It's the holidays - what are some of your favorite things?

If Oprah can have a list,  can I be so bold to say I have a list too?

I won't overload you with ideas...but I wanted to highlight some fabulous things that are voice related and sort of voice related...although anything we claim, is #allthingsvoice!

Let me explain!

First,  I want you to introduce you to an incredible app for singers in classical, operatic and music theatre repertoire called "Appcompanist"

This app was brought to my attention very recently and I was able to contact the Managing Partner and Head of Repertoire Development,  Raymon Geis.

Raymon is a singer and teacher and this is his story:

Hi!  I’m Raymon Geis, a singer and voice teacher who is a Managing Partner and the Head of Repertoire Development at Appcompanist.  I did my graduate studies at Westminster Choir College in Voice Pedagogy and Performance and was an emerging artist at a number of houses and programs including Virginia Opera, Sarasota Opera, Opera on the Avalon, Caramoor, CoOPERAtive and others. I also maintained a private voice studio of around 30 students before turning my attention to this venture. I still have one foot in the performing  and teaching worlds but this past year Appcompanist has taken up a lot of time and energy (in the best way)

Appcompanist has been a labor of love for a long time.  We consist of a small team of voice teachers & singers, and an amazing tech wizard (who also used to be a professional Baroque upright Bassist).  Darin Adams (Singer & Teacher) our CEO and Christopher Deppe (Bassist and Tech genius) our CTO developed an early version of this idea 20 years ago for use with singers.  Finally 2 decades later and with multiple iterations technology has caught up with the idea and ability to play and control thousands of piano accompaniments in any tempo, key, as well as learn melody on the fly all from the palm of your hand has finally come to fruition!  We met up a year ago, pooled our resources,  and decided to give our full attention on making this latest version a reality!  All of the members of the team had a different role in getting the app to market, from Darin pulling together the legal and conceptual framework and overall vision of the app to Chris improving and building the technology into the phone architecture.  We had many months of strategizing and thinking about how the app would work and be viewed by users.  I was responsible for hiring the incredible pianists that made the recordings.  We interviewed over 170 pianists and found an amazing group from that pool who were experts in the many genres and styles needed to build our library.  After a pianist would record a piece I would listen to it while following along with score to make sure it had the right notes and rhythms, but most importantly the right feeling!  Multiple months later we now have a library of over 3,000 pieces with hundreds more added each month driven by our subscriber requests and an awesome team of quality control specialists (Sean Christensen & Peter Mitchell, both fine singers) who listen to every recording to make sure it’s as good as possible before going on the app.  It’s our goal for Appcompanist to be an indispensable tool for singers and voice teachers, (and down the line, other musicians) to give them the freedom and access to practice their repertoire wherever they are with whatever interpretation they want!  In addition users can find repertoire in a myriad of ways with the ability to sort and filter the library by genre, composer, voice type, language, and more!  It’s a great way of finding repertoire you might not know or would like to know better!  We have lots of hopes and dreams for this tool in the future and its by the amazing support, comments, and talent of other musicians that we hope they all become a reality!  

You can find out all the information you’d like on our website at www.appcompanist.com.  There you can look at our current library, read our FAQ section, watch videos of incredible singers using the app along with video tutorials on how to use the various features, and request repertoire you’d love to see on the app.  You can go to the AppStore and search Appcompanist to download the app directly.  After downloading you can  listen to a demo song medley,  explore our entire library, and play around with all of the songs with a 7-day free trial!  We also have a Facebook page  that does frequent posts of videos and app updates for users to peruse through at their leisure!  I thank you so much for the chance to share a little bit about Appcompanist and can’t wait to see where the future takes us!

Relevant Links:

Website: www.appcompanist.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/appcompanist/

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDmzFs8p8eEe_UNJuCqveJA

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/appcompanist/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/appcompanist

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Thanks Raymon!  I am excited to start using this App which is now downloaded and ready to use in the studio as needed.  Every singer, no matter your genre,  needs to explore this app and watch it develop!  The fact that you can add the melody,  change the key,  change the TEMPO to figure out some details,  and make these adjustments so quickly is AH-mazing!  The subscription is like a Netflix subscription with tons of repertoire you can choose from and utilize.  It is great for singers and teachers alike.  What a great find,  and what a great stocking stuffer to your favorite singer during this holiday season!

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And then there are Fringies...

