Hello all,
I must confess, I have been a bad tenor lately. The whole point of having a blog and a website is so people can stay updated as to what and where I am singing. Alas, I have not updated this all in a while. The good news is that it is because I have been so busy performing and learning new music, it has left me little time for much else. I did finally put up some photos from the Pearl Fishers and a short video clip from act 1. I will also apologize for the new video. It seems the audio and video are not synched completely. I will fix this soon.
As far as the Pearl Fishers goes, I think the show went really well. Thanks to everyone for making it out to the show. My next big project (which snuck up quickly), is my further transition into singing bigger repertoire. As part of Howard Haskin's plan for me, I am diving into Das Rheingold, Lucia di Lammermoor, and Peter Grimes. As it stands, I have to present these roles in Munich, Paris, and London this summer (July into August) as he helps me gear into a full transition into the European opera circuit. At that point, it is a matter of adding maybe Magic Flute (which I already know) and Carmen (which I am also fairly solid on already) which will become my staple performing operas in Europe over the next few years while I start things off. His assignment for me after all of this (and trust me...it is a TON of work) is Lohengrin. I am really excited about that. I will not get to the opera until probably early 2011, but that is ok. There will always be time for Wagner (and I will certainly make the time)!
In addition to the photos and video I have uploaded, an artist from Pennsylvania has taken an interest in my singing and wants to do some digital portraits of me (she saw the Pearl Fishers). It is computerized artwork and I look forward to being able to use some of the artwork on my website.
As far as preparation goes for this summer, Das Rheingold (the character is Loge) is my first foray into singing Wagner. I am discovering how magical it can be and also how incredibly deep the levels of the characters. I am incredibly fortunate to have taken a Wagner Ring cycle class at the Peabody Conservatory with professor Wayne Conner. In his class I learned the value of learning all Wagner's motives and how my singing and acting can (and should) at times show 2 different sides to the story (this occurs most often when a character is lying with his words, and the music tells the audience this point). In addition to this class, I have been consulting with a retired German professor from Johns Hopkins University (who happens to be a Wagnerite) who has been helping me with the word for word and poetic translations of the German text.
With Peter Grimes, I am taking a slower approach. For right now, I am merely focusing on learning correct notes and rhythms and once I have conquered that, I will go work with a Britten specialist to really focus my style. The Lucia is by far the easiest (and that is quite funny to say considering how difficult this opera is for the tenor). For this opera, I am allowing the great tenors of the 20th century to guide me in their approach to style, breathing, and acting. Having performed other Italian operas in this style, I find the transition to not be overly difficult.
Finally, I am back at the language game again. I just started diving back into my German. I realize that to truely gain the respect of the German audience and directors, I must truly capture this language. At one point 5 years ago, I was quite proficient with German, but being married to a Francophile, and singing mostly in Italian, has rendered my German to this point, moot. However, with this shift in fach, I now need to re-emphasize my German.
Best to all!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Eyebrows!
One would think with a blog entry titled, 'Eyebrows', it may have something to do with eyebrows and what I think of how they look. Yes. In a sense, that is true. While in a practice room on Friday, I made a huge discovery about my singing related to my eyebrows. Now, I won't bother boring everyone with the specifics of how it effects my singing, but it hits on a point that does maybe interest everyone. That point is regardless of what field in which we work or study, every day we are given many points of focus on which to improve. Often in a lesson or coaching I find myself being given up to 30 points of focus and out of those 30, I may only be able to truly implement 2-3 of those points in my immediate work. It is only in time that we are often able to finally implement all the points of focus we may have been given in a given lesson several years before.
I found myself in this position on Friday. While singing, 'Les Pecheurs de Perles', I caught myself doing some odd eyebrow things that, while watching myself in the mirror, I was able to correct. This may seem inconsequential and a small point of the day in day out of being a improving musician, but it is rather large when you consider my very first voice teacher dating back more than 10 years now (Martha Randall) used to hound me on this point. Over the years, I have had other people pick at me over this, but never has it been something to which I could devote much time. Now, 10 years later, I find myself looking back at those first lessons and finally being able to have the, 'a-ha!' moment I never had back then. I would like to think that it doesn't take 10 years for me to learn every lesson, but I do find it rewarding to know that with enough time, practice, and patience; our work really pays off.
