This post has taken me too long to do. My hope was to chronicle my first experience at a summer music program. I wanted to create shorter, more frequent posts. Instead, I am bashing out this word vomit one week into the program. The reason: I am extremely busy here. My days have been filled with rehearsals, masterclasses, coachings, lessons, practicing, yoga, and making friends. I am so happy. I am working on my favorite thing in the world (opera, in case you have never encountered me at all in any way, shape, or form) literally all day. Even when I am just hanging out with my colleagues or the faculty I learn and discuss things. It's so wonderful.
I am so excited to be here. I am singing Nancy in Albert Herring (Benjamin Britten), which sits wonderfully in my voice. The music is extremely challenging, but makes total sense once you get it in your system and head. Everyone in my show is so on top of knowing their music. We were told to have it memorized by the first day of the program, but often there is that one jerk who just doesn't know their music. Not so in this production. Everyone came in on the first day completely solid. It was incredible. We've had to work on coordinating a lot of the scenes that involve the entire cast, but that is to be expected. The vocal lines are short interjections that dovetail or overlap each other, which take a lot of practice to get right. Everyone is also very quick when it comes to learning staging, which is just lovely. Really the amount of talent here is just astounding. I feel so lucky to be among such amazing singers. Also everyone is so ridiculously nice. And not fake nice, but truly, genuinely kind. They don't pretend to like you; they actually do. Or don't, but so far that hasn't happened. Everyone is getting along really well (knock on so much wood pleeease let there be no drama...actually, I would honestly be surprised if there was; this isn't a dramatic group at all). The faculty here are so supportive, knowledgeable, and approachable. I'm getting distracted by a conversation my friends are having next to me, so bye for now. I'll write tomorrow. I will probably be drunk, since a huge group of us are going wine tasting!
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AuthorMaayan is a Manhattan-based opera singer. Archives
January 2019
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