Dear friends,
I apologize for my absence from the blogosphere these past few months, it has indeed been a busy time!
Last December, I gave my first public recital here in Israel - an evening
of art song. The concert was predominantly German works, with Ravel's Greek songs and a token Israeli piece. Everyone enjoyed themselves, myself included! I have opened a SoundCloud account, where I posted clips from my last two concerts (I don't post full songs because of copyright issues). And I also built a short and sweet website,
where you can find all of my official details.
I went back to the States for the holidays, stopping first in Orlando to visit a friend whom I haven't seen since before I came to Israel! She works for Universal Studios, so we spent a packed day touring the park, spending lots of time in the Harry Potter section. It felt a bit like a living museum, I was happily surprised with it. After sunny Orlando, I headed up to Wisconsin, only to be surprised by extremely mild weather. Our lake did not freeze until nearly January, which has never happened in all the time that I've lived there. It was just surreal. We got snow in time for Christmas, so it felt slightly more normal.
When I returned to Israel, I began preparing for a Lieder competition in Germany. It is the International Schumann competition, so I have to prepare about one hour's worth of music. I am up to my ears in Schumann pieces now and I am waiting to hear back from them. In the meantime, I am preparing for another recital in May that my friend Eleonora will also sing on. We're calling it "עם קול הלב" - a play on words. "כל" means "all," but "קול" means voice, so it is "With the voice of the heart," but it sounds like "With all of the heart." Last week, I was busy
making a recording for a Lieder master course in Austria for which I
have applied. After I gave up the notion that it needed to be perfect, I
was able to enjoy the recording process and I am very pleased with the results.
Business aside, I am enjoying life, especially now that Spring is coming to Israel. In February, I moved to a new apartment and I am enjoying life above the
ground floor with lots of air and sunlight. My plants are also very
happy with their new home - I have a sweet potato plant that is
threatening to take over the kitchen! I will have to find a new place
for it soon. The weather keeps oscillating between cold/windy and sunny, but I hope that the cold/windy days will start to diminish. Already the trees are beginning to bloom here and there throughout the city. I am waiting for the tree outside my kitchen window to bloom - right now it is just full of red buds.
I hope that you are all well and that Spring is making its way to your corner of the world.
much love and peace,
daniella
Monday, March 21, 2016
Saturday, November 14, 2015
Le monde, je t'aime
My sister and I have been working this week to release our very first
CD/DVD from our concert in August.
Last night when I started to look at the news, I felt an old feeling of helplessness - what can I do when it seems like the world is exploding all around me? What can do to ease the hurt of all of these people? What makes a person so desperate and angry that they feel they need to take someone else's life? So many questions that I may never understand the answer to - can anyone?
I thought about my concert with my sister and thought, "Is it unfeeling to release this CD now? What right have we to ask people to buy this when there are so many more "worthy" things in the world that people could give their money to?"
But as I listened to our performance together, I remembered how much I enjoyed putting together this concert. I remembered how it felt to bring this concert to an audience of strangers, performing with a person whom I know and love more than anyone in the world.
And I decided, "Yes, the world could use a bit more love right now."
I love to sing.
Despite all the challenges it brings, despite the fact that "it's hard to make a living as an artist," despite the fact that it's made me move to a crazy country to pursue my studies, despite the fact that it makes me confront all of my biggest fears every time I open my mouth to sing. I love to sing.
Music has the power to unite strangers, to make them remember all of the emotions they've ever felt - love, joy, despair, longing, yes, sometimes even disgust. Music is a force beyond "reason," beyond religious affiliation, beyond violence, beyond death.
It's all I have to make my part of the world a little brighter and a little more filled with love.
If you're reading this post, know that you are loved. And know that you were made for a greater purpose, which is to make the world a slightly better world than the one you were born into.
The divine spark in me sees and loves the divine spark in you.