This also bring up my last point. NEVER forget what you are told by anyone as you progress through your field. You never know when that advice might come back and help you. This moment with the eyebrows really enforces this point which was originally said to me over 10 years ago. I often told myself that my eyebrows had nothing to do with how I sounded (and in truth when there are 100 huge things wrong, 1 little thing like eyebrows don't make much of a difference). In truth, as I progressed and improved, this point became more and more crucial and finally became a 'huge thing wrong'. All part of the proverbial, 'icing on the cake' for us singers (and trust me...most of us love our cake).
In a side note away from singing, I would like to bring peoples' attention to an article in Esquire magazine this month. It features a very interesting and touching article on Roger Ebert. For those of you have have lost people to cancer (like me), it is a really moving piece of his battle with the horrible disease. Here is the link:
http://www.esquire.com/features/roger-ebert-0310-7
Finally, our production of Les Pecheurs de Perles opens soon. My performance dates as Nadir are the 6th and the 20th of March. Check Center Stage Opera's website for more information, tickets, and directions to the 2 locations.
au revoir!
I found myself in this position on Friday. While singing, 'Les Pecheurs de Perles', I caught myself doing some odd eyebrow things that, while watching myself in the mirror, I was able to correct. This may seem inconsequential and a small point of the day in day out of being a improving musician, but it is rather large when you consider my very first voice teacher dating back more than 10 years now (Martha Randall) used to hound me on this point. Over the years, I have had other people pick at me over this, but never has it been something to which I could devote much time. Now, 10 years later, I find myself looking back at those first lessons and finally being able to have the, 'a-ha!' moment I never had back then. I would like to think that it doesn't take 10 years for me to learn every lesson, but I do find it rewarding to know that with enough time, practice, and patience; our work really pays off.
This also bring up my last point. NEVER forget what you are told by anyone as you progress through your field. You never know when that advice might come back and help you. This moment with the eyebrows really enforces this point which was originally said to me over 10 years ago. I often told myself that my eyebrows had nothing to do with how I sounded (and in truth when there are 100 huge things wrong, 1 little thing like eyebrows don't make much of a difference). In truth, as I progressed and improved, this point became more and more crucial and finally became a 'huge thing wrong'. All part of the proverbial, 'icing on the cake' for us singers (and trust me...most of us love our cake).
In a side note away from singing, I would like to bring peoples' attention to an article in Esquire magazine this month. It features a very interesting and touching article on Roger Ebert. For those of you have have lost people to cancer (like me), it is a really moving piece of his battle with the horrible disease. Here is the link:
http://www.esquire.com/features/roger-ebert-0310-7
Finally, our production of Les Pecheurs de Perles opens soon. My performance dates as Nadir are the 6th and the 20th of March. Check Center Stage Opera's website for more information, tickets, and directions to the 2 locations.
au revoir!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Pearl Fishers and snow!
Hello all,
I am in the midst of my next production, The Pearl Fishers, with Center Stage Opera. Rehearsals have been great and the production includes some great singing. For all those interested, I am performing March 6th and 20th.
While learning this role, I had mentioned my struggles over finding a way to properly sing the Act 1 aria. After much debate, I have decided to sing it comfortably and fuller than I initially wanted. It doesn't match the text as well as I originally wanted (being that I am supposedly going to sleep), but if I sing it as softly as is intended, the audience will never be able to hear me in a big house. This is the advantage of being an opera singer. I get to sing the stuff that is normally very difficult for a singer to sing softly, with more more sound to project to several thousand people. Phew. Now that I am saved from trying to be so artsy, I can now let my voice go back to being comfortable again.
For those of you not in the mid-atlantic area, we were hit with a tremendous snow storm last week. It dropped the second most snow ever in a snowstorm for the city of Baltimore. Not to mention, as I am writing, another snowstorm is slamming Baltimore with expected snow totals of 10-20 inches. I will confess I normally hate the snow as it interferes with everything I do as a performer, but the fact that I now live in the city of Baltimore makes it not so difficult to be able to get out to food stores and get whatever supplies I need (as opposed to living in the suburbs and being unable to get anywhere). One huge downside to Baltimore in a snowstorm (and it differs greatly from NYC, Chicago, or Paris and London) is that there is no underground mass transportation. This lack of mass transit in this city does annoy me greatly and reminds me of why I am always longing to move to one of the above mentioned cities. Soon enough.
In the meantime, enjoy the snow everyone and stay safe!
