Down Home Diva

Come on in
and sit a spell!

Howdy! In IPA that would be /'haʊdi/ !

If you found yourself on this page, it might mean that you want to chat, get to know me a bit, learn more about the life of a Texan Wife, Mom, Opera Singer, previous Ice hockey player, previous barrel rider, previous USARS (USA Roller Sports member and competitor), previous a lot of things actually.

This section will pull back the curtain a bit if you are curious about the path, trajectory, joys and challenges of being a professional opera singer that took the long and winding road and is loving every minute of it.

Yep, there is a real human under all that make up, costumes, lighting and training.

Grab a glass of Texas Sweet Tea and get your hugger pillow and sit down and shoot the breeze with me! Who knows what we might learn together?

Your Texas education word of the week: Jeet yet? - Did you eat yet?

The Past is an anchor.

How often have you heard “stop holding on the past,” or perhaps “stop living in the past?” Personally I have even said this to myself in times when I felt stuck in the mud. There is value in these phrases as they are meant to help us move forward. Time to giddy up and start living life in the present again right? Well, sometimes. This week our daughter Eden, who is about to turn 11, taught me some things about the the past, nostalgia, and what it all means. Yes, she

clmsoprano7

Aug 63 min read

On the train to Hadestown!

Of the many hats I do wear, this one is truly dear to my heart. This week at Stand Performing Arts in Keller, we started a teen musical intensive (much like I have done the past 6 years) in different theaters. If you don’t know, an “intensive” is where we take an auditioned group of kids age 13-18 and learn, build, rehearse a show to be performance ready in either 2 or 3 weeks Monday-Friday 9a-4p. The third week is all about tech rehearsals so the show is “ready” from

clmsoprano7

Jul 93 min read

Pruning again….Really?

As I was yard working the front side and working the pole saw my Dad loaned me, I suddenly got a bead on something. It was hot, it was difficult, and some branches of this wildly overgrown shrub on the side of our house were as tough as nickel steak to saw through. I tend to be a go getter and want it done when I want it done. But today, I opted to listen to the Lord while He spoke to me in the process. I wasn’t just pruning this shrub. I was learning how to truly prun

clmsoprano7

Jun 302 min read

A Red Dress.

Being an opera singer is fun, exciting, difficult at times and fulfilling for me. And I don’t recall ever having a time more than a few months where I didn’t own a red dress for concert or after parties. But when you get right down it, I only wore those garments in concert. I never really owned a red dress for any other reason that I can recall. What a cryin’ shame! Sunday was Father’s Day and at our church the pastors made it “western day” so everyone wore their west

clmsoprano7

Jun 232 min read

Mending fences- A Metaphor for life or just another down-home duty?

When I think of mending a fence, the first thing that comes to mind is making peace with someone. And yes, we ALL have to do that in life at one point or another because well, we all have our own way that doesn't necessarily gallop in sync with another's way. I can recall a bushel of times that I needed to or was urged to mend a fence with someone. It wasn't easy, but the funny part is that it was easier than I imagined up front, every time. But today the western winds of

clmsoprano7

Jun 184 min read

I bet you a cherry cobbler that Verdi would have loved Texas.

ROOTS- nope they weren’t opera! When people learn that I’m an opera singer, it goes one of two ways. They either imagine that I sing on Broadway (I have to stop reacting to this one) OR they picture the grand opera theaters of the world with velvet curtains, elegant parties with endless chocolate fountains, glamorous travel perks and more. Some of those assumptions are correct. The assumption is often that I have been trained in opera or classical music from the early ye

clmsoprano7

Jun 119 min read

Seesaw Life as a Wife, Mom, Voice Coach and Opera Singer: Embracing the Journey and Challenges

Ever ridden a Seesaw? TEXAS TERMINOLOGY ALERT- We call them Seesaws here in Texas, but you might know it as a Teeter Totter if you don't have a Texas passport. Even if it has been a click or two, I reckon you recall that slightly jittery feeling of being out of control at times especially when you are up in the air like everything can get at times in life. Yee HA! That is LIFE! Balancing the roles of a wife, mom, and opera singer is the road trip of road trips filled with

clmsoprano7

Jun 84 min read