“You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life.” Thus begins the opening song to a show favorite that I have loved for years. I thought of these words as I sit here preparing for a rehearsal today after a wonderful opening of another opera yesterday afternoon. The 2013-14 season has been incredibly exciting and I have had more than my share of success. In those moments, this operatic life, even with its nomadic existence, constant hustling for work and financial struggle, is a wonderful journey where I feel connected to my best self.
But the last couple of days I have felt an anxiety in my stomach. The worries of money, regarding not only being able to make it to upcoming auditions throughout the country, but simply surviving has been gnawing at me. Even with all the work that I have had and is to come, I go into the future worried about finances. How is it that a singer can work so much and still have to struggle? It is simply the nature of the art-form. Many singers have to figure out how to sing and survive so I am not alone. Also, many singers have an incredible support system in place and I am grateful that I do have people in my life who believe in my talent and encourage me when I feel like I want to stop.
It doesn’t help that I just received word that I did NOT get a role that I was hoping to get. So yesterday was a wonderful success and today (at least this morning) feels like it is not. And thus is the artist’s life. Rejection, rejection, rejection, struggle and then, just when you least expect it a moment of success. Or sometimes, and this is something that RARELY, if ever is discussed-success, success, joy and then when you least expect it, a moment that gives one pause and makes them question everything.
My belief in “the moment” lets me know that, at least from an intellectual level, this anxiety will pass. I have fantastic work coming up, a wedding and some wonderful opportunities next season (which I will announce in July/August.)
Ultimately these moments of fear, anxiety, sadness etc…help to make me tougher when it comes to how to negotiate this life; this career. So in a few hours when I am singing Papageno and having an incredibly good time, I will remember how lucky it is to be an artist.
Peace,
Eric
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Comedy to the rescue
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but the operas I am working on are delightful. After spending six weeks immersed in the world of Hans Werner Henze’s masterpiece “El Cimarron” and suffering the super chilly temps of my arch nemesis Polar Vortex, I am grateful for the music of Rossini and Mozart to bring me back to a bit of sanity. “The Magic Flute” and the lesser-known Rossini gem “L’occasione fa il ladro” remind me what a joy it is to sing comedic works and warms me from the inside no matter how cold it is outside.
“The Magic Flute” is being performed by the Metropolitan Opera Guild and will tour to schools throughout New York City. The Universe (God, luck, coincidence or whatever you like to call it) brought this opportunity to me through a series of events that began about a year ago. The Metropolitan Opera Guild was looking for teaching artists go into schools and introduce opera while working alongside educators to implement core content standards. With my background in arts education and my performing experience, I knew that this would be an ideal pairing. After a wonderful (and intense) interview process, I was hired and yet my performance schedule kept me from attending the teaching artist training sessions. I knew that I would be able to attend a future training session so I kept them on my radar hoping that other opportunities would arise…and they did. First, the Met Guild, who had always brought schools to the MET, decided it was time to take opera to the schools. They selected a reduced version of the Metropolitan Opera’s current English translation of “The Magic Flute” and set about to find singers who had in-school experience and the chops to sing it at 9:30 am. Second, the Director of Education knew me from my apprentice days at Nashville Opera where he was the former Director of Education. During that time we toured (you guessed it!) “The Magic Flute” and he remembered me and asked if I would be interested. Third, I happened to be free and able to attend the rehearsals and performances (in the a.m.) and there was little conflict with the Rossini opera. It was a go! So from this I have learned several things: you go in for something and yet you get something much greater based on your experience and those who know you. When they say the opera world is small, they really mean it!