I am in the midst of my next production, The Pearl Fishers, with Center Stage Opera. Rehearsals have been great and the production includes some great singing. For all those interested, I am performing March 6th and 20th.
While learning this role, I had mentioned my struggles over finding a way to properly sing the Act 1 aria. After much debate, I have decided to sing it comfortably and fuller than I initially wanted. It doesn't match the text as well as I originally wanted (being that I am supposedly going to sleep), but if I sing it as softly as is intended, the audience will never be able to hear me in a big house. This is the advantage of being an opera singer. I get to sing the stuff that is normally very difficult for a singer to sing softly, with more more sound to project to several thousand people. Phew. Now that I am saved from trying to be so artsy, I can now let my voice go back to being comfortable again.
For those of you not in the mid-atlantic area, we were hit with a tremendous snow storm last week. It dropped the second most snow ever in a snowstorm for the city of Baltimore. Not to mention, as I am writing, another snowstorm is slamming Baltimore with expected snow totals of 10-20 inches. I will confess I normally hate the snow as it interferes with everything I do as a performer, but the fact that I now live in the city of Baltimore makes it not so difficult to be able to get out to food stores and get whatever supplies I need (as opposed to living in the suburbs and being unable to get anywhere). One huge downside to Baltimore in a snowstorm (and it differs greatly from NYC, Chicago, or Paris and London) is that there is no underground mass transportation. This lack of mass transit in this city does annoy me greatly and reminds me of why I am always longing to move to one of the above mentioned cities. Soon enough.
In the meantime, enjoy the snow everyone and stay safe!
Monday, December 21, 2009
On ABC 2 Baltimore!
Hello everyone,
It has been an exciting month since I have been back in the US. First, and most important, I was featured in a segment on ABC's show, 'Good Morning Maryland'. In this segment, I was interviewed by Jamie Costello and then performed the aria, 'Nessun Dorma' with pianist Michael Sheppard. It was a thrill to be on live television, to be interviewed by Jamie Costello, and of course to be able to work with Michael Sheppard. When we are are performing, we often forget how much easier our jobs can be when we have a pianist who can take care of everything imaginable. Michael Sheppard is one of those pianists and he makes my life incredibly easier as a singer. I look forward to our next spot on this TV show sometime after the holidays. Stay tuned to this website and I will keep everyone posted. For those that missed it, here is the link to my interview:
http://www.abc2news.com/content/gmm/story/Meet-a-Baltimore-Born-Opera-Star/CWwUykeLU0iYiQR57-SWFQ.cspx
The night after performing on the news, I had the priviledge of seeing Renee Fleming live at the Lyric. It was a quite a show. She really knows how to play to an audience and yet also keep it very classy. I happen to be a fan of how she introduced each piece. I know many people find performers speaking to the audience a bit crass, but I find it educational. Especially when the singer/performer might have insight into something that the audience might find interesting. On a personal note, I also like the connection it forms with the audience and you get to know the performer a bit better. This is always a tactic I take when giving recitals (if given the opportunity). This (in my opinion) is sometimes the only way to explain and bring the audience into the piece, and by doing so, we can bring more people to the 'fine arts'.
On a final performing note, I am in the process of learning Nadir from the 'Pearl Fishers' with Center Stage Opera. I look forward to working with the company again and all the great staff that are involved in these productions. The big conundrum that all tenors face is how to attack the big aria in act one. After much debate, I have decided to go the artistic route and sing all the top notes pianissimo. This is up to much debate, but because the music calls for a soft approach and I am supposed to be in a dream state, it just makes the most sense (even if it is horribly difficult to do well). Luckily, I have 3 more months to get ready for this and prepare myself.
Happy Holidays!
It has been an exciting month since I have been back in the US. First, and most important, I was featured in a segment on ABC's show, 'Good Morning Maryland'. In this segment, I was interviewed by Jamie Costello and then performed the aria, 'Nessun Dorma' with pianist Michael Sheppard. It was a thrill to be on live television, to be interviewed by Jamie Costello, and of course to be able to work with Michael Sheppard. When we are are performing, we often forget how much easier our jobs can be when we have a pianist who can take care of everything imaginable. Michael Sheppard is one of those pianists and he makes my life incredibly easier as a singer. I look forward to our next spot on this TV show sometime after the holidays. Stay tuned to this website and I will keep everyone posted. For those that missed it, here is the link to my interview:
http://www.abc2news.com/content/gmm/story/Meet-a-Baltimore-Born-Opera-Star/CWwUykeLU0iYiQR57-SWFQ.cspx
The night after performing on the news, I had the priviledge of seeing Renee Fleming live at the Lyric. It was a quite a show. She really knows how to play to an audience and yet also keep it very classy. I happen to be a fan of how she introduced each piece. I know many people find performers speaking to the audience a bit crass, but I find it educational. Especially when the singer/performer might have insight into something that the audience might find interesting. On a personal note, I also like the connection it forms with the audience and you get to know the performer a bit better. This is always a tactic I take when giving recitals (if given the opportunity). This (in my opinion) is sometimes the only way to explain and bring the audience into the piece, and by doing so, we can bring more people to the 'fine arts'.
