Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Returning to a topic I've long harped on......Individuality

As this is summer, you may be sifting through your audition "stuff", deciding what needs to stay (repertoire, a great outfit, your confidence, your network), and what needs to go (jaw tension, whining, an aria that just doesn't work). Please, please, please make sure you keep the following - the unique you - no matter how much technique you gain, how much confidence, how many connections, etc, etc..... the one thing you should keep is the thing that got you into this - who you are and what you have to say. Take a moment and think of the great opera singers, past and present; then think about what they have in common - great talent and that certain something that immediately identifies them. It doesn't matter if you're talking about Pavarotti, Hunt Lieberson, Bartoli, Callas, Christoff, Bjoerling, or Warren - all of these people were immensely talented, and also immediately recognizable. Of course, all of them will also usually start a heated discussion between advocates and detractors, and that's ok, and as it should be.
At the end of the day, if you practice and technique your way out of losing your original "voice" (in every sense of the term), you will have won the battle, but lost the war.

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