This summer's contracts have Bryn and I separated for 8 weeks.
That's too long. There's no other way to put it: it's much too long to be away from the love of your life. And it's killing me. We're at week 5 of the separation - barely halfway - and already I feel like an emotional wreck.
Bryn is finishing a program in Italy as I speak (write, actually), and afterwards she'll be vacationing there with my family. I'm singing with Utah Festival Opera for the same period of time. Between Italy and Utah, it's tough to get to visit with each other. We've been skype-ing which is great, but it's just not the real thing. We get to see each other on August 10th, and I can't wait.
One thing's for certain: this can't happen again. I'm making a list of provisions to request in every contract - basic things, like housing with running hot water, and timely paychecks - and I think that I'm going to have to add a clause about visitation rights. Either my wife is housed with me, or (if she's in a show) I get to fly back and see her, even if only for a day every two weeks. I understand that this will probably lose me some work, and may even count as "diva behavior", but honestly I don't care to sing under any other conditions. I'd rather leave the stage than suffer this kind of separation with any regularity.
When it comes right down to it, I married Bryn because I want to spend my life with her. And here I am, spending 6 months of the year without her. Not cool. I have two passions in my life, and I guess I"ve figured out which one is more important to me.
Fri, 2008-07-18 15:31
I think there's a couple that actually require that they perform together. I can't remember their names, but they sang in SF a while back. (They might be the same ones that required a home in Sausalito too ... again, I'm not sure, but that's ringing a bell with this old brain.)
We oboe players ... well ... our only demand is that we bring all our equipment on stage with us. But then we don't do the traveling thing like singers do.
Hope the next few weeks pass quickly for you!
PS Man, I sure have a difficult time reading the verification code! :-/
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»Mon, 2008-07-21 16:11
It can be very difficult. I was away for 6 weeks last year singing Rake's Progress on the other side of Europe (including over my wedding anniversary - boy, was I popular!) and I am away for at least two thirds of teh next two months. Not easy. And for a lot of my colleagues too. Making it work is very hard - and I wish you the best of luck with it. I tend to end up buggering it up either accidentally or I choose the wrong priority. More fool me.
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»Wed, 2008-07-23 18:11
What hapened to Bryn's blog? I used to read it.. bt it has gone quiet. I like yours though.
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