On a final performing note, I am in the process of learning Nadir from the 'Pearl Fishers' with Center Stage Opera. I look forward to working with the company again and all the great staff that are involved in these productions. The big conundrum that all tenors face is how to attack the big aria in act one. After much debate, I have decided to go the artistic route and sing all the top notes pianissimo. This is up to much debate, but because the music calls for a soft approach and I am supposed to be in a dream state, it just makes the most sense (even if it is horribly difficult to do well). Luckily, I have 3 more months to get ready for this and prepare myself.
Happy Holidays!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Back in the US
Well, I have been back in the US for a few weeks now and the question I seem to get more often than not is, 'Are you glad to be back?' Simply stated and in one word...No. To say some people are best suited for certain cities versus other cities has always been something I have debated. I often thought most cities were about the same and you can find something charming about every city where you live. While I still believe this is true, I now believe that for each person, there are cities that better fit that person's personality. Paris definitely fits mine. I happen to be someone who loves: great music, great food, loud and lively people, great museums, great history, and great civic pride. These attributes perfectly describe Paris (as I see it). I will admit, I can't wait to be able to move back to Paris and once again breathe in the smell of such excitement in a city like Paris.
On vocal notes...I have mentioned how I have been going through some vocal changes under the direction of dramatic tenor, Howard Haskin. All the feelings I mentioned before are still ringing true on a daily basis and the best way I can describe my feelings with singing is this...I feel like someone who has been blind his whole life and all of a sudden can see. In that case, the person realizes the new sensations and the new gift, but doesn't know what to do with it. There is a lot of bumping into things and not quite judging distances correctly. However, every day there is improvement and you don't know how you ever could have lived as you did before. I can't imagine singing as I ever did before I changed technique recently and I can also say I catch myself saying, 'Wow' more often than I ever did in the past. I definitely thank Howard for that.
Before I left Paris, I did a concert of 'The Rake's Progress' and was glad it came off well. It was difficult to learn the music so quickly, but it was well worth it and I look forward to further developing that role in time. I also recorded the Liebeslieder Waltzes a week ago in DC. This was also a quick study for me. Luckily, I have sung these before. Next up is 'Les Pecheurs de Perles', with Center Stage Opera in March. I have started looking at some of this and am already thinking I am going to need every moment I have to really get this role perfect.
I would like to give a strong and hearty congrats to singers at Indiana University for their production of 'Die Zauberflöte'. Their was some great singing, great acting, and amazing playing in the pit. Also, congrats to my former schoolmate, Hirotaka Kato for his peformance in this production. Another congrats to another schoolmate of mine, Paul Corujo, in Center Stage Opera's production of, 'Madama Butterfly'. It was a real pleasure to see this company continue to develop. The sets are really starting grow in complexity and it really makes for a great show.
On vocal notes...I have mentioned how I have been going through some vocal changes under the direction of dramatic tenor, Howard Haskin. All the feelings I mentioned before are still ringing true on a daily basis and the best way I can describe my feelings with singing is this...I feel like someone who has been blind his whole life and all of a sudden can see. In that case, the person realizes the new sensations and the new gift, but doesn't know what to do with it. There is a lot of bumping into things and not quite judging distances correctly. However, every day there is improvement and you don't know how you ever could have lived as you did before. I can't imagine singing as I ever did before I changed technique recently and I can also say I catch myself saying, 'Wow' more often than I ever did in the past. I definitely thank Howard for that.
