the Opening Prelude
[SCENE 1]
(a spotlight illuminates the apron where the Singing Lawyer is standing)
the Background
One of the first people to call me the “singing lawyer” was my grandfather, affectionately known as G-daddy. At that time, I infectiously smiled and laughed, as was the norm in his presence. But for G-daddy, the "singing lawyer" moniker aptly described me, my roots and my life as he saw it. There is no doubt that the nickname certainly triggers a humorous image as it was intended.
As time passed, I began to identify with that moniker more and more. When people discover my musical background in the legal realm, they sometimes joke that I am the "singing lawyer." When people discover my legal background in the professional music realm, they sometimes joke that I am the "singing lawyer." Well, the jokes now on y'all!
The seed was planted when I was a little boy and I had memorized the names of all the presidents and a fun fact about most of them (don't ask me to do that now–that figurative book fell off the figurative shelf a long time ago). G-daddy said, “just you wait, he's going to be a lawyer one of these days.”
What he foreshadowed when I was a little boy has since come to fruition. Sadly, G-daddy took his last labored breath Easter Sunday this year. A week later my other Grandpa also took his last labored breath. Nearly a year before that, my Papa passed away. I think of them often and miss them dearly.
(photographical depictions of G-daddy, Grandpa and Papa are displayed)
the Dedication
This blog is dedicated to all three of my grandfathers and the values that they espoused. As men of the greatest generation (as I'd like to think of them), they fought for our country with pride and they worked hard to provide a better future than they had for themselves. Most importantly, they loved their families very dearly.
Although their earthly eyes and ears won’t get the opportunity to observe what the future holds, I am going to strive to produce content that they would be proud of and supportive of as if they were living today. Before I outline what is to come, some context is helpful for understanding the content of this blog.
[SCENE 2]
(as the curtain raises, lights come up slowly on a chair)
the Context
Here is the cliff notes version:
I completed my undergraduate work at Eastman in Vocal Performance in 2012 and I have performed quite a bit as a professional singer. This past May I received my J.D. with high honors from South Texas College of Law. In July, I took the Texas bar exam and anxiously await results to be posted in November. During the week I work at a law firm and teach a full piano & voice studio on the weekends. I am a co-founder of a start-up tech company and I enjoy listening to music on vinyl in my free time.
If you are more curious about what I’ve been up to in the past several years, you can read my bio. Also, please don't be afraid to contact me personally. I have a fairly long commute and enjoy spending that time catching up with people from far and wide.
[SCENE 3]
(lights fade out and illuminate six uniquely colored doors)
the Content
Now, what do you expect to read on the singing lawyer blog? As some of you know, my "pipe dream” is to be able to live and work in both the creative and the legal realms. This blog is the glue that brings those two realms together. It replaces my personal website www.davidweygandt.com and provides room for much needed growth.
There will be six "rooms" or "categories" of posts that will reside on the Singing Lawyer blog:
- The Stage
- The Courtroom
- The Listening Room
- The Boardroom
- The Practice Room
- The Studio
However incorrect it may be, I am going to presume that the creative professionals will read the legally oriented posts and vice versa. Based on this presumption, I will do my best to tailor the content to everyone. It may take awhile to produce content for both realms and each room/category so I thought it would be helpful to provide a sneek peak of each room/category. Just in case you forget, the brief descriptions of the six rooms below also exist via the room bar links above.
If there is something you would like to read about please reach out to me. I hope you enjoy the Singing Lawyer blog, subscribe and/or return often. Thank you for all of your support.
(the spotlight focuses on the stage door and dims elsewhere)
the Stage
The Stage is where I share anecdotes from my experiences under the bright lights. I will plug any future performing arts engagements that I am particularly excited about. Any uplifting review will be found on the Stage for you to read. I will keep super critical reviews in the receptacle, unless I am confident in and passionate about my opinions. You will also find on the Stage any interviews and profiles of performing artists, both rising stars and the well-established. I am sure that this blog will take on a life of its own. For now, I hope to showcase what I find so insatiable about the performing arts.
(the spotlight focuses on the door to the courtroom)
the Courtroom
The Courtroom is where I share thoughts on interesting cases and anecdotes from my experience in the legal sphere. I will certainly cover the legal issues that creative professionals should know about. I'll write about cases that I find interesting or are potential game-changers. I'll write about my experiences as a law student, a recent graduate, an advocate and as a practicing attorney. As my professional career as an attorney takes off, I'm sure I'll develop some seasoned advice or encounter something worth sharing. My conscious attempt will be to stay nonpartisan, but, as a French Christian might say, I may stray de temps en temps from the straight and narrow.
(the spotlight focuses on the listening room door)
the Listening Room
The Listening Room will be a place that you can go to listen to a new album or read a review of an album I'm excited about. People that know me well know that I love the sound of analog sound that flows from vinyl records. At the end of the year, I will rank the top album releases, in my humble opinion. If there is an album that I am particularly fond of, I will do my best to write up a review. If there is an album that you think might like or that I should check out, please send the information via the form in the Listening Room, I'd be happy to listen. My goal is to stream new music directly from this page at some point.
(the spotlight focuses on the boardroom door)
the Boardroom
The Boardroom will be devoted to the aspects of the law that do not involve litigation or going into a courtroom. Most of the work attorneys do are behind closed doors so there is an abundance of topics to discuss ranging from union contract discussions to the regulation of securities and mergers of major institutions. Unfortunately, it is all too common that institutions are exposed for fraudulent practices or products. As these types of corruption are exposed, they will be discussed in the Boardroom.
(the spotlight focuses on the practice room door)
the Practice Room
The Practice Room is where I will write about being an entrepreneur. When the time comes, I will share what Accent Partners, LLC, the company I co-founded with Sam Perez, is developing. I am also in the very beginning stages of writing an album. As bits of that album comes together, I will share that journey here. Any opinionated ruminations that don't quite fit on the Stage or in the Courtroom will also reside in the Practice Room.
(a spotlight focuses on the door to the studio)
the Studio
The Studio is where I share my insights about teaching piano and voice on the weekends at Vivaldi Music Academy. I will post about faculty & student recitals, and perhaps tidbits of my outstanding performances from those recitals. On this page you will find my philosophical musings about music education in America, my teaching style, and what teaching means to me. If there are any breakthroughs in music cognition and the educational sciences, I will do my best to highlight them here in the Studio.
(lights fade out and the curtain is lowers)
