I ran into a question…”if you could relive a day in your life what would it be?” Well it would be the day I gave my Graduate Recital in 1993 to obtain my Masters in Applied Music Pedagogy (private teaching). That was a great and rewarding day.

I went to Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, the old Chicago Teachers College. My late, long-time voice teacher was the Chair of the Voice Dept. at that time. It was great! I was able to audition for the music faculty every semester and obtain a tuition waiver for each one. So I basically got through graduate school with very little financial stress. Don’t get me wrong…I was still a poor musician but at least I had my Masters Degree. Haha!

However, the semester after I finished my course work, I had brain surgery. I’m fine. I’m still crazy but that’s for other reasons I’m sure. Hah! It was a shock to the system but my brain was ok as well as my voice and musical abilities. I just had to get myself back on track and head toward recital day. It took 18 months but I did it.

This is probably why my recital is such an important point in my life besides getting the degree I wanted. I worked like a dog in the school arena and then had to work like a dog in the health arena to get myself back to where I was as a singer. And when you are after this type of life accomplishment you have worked so hard for, there is absolutely nothing that will get in your way. You WILL make it to the end and get the prize. I promise you…you WILL!

So getting back into voice lessons, I resumed the path to recital. Set the program…songs and a couple of arias by Carl Maria von Weber and Antonin Dvorak. The university’s accompanist, an unbelievable pianist, accompanied me. I had a guest classical guitarist who accompanied a couple of things by Weber, and a guest soprano who sang a few duets by Dvorak with me. Degree recitals are big deals like this. You invite other musicians to perform a few things with you, and also send out formal invitations to family and friends.

And some comical moments…I was in the dressing room getting ready that evening. All of a sudden an overwhelming feeling of fear engulfed me and I became soooo nervous. And just as quickly it seemed like something slapped that out of my mind and I calmed down. I remember thinking “Oh no…you’ve worked too hard for this. Nothing is going to ruin it now!” I almost got angry. But I had such resolve to nail this moment in time. And…I did!

My guest guitarist played beautifully. He was an undergrad student. He later told me he felt honored to have been part of my recital. Also, me and my guest soprano sang our duets beautifully. The final song cycle by Dvorak that I sang, “The Gypsy Songs,” was a perfect finish for the recital. The songs get more and more wild with the last one being the best. The accompanist is “wiping the walls” with the piano by that time. And mine surely did! Wow!

At the reception the guests applauded as I came in. I was just so thrilled. But you know, it wasn’t just because I finished this milestone in my life, it was also because I had to pause and go through a major surgery that could very well have ruined some if not all of my musical abilities. I do remember the brain surgeon being concerned about that but reassuring me all of that would gradually recover as I recovered. I was so “taken” by that surgeon’s concern.

And as I sit here blogging about this I almost have tears in my eyes. Everything I’ve started in life I’ve finished. It doesn’t matter if I’m famous or rich or whatever. I started a process that I dearly wanted and finished the entirety of it. And the more I think about these moments in life the more proud I get of what I did accomplish, and continue to accomplish. It sinks in eventually.

So that is my story about a day in my life I would relive if it was possible. But I don’t really have to. I have those great memories. Especially the hug my Mom gave me after the recital. Wow! And of course, the Masters Degree. This one meant so much more than anything else since it took a different path, shall we say, to get there.

Now it’s your turn. Think about it. What special moment in your life would you love to revisit if given the chance. Especially if it lead to a great future you love. Do it! And of course, pie. That’s the ultimate reward for moments like these. There’s always room for pie.

Cheers!

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