Laurie Rubin - Do You Dream in Color?. Insights from a Girl Without Sight

Do

You

Dream

in

Color?

Insights from a Girl without Sight

Laurie Rubin

Seven Stories Press

New York

Copyright 2012 by Laurie Rubin

A Seven Stories Press First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Seven Stories Press

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New York, NY 10013

www.sevenstories.com

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Book design by Elizabeth DeLong

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rubin, Laurie.

Do you dream in color? : insights from a girl without sight / Laurie Rubin. -- 1st ed.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-60980-424-4 (pbk.)

ISBN-10: 1-60980-424-4 (pbk.)

1. Rubin, Laurie. 2. Mezzo-sopranos--United States--Biography. 3. Blind musicians--United States--Biography. I. Title.

ML420.R8876A3 2012

782.0092--dc23

[B]

2012016420

Printed in the United States

9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To Jenny, my life partner, who saw the girl I was when we first met and who has greatly contributed to the woman I am now and will become.

To my mom who has always gone out of her way to support all of my dreams, my dad who always takes that deep breath with me when Im about to sing a phrase, and my brother who is one of my closest friends and best mentors.

Contents

The Day I Became a Woman in
My Pink Bat Mitzvah Dress

Acknowledgments

There are so many people who have enriched my life so much and who were responsible for my successes and how I see the world. I know there are many more than I can mention here, but I would be remiss if I didnt thank the following people.

My entire extended family for their enthusiasm throughout my entire process of writing the book, finding an agent and publisher, and then seeing it come to fruition: Auntie Suzi and Uncle Steve with cousins Eric and Amy, Aunt Debbie and Uncle Tony with cousin Jeremy, and Uncle Ronnie and Aunt Andrea and cousin Rachel.

Cousins Steve, Marla, Molly, and Jordan Kort for your wonderful words of support and encouragement, and for always coming to my jewelry shows and concerts. Laura for going out of your way to plan jewelry parties for me to show my pieces, and for your wonderful support in general. Joyce Lukas for inspiring me to learn how to make jewelry and for hosting my very first jewelry show. And Marcia, my first teacher in the subject of fashion, whose funky bracelets inspired my love of jewelry when I was three years old.

Grandma for instilling my love of reading and storytelling and for being there when I came home from school every Friday afternoon. And Grandpa who always told everyone I could do anything I set my mind to from the time everyone found out I was blind.

Ralph Kohn who sponsored my first CD, Faith in Spring , and who was in great part responsible for my concert at Wigmore Hall.

My incredible in-laws Richard and Gail for their unwavering support and excitement about this book. Your positive motivation and outlook greatly contributed to how it was written. Kathy and Cari for cheering me on, and Kyle and Chase for saying again and again that I should be on TV.

A very special thanks to Ted Huffman for getting me to perform my best and for believing I could perform a lead operatic role on stage; to Gordon Beeferman for writing such an amazing opera role and for putting in a good word at the companies who want to perform it; to Beth Greenberg who believes in my artistry onstage and who always champions my work; to Noam Sivan who wrote one of the best song cycles for my voice; and to Bruce Adolphe and Marija Stroke for being so unbelievable as friends and for writing/playing one of the pieces I know I will sing for years to come.

Keeril Makan for introducing my voice to new music and also for reading my book proposal.

Lenore and Steve Fischman for being responsible for introducing me to the best publisher ever!

Dan, Phoebe, Ruth, Gabe, and the rest of the Seven Stories Press family for being so wonderful and for believing in this story so much.

Nelson Yomtov and Francesca Sacasa for wanting to give this book a chance to see the world.

David Tabatsky, my consulting editor who helped form this book concept prior to its finding a home with a publisher.

Steve Harris, my incredible agent who pitched this book so enthusiastically to so many publishers.

Bruce Kluger who inspired the way I write and who spearheaded this whole process by writing that great story about finding a camera in a cab.

Jonathan Kravetz and the entire storywriting class for influencing the direction of this book.

Richard Goodman and the memoirwriting class for your very helpful critique of my work.

Geralyn Ruane for becoming such a great pen pal and friend. Your writing is so fantastic, and you were one of my muses.

Valerie Sorel, my incredible voice teacher who has helped me find so many vocal shades, colors, and other ways to express myself effectively.

David Wilkinson for being with me through so many musical adventures.

Julia, Jennifer, and the entire Cadenza Artists team, my incredible managers who are helping to build my dream career.

Frederica Von Stade for the most amazing weekend of musicmaking and for being a fabulous person and role model.

Dawn Upshaw and John Harbison for bringing me into new music, and to Graham Johnson for making Lieder come alive for me.

John Williams for being such a wonderful, nurturing, and magical conductor and for giving me the opportunity to sing one of the best pieces for soprano and orchestra with you.

Kenny Loggins for being my first music teacher.

Katharine Dain who said, I totally want to buy your book for all my friends, which gave me confidence going forward.

All my incredible friends, some of whom are mentioned in the book. All of your support, love, laughter, and amazing life experiences weve shared have meant more to me than I can express in words.

All my teachers from preschool through grad school. Your influence on my life is such a significant part of who I am.

Lastly, thank you to Scooby and to Mark, my first guide dog and beloved pet who loved me unconditionally, even when your walks were postponed an hour or two when I was on a roll writing. I know you cant read or write, but you understand my thoughts, so please know how much I love you guys.

The Glass Slipper

It was 10:15 on Sunday morning, and I was making good time. I had forty-five minutes to get from my apartment at 75th Street and West End Avenue to Merkin Concert Hall at 67th Street and Amsterdam. My bag, with makeup for touch-ups, a snack to eat between the dress rehearsal and the concert, and two bottles of water, was already packed. I stopped at the front door, allowing myself to take a breather before slipping on my glass-slipper-like clear sandals.

Bye, Sweetie, I called to Jenny, who was still in the kitchen finishing her coffee.

Bye, she said, with a light clunk of her mug on the table before coming over to see me off.

See you in a couple hours, I said, kissing her goodbye.

My guide dog, Mark, heard me pick up my bag, the signal that usually meant it was time for us to leave together. He came running to the door, snorting happily, wagging his tail and stopping on my left side, ready to work. His tail was like a feather duster, brushing and fanning my legs.