Some days you get up early and go to the gym, eat a healthy vegetable-heavy breakfast, pack a sensible lunch, and check everything off on your to-do list.

Then there are other days.

​Today is an other day.

Today, in honor of #GivingTuesday, I encourage you to support the following organizations, as I will. All of them are doing great important work.

Boston Opera Collaborative, devoted to developing the careers of emerging artists through entrepreneurship training and performance opportunities.

Indie Opera Podcast, which provides and independent voice in the opera world.

Resonance Works Pittsburgh, committed to bringing classical music of all genres to venues across Pittsburgh.

ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union, which fights to preserve the individual rights and freedoms granted by the US Constitution.

Planned Parenthood, which defends the rights of the individual to manage their own fertility as well as providing affordable and necessary healthcare to men and women across America.

CAIR-New York, which advocates on behalf of the rights of American Muslims, and combats Islamophobia.

New York Cares, which matches people who want to volunteer with organizations in need of volunteers, thereby improving education, meeting the immediate needs of New Yorkers living in poverty, and revitalizing public spaces.

Who will you be giving to on #GivingTuesday? Share in the comments if you have a favorite non-profit.

Instead of listening to music, I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. That will have to do for today.

Morning church-singing;
Afternoon sofa-sleeping;
Then evening panic.

There's something sad about the road trip home after a holiday with family, or a vacation or a gig.

If you're traveling today, as I am, I wish for you safe, traffic-free roads (or skies).

Wishing you all easy digestion today.

Every year, my extended family on my father's side gathers in a suburb of Portland, ME to celebrate Thanksgiving. I hope you all are enjoying the holiday with beloved friends or family.

This year I am thankful for loving and supportive family and friends, my upcoming projects and performances, and some very exciting family news that I am not yet at liberty to announce.

What are you thankful for?

I am perpetually looking for places where I can squeeze in practice time. One way I do this is taking an hour lunch break twice a week to go around the corner to Opera America and use their beautiful practice room space. Since most weeks I only get two real hours of practice time, I always have to have a plan.

My plan today is to work on two Wolf songs and my favorite song of all time: Gustav Mahler's setting of Liebst du um Schoenheit.

Translation:

If you love for beauty, do not love me!
Love the sun with its golden hair!

If you love for youth, do not love me!
Love spring - spring is new every year!

If you love for riches, do not love me!
Love the mermaid, she has many luminous pearls.

If you love for loves sake, then love me!
Love me forever, I love you always, forever!

(from CECMusic.com)

Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites is set during another time of political unrest, the French Revolution. While I am hesitant to draw a direct parallel between what is happening in our country right now, issues of class warfare, religious persecution, and populist movements were central themes during that period.

In traditional stagings, the nuns march to their death at the guillotine, but I found this particular rendering to be very effective. I'd ask you to enjoy it, but I'm not sure that's the proper verb.

Anyone else want to share a favorite emotional moment in opera?