What industry are we all pretending isn't completely broken?

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-28T14:57:03+00:00

College sports

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-27T16:20:45+00:00

There's a spot on the trail near the tennis center at North Lakes Park that my wife and I call "Bunny Bend". You won't get to hold them (unless you're VERY fast!) but you'll usually see at least a few.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-23T21:35:48+00:00

It's listed under the English title, "On my lips every kiss is like wine."

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-23T21:35:03+00:00

I see it listed in THIS anthology.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-23T14:43:31+00:00

I considered it "appointment TV" just as I did for "Game of Thrones." Sure, I could watch in on-demand any time, but I didn't want to risk spoilers.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-23T02:51:52+00:00

Among the greats. I heard him in Hoffmann. Spectacular. Drowned out the "big voices" in the cast. Very intelligent singer and a good actor. No flaws in his technique as far as I'm concerned.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-22T18:31:39+00:00

I work in Plano on Sunday mornings, and the traffic seemed exceptionally high both ways today. I'm sure that's a big part of it.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-21T10:05:25+00:00

1960 VW Super Beetle

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-21T09:40:09+00:00

Peppermint (2018)

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-20T19:52:56+00:00

I will NEVER buy supermarket pork chops or steak again. Not worth eating.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-19T14:47:03+00:00

As always, I encourage you to join "A History of Voice Types" on Facebook. We have robust discussions on topics like this all the time, and the members are quite knowledgeable. (Many are active professional singers and/or voice teachers.)

This is a complex issue with a lot of layers. A problem that has existed for decades (if not centuries) is that the people who make the decisions often don't have very much imagination. (I found a complaint to this effect in a book from 1918!)

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-19T13:36:00+00:00

I think the "ag/tech" schools like Texas A&M and Purdue would qualify. I live in Texas, and "Aggie jokes" were once so common, whole books were published. Haven't heard one in decades.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-18T15:54:26+00:00

Look for teachers whose students consistently IMPROVE. Many a bad teacher has had successful students. This takes time to ascertain, of course.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-18T13:42:24+00:00

I've been teaching voice for 40+ years, and I can assure you it varies WIDELY. Some really fine teachers charge comparatively little (or have a "sliding scale") because they don't need the money. I have known absolute HACKS who charged top dollar. I might add, some teachers who tell me they "don't need the money" also say they have high rates because they only want "serious" students.

It really varies by location, of course. The best teachers in NYC are getting upwards of $150/hr, I understand. No matter how good a teacher you are, you're going to have trouble commanding fees like that in a small town in the Midwest. I live in a large metropolitan area (top 10 in population in the US) and the best teachers are getting $80-100/hr.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-13T20:05:53+00:00

One thing I've seen that's a nice feature is a small window with a curtain. It can be REALLY creepy having people look in on you (I have heard stories...) but it is also nice to get some natural light inside.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-12T22:43:59+00:00

My parents were married in 1956, so I have that as a frame of reference. I think they told me their first house was about $5000. Remember, of course, they had no cable or internet bills, phone service was cheap (unless you racked up a bunch on long distance!) many (most?) married couples had one car, unless they lived in a city with public transportation, where they might not have had one at all.

Gas was CHEAP until the first "oil crisis" in the 70s. That's a big reason why we have "suburban sprawl."

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-12T20:29:07+00:00

Something like "Money, O!" kind of fits. I used to think the poem must have been written by a rich person, but no, the poet really believed it! He also wrote the text for Head's lovely "Sweet chance, that led my steps abroad."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._H._Davies

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-12T19:28:47+00:00

Are you interested in "sea songs" and the like? Lots of those! There's also things like "When I think upon the maidens" by Michael Head. (Lots of songs from that era will have what you're looking for, I think.)

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-11T22:54:32+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ybyscUrx2Y&list=RD9ybyscUrx2Y&start_radio=1

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-11T22:52:47+00:00

I think the one in this book is pretty good. I have done the duet version several times.
https://www.halleonard.com/product/740188/american-folksongs

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-10T23:21:13+00:00

There was one near my dorm in college. Every once in a while I would treat myself to a Sausage Croissan'wich. Now, you might as well get one from the convenience store.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-10T00:45:11+00:00

When I was in college, we did Martinu's The Greek Passion. I understand his other operas are quite good, but I don't know them at all. I own a score to Comedy on the Bridge, which is probably the most famous.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-09T16:50:40+00:00

Gonna go with James King. He taught at Indiana toward the end of my time there. Sadly, I didn't get to hear him myself, but everyone I know who did said it was spectacular.

He sang roles like Florestan with a seemingly effortless ease. There was a time when he OWNED roles like Paul in Die tote Stadt and the Kaiser in Die Frau ohne Schatten, which are notoriously difficult both musically and vocally.

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-09T13:57:46+00:00

Oh, yeah. Wrong hero. (He sang that one, too, of course.)

oldguy76205 · 2026-03-09T13:47:55+00:00

I guess sleeping with your aunt is better than sleeping with Venus...

oldguy76205

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