The month of March 2026 was probably the busiest I have been on this campus since moving to Oberlin. So let me break down the month’s ups and downs, and how I was able to navigate through them.
March 1-8: Opera Week
This first week of March signified the end of tech week and all of the performances for Oberlin’s spring opera. The opera was a double bill of John Musto’s Later the Same Evening & Bastianello. I played Thelma Yablonski in the first, and made some silent onstage appearances in the second. About 85% of our cast came down with the spring campus plague during tech week, and mysteriously I somehow avoided it. (I am typically the first person to get sick.) I thought maybe the opera Gods were finally shining their radiance on me; but alas, the day before opening night I started feeling the congestion. Safe to say, I was freaking out. I was trying every remedy to soothe my voice before I had to sing. This role was so fun and such an amazing vocal challenge; however, I had never sung an aria with as much vocal range publicly before, so it was pretty scary! My teacher encouraged me to be uber-focused on technique and truly go off of sensations instead of what I heard. Interestingly enough, doing so made the aria sound like one of the best times I’ve performed it! I was getting a bit worse by my second night of performing, so that time wasn’t as amazing, but I was so proud of myself for pushing through. Obviously, if you are sick to the point of being unable to perform, please - do not! However, I knew this was something I could overcome and would have to in my professional career as well!
March 9-15: Recital Week
Because I am an overachiever, I decided it would be a wonderful idea to have my junior recital the week after finishing an opera. (I would not recommend this…) Unfortunately, my sickness - which turned out to be a sinus infection - was not planning on leaving me alone. I took a few days to rest between my last show for the opera and my recital dress rehearsal; however, I still wasn’t in the most amazing shape. I continued to focus on my technique and only sang when it was necessary. Luckily, I have the most amazing support system in my teachers, family, and friends, which truly eased my mind. I knew even if I completely “failed,” they would still be happy to just see me perform. It was a week of lots of anxieties, but once I finished the first song of my recital, I was able to settle in for the ride of the next hour. My final song set was supposed to be sad, but I was performing it with two great friends, and couldn’t help but crack a smile while hearing them play their musical interludes. It was a wonderful day of music-making and friendship.
March 16-22: Mid-Terms + My 21st Birthday
My birthday always seems to fall right in the middle of mid-terms, but I was determined to enjoy myself while getting what I needed to get done, done! I had finals for my Elementary German and Introduction to Voice Pedagogy classes. I had to be very meticulous about how I planned out my studying so I didn’t have to do anything on my birthday. (I was mostly successful… I ended up doing only 30 minutes of studying on the day!) And I had a lovely evening going out to dinner with my girlfriend at Oberlin’s wine bar, Black River Cafe. Afterward, we went home to a little surprise party thrown by my roommates. It was a really sweet day!
March 23-29: Spring Break!
Spring Break was truly the light at the end of the tunnel for my busy month. My girlfriend and I went to Los Angeles, California - my first time on the West Coast! It was a great way to decompress while also having really fun new experiences. If you have friends who live in cool places, I highly recommend planning trips/breaks to go visit them! It is a very fun and affordable way to travel all over.
Overall, March was veryyyyy hectic for me; but, it was hectic with all of the things I love. I came to Oberlin to sing, and got to do just that. I came to Oberlin hoping to make lifelong friends, and have achieved that. Life is truly able to be lived in this town :)