Tracy Cox,  a wonderful operatic soprano,  has a side hustle that is remarkable:   Neon Beautiful Design.   She designs incredible fringe earrings that are unlike ANYTHING you will find anywhere else.  She creates them individually,  she upgrades vintage clips and more to create incredible works of art.  I have more than several pairs (!!) and she created a pair for me when I returned to the stage after my hiatus due to the car accident.  She is a fabulous woman with an amazing  creative energy:

from Tracy:

"Jewelry lives many lives

I have always loved jewelry as a form of self expression--a way to be loud and powerful before you even speak. I started making earrings at a young age, as my skin kept me from getting my ears pierced and it was almost easier to make something cool than to find a clip on I liked. My interests across the humanities grew, and I trained as an operatic soprano and now work around the world in that field. As my travels for work grew more extensive, I began collecting vintage jewelry from every place I visited, from small Midwestern towns to flea markets in Budapest, many times modifying vintage clips and screwbacks with fringe or chain to more completely match my aesthetic. What I call "vintage upcycle" is at the heart of my business--I love the idea that Elizabeth Taylor subscribed to, that jewelry lives many lives and that it is our duty to take care of it and pass it on. All of my vintage modifications are done without permanently altering the earring--I want the jewelry to live on intact, and simultaneously to have a life that matches the spirit and rebellion of the 21st century woman."

Live your best life and allow Tracy to create something for you.  You will NOT be disappointed.

An opera singer creating a vintage upcycle or fringie color that speaks to you? Oh HELL YES!

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And then there's MatchaMe Cosmetics, the brainchild and magic of Soprano, Jasmina Halimic.

Jasmina has changed my skin.  She has changed the skin of my daughter, Erin Elizabeth Eichhorn.  She has changed the skin of so many performers I know and work with.  

Jasmina is a magician in many ways.  She is one of my tribe and I adore her.  Even more, her company,  MatchaMe company will be donating a portion of their proceeds to several important organizations concerned with the preservation of our ecosystems, national parks and animal welfare, whose programs align with our core values.

The company believes in the earth and giving back and they do.  Jasmina's incredible personal integrity is carried into the company 10000%.  

This is their mission:

Made-to-order organic skin Superfood and soaps designed just for you. We use the highest grade, raw, cold pressed organic oils, clays, pure essential oils, plants and tinctures to address your own specific needs. (Absolutely no parabens, mineral oil, synthetic fragrances, artificial dyes, silicones and fillers.)

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All these products are fantastic,  and more new products are being produced as I write this. Jasmina adjusts products for your specific needs, so your personal skin is always looked after! I am a big fan of the Black Rosa Gold Serum, Hydrator Anti-Aging Serum, and the Macha Latte Cream,  among many others!  You can't go wrong with ANYTHING from this company.  

here's Jasmina - oh she's wearing Fringies! Love when worlds collide! (you'll find more fringies on me in my head shot!)

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So there's a few of my favorite things...

I hope you can partake and enjoy all of them!

There are favorite people and their work in our business too.  

First, is  Kaleigh Rae Photography!

Kaleigh Rae is the genius behind the lens of all the photography for my new website!  I cannot recommend her enough - from head shots to lifestyle shots, to anything performance, and more!  She is a performer and singer,  and understands the nature of what we do.  She is an old soul with depth and insight, and a great eye and ability to find you, to make you feel at ease and to coax your authenticity into her lens, to reveal more than you ever imagined you could! Will I work with her again? Oh, HELL YES!  

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And to close this blog with flair and fabulousness - is Digital Design Strategist,  Tony Howell.

Tony is the digital design mastermind behind my new website where you are currently!

His incredible sense of detail,  imagination,  ability to find you and bring your energy and spirit and authenticity front and center, to create an online dream home,  is spectacular!  I cannot recommend him highly enough to any creative,  performer, artist, entrepreneur, business or corporation who really values the authenticity and detail that Tony provides.  Working with him gave me clarity, and focus and allowed me to see myself through the lens of online presence.

Will I work with him ongoing?  OH HELL YES!! If you need an online presence,  you really need to explore Tony's expertise.  It is truly magnetic, and magical.

Check out his website for more information,  and his other wonderful offerings in classes and more.

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So, there are a few of my favorite things this season, that I just wanted to share with you and perhaps introduce you to.

May you find and explore, in order to help you reveal and discover more of YOU.

#allthingsvoice

#liveyourvoice

#authenticvoice