Namaste,
Daniella
Last night when I started to look at the news, I felt an old feeling of helplessness - what can I do when it seems like the world is exploding all around me? What can do to ease the hurt of all of these people? What makes a person so desperate and angry that they feel they need to take someone else's life? So many questions that I may never understand the answer to - can anyone?
I thought about my concert with my sister and thought, "Is it unfeeling to release this CD now? What right have we to ask people to buy this when there are so many more "worthy" things in the world that people could give their money to?"
But as I listened to our performance together, I remembered how much I enjoyed putting together this concert. I remembered how it felt to bring this concert to an audience of strangers, performing with a person whom I know and love more than anyone in the world.
And I decided, "Yes, the world could use a bit more love right now."
I love to sing.
Despite all the challenges it brings, despite the fact that "it's hard to make a living as an artist," despite the fact that it's made me move to a crazy country to pursue my studies, despite the fact that it makes me confront all of my biggest fears every time I open my mouth to sing. I love to sing.
Music has the power to unite strangers, to make them remember all of the emotions they've ever felt - love, joy, despair, longing, yes, sometimes even disgust. Music is a force beyond "reason," beyond religious affiliation, beyond violence, beyond death.
It's all I have to make my part of the world a little brighter and a little more filled with love.
If you're reading this post, know that you are loved. And know that you were made for a greater purpose, which is to make the world a slightly better world than the one you were born into.
The divine spark in me sees and loves the divine spark in you.
Namaste,
Daniella
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Welcome, October!
Ciao, tutti! Don't worry, I haven't forgotten you, I've just been traveling the globe, battling cockroaches, and enjoying the holidays.
Wow, many things have happened since my last blog post. At the end of July, I was one of the finalists in The Stage TLV's Poetry and Storytelling "Grand Slam" event (if you haven't seen it: https://youtu.be/trO5cIlzCDQ). I didn't win, but I was happy with my performance and just happy with the fact that I was a finalist at all! The topic was "that explains everything," so we had a very diverse range of poems and stories. I spoke about my journey with pain and fear and how it has affected my singing (and performing).
Soon after that, I closed up my apartment (I thought) and headed to the States for some high quality cat, I mean, family time. I spent two weeks in Wisconsin and then continued on to Denver to visit my sister. As you might remember, we put on a concert together which was a big hit! The concert was called "Alma Mahler in the Mediterranean" and featured songs inspired by Mediterranean countries like Italy, Spain, Greece, France, and Israel, as well as a set by Alma Mahler. I had a nice break in the middle of the concert while Adriana whirled through a piano solo rendition of Gershwin's "An American in Paris." Afterwards, we had a small reception with bubbly, blackberry and mint-infused water (posh!), and tasty chocolates handmade by Adriana's friend, Vanessa. Afterwards, we went out for drinks and dessert with some of Adriana's friends - it was a lovely evening.
In between and after concert preparation, we visited the Red Rocks (relatives of the Fountain Formation rocks with whom I became acquainted during my geology fieldcamp), Dinosaur Ridge and Triceratops Trail. Dinosaur Ridge's claim to fame is that the very first Allosaurus fossil was found there and also the first Apatosaurus and Stegosaurus, which is Colorado's state fossil. There is also a mega-fossil of dino-prints which can be traced over several states - pretty cool! We amused ourselves by doing our best dinosaur impressions throughout the trek (well, mostly Adriana did them since I had the camera).
We also visited the Denver Botanic Gardens, where we witnessed the rare blooming of the Corpse Flower (http://www.botanicgardens.org/our-gardens/whats-blooming/corpse-flower) and also Deborah Butterfield's intriguing horse sculptures made of found materials. A few days after our concert, we drove up to the Grand Tetons National Park for a week of hiking and communing with nature...from the comfort of our rental cabin (my sister refuses to camp because it entails not having one's own shower). But it was nice to have a real bed to sleep in and a real kitchen to cook in. We saw quite a few different species of animals; pronghorn and mule deer, many different kinds of birds, marmots, pikas, grouse, snakes, elken friends...even a moose family in somebody's front yard and a black bear from very, very, very far away. In addition to wearing a bear bell and bear spray, we invented songs to alert the bears to our presence. So either there were no bears in the area, or our songs worked because mostly, we just saw a lot of chipmunks. We nicknamed them "Chip McKaze" because they have a tendency to run out in front of cars. On the way back to Denver, we stopped at the Bighorn Sheep museum and took a small sidetrip in search of bighorn sheep (we saw one) and petroglyphs (we saw many!).
