The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer

A while ago I read Renée Fleming's biography about her life thus far as an opera singer and star. It was called The Inner Voice: The Making of a Singer. It chronicled her life as an adolescent aspiring to the stage to her current place in the opera world. Reading her biography was like opening a treasure box full of informative and dazzling jewels. After all, even she started off in the same place as me. That made me think: how interesting it is that someone that famous and that successful literally started out in the same place as me. She was a teenage girl, with a background in music, who followed her dream, and it worked out for her. She made it. Her book taught me a lot about "making it," about how much actually comes down to chance. Yes hard work is involved, but at the end of the day, luck and chance make a big difference in the outcome of ones career, of the veering of one's path in life.
She starts off talking about her college choice. She chose to go to Crane School of Music. You've never heard of it have you? Wouldn't you think a major star like that went to Juilliard or Curtis? Renée chose this school because of the opportunities it would provide her, and most importantly it offered her an incredible voice teacher who did not look at her only as a number or another student, but as a person, who had unique and specific vocal needs. As Renée continues to talk about her voice teacher, whom she refers to only as Pat, she talks about their individual voice lessons. Renée recollects on Pat telling her, "Lift those cheek bones!  Inner smile!" Those two phrases I have heard from my voice teacher, Maggie, countless times. I guess this is when I really started to appreciate and acknowledge the similarities between Renée and I. If you chose the same path, some things are going to be the same. It's just amazing and inspiring to see someone who made it start off in your position learning the same things as you did.
Another similarity between myself and a young Renée Fleming is that she could not roll her "R"s, which is essential in correctly singing an Italian Repertoire. I couldn't believe that someone like her suffered from the same problem as me? However, she eventually fixed it and was able to roll her "R"s as well as any Italian. She worked hard to achieve it, but maybe if I do the same, one day I can finally sing some of those arias correctly!
Now, though Renée went to a small school most of us have never heard of, though of course good undergraduate program, she did attend the famous Juilliard for Graduate school. This taught me something too, something personal. At the moment I am in the midst of applications and audition video deadlines, with a college acceptance and decision looming over my head. However, I don't have to go to the most famous school with the most famous alumni; I need to go to a school with a good voice teacher for undergraduate. Maybe I can try to for Juilliard or Curtis for Graduate school, but that is still years away, and my future is by no means completely determined by my undergraduate decision.
Now, my career path surely won't be the same as Renée Fleming's, but reading her story made me laugh as well as inspired me.

Notre Amour

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1efGkzufZ0&feature=plcp

Here is a link to one of the songs I have been working on in my private lessons. It was written by Gabriel Fauré, and it is a French Art song.

Pictures from the Nursing Home

The Mozart Effect

This month I read the "Mozart Effect," which really explained the science behind the concept of my project. I have always believed in the beneficial effects of classical music for all ages, but by reading the book I now understand the scientific reasons why it works. The term "Mozart Effect" was first coined by Frances Rauscher and Katherine Ky in 1993. One of the first experiments involved listening to three different tapes and subsequently taking a new IQ test, after already having a baseline IQ test to compare it to. One group listened to Mozart, one listened to a relaxation tape, and one group listened to nothing. Amazingly, the people who listened to Mozart (Sonata in D) tape's IQs went up. It wasn't much, but it made enough buzz to get funding for more research on this phenomenon. Later studies revealed that listening to classical music, not just Mozart of course, increase and stimulate the cortical firings in the brain, making it easier to learn and retain knowledge, which is why it is so beneficial for children. However, by stimulating the cortical firings, it can also stimulate brain activity in elderly. Classical music was also found to aid in treatment for all ages. Reading this book helped me understand why my project actually works. It also helps me explain it to other people who don't understand what I am trying to accomplish with this. Reading this book also influenced my decision to go to a nursing home and not just limit my platform to children. Now that I know how it really affects the brain all ages, I want to continue visiting nursing homes as well as schools.

