January 2026

Rodgers and Hammerstein posted a clip of Oh What a Beautiful Mornin’ at the end of 2025. This happened to be the only song I studied in 2025. Watching that little Oklahoma! TikTok sparked the idea to try to learn a song a month in 2026. I’m starting with That’s Amore — my dad used to sing the pizza pie verse to me when I was a kid. I always thought the song was sung by Frank Sinatra but it turns out Dean Martin is the hunk behind the voice. The rabbits love gay little ditties, like Christmas music and pop songs, and That’s Amore suits their palate. So here’s to hoping I can nail down the song’s simple structure. Memorization is not a strong skill for me. It’s nice to tease the Italian, too. When I was studying opera, my instructor selected Italian arias for me to learn, so this song is a silly way to munch on a few Italian words and revisit happy memories. 

2025 was pretty snakey for me— one of those years where you’d better have your ducks in a row or you’ll be taught a karmic lesson. I kept my nose clean, but I’m looking forward to the change of sign in the Chinese zodiac. The fire horse feels fresh and ready to ride. I’ve done my diligence and with any luck I’ll be galloping full speed toward brighter days.