Then I flew back to Wisconsin for another week, made a short stop in Amsterdam where I stayed with my friend Pauline (whom I met last year in Munich) and paid a visit to my friend Lotte and her family. It was the first time that I met her daughters (aged 4 and 2), and they are quite the characters. It's funny to think that I've known Lotte since I was 10, but so nice to be able to visit as if no time has passed.
It was lovely to be back in Amsterdam, if only for a short time, but I was itching to get back to Israel. I landed during the tail-end of a chamsin - my flight was an hour delayed because the air was so thick with dust and then when I walked out of the airport, I felt like I had stepped into a sauna. On returning to my apartment, I found that a few different species of cockroach had taken up residence during my vacation, so after a week of trying to catch and release the wee beasties, I finally had somebody come to spray the apartment. It's nice to be able to sleep in peace, not worrying about "visitors."
Since returning, it's been one holiday after another: Rosh haShana, Yom Kippur, and now a week of Sukkot. I had two more training seminars for my English teaching and this week I teach my first classes. I'm a bit nervous, but mostly looking forward to finally working with the kids and getting into a routine.
I'm also beginning to prepare repertoire to take to a Lieder competition in the spring. I realize that when I tell people that I'm "going to be doing voice competitions," they think I'm auditioning for The Voice or something like that. I suppose the principle is sort of the same (many singers competing for a prize), but this competition is not televised, there isn't a massive audience, all of the judges are actually musicians, and I won't get offered a record deal if I win. So...no, not really the same at all. The competition I'm preparing for requires one hour of music (to be sung over three rounds, assuming that you advance), so I have my work cut out for me!
Adriana and I are working to put together a CD and/or DVD of our August concert, so stay tuned for more information. Hopefully they will be ready by Christmas...
I hope that you are all well and enjoying a lovely fall (or spring), wherever you are.
Un gran abbraccio,
Daniella
Wow, many things have happened since my last blog post. At the end of July, I was one of the finalists in The Stage TLV's Poetry and Storytelling "Grand Slam" event (if you haven't seen it: https://youtu.be/trO5cIlzCDQ). I didn't win, but I was happy with my performance and just happy with the fact that I was a finalist at all! The topic was "that explains everything," so we had a very diverse range of poems and stories. I spoke about my journey with pain and fear and how it has affected my singing (and performing).
Soon after that, I closed up my apartment (I thought) and headed to the States for some high quality cat, I mean, family time. I spent two weeks in Wisconsin and then continued on to Denver to visit my sister. As you might remember, we put on a concert together which was a big hit! The concert was called "Alma Mahler in the Mediterranean" and featured songs inspired by Mediterranean countries like Italy, Spain, Greece, France, and Israel, as well as a set by Alma Mahler. I had a nice break in the middle of the concert while Adriana whirled through a piano solo rendition of Gershwin's "An American in Paris." Afterwards, we had a small reception with bubbly, blackberry and mint-infused water (posh!), and tasty chocolates handmade by Adriana's friend, Vanessa. Afterwards, we went out for drinks and dessert with some of Adriana's friends - it was a lovely evening.
In between and after concert preparation, we visited the Red Rocks (relatives of the Fountain Formation rocks with whom I became acquainted during my geology fieldcamp), Dinosaur Ridge and Triceratops Trail. Dinosaur Ridge's claim to fame is that the very first Allosaurus fossil was found there and also the first Apatosaurus and Stegosaurus, which is Colorado's state fossil. There is also a mega-fossil of dino-prints which can be traced over several states - pretty cool! We amused ourselves by doing our best dinosaur impressions throughout the trek (well, mostly Adriana did them since I had the camera).
