Those of us who sing or study opera know how great it is. The stories, the music, the spectacle: what’s not to love? Unfortunately, a lot of the world hasn’t caught on to the majesty of opera. One obvious explanation… Continue Reading
If you haven’t heard already, Joyce DiDonato announced yesterday that she will be making her feature film debut as Florence Foster Jenkins. The documentary, titled The Florence Foster Jenkins Story and directed by Ralf Pleger, will be released in November 2016.… Continue Reading
“Practicing is a story,” Glenn Kurtz explains in his book Practicing: A Musician’s Return to Music. He declares that practicing is a story musicians tell themselves of the artists they will become, of the lives that practicing will lead them… Continue Reading
An interview with the fabulous mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton has been going around. In it, she and the interviewer discuss issues of weight in opera, and their experiences as overweight opera singers. This post will not dissect the interview, but instead… Continue Reading
As an opera singer and a language enthusiast, I am constantly searching for great language resources. No skill is more powerful than understanding people and their words, and no resource is more valuable than that which can help you understand.… Continue Reading
For the summer, I thought it would be fun to do a post that’s a little less word-y and a little more visual in nature. Something that makes you think, but at the same time kind of just gives you… Continue Reading
I came upon an article the other day, shared by a fellow singer, which reported on the entire first-year class of seven MFA students at the University of Southern California leaving their program due to various grievances they had with… Continue Reading
Master Singers: Advice from the Stage, written by Donald George and Lucy Mauro, provides ample food for thought for young singers and seasoned professionals alike. Resembling another noteworthy book, Great Singers on Great Singing, the authors interviewed a variety of… Continue Reading
As an opera singer, one of the most popular questions I am asked by those unfamiliar with the art form is, “What opera do you recommend I see?” This is a daunting question in many ways. First of all, I… Continue Reading
As many of you may already know, Lady Gaga sang a Sound of Music medley at the Oscars last night, stripped of her usual flair and theatrics. The medley consisted of some of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s greatest writing, including “The… Continue Reading