?  Do you fight back immediately?  Do you question their questions?  Do you ask and then explore where that statement, observation came from?

Do you ask yourself why you respond the way you do?

Do you dismiss immediately if it doesn't make you comfortable?

Do you ask questions about your craft?

Do you ask questions about your career?

Do you have pat answers as to why you aren't doing this or why you are doing that?

Do you question your responses to things?

Do you know why you respond the way you do?

How do you respond to yourself?  What do you think about yourself?  About where you are, technically, artistically, within the business?

Do you use the words fair/unfair,  perfect/not perfect?

Do you make excuses?

Do you see yourself as the business does?

Do you see yourself as clearly as you can each day?

Are you self-aware, or self-absorbed, or self-sabotaged, or????

The questions go on and on and on if the conversation with yourself has validity and truth.

And what's the answer?????

Here it is my dearest snow flakes:

The fine, fine line is how you react to your work and the truth of how your work stands.
The fine, fine line is how you CHOOSE to interpret your work,  your instrument,  your career.
The fine, fine line is having a basis in truth, honesty and reality or making a decision to "not know", "not understand", "the business's fault", "so-and-so's fault".
The fine, fine line is between making excuses and simply doing the work.
The fine, fine line is a simple question of:  Am I willing to be honest and truthful and am I willing to take a step into that reality or do I need to twist it to make myself more comfortable?

Honesty isn't always comfortable.  However, if we are willing to stick it out, it can allow us to find more successful possibilities.  Even possibilities we might not have considered re-creating a pseudo-reality.

There is a huge difference between "but it was perfect yesterday" and "Damn I sang it better yesterday".

There is a huge difference between talking about what you THINK you want, and actually doing the work to achieve what you can actually DO.

If we have created a narrative and keep a conservation with ourselves that makes us comfortable all the time,  doesn't allow us to question,  or even want to - that is a huge red flag that perhaps that conversation is one of protection,  not growth or a reality that can enter the business, or  intersect anybody else's conversation.

If you truly want to know,  ASK.  Then listen.  Take it in.  Don't put up defenses.  Work to hear. Allow yourself to truly be.

Every day.

Toronto Intensive in NOVEMBER

Any singers in the Toronto area interested?
I will be in Toronto November 16/17/18 for private sessions.

If you are interested - email me for more info susaneichhornstudio@gmail.com