The first blog I ever followed was that of soprano Anne-Carolyn Bird. Over the years I’ve read about her experiences as a Tanglewood Fellow, then as a young artist making her Met debut, and now as working mother.

The odds of becoming a professional opera singer are incredibly slim, so reading Anne-Carolyn’s blog is a bit like reading a fairly tale. Granted, there is no fairy godmother action here. Behind Anne-Carolyn’s success is plenty of practicing, auditions, rejections, and nerves, which make the blog such a fascinating read.

I’m certain that my odds of becoming a professional opera singer are infinitesimally small. As a singer, I’m what I call an “intense hobbyist,” and I don’t envision that changing in the foreseeable future. But a girl can dream! I’m going to be a princess and an opera singer.