Before I left Paris, I did a concert of 'The Rake's Progress' and was glad it came off well. It was difficult to learn the music so quickly, but it was well worth it and I look forward to further developing that role in time. I also recorded the Liebeslieder Waltzes a week ago in DC. This was also a quick study for me. Luckily, I have sung these before. Next up is 'Les Pecheurs de Perles', with Center Stage Opera in March. I have started looking at some of this and am already thinking I am going to need every moment I have to really get this role perfect.
I would like to give a strong and hearty congrats to singers at Indiana University for their production of 'Die Zauberflöte'. Their was some great singing, great acting, and amazing playing in the pit. Also, congrats to my former schoolmate, Hirotaka Kato for his peformance in this production. Another congrats to another schoolmate of mine, Paul Corujo, in Center Stage Opera's production of, 'Madama Butterfly'. It was a real pleasure to see this company continue to develop. The sets are really starting grow in complexity and it really makes for a great show.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Lots to report
Hello all,
Well, there is a lot to report for the last few weeks. First, in my previous blog, I mentioned the competition in Torino. That competition was a roaring success for me as I won the Nemorino role competition. In addition, I was awarded a secondary award as the 'most promising young bel canto singer'. As part of this award, I am given an opportunity next August to come back to Italy to study and take auditions in front of many Italian houses on an all expenses paid trip. Not a bad deal for me! The role competition awards me the opportunity to make my Italian debut as Nemorino in Elisir d'amore this coming spring in Torino. Also, a great opportunity.
As far as my experiences in the competition...It was a grueling couple days. There were many rounds in each day and often we started a round at 10am and didn't finish the last round until close to 11 at night. Each round consisted of different excerpts from the opera (i.e. duets, trios, solo arias, etc). Another interesting thing is that we were often asked to sing the same excerpt several times is a row as they mixed up the different singers to try and get the best combinations. Needless to say, it was quite tiring. Not to mention having 8 judges grueling you with different demands after each selection was tough as well. Oh, and did I mention, no one spoke English??
Yeah...No one spoke English. It was a great chance for me to use my Italian (thank you Professor Amodeo at the University of Maryland for scaring it into me). I haven't spoken Italian in 5 years, but it came back to me very quickly. It was a bit shocking being in Italy and realizing that no one spoke English. In France, more often than not, if I am stuck, someone can slip an English word or two in there for me to help me out. That is definitely not the case in Italy (and especially not in this competition). I must admit, I was almost happy to return to the cosmopolitan city of Paris...
That would be except for the food and hospitality in Italy. The people (even if they didn't speak a word of English) were some of the most warm people I have ever met. One example of this was on the first day of the competition. It was between rounds and I was quite tired (knowing we were going to be there until late in the night). Many of the competitors were staying in the same hotel (I was staying with a friend in a nearby town) and they proceeded to ask the hotel if it would be OK for me to have a room just to rest in for a few hours until the next round of the competition (and not pay for this). In the US, they would laughed and told you to get out of the hotel. In Italy, they said that it would be no problem and even proceeded to ask me if I needed and drinks or food. Unbelievable!
Continuing with the food, I was floored at the level of the food. I have never had food like this in any country I have visited. The tastes were almost like American food on flavor steroids and yet they were the most natural foods I have ever enjoyed. For all who plan to visit Italy...Please learn the language, but realize that even if you struggle, the food alone is worth the struggle. Trust me!
After arriving home (Paris) from Torino, I was shortly on the road again to another international competition in Marseille, France. This one did not turn out as fortunate as the last competition. Being that I am in a transitory stage in my voice, certain arias work better than others, and it turns out that when I listed the aria I wanted to sing for this competition 2 months ago, it was before I realized I was changing technique. This left me in a precarious situation with the aria I was to sing (because changes are not allowed). I sang as best as I could manage, but realized that my best with this aria would not be good enough to win on that given day. I also realized that while the competition was good, I was better, and had I been given the chance to change to something better reflecting my current singing style, I should have been able to win, almost convincingly. Another factor against me was that my rehearsal with my pianist was at 10am the morning of the competition and I did not take the stage until 11pm that night. Quite a long day and I will admit that I was having a hard time even staying awake minutes before walking on stage in front of 2000 people in the audience and the main judge, Rolando Villazon!!