We also visited the Denver Botanic Gardens, where we witnessed the rare blooming of the Corpse Flower (http://www.botanicgardens.org/our-gardens/whats-blooming/corpse-flower) and also Deborah Butterfield's intriguing horse sculptures made of found materials. A few days after our concert, we drove up to the Grand Tetons National Park for a week of hiking and communing with nature...from the comfort of our rental cabin (my sister refuses to camp because it entails not having one's own shower). But it was nice to have a real bed to sleep in and a real kitchen to cook in. We saw quite a few different species of animals; pronghorn and mule deer, many different kinds of birds, marmots, pikas, grouse, snakes, elken friends...even a moose family in somebody's front yard and a black bear from very, very, very far away. In addition to wearing a bear bell and bear spray, we invented songs to alert the bears to our presence. So either there were no bears in the area, or our songs worked because mostly, we just saw a lot of chipmunks. We nicknamed them "Chip McKaze" because they have a tendency to run out in front of cars. On the way back to Denver, we stopped at the Bighorn Sheep museum and took a small sidetrip in search of bighorn sheep (we saw one) and petroglyphs (we saw many!).
Then I flew back to Wisconsin for another week, made a short stop in Amsterdam where I stayed with my friend Pauline (whom I met last year in Munich) and paid a visit to my friend Lotte and her family. It was the first time that I met her daughters (aged 4 and 2), and they are quite the characters. It's funny to think that I've known Lotte since I was 10, but so nice to be able to visit as if no time has passed.
It was lovely to be back in Amsterdam, if only for a short time, but I was itching to get back to Israel. I landed during the tail-end of a chamsin - my flight was an hour delayed because the air was so thick with dust and then when I walked out of the airport, I felt like I had stepped into a sauna. On returning to my apartment, I found that a few different species of cockroach had taken up residence during my vacation, so after a week of trying to catch and release the wee beasties, I finally had somebody come to spray the apartment. It's nice to be able to sleep in peace, not worrying about "visitors."
Since returning, it's been one holiday after another: Rosh haShana, Yom Kippur, and now a week of Sukkot. I had two more training seminars for my English teaching and this week I teach my first classes. I'm a bit nervous, but mostly looking forward to finally working with the kids and getting into a routine.
I'm also beginning to prepare repertoire to take to a Lieder competition in the spring. I realize that when I tell people that I'm "going to be doing voice competitions," they think I'm auditioning for The Voice or something like that. I suppose the principle is sort of the same (many singers competing for a prize), but this competition is not televised, there isn't a massive audience, all of the judges are actually musicians, and I won't get offered a record deal if I win. So...no, not really the same at all. The competition I'm preparing for requires one hour of music (to be sung over three rounds, assuming that you advance), so I have my work cut out for me!
Adriana and I are working to put together a CD and/or DVD of our August concert, so stay tuned for more information. Hopefully they will be ready by Christmas...
I hope that you are all well and enjoying a lovely fall (or spring), wherever you are.
Un gran abbraccio,
Daniella
Friday, July 10, 2015
A few final words...
Well, it's been quite the week here in Tel Aviv. I just completed a teacher training course for the Helen Doron English method, which was five long and intense days of re-learning how to think like a child. The method incorporates everything that I've wanted to teach to my students, but didn't know how to implement it. We learned how to design lessons to appeal to the different learning styles and basically planned two years' worth of lessons in five days (split between 6 teachers-in-training).
The course was really challenging for me, but also inspiring. We had a good mix of trainees and all of us were immigrants, so we're all familiar with learning a second (or third or fourth...) language. I love this method because it introduces children to English as though they are native speakers, so they begin with listening and speaking and only move to reading and writing when they are older. I realized that I am hesitant to speak different languages (even with my international friends) simply because I lack the confidence and am afraid to make mistakes. In this course, we learn how you simply encourage and engage children, which gives them the confidence and motivation to want to speak English. I wish that I had experienced this in my education.
