Opera Met Drywall—and It was Fabulous!
If you missed the DIY Diva event at Fountain House on Saturday, June 28th at 3PM… oh no, you really missed out! The dazzling Taerra Chiba-Pence, a professional contractor and opera singer (yes, really), graced our living room with a one-of-a-kind mashup of arias and anchor hooks.
🎶 As any true diva knows—literally translated from Italian as “goddess”—it takes stage presence, powerhouse vocals, and just a little bit of magic. Taerra delivered all three in spades, singing selections from La Bohème and closing with “Shall We Dance?” from The King and I. With Alessandro enchanting us on piano and Andrew weaving deep cello tones around every note, the room felt downright celestial.
🔧 Between the high notes and heartfelt vibratos? A crash course in home repair! Taerra shared her toolkit wisdom, showing us:
- How to hang art or even mirrors on vintage plaster walls (hint: use the right picture hooks and those itty-bitty nails at a downward angle).
- A hands-on demo of patching wall holes using a putty knife and spackling paste (just a delicate schmear—no cake-frosting energy required).
- How to smooth things out with a sanding block, and the difference between coarse and fine grit.
Audience members got to try it out themselves, sharing laughs and learning along the way. We even passed around the tools to feel the textures and get a real sense of the magic behind the method.
📸 After the final bow (and a few pictures), Taerra hinted at an encore this winter—maybe more home fixes, maybe a voice lesson, maybe both. One thing’s for sure: DIY never sounded this good.
Want to be the first to know when she returns? Stay tuned—you won’t want to miss her next aria with a power drill. Contact daniel.frey@fountainhouse.org or text 929-884-3564.