At the same time, I am singing the role of Don Parmenione (think George Clooney meets Pepe LePew without the smell) in Little Opera Theatre of New York’s updated production of “Opportunity Makes the Thief.” We are performing the piece in English and setting in the 60s near the Almafi Coast. I marvel at the comedic genius of Rossini and this early one-act opera has a definite connection to Mozart that at certain points you feel as if Wolfgang himself had a hand in writing the opera. The production features some wonderful talent and also gives me another chance to sing in NYC. I enjoy singing in the City for several reasons: 1) I get to go home and sleep in my bed every night. 2) I get to work with singers whose careers are in motion (and some that I’ve worked with before!) so we all get to sit around and talk “shop,” have fun and learn a thing or two about technique by listening and 3) Little Opera Theatre of New York is part of the New York Opera Alliance, a consortium of NYC based opera companies that produce everything from standard rep to lesser-known works to contemporary operas. I have already had the pleasure of singing with other members, Bronx Opera and the Center for Contemporary Opera and because there is such depth of opera in the city, more and more of these companies are getting recognized by various reviewers including Opera News which shows that not only is opera alive and well, but incredibly diverse and vibrant.
Even though the threat of snow, ice and wind chills that seem more at home in Antartica continue to plague the city, I am grateful for the sparkling music of Rossini and Mozart. Besides being musically satisfying to sing, the warmth of Papageno and the suave elegance of Don Parmenione keep me all smiles and fill my brain with great melodies and my heart with warmth.
Peace,
Eric
“The Magic Flute” is being performed by the Metropolitan Opera Guild and will tour to schools throughout New York City. The Universe (God, luck, coincidence or whatever you like to call it) brought this opportunity to me through a series of events that began about a year ago. The Metropolitan Opera Guild was looking for teaching artists go into schools and introduce opera while working alongside educators to implement core content standards. With my background in arts education and my performing experience, I knew that this would be an ideal pairing. After a wonderful (and intense) interview process, I was hired and yet my performance schedule kept me from attending the teaching artist training sessions. I knew that I would be able to attend a future training session so I kept them on my radar hoping that other opportunities would arise…and they did. First, the Met Guild, who had always brought schools to the MET, decided it was time to take opera to the schools. They selected a reduced version of the Metropolitan Opera’s current English translation of “The Magic Flute” and set about to find singers who had in-school experience and the chops to sing it at 9:30 am. Second, the Director of Education knew me from my apprentice days at Nashville Opera where he was the former Director of Education. During that time we toured (you guessed it!) “The Magic Flute” and he remembered me and asked if I would be interested. Third, I happened to be free and able to attend the rehearsals and performances (in the a.m.) and there was little conflict with the Rossini opera. It was a go! So from this I have learned several things: you go in for something and yet you get something much greater based on your experience and those who know you. When they say the opera world is small, they really mean it!
At the same time, I am singing the role of Don Parmenione (think George Clooney meets Pepe LePew without the smell) in Little Opera Theatre of New York’s updated production of “Opportunity Makes the Thief.” We are performing the piece in English and setting in the 60s near the Almafi Coast. I marvel at the comedic genius of Rossini and this early one-act opera has a definite connection to Mozart that at certain points you feel as if Wolfgang himself had a hand in writing the opera. The production features some wonderful talent and also gives me another chance to sing in NYC. I enjoy singing in the City for several reasons: 1) I get to go home and sleep in my bed every night. 2) I get to work with singers whose careers are in motion (and some that I’ve worked with before!) so we all get to sit around and talk “shop,” have fun and learn a thing or two about technique by listening and 3) Little Opera Theatre of New York is part of the New York Opera Alliance, a consortium of NYC based opera companies that produce everything from standard rep to lesser-known works to contemporary operas. I have already had the pleasure of singing with other members, Bronx Opera and the Center for Contemporary Opera and because there is such depth of opera in the city, more and more of these companies are getting recognized by various reviewers including Opera News which shows that not only is opera alive and well, but incredibly diverse and vibrant.
Even though the threat of snow, ice and wind chills that seem more at home in Antartica continue to plague the city, I am grateful for the sparkling music of Rossini and Mozart. Besides being musically satisfying to sing, the warmth of Papageno and the suave elegance of Don Parmenione keep me all smiles and fill my brain with great melodies and my heart with warmth.
Peace,
Eric
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