This teaching method goes far beyond what I imagined and I'm so pleased that I am joining this group. It is building on all of my Grinberg work because now I will really have to express through body language and gestures in order to engage and communicate with the students (and to not panic when teaching). Our teacher trainer remarked that my demo lessons were like coming to a yoga class because my voice was so low and calm!
I also realized that this will benefit my singing performances as well and that I can hypothetically take this skill set anywhere in the world where my singing career may take me because there are franchises all over the world.
Isn't it nice how the universe just opens up for us? All we have to do is accept the challenges with grace.
Elephants and tortoises,
Daniella
The course was really challenging for me, but also inspiring. We had a good mix of trainees and all of us were immigrants, so we're all familiar with learning a second (or third or fourth...) language. I love this method because it introduces children to English as though they are native speakers, so they begin with listening and speaking and only move to reading and writing when they are older. I realized that I am hesitant to speak different languages (even with my international friends) simply because I lack the confidence and am afraid to make mistakes. In this course, we learn how you simply encourage and engage children, which gives them the confidence and motivation to want to speak English. I wish that I had experienced this in my education.
Here is a picture of my training group:
l-r top: Naama, Corey, Tami
l-r bottom: me, Shira, Sephie (our trainer), and Sherry
My "office" before the last day of class.
I will not work with glittery paper on my yoga mat in the future.
This teaching method goes far beyond what I imagined and I'm so pleased that I am joining this group. It is building on all of my Grinberg work because now I will really have to express through body language and gestures in order to engage and communicate with the students (and to not panic when teaching). Our teacher trainer remarked that my demo lessons were like coming to a yoga class because my voice was so low and calm!
I also realized that this will benefit my singing performances as well and that I can hypothetically take this skill set anywhere in the world where my singing career may take me because there are franchises all over the world.
Isn't it nice how the universe just opens up for us? All we have to do is accept the challenges with grace.
Elephants and tortoises,
Daniella
Heidi, the Greatest Dane!
July marked the end of Heidi's stay in Tel Aviv. We were brought together through Craigslist back in January when I was trying to sublet my old apartment room. She is working on her PhD in economics and was invited to come work with some of the professors here at Tel Aviv University. In between her studies, we have had many adventures (mainly involving chocolate and/or ice cream). She has become a wonderful friend and I will miss her a lot. Here are a few pictures to commemorate our adventures these past few months.
In March, we went to the Escape Room, where we were presented with a challenge to enter a room, find this suitcase of money, and then exit the room in a certain amount of time. We were an excellent team and solved the puzzles quickly. In the end, we finished under the average time :)
l-r: Heidi, Benjamin (Heidi's friend from university), Jessica (our friend who recently made aliyah from Mexico), Martin (Heidi's friend visiting from Denmark), me
(Photo belongs to Escape Room TLV)
A few weeks later on Heidi's birthday, we went on 52 Frames' photowalk through Neve Tsedek - we're in the top right corner
(Photo belongs to Yosef Adest and 52 Frames)
(I borrowed the following pictures from Heidi's blog)
A few weeks ago, we went to a lovely Kabbalat Shabbat music circle and dinner at Pele. Pele is a really cool community space that lets you have events without charging - basically, there is a suggested donation of 30-50 shekels to help cover the costs of running the building.
The music circle itself was a really beautiful and moving experience. There were many different singers, drummers, guitarists, and also some young girls sang. It reminded me a bit of my childhood.
I told Heidi that the nice thing about Hebrew songs is that if you don't know the words, you can just sing "la,la,la" or "nai,nai,nai" and you'll probably be right.
