Denver Lyric Opera Guild Voice Competition

How did I do? Definitely not a one-word answer. I'll start with the bad so that I can end with the good.

Bad: My first high Bb was pretty darn good, but the second one lacked some in velocity. I also ran short of air at the end of two phrases resulting in a tighter sound.

Good: I felt mostly relaxed and consistent in my delivery with a song I've sung countless times, including several times in performance. I felt it was the best acting I've done competitively.

Bad: They didn't ask me for a second selection. Of those I was privleged to hear, they asked for two selections from the better ones.

Good: I received unsolicited compliments from a couple of audience members when I sat in the house an hour later to listen to some friends sing.

Bad: I found my teacher right afterward. She talked about tongue tension and said that my tone was darker than usual and the diction not clear enough.

Good: She said that she thought the audience liked me. She said she thought the audience felt the character's emotions. Juliana Bishop Hoch, founder and director of the Loveland Opera Theatre stresses that we must know what we want the audience to FEEL. My teacher had no idea that I went onstage with that concept in mind. It would seem I accomplished at least one of my goals.


The good and bad sides tend to balance each other out leaving me with a net reaction that's very middle-of-the-road. I'm pleased that I did better than I have done before in competition, but not my absolute best, and probably not well enough to advance to the finals next week.

I should mention that my husband has been extremely supportive of me, and his encouragement helped make the whole thing a positive experience for me. Thank you, Eric!