All that being said, it bring me to a critical realization about my career. That realization is that regardless of whatever circumstances throw themselves in front of me, I need to be ready to sing at a high level. There is never an excuse as to why one can have a 'blah' performance. The audience paid good money to see me sing and I need to deliver even if it is 11pm at night and had been on my feet since early in the morning. This is the same as a pitcher who happens to be a closer in baseball and waits around all game until the 9th inning to make his appearance. He can't complain that it is past his bedtime; he needs to muster up the strength and will power to give a commanding performance to win the game for his team. I need to follow suit and force myself to stay focused and not meander through a performance. As a singer, I love to give excuses as to why something wasn't perfect, however to be truly great, I can no longer allow myself to make these excuses.
My wife has a habit of telling me that when I am competing at these international competitions and on an international level at European opera houses, that it is not just about singing the right notes, remembering the words, or even hitting the high notes. Instead, it is about absolute artistic perfection. If you want to win and be recognized, there can be no excuses, only results. As much as I love my ability to say that there will always be a next time, there comes a time when that next time is right now. There also comes a time when time does run out and if we are not making it as a singer, we need to consider other things. While I am not there yet, I realize that I need to really start deliberately seizing every opportunity in front of me and not just allowing myself to be slightly above average. If you want to be a truly great singer, then there is only one way to get there and that is to be tireless and unrelenting while in the practice room and on the stage. This is not a field for mediocrity, this is a field only for greatness.
Well, there is a lot to report for the last few weeks. First, in my previous blog, I mentioned the competition in Torino. That competition was a roaring success for me as I won the Nemorino role competition. In addition, I was awarded a secondary award as the 'most promising young bel canto singer'. As part of this award, I am given an opportunity next August to come back to Italy to study and take auditions in front of many Italian houses on an all expenses paid trip. Not a bad deal for me! The role competition awards me the opportunity to make my Italian debut as Nemorino in Elisir d'amore this coming spring in Torino. Also, a great opportunity.
As far as my experiences in the competition...It was a grueling couple days. There were many rounds in each day and often we started a round at 10am and didn't finish the last round until close to 11 at night. Each round consisted of different excerpts from the opera (i.e. duets, trios, solo arias, etc). Another interesting thing is that we were often asked to sing the same excerpt several times is a row as they mixed up the different singers to try and get the best combinations. Needless to say, it was quite tiring. Not to mention having 8 judges grueling you with different demands after each selection was tough as well. Oh, and did I mention, no one spoke English??
Yeah...No one spoke English. It was a great chance for me to use my Italian (thank you Professor Amodeo at the University of Maryland for scaring it into me). I haven't spoken Italian in 5 years, but it came back to me very quickly. It was a bit shocking being in Italy and realizing that no one spoke English. In France, more often than not, if I am stuck, someone can slip an English word or two in there for me to help me out. That is definitely not the case in Italy (and especially not in this competition). I must admit, I was almost happy to return to the cosmopolitan city of Paris...
That would be except for the food and hospitality in Italy. The people (even if they didn't speak a word of English) were some of the most warm people I have ever met. One example of this was on the first day of the competition. It was between rounds and I was quite tired (knowing we were going to be there until late in the night). Many of the competitors were staying in the same hotel (I was staying with a friend in a nearby town) and they proceeded to ask the hotel if it would be OK for me to have a room just to rest in for a few hours until the next round of the competition (and not pay for this). In the US, they would laughed and told you to get out of the hotel. In Italy, they said that it would be no problem and even proceeded to ask me if I needed and drinks or food. Unbelievable!
Continuing with the food, I was floored at the level of the food. I have never had food like this in any country I have visited. The tastes were almost like American food on flavor steroids and yet they were the most natural foods I have ever enjoyed. For all who plan to visit Italy...Please learn the language, but realize that even if you struggle, the food alone is worth the struggle. Trust me!
After arriving home (Paris) from Torino, I was shortly on the road again to another international competition in Marseille, France. This one did not turn out as fortunate as the last competition. Being that I am in a transitory stage in my voice, certain arias work better than others, and it turns out that when I listed the aria I wanted to sing for this competition 2 months ago, it was before I realized I was changing technique. This left me in a precarious situation with the aria I was to sing (because changes are not allowed). I sang as best as I could manage, but realized that my best with this aria would not be good enough to win on that given day. I also realized that while the competition was good, I was better, and had I been given the chance to change to something better reflecting my current singing style, I should have been able to win, almost convincingly. Another factor against me was that my rehearsal with my pianist was at 10am the morning of the competition and I did not take the stage until 11pm that night. Quite a long day and I will admit that I was having a hard time even staying awake minutes before walking on stage in front of 2000 people in the audience and the main judge, Rolando Villazon!!
