Our stay in New York is coming to an end. I am so sad. And so excited at the same time. Sad to let New York go, ’cause I have fallen flat in love with this city. And I do have this urging feeling, that I actually could make it here – that I could build something up for me and my family. On the other hand, I’m so excited to go home, seeing my friends – and of course start my work with you singers again. I have missed you. I feel so inspired by my stay, so my vocalgeek piece this week is about the truths of New York City. These are all advices given to me during my eight weeks of being a New York habitant. Some I feel deeply – others I wonder more about. But I would like to give them all to you. And of course, thank you to all who have enlighten me during my stay, these are all your advices.

Ok, here we go New York truth telling:

• If you reach a new level of success, do not leave the ladder you climbed behind. You will need everywhere you came from, to be able to reach and climb a new level. And remember – there will always be a new level, so take your time to enjoy the view from where you are right now. It is so worth it!

• Always dare feeling a feeling. Always welcome feelings as a guest that needs to tell you something important. Remember no feeling is final. No feeling is final.

• To be an actress you have to be selfish. You have to be selfish enough to work up the energi to be totally selfless on stage. Because there is nothing worse than a selfish actor on stage.

• Always count in an extra hour if you want to buy coffee at Starbucks. They are slow. Always! And in the end, you shouldn’t buy coffee at Starbucks. Go to your local cafe instead.

• Never do the beginning of a song in an audition. The beginning is always to long. Only the end is short enough.

• If you know how to be grand, you have to learn how to be small. If you know how to be small, you have to learn how to be grand. And remember – whatever you are, always dare to make big shadows!

• When singing a song – always make the situation worse than it is, make the obstacles higher then they are. Don’t think “I’m singing this to my friend who has kind of a bad day”. Always think – “I’m singing this to my one and only love, who just came home from war and has lost all his limbs and both his eyes. And now I have one chance to tell him, that I will stay with him forever, before the gas station blows up behind us.” If you do so – that is when the magic is starting.

• The hero and the coward both feel the same thing – the difference is what you do with it.

• Never be late. Just don’t do it. Never ever. There will be someone standing by, ready to take your spot. And also – just don’t do it. It shouldn’t be in your vocabulary. Being late have never looked good on someone.

• If you are thinking about the results while you are performing – you have lost. Because then you have missed the moment. And if you miss being present in the moment, you will never get the results you are longing for.

• When an actor comes in to the audition and is all like “look I have a hammer – and look I how good I am with this hammer” the panel are normally bored to death. If an actor comes in and is like “look at this table I have made with all my tools, it may not be perfect, but it is a table and I made it for you” – that is when they are listening.

• Don’t be interesting. Be interested. This goes not only in art, or when acting. It so goes for life too.

• Always give your self permission to play. And permission to be messy. This is when the fun begins. And remember, art by accident tends to be really original and inventive.

• Everybody is good in New York. Everybody can sing. Everybody can act. That is why we want to see you. We want to see what you can bring to our project. We want to see you be happy with what you’ve got, and we want you to be happy with delivering it to us. And remember – we watch every step of what you do. Therefor – be kind to the pianist (and everybody else…). Always!

• Only what you are not giving can be lacking in any situation. If you want to feel safe and need security in a situation – bring safety and security. If you want playfulness and energy – bring playfulness and energy.

• Play the pauses. Always play the pauses.

• Do not follow anybody’s rules (or advise for that matter…) Make up your own. Or even better, just skip all the rules. Life is kind of cooler that way.

Xo xo dear friends – see you in Oslo! Today I will walk around New York, being thankful. And PS! I have decided to keep on my vocal geekiness in Norway as well, so if you have topics you want me to write about, bring them on. And remember all sharing is caring – so feel free to pass my site on to other vocal geeks around you!