As so many countless others, I was always thrilled to hear Adrienne perform, either as a solo performer or as part of a group.If she was performing anywhere near where I was living, I wanted to be in the audience. When I was helping program Yiddishkayt LA, she was one of the artists I tried my hardest to bring to L.A. whenever possible. I was a fan, no other way to describe it. But I knew Adrienne best as a generous and skilled vocal teacher and coach. Not only at festivals and music camps, but also privately. A great diva and performer of amazing depth and renown who was willing to spend time helping a stumble-tongued beginning student of Yiddish, Adrienne was even willing to coach me by long-distance phone as I prepared for performances in Los Angeles. She was generous with her time and her insights, warm and encouraging as I learned the repertoire and discovered my performance style. I still remember the time I came to her for a private coaching session in Oakland. After several years of working with a classical vocal teacher, I was having a hard time controlling my vibrato and not tightening up, strangling my voice. 5 minutes of AdrienneÌ¢‰â‰ã¢s direct instruction and suggestion Ì¢‰â‰ÛÏ you take deep breaths, thatÌ¢‰â‰ã¢s good Ì¢‰â‰ÛÏ stand tall, think of it as a continuous column of air coming from your diaphragm straight out, no pause Ì¢‰â‰ÛÏ made all the difference. My voice came out, clear and strong, but never, never as nuanced and beautiful as AdrienneÌ¢‰â‰ã¢s. May all of us who were the beneficiaries of her knowledge and love of yiddishkayt, carry her memory forward by performing, teaching and sharing the songs and stories that we learned from her. Koved ir likhtikn ondenk Ì¢‰â‰ÛÏ all honor to her bright memory.

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