Of course, few people would title a post like this but despite everything I wanted to post an update that wasn’t wholly focusing on the negative. I could tell you how all the jobs I had lined up for the year got canceled or postponed but I feel like that, unfortunately, has become a given for the self-employed these days.
At the start of lockdown, I briefly considered going back into university but I didn’t find it financially viable. Instead, I took advantage of an initiative from the Icelandic government and signed up for a short course at the Icelandic Arts University. During my studies in Italian for Opera Singers, I got to know opera more up close and personal than I had ever had the opportunity to before. By the end of it, I was emailing the vice principal of Söngskólinn í Reykjavík checking if they could take me on for a term. Somehow I had a feeling I would want to return after a term, although at the time I had nothing to support it. I auditioned and got into the school studying opera styles and techniques. Because I had only taken up to grade 3 previously I was not entered into the opera department however I did study under the main teachers there, Olof. During my stay at Söngskóli reykjavíkur í studied vocal techniques, performance techniques, music theory and music history. I managed to take a grade 4 singing exam and a grade 5 music theory exam and passed both.
During the year I also finished the children’s novel i have been planning for a few years and am now searching for an interested publisher.