This is my fav-or-ite show, because it is my show. {How to recital in NYC}

Can't believe my concert is a few days away!! So, this is the first solo recital that I've done in about 6 months and it's also the first time I've done a concert completely by myself. No guest artists, all La Toya, all the time. It's Saturday January 4th at 8pm sharp! Don't be late, I'm literally starting at 8pm and ending with enough time for us to have a reception, yaaaaa!

There's still time to get your tickets: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/la-toya-in-concert-tickets-9614237443 (unless you're reading this after January 4th 2014, then...OMG it was so awesome, you totally missed it!)

I started putting together concerts after I completely quit working day jobs last Fall. It was one of those, if you build it they will come moments. It was around October and after a well deserved vacation visiting my friend and her family for a week (Hi Angie!!) I realized I had nothing lined up for the Winter. I legitimately had nothing lined up AT ALL for the foreseeable future. While this would normally *freak out* the average opera singer, I'm not your average opera singer. I thought to myself, I know ALL this music...so why not do a recital. We had to do them in Undergrad and Grad and it's almost like second nature to me at this point.

I also had so many friends in town (ya know, since I'm from NYC) who were/are always asking me when they could hear me sing next. So it was almost like "duh La Toya, do shows".

I feel as though each time gets better, whether it's me picking the right space, the right repertoire, or just singing well. It's also giving me the experience all performers need to get up in front of a group of people to perfect their craft. No matter how much practicing you do in the practice room, nothing really compares to singing for an audience.

It's also really fun for me to be completely in charge of every aspect of planning and executing a concert. I'm the event coordinator, the marketing manager, the admin assistant, the social media manager, the media consultant/ad person, oh and I'm THE TALENT. While it can feel a little overwhelming in moments (however brief these moments may be), it's so gratifying to see something you've envisioned take shape and be a success.

Here's a clip from my February concert "Love Songs". After a tumultuous week of my lil bro in and out of the hospital (he's totally fine now), wrapping up at a temp gig, and finding out I was selected to be in the Abyssinian Mass Tour with Wynton Marsalis & having the first rehearsal within 24 hours of finding out (whaaa!?) I performed this entire recital on a FLAMING SORE THROAT. I even made an announcement about it because I was 87% certain my voice was going to fail before it was all over.

Dernier poème by Poulenc (La Toya Lewis) from La Toya Lewis on Vimeo.

To all the naysayers, I say, it IS possible to perform on your own dime in this town, you just have to have the patience and the gall to do things for yourself. And to all the hopefuls thinking about going on out a limb I say, if opportunity isn't knocking, build yourself a door.