At the end of Heidi's stay in Tel Aviv, we had an all-evening extravaganza of food, drinks, ice cream, and more drinks. Heidi, Tomer, and I found a really tasty Thai restaurant where we had dinner. I underestimated the "very spicy" warning on my menu, thinking that they would tone it down for Israelis. If that was toned down, then I don't want to try authentic! We continued on to a cute bar to meet Eleonora, Monica (our friend from Belgium), and Gilad for drinks. I broke my "no gluten" rule and had my first beer (a Leffe blonde) in years.
l-r: Gilad, me, Monica
Next we went to the port where we experienced the best ice cream I've had in Israel so far! Heidi took several minutes choosing, but was ultimately happy with her choices. I was content with mango, lemon, and dark chocolate sorbets.
l-r: me, Heidi, Tomer, Gilad
We will miss you, Heidi! But now I have a reason to visit Denmark other than going to Legoland :)
More Spring Blossoms and the Pride Parade!
Wow, so much to catch up on! Here are some beautiful pictures of the trees blooming in Ramat haSharon, where my voice teacher lives. Walking to her house every week is always enjoyable...
Jacaranda and Bougainvillea blossoms
Lovely cascading blossoms
Once again, Pride Week descended during one of the hottest weeks this year. Tomer, Heidi, and I headed out to find the parade, but we had been misinformed about where the parade would start. This year, they started the parade from the beach, so it took us nearly an hour to find it! Then when we arrived, we had to wait another half an hour before it started. The three of us hid from the sun, but then Heidi and I "came out"...of the shadows once the parade started :)
I must say that the floats were a bit disappointing this year, but the energy of the crowd was great and it was a beautiful day for freedom of expression.
This was one of the better floats, but I can't tell you why they were dressed as bellboys...
Swedish Pride
It's too bad those cans weren't filled with sunblock - we could have used it!
I'm not really sure what this costume was about.
Little Brother was watching us from above.
The flag says peace and belongs to the guys in camo :)
American Pride :)
I liked her bag.
This float was pretty great.
I don't know if this was meant to be an egalitarian statement or an ironic grammatical error.
Jacaranda and Bougainvillea blossoms
Lovely cascading blossoms
Once again, Pride Week descended during one of the hottest weeks this year. Tomer, Heidi, and I headed out to find the parade, but we had been misinformed about where the parade would start. This year, they started the parade from the beach, so it took us nearly an hour to find it! Then when we arrived, we had to wait another half an hour before it started. The three of us hid from the sun, but then Heidi and I "came out"...of the shadows once the parade started :)
I must say that the floats were a bit disappointing this year, but the energy of the crowd was great and it was a beautiful day for freedom of expression.
This was one of the better floats, but I can't tell you why they were dressed as bellboys...
Swedish Pride
It's too bad those cans weren't filled with sunblock - we could have used it!
I'm not really sure what this costume was about.
Little Brother was watching us from above.
The flag says peace and belongs to the guys in camo :)
American Pride :)
I liked her bag.
This float was pretty great.
I don't know if this was meant to be an egalitarian statement or an ironic grammatical error.
Each float had this sort of set-up in front. I guess it was to keep people from getting hit by the trucks, but it made it look as though these guys were pulling the float...
Crowd of people walking to the beach to meet the floats
There were some very, let's say, creative outfits
The fan says "Love is something which must be waved"
Post-Everything Picnic!
Pictures from my Post-Everything Picnic in Park haYarkon
Human friends and their countries of origin :)
Human friends and their countries of origin :)
l-r Gilad (Israel), Duncan (UK), Dana (USA, now Israel), Peter is hiding (Russia, now Israel), Peter's mom visiting from Moscow, Marina (Russia, now Israel), Tomer (Israel), Heidi (Denmark)
Same as above except now Tomer is hiding...
(The rest of these pictures are from Marina and Peter - they have an amazing camera!)
I love this picture of Eleonora (Italy, now Israel)
Beautiful Russian women :)
Me and Chubby, the horse disguised as a dog :)
Debbie (Germany, now Israel) and Chubby, Duncan, me, and Heidi
Seated are Ran and Jeffri, Ran's dog - both from Israel
A rare moment of stillness for Chubby.
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