After 12 productions and 57 performances, I’ve come to learn a lot about Figaro, Figaro, Figaro. And yes, we’ve all seen the Bugs Bunny cartoon. Largo al factotum Boom! Singing Figaro is like getting shot out of a cannon! It starts out with the most challenging—and most recognizable—aria for baritones in the repertoire. Five sustained … More How I Role: Everyone’s Trusty Barber
You spend hours every day practicing. You put yourself out there for any and every opportunity. Your determination never falters and you have the drive to push through even the toughest moments. You experience a few setbacks as well as a couple of hard-earned accomplishments. You sacrifice things that most people don’t understand. And you … More What No One Tells You About Success As An Opera Singer
You’re about to sing an aria. Your palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy (cue “Lose Yourself” by Eminem), and even though the high note is minutes away, you’re already thinking about it. You loosen up your body and set up good posture. You begin to focus deeply and slip into character. Your pianist … More My Weird (But Effective!) Trick For Singing High Notes
From all my years of singing, conducting masterclasses, and listening to other singers, I’ve noticed a prevalent mistake that affects almost all singers. And there’s no judgement from my end because I was guilty of this mistake, too, early in my singing. So I’m only here to help and sympathize! Drumroll please… The biggest mistake … More The Biggest Mistake Young Opera Singers Make
My first audition for the Met was such a failure. I originally had a time slot for 3pm and the night before I was feeling under the weather so I planned to sleep hard. I got a last-minute call with my rescheduled audition time of 10am—yikes! I felt like I couldn’t say no. The audition … More Everything You Need To Know About Singing and Sickness
My Met debut was General Rayevsky in War and Peace at 29 years old. There were 52 soloists on stage, 346 people total, and I was given the option not to bow because there were so many people involved in the show. I never took it. I bowed every night with the cast stretched out … More What It’s Like To Sing At The Metropolitan Opera
As the curtain parts, we see two Bohemians busy at work in their run-down Parisian loft. Rodolfo writes. Marcello paints his Red Sea. They have little means, but an artistically rich life. Though this opera is a love story, the loyalty between Rodolfo and Marcello is steadfast throughout, and serves as the premise of … More How I Role | The Loyal Bohemian Painter: Marcello
You sit down at a restaurant and your meal arrives at your table. Unfortunately, there is no fork. You ask the server for a fork. Five minutes go by. No fork. You ask the server again for a fork. They say, “Oh, you need a fork? We’re really busy, but we’ll get it for you.” … More In Defense of Divas
Back when I was a young, wide-eyed music student in my home state of North Carolina, I was looking for a music-related summer gig after my sophomore year. Somehow, I caught wind of an audition in Chapel Hill where all of these outdoor drama companies from across the country were auditioning singers and dancers … More That Time When… I Was Fired And Thought My Career Was Over
I came out of the womb singing. I couldn’t help myself. I sang all the time and didn’t care where I was! What about you? Is your child a natural singer? Do you walk into the room and find them singing to themselves? To the point that they can’t help themselves from singing?Congratulations! These may … More When Your Child Wants to be an Opera Singer: A How-To Guide
