Q: What an Opera Diva does in Paris when she is not working?  Alison: This Opera Diva teaches! Yes, I teach voice classes at a place called Harmonic Studio and private students as well! We really tackle the basics of singing; breathing, placement, tone, ease etc.... and I have constructed these classes for actors, dancers, and beginners! We dance; we move; we work hard! I also love the park and walk in it to ponder deeper questions and to study spiritually every day. This is my foundation and support for sure! And I try to cook dinner for my honey! (He is the REAL cook in the family).                                                                                     Q: Which part of Paris, do you live in?                                         Alison: I live in the 19ere, next to a park called Parc Buttes Chaumont! A gorgeous man-made park that has a lake, ducks, waterfalls, bridges, caves (it's like Disneyland) and such FABULOUS clean air!  When you climb to the top of the park you can see Montmartre, Sacre Coeur and much of Paris.                    Q: Where do you shop? What usually you buy from those Parisian department stores?                                                            Alison: Parisian department stores!! I go straight to the heart of Paris and shop in the Cartiers for example on market day, down on Pyrèenes or at Place des Fetes! Cheeses, fruit, baguettes, legumes, wines and even scarves and gloves for the cold weather! (We love to have friends for dinners and this is a perfect, wonderful way to be IN Paris and do great dinners not so expensively - a thrifty diva!). Department stores for me are make-up and perfume and lingerie! For that it is SEPHORA for example or LAFAYETTE GALLERIAS.                                                                                Q: How do you describe a busy day in the life of a busy Opera Diva?                                                                                     Alison: Wow, a great question! The basics are always the same! I start with spiritual study; getting centered and this I concentrate on and take throughout the whole day; physical exercise as much as possible! Then work the voice; warm up, move it around and finally ,study of music and listening to recordings just to get a jump on an audition for example. And for this diva, I study French and am preparing an operetta all IN French so I have the text with me on the metro in the street, in the bed and I p-r-a-c-t-i-c-e s-a-y-i-n-g  t-h-e  w-o-r-d-s  v-e-r-y  s-l-o-w-l-y! Then dinner or lunch for my cherie; a student maybe; send out promo material and talk to the agent, and keeping up with my daughter on the phone and email while I am away from her!  

Q: Paris is a very expensive city. Do you bargain with the French?                                                              Alison: Yes whenever I can! It is great to use the "poker face". I am not good at this and it is good practice. State your price; hold to it and be willing to walk away! It is like opera contracts or even life opportunities; life choices! I find that every MOMENT is an intersection to bargain with - where you have to choose ...."Do I do this? Do I WANT this? Can I DO this? Can I walk away? How important is it?" Bargaining in a Paris market is good LIFE practice!                                                                       Q: What were the most colorful gossips about Diva Alison, you read lately?                                                     Alison: That I am a TV Pop star in Europe! Do you LOVE that?!                                                                         Q: I love it. You are  a superstar. Do you like to give interviews?                                                                Alison: It is always my pleasure to share and to speak the truth! Especially to Maximillien! Continues next