buoys

Three recent bolsters:

From Mom, a sweet and encouraging card with thie Maori Proverb on the front: "Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you."

From a singer friend, in response to my concerns that I won't have made enough progress in my technique and process in time for these performances: "Whatever you sounded like last September, they liked enough to hire you to do this. Even if you progress a tiny bit, you will still be better than what they are expecting."

From my Musical Grandmother, in response to my stress at receiving conflicting directions from various teachers and coaches: "In the end, when you have done all the work, it will be Angela up there, singing to us. And we are there to hear Angela. Not your teachers." She offered this anecdote: when she gave a recital at one point during her college years, an audience member said to her afterward: "I can tell that you did exactly what your teacher told you to do." GM reminded me that this is the worst 'compliment' an artist can receive.

Words to live by.