All that being said, it bring me to a critical realization about my career. That realization is that regardless of whatever circumstances throw themselves in front of me, I need to be ready to sing at a high level. There is never an excuse as to why one can have a 'blah' performance. The audience paid good money to see me sing and I need to deliver even if it is 11pm at night and had been on my feet since early in the morning. This is the same as a pitcher who happens to be a closer in baseball and waits around all game until the 9th inning to make his appearance. He can't complain that it is past his bedtime; he needs to muster up the strength and will power to give a commanding performance to win the game for his team. I need to follow suit and force myself to stay focused and not meander through a performance. As a singer, I love to give excuses as to why something wasn't perfect, however to be truly great, I can no longer allow myself to make these excuses.
My wife has a habit of telling me that when I am competing at these international competitions and on an international level at European opera houses, that it is not just about singing the right notes, remembering the words, or even hitting the high notes. Instead, it is about absolute artistic perfection. If you want to win and be recognized, there can be no excuses, only results. As much as I love my ability to say that there will always be a next time, there comes a time when that next time is right now. There also comes a time when time does run out and if we are not making it as a singer, we need to consider other things. While I am not there yet, I realize that I need to really start deliberately seizing every opportunity in front of me and not just allowing myself to be slightly above average. If you want to be a truly great singer, then there is only one way to get there and that is to be tireless and unrelenting while in the practice room and on the stage. This is not a field for mediocrity, this is a field only for greatness.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Off to sing Nemorino
As I pack to prepare to head to Torino, Italy to compete for the role of Nemorino, I have been walking around our apartment in Paris constantly humming every person's lines except my own. Those are the easy ones to remember. While working with one of my Parisian coaches this week, I stumbled repeatedly on my entrances when there was nothing more than the simple piano accompaniment. What I realized is that I know every single one of my lines, I often take my word and entrance cues off listening to the other characters...Not a good idea when the audition is just me and a pianist singing through the entire role (including ensembles) and there is no one else on stage with me. This has caused me to go back and really focus in on every character besides myself (hard for a tenor to do).
Amidst preparing for this trip to Italy, I have decided to change techniques mid-stream. Not exactly an easy thing to do (nor recommended). In any event, my whole thinking was, there is no time like the present. Regardless how Italy goes, the most important thing is to move forward in some aspect of my voice every day (be it language practice, technique work, etc). I know there is a limited amount of time we all have to get our careers off the ground before it becomes such an economic albatross that we have no choice, but to find some other kind of employment and way of life. I have felt this albatross growing stronger on my back this last year and have decided I need to make things happen (even if drastic). I am going for broke (literally and figuratively) and that means evaluating every aspect of how I work as a musician. I have gotten certain criticisms over the years that are now becoming pretty much a pattern and because of this I have been seeking advice from professionals all across the voice field to solve them. I did not have much success in the US finding help to solve these problems (the help I received in the US was more fixing the symptoms, but not really solving the root problems). Luckily, I stumbled into some people here in France that have really been able to help me. My new voice teacher and I have been working 5-6 days a week for 2-3 hours at a time for the past couple weeks just to get me a head start on this new technique as I head to Torino. His approach is to not treat the symptoms, but instead to fix the actual problems. This is certainly not an entirely novel approach to many things, but to my voice, it has been a huge help.
For you singers out there, let me suffice to say that Europe has an opinion on American singers and it is definitely a fair one. My voice embodies many of the problems we have as American English speakers singing in Italian, French, or German. It is sometimes too bright and shrill and at other times unfocused and lacking strength (without pushing) on the bottom. This is the general opinion of American singers. People here have told me it is because we form our mouths wrong when forming words. Europeans will form words at the very front of the mouth and lips and as Americans we form it in the back of our throats. This presents many interesting problems. Next, because we form everything in the backs of our mouths, we tend to also try and find all our resonance places there and in our heads (read...NOSE). This creates that midwest twang or southern drawl or many other accents we have in the USA. In any event, this whole process of speaking (or in this case singing and creating sound) needs to be re-learned to get the color that European singers are so famous for having. I won't get into the details, but needless to say, it has been a VERY tough road for me (however invigorating at the same time). There are times I sound like a child learning to speak for the first time, but at other moments, there is a greatness that sounds that I was never capable of before.
