Instruments can sing, too

Op-ed

Something that young instrumentalists hear for much of their training is that they're not "singing" enough. It can be confusing, because no, they're not singing at all. They're dragging bow hairs across strings, plunking keys downwards, maybe even using their own air supply to make sound; but they're not quite singing.

Paid summer programs: is it time for a revolution?

Op-ed

Summer programs, and their expensive nature, have been under scrutiny during this 2015/16 audition season. It's not a new conversation; the advent of bloggers has meant conversations about not-cheap aspects to the opera training industry, including famed bass-baritone Alan Held's strong words for YAPs (conversely, there's this controversial article about why audition fees are necessary).

Emotional extremes & bringing your work home

Op-ed

Roles like Violetta and Don José can emotionally cost a lot, and, some singers feel the need to shake off a character's heaviness after rehearsal is done. Women who sing Cio-Cio San (not to mention those who have kids of their own) can have an inevitable sympathetic resonse to that final scene. Singers playing villain roles might feel guilt or disgust after staging a particularly nasty scene, despite the obvious fictional element to the whole thing.

Audition arias 101: the young singer's guide

Op-ed

I've written before about the psychology of an opera singer's audition, and playing a strategic game with your aria package. Singers learn the rules of said game through audition experience. So, what if you don't have any?

The life of a comprimario, or "Oh, you're that guy!"

Op-ed

So you want to be a comprimario? Great! There's lots of work for you if you're good it, but beware, it's not as glitzy and glamorous as playing Violetta or Don José, but it's just as labour-intensive.

Coaches, voice teachers, and the grey area in between

Op-ed

The system still appeared odd to me. Why weren't these voice teachers, in their lessons full of exercises and tone production, also pointing out wrong rhythms, missed entrances, and poor diction? And why did these pianists feel that they had so much to offer someone who is probably much more advanced at singing than they are?

Things more important than opera

Op-ed

Opera and music and theatre mean a whole lot to me, and I take seriously what I write about it. To talk about the arts during times like this, after the horrific attacks in Paris, seems to take more justification than usual.

Playing the long game: fostering artistic respect

Op-ed

The only necessary ingredient in bringing up a generation of respect for the arts is constant exposure. It's not a passive thing at all, and what makes me nervous is that it's largely up to the grown-ups to plant the seeds.

Live theatre & respecting short attention spans

Op-ed

The other day, I was witness to the stunning brevity of a first-grader's attention span. I spent a couple of days playing opera for kids, and I remembered how easy it was to lose an audience of young listeners; any lulls in the action, in the drama, any slow-ish music that goes on for just a bit too long, these are opportunities for kids to get bored during the show, and instead spot something fascinating on the opposite wall, or on the bottom of their shoes.

Opera directors: an unfair disadvantage?

Op-ed

It's odd when you think about it too much: opera companies generally employ a person who is less musically literate than many 10-year old pianists, to make directorial choices in a theatre genre where music is the vital vehicle of the story. So, why isn't a strong musical background a prerequisite for directing opera?