For All Ages

Yesterday, I sang at a nursing home on Daniel Island! I know that I am primarily sharing my project with children because of their ability to gain and absorb knowledge, however, I felt that sharing the classical music with the elderly was greatly impacting. The premise behind going to this nursing home was sharing the side of classical music that heals. Classical music not only helps the developing brains of children, but it can also aid in treatment or can stimulate brain activity. These are both things that I know these elderly men and women are not getting frequently. I truly believe that opera is for the ages. It is for everyone, and it can be beneficial in multiple circumstances. While at the nursing home, I sang, "In Uomini, In Soldati,""I Dreamed a Dream," "Think of Me," "Only Love," and "O Sleep Why Dost Thou Leave Me." One may think that these seniors to whom I was singing gained nothing from my being there, but I know it made a difference. These people were by no means invalids who had resigned themselves to the end of life. They were people who were in a nursing home, yes, for one reason or another, but they still want to live and experience, and I feel that I provided a tiny window into a past life. Maybe they had heard some of the songs before, ages ago, and I gave them a shard of memory. That is why I truly believe this to be so important. That is why I am not only learning from my project for me but for the youth and the elderly.

Plans

So, I have some things more finalized with my project! I have officially decided to interview six individuals in the opera world. Two will be students or people "trying" to make it in the opera world. This will give me a new, modern perspective on the opera world and a perspective on how things have changed for those trying to create a career in the opera world. I will also interview two people who are performers in the opera world right now. This will show how things are changing currently. I will also interview two past opera singers or individuals in the opera world. This will depict the things that have already changed. Then I can use their knowledge to further my own studies. I am currently auditioning for college, and I am working on repertoire. Right now I am working on "Rejoice Greatly", by Handel, "Deh Vieni", by Mozart, and "I Hate Music," by Leonard Berstein. I know I will gain knowledge that will help with my repertoire. I will keep you posted on how I am progressing on my songs and maybe even post recordings of my voice lessons to track my progress!

Take 2

The second school I visited sharing my Platform was Charleston Collegiate. This time I visited a fifth grade class. I was a little apprehensive about singing to older kids, but I was able to share some more advanced things. First I sang the same aria, "In Uomini, In Soldati," by Mozart. Then I explained to them all about the context of the aria. Afterwards I asked the kids what kind of music they listened to. I got a lot of Coldplay, Pink Floyd, and One Direction. Then I proceeded to ask if any of them knew any famous classical composers or pieces of music. Surprisingly, a lot of the children knew Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, or Handel. One child who was in a band called, "The Three Dudes," told me that before he could write his own music on his guitar or jam out to classic rock, his guitar teacher made him study the classical composers. This justifies the importance of a classical training and what it does to not only musicians, but all people. Almost all musicians have a core foundation in the classics. The teacher of the class I sang to happened to be a music teacher, so she was totally on board with all of the information I was providing. She played several classic melody lines on the piano and then asked the children if they recognized them. They all did. This really inspired me for the direction I wanted my project to take. It's such a cool feeling to hear a piece of music and realize you know it, but you don't know how you know it. Then for someone to tell you its origins is even cooler. This got me thinking about the Mozart Effect. Was it really real? This trip to Charleston Collegiate really enabled me to catapult my platform forward. In the coming months I will be implementing these same ideas through my CDs, complete with classical songs you know, but you don't know. I also will be investigating the truth behind the Mozart Effect.

Opera for the Ages: Take 1

Opera For the Ages: take 1

Me, singing for the kindergartners at Ashley Hall.

They loved my crazy facial expressions! 

They laughed at me the entire time! I loved it

So I have mentioned my platform, "Opera for the Ages." However, now that it is a larger component of my senior project, I will be visiting more schools and teaching more classes. But I thought I'd tell you bout some of my previous experiences. Last May, I sang to my first kindergarten class. I really I had no idea what to expect, I mean opera for kindergartners? However, I walked in there with optimism for my platform and these wonderful children. It turns out that I completely underestimated them. They were enthralled and fascinated by what I was singing. Also, most of them had at least heard of opera or some form of classical music before. At that point I knew I was going to love sharing this platform with the community. I sang, "In Uomini, In Soldati" from Cosi Fan Tutte by Mozart. It's an aria sung by the character Despina basically trying to convince Dorabella and Fiordiligi of the evils of men. Its a comedic song full of expression which the kids really seemed to love. They had no problem laughing at me when I made a funny face! After I sang to them, I talked to them about the benefits of opera and classical music. I asked them if they knew any composers, operas, or famous songs. They rattled off Mozart maybe Bach, but I had to remember I was speaking to kindergartners. I then explained to them some of the things I had been singing, and what the aria meant in context, seeing as they didn't speak Italian, or have Cosi Fan Tutte memorized. This was my first try at my project, and I learned what I needed to do to make it better and more efficient, but I also knew I was going to love spending a year developing it. I know that both the children and I had an amazing time, and we both learned something from each other.