Carmen: Castanets & Love Duets

2 weeks away: UNLV Opera Theater's "Carmen" Mar. 16-18 in Ham Hall.

You Gotta Get a Gimmick

Happy March! My article on Creative Recital Programming is in the March/April issue of Voice Prints, the newsletter of the New York State Singing Teachers' Association. Click here to read my article on p. 4.

Caffe Breve with Alizma

Yesterday I presented my first faculty recital at UNLV. Entitled "Caffe Breve," the program featured arias and songs all about coffee from Bach's Coffee Cantata to "Taylor the Latte Boy." The concert concluded with the world premiere of a song I wrote entitled "Blonde Coffee" which I wrote with latte girl Kristin Chenoweth in mind. This photograph features my students Aleksandra and Monika Okapiec, two of the Okapiec triplets who are Alizma. Click here to learn about Alizma

2012: A New Year of Possibilities & Costumed Asanas

Happy New Year! 2012 promises new opportunities. My book Yoga for Singers will be reviewed in the upcoming March issues of the Journal of Singing and Yoga Magazine! I'm busy preparing to direct UNLV's production of Carmen, but I realized I haven't uploaded a new video since moving to Vegas. Click here to watch the new YFS video . It's called Costumed Asanas and shows how to modify some yoga poses so you can warm up in costume before an audition or a show. Wishing you well in 2012.

If Mozart's Impresario were casino mogul Steve Wynn

We received positive reviews for UNLV Opera's production of Divas. CLICK HERE TO WATCH “THE IMPRESARIO” Madonna and Lady Gaga are the divas, competing as opera singers and yoginis in front of Steve Wynn, their agent Ari Gold, and the abdonminally gifted Mike Sorrentino aka 'The Situation.' CLICK HERE TO READ A REVIEW OF UNLV DIVAS” It's been an exciting first semester!

UNLV Divas

My first UNLV production has launched Divas, Mozart, and Haydn. Check out our interview with KNPR. Click here for KNPR interview

YFS Review in Voice Prints

Check out the review of Yoga for Singers in Voice Prints, the newsletter of the New York Singing Teachers' Association, p. 6. CLICK HERE FOR YFS REVIEW

Mudras @ CMS & YFS @ Campbell

Last week I traveled to Richmond for the national conference of the College Music Society. Despite the 8 am session time, there was good attendance at my workshop Yoga Breathing and Meditation for Musicians and Speakers. A flutist said she was eager to try the techniques at an upcoming audition. I also did a YFS workshop at Campbell University in North Carolina. Usually I sell some books after the workshop, but here they were buying them beforehand!

Bikram Yoga: Too Darn Hot for Me

Since moving to Vegas, I've taken advantage of the wide variety of yoga options. Most recently I decided to try Bikram Yoga. Bikram has messianic devotees who seem to love its practice. (To watch a 60 Minutes interview with founder Bikram Choudury click here) I admire their focus and commitment but after 2 classes, I've decided it just isn't the right style of yoga for me. They do a set series of poses in order which makes for great discipline, but I couldn't help but miss so many of my favorite asanas. I thought I'd developed a better tolerance for heat since I moved to the Mojave desert, but the humidity makes the heat index too extreme for me to feel healthy. The heat does increase flexibility and certainly makes you be present and live in the moment because all you can do is think of the Kiss Me, Kate song, "It's Too Darn Hot!" If you love to sweat profusely then you may love Bikram, but I felt exhausted from dehydration. As a singer living in the desert, I just don't think it's the right fit for me. Finally, I missed having music to guide and enhance my practice. There was no restorative meditation in Bikram's so-called "torture chamber." So my exploration of yoga styles will continue. I'm enjoying the journey but I hope I'll soon find a studio to call my own.

Wonderful time at Wanderlust

This wonderful yoga and music festival did not disappoint. Check out the great view from The Cosmopolitan's Boulevard Pool.

Cosmopolitan Wanderlust

The yoga and music festival known as Wanderlust is coming to Vegas this weekend! This is my chance to take an Anusara class with its creator, John Friend. Plus I've heard that the Cosmopolitan is a beautiful venue. I'm not familiar with the featured act Thievery Corporation but it sounds like they're a mix of reggae, jazz and Indian classical music. We shall see!

Red Rock Mudra

Hiking at Red Rock Canyon this weekend, I took a moment to meditate on the majestic beauty (and to catch my breath after a steep climb). This hand yoga posture known as Jnana mudra

helps maintain focus and concentration, so it's useful for singers, hikers, et al. I want to do Yoga Sanctuary's Red Rock Yoga Class/Hike but instead of paying $39 for it, I did my own solo hike and meditation for free.

Flow Yoga feature

Yoga for Singers is now featured in Flow Yoga magazine!
Click here for
Flow Yoga link

Yoga in the Yucatan

It's been a busy summer with a cross-country move, but I found time to do some yoga while in Playa del Carmen. Sun salutations sure feel good on the Mayan Riviera!

I've been doing a fair bit of composing (more on that to follow) and exploring the yoga scene in Vegas. From Expressive to Kundalini, Sanctuary to Blue Sky, it's great to have so many options. But I'm most excited about meeting my new students at UNLV, hearing auditions, and starting work on a new opera production.

Yogaforsingers.com is launched

I am so excited to announce the launch of my new website:

YOGAFORSINGERS

The site shares information about my book as well a link to my
YOUTUBEPAGE

Yoga is an ancient tradition, but Yoga for Singers is trying to be very 21st century!

Druid City Opera Workshop Part Deux

I am looking forward to teaching at the 2nd annual Druid City Opera Workshop next week. Besides teaching Yoga for Singers, I get to direct scenes from Elixir of Love, Le nozze di Figaro and Cosi fan tutte. Tuscaloosa was recently ravaged by record tornadoes, so it will be interesting to be working in the city. I'm glad that the workshop wasn't cancelled because it can bring business to Tuscaloosa when it needs it the most.

Now Tweeting

I've finally joined Twitter. Despite my initial resistance, I must admit that I am finding it to be a fun and interesting endeavor. Follow me at @LindaLister1. I am following a number of singers (from Renee Fleming to Lady Gaga) but so far Deepak Chopra has my favorite tweets.

YFS ebook now available

The ebook of Yoga for Singers is now available! It is an ePub, which works on iPad, iPhone, iTouch, Nook, Android, Kobo and Sony Reader. Not on Kindle, unfortunately. So soon I will make a Kindle-friendly pdf available on my website. But for now, buy the ePub or paperback at Lulu.

Yoga for Singers is published!

I am so excited to announce the publication of my book, Yoga for Singers: Freeing Your Voice and Spirit Through Yoga. The culmination of years of work (plus blood, sweat and tears), my book is finally on sale!
CLICK HERE TO BUY!. In 6-8 weeks, it should also be available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other retail outlets.

"B is for Bad Poetry" premieres

On March 21, I returned to Rome to see the senior recital of my former student, Emily Tweedy. In a gorgeous dress suitable for Lakme, she sang the world premiere of a set I wrote for her entitled B is for Bad Poetry. Based on Pamela August Russell's hilarious book, the set seemed to amuse the audience thanks to Emily's witty performance.