On other fronts, I am preparing to also sing in Marseille in front of the great tenor Rolando Villazon in 2 weeks and after that I am singing in a concertized version of The Rake's Progress in Paris on October 22nd (did I mention I still need to start learning that role!!). Somewhere in this I also have several local (ie local to Paris) auditions coming. They will be blogged about when I take them.
One more note to all the Americans out there. Paris, France and the rest of Europe are a wonderful way to vacation, visit, or live. The idea that either we (Americans) will be met with hostility, rudeness, or disdain could never be more far from the truth. Wherever I go, regardless of how well I speak a language, I always find people willing to do whatever they can to lend a hand or offer directions (even if often people know less about the city roads than you do as a traveler). In the US, there is almost an aversion to making an effort to meet people halfway with languages when communicating, but here, if you don't speak French, they will try English, and then if you don't speak that, they will try meeting you halfway with a little German, Spanish, Italian, or whatever to make the conversation happen. It is truly amazing to watch and of to be a part. There is a certain INclusion that exists here that seems to really be lacking in many parts of the US (where the term EXclusion really has a strong meaning).
au revoir!
Amidst preparing for this trip to Italy, I have decided to change techniques mid-stream. Not exactly an easy thing to do (nor recommended). In any event, my whole thinking was, there is no time like the present. Regardless how Italy goes, the most important thing is to move forward in some aspect of my voice every day (be it language practice, technique work, etc). I know there is a limited amount of time we all have to get our careers off the ground before it becomes such an economic albatross that we have no choice, but to find some other kind of employment and way of life. I have felt this albatross growing stronger on my back this last year and have decided I need to make things happen (even if drastic). I am going for broke (literally and figuratively) and that means evaluating every aspect of how I work as a musician. I have gotten certain criticisms over the years that are now becoming pretty much a pattern and because of this I have been seeking advice from professionals all across the voice field to solve them. I did not have much success in the US finding help to solve these problems (the help I received in the US was more fixing the symptoms, but not really solving the root problems). Luckily, I stumbled into some people here in France that have really been able to help me. My new voice teacher and I have been working 5-6 days a week for 2-3 hours at a time for the past couple weeks just to get me a head start on this new technique as I head to Torino. His approach is to not treat the symptoms, but instead to fix the actual problems. This is certainly not an entirely novel approach to many things, but to my voice, it has been a huge help.
For you singers out there, let me suffice to say that Europe has an opinion on American singers and it is definitely a fair one. My voice embodies many of the problems we have as American English speakers singing in Italian, French, or German. It is sometimes too bright and shrill and at other times unfocused and lacking strength (without pushing) on the bottom. This is the general opinion of American singers. People here have told me it is because we form our mouths wrong when forming words. Europeans will form words at the very front of the mouth and lips and as Americans we form it in the back of our throats. This presents many interesting problems. Next, because we form everything in the backs of our mouths, we tend to also try and find all our resonance places there and in our heads (read...NOSE). This creates that midwest twang or southern drawl or many other accents we have in the USA. In any event, this whole process of speaking (or in this case singing and creating sound) needs to be re-learned to get the color that European singers are so famous for having. I won't get into the details, but needless to say, it has been a VERY tough road for me (however invigorating at the same time). There are times I sound like a child learning to speak for the first time, but at other moments, there is a greatness that sounds that I was never capable of before.
On other fronts, I am preparing to also sing in Marseille in front of the great tenor Rolando Villazon in 2 weeks and after that I am singing in a concertized version of The Rake's Progress in Paris on October 22nd (did I mention I still need to start learning that role!!). Somewhere in this I also have several local (ie local to Paris) auditions coming. They will be blogged about when I take them.
One more note to all the Americans out there. Paris, France and the rest of Europe are a wonderful way to vacation, visit, or live. The idea that either we (Americans) will be met with hostility, rudeness, or disdain could never be more far from the truth. Wherever I go, regardless of how well I speak a language, I always find people willing to do whatever they can to lend a hand or offer directions (even if often people know less about the city roads than you do as a traveler). In the US, there is almost an aversion to making an effort to meet people halfway with languages when communicating, but here, if you don't speak French, they will try English, and then if you don't speak that, they will try meeting you halfway with a little German, Spanish, Italian, or whatever to make the conversation happen. It is truly amazing to watch and of to be a part. There is a certain INclusion that exists here that seems to really be lacking in many parts of the US (where the term EXclusion really has a strong meaning).
au revoir!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)