As the holiday season approaches, many professions find a time of relaxation and holiday breaks. Musicians, however, often find this time to be the most busy season of the year, and for me this year is no exception! After finishing 4 performances Il Barbiere di Siviglia last weekend, I now find myself upon the ‘crunch time’ of the school year, all coinciding with a season of auditions and performances. This weekend I will be performing in Georgia State Opera Theaters’ presentation of ‘Opera Goes to Church,’ a scenes program consisting of repertoire from all spectrums of opera, to be performed Friday through Sunday at the locations listed below. I’m performing in two scenes, one from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi and the other from Benjamin Britten’s Albert Herring. The following Monday I’ll be performing in a conjoined choir concert between the Georgia State University Singers and the University of Georgia Hodgson Singers at All Saints Episcopal Church, 7:30pm, November 17th. That same week Pulitzer prize winning composer Michael Colgrass will be coming to Georgia State to lead a performance of his piece Zululand featuring combined band, orchestra, and choir, in which I will be featured as the male soloist. The following Saturday I will be participating in the Metropolitan Opera Competition at Peachtree First Presbyterian Church, which is free and open to the public for anyone wanting to attend. Fortunately I will then have a week off to rest up and celebrate my birthday/ Thanksgiving with family and friends back home in Savannah, before heading off to Chicago to audition for Central City Opera in Colorado this coming summer. All of these opportunities are both exciting and unsettling, however I look forward to facing them and giving each opportunity my all. My success in the coming weeks will also play a role in my acceptance to audition at L’Atelier Lyric opera national de Paris this coming January, which is the opportunity I anticipate most for the coming year. Apprehension turns into inspiration, and inspiration into success! Everyone enjoy a happy and restful holiday season, and take time to enjoy the things in life that matter most.