Making connections in the blogging world.

Our favorite coffee shop, Joe the Art of Coffee, just linked to my old blog "Welcome to the Chocolate Room".

Joe has a running team that meets on Saturday mornings to run from the store in Greenwich Village to the the tip of Manhattan and back.  It is a wonderful social event where my wife and I have met other opera singers,  actors, and all sorts of interesting people who share a common interest in distance running.

Notorious E.A.P.

When we first moved into our neighborhood, I grabbed the wrong train home and ended up a stop away at Nostrand Avenue Station.  As I surfaced I saw a guy standing on the corner.  Man, I thought to myself, that guy looks like Biggie Smalls.  Standing directly behind him was another guy who looked like Biggie, followed by another and another.  As I passed them, I finally figured out what was going on.  It was an open casting call for Notorious.  The line went around the corner and off down Nostrand Avenue.  It like a festival, with guys getting into character, checking their rhymes, etc.

Since then, we knew that our neighborhood was somehow connected to Biggie.  Last night we watched a documentary based on his life.  It was pretty fascinating to see how our neighborhood has changed over the years.

One of the best things for me to see is that when Biggie was getting started, he wrote out his rhymes in a black, marble-covered essay book.

I may have forgotten to mention...

I see that two of my recent posts open with quotes.  I suppose that should tell you a bit about me.  I love to hear witty sayings.  If they are positive, all the better!

I will always try to correctly attribute quotations so if you find an error, please just send me a message or leave a comment and I will do my best to fix it as quickly as possible.

So let me end this post with a juicy one:

Nothing in the world will take away persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than an unsuccessful man with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.- Calvin Coolidge

Col. Floyd J. Thompson, Pt. 2

Work continues on Glory Denied and I am finding that my usual use of the book is helpful, but remarkably different than usual.

The opera does not take place in a linear fashion and so, after mapping out the whole opera in my own words (see Part 3), I am now looking at each fragment and trying to put them into a narrative order that matches the actual historical course of events.

As I mentioned in my first post, the version of Jim Thompson that I play seems idealized.  He is the ideal soldier in captivity, he is deeply religious, he has a pure belief in three things that help him survive: faith in God, faith in country, faith in the love of a good woman.

As I continue to dive into the text, I am now starting to think that there is a real arc to my character.  Initially, he seems idealized and as the opera proceeds, he is slowly transformed into the Older Thompson.  It could be that the whole concept of a Younger Thompson dies or disappears into those false memories of the past that we all carry with us.

Col. Floyd J. Thompson

Last night I finished Glory Denied, the book that my upcoming opera is based on.  It is the completely tragic story of "Jim" Thompson, the longest held prisoner of war in American history.   He was held for just under nine years after his plane was shot down.

The book is written primarily as an oral history and it is almost entirely written as direct quotations from Tom Philpott's extensive interviews with Thompson, his family and friends and from source military documents.

As a singer and actor, a resource like this book is an incredible resource.  While it strips out much of the imagination based work that is required for older operas, it adds many details that can be incorporated into my work.

The opera distills down three key themes from the book: Jim's time as a prisoner of war, Alyce's methods of survival during that time and Jim's deteriorating relationship with Alyce following his return.

In previous posts, I outlined my process for learning a role.  Applying it to this opera has been fascinating because the opera doesn't rely on a definite narrative structure.  Additionally, the show has four actors, two men who perform the role of Jim and two women who perform the role of Alyce.  While the baritone plays an older version, I play a younger, idealized version of Jim that is experiencing the horrors of war first hand and has not yet experienced the second tragedy of losing his family.

Another website, another photo!

As you know, I will be singing with Chelsea Opera in a couple of months.  At my audition, I had the opportunity to sing a selection with the composer of Glory Denied, Tom Cipullo at the piano.  If you go to the Chelsea Opera site: http://www.chelseaopera.org/, you can see a picture of me there.

I am stewing on the opera and the character of Jim Thompson.  This is going to be a very interesting role.  Lt. Col. Thompson only died a couple of years ago and I have since realized that I have never sung:

• A 21st Century opera before
• A work where I play someone who lived at the same time as me
• was a real person

Redux of a Birthday

"The secret to being interesting is to be interested."- a quote from a comic book about dragons that I read many years ago. (I wish I could remember where it was from, it was a great comic book)

I try to live by this rule every day and this birthday has summed up that quote pretty darned well because after over 5 years of living in the city, we finally got to our third (and final) Chinatown-- Flushing, Queens.   It's too bad my wife is a vegetarian because there were far fewer options for her.  That being said, I made out like a bandit.

Flushing's Chinatown is slightly different than the other two (Sunset Park in Brooklyn and of course, Canal Street on Manhattan).  In addition to many of the mainland favorites, there are also selections from regions such as Quingdao (the Northeast of mainland China).  You can find out a lot in this great New York Times article.

We used a map from the article and ended up hitting seven different stands for small bites.  I have posted some pictures and explanations at my facebook page.   It was a perfect birthday adventure- full of learning and lots of eating.

But why?

Why are you an opera singer?

I had sung with a children's choir at a young age and, as a boy, sang on some professional recordings and jingles. When I found out at that young age that someone could actually get paid to sing, the idea stuck in my head.

That isn't the reason, though. My quick answer? Because I'm a terrible rock-and-roll singer.

Seriously? That's the reason. I didn't grow up wanting to be an opera singer.

My role models were (in this order): Robert Plant and Axl Rose. To this very day, hearing "D'yer Mak'er" makes me want to give up opera. After my voice settled down, my sophomore year in high school exposed to a wide variety of music. I learned my first art songs, sang a bunch of musical theater, became involved in jazz choir and show choir. During my junior year, I was Seymour Krelbourn in a really awesome high school production of "Little Shop of Horrors." I know, I know... everyone's high school production was amazing. We won some awards and one of my co-stars went on to sing on Broadway. There was not a weak link in the entire cast. It was my first taste of being a star. I wouldn't say I handled it very well, but I was sixteen and you live and you learn.

That whole time, all I wanted to do was be the lead singer in a hard rock band. Unfortunately, my few times trying were abject failures. I may be able to carry a tune, but there is a certain style and confidence that you need. I simply didn't have it. I once was a guest singer for a band. I definitely brought them down. They were way better than me. I apologize to all those who were subjected to my terrible rendition of "More than Words" and that great band that had to back me up and one of my best friends (to this day) who sang the harmony.

A great descriptor

http://simplemom.net/kaizen-approach-your-goals-gradually/

It's funny how one can find inspiration in the most unlikely of places. I'm neither simple nor a mom, but the simple mom site constantly surprises me with great ideas. If you haven't checked it out, I recommend it as a soothing way to renew your look at the world.

When they discussed this idea of "Kaizen", I realized that it has been my approach to my career for years. It's always nice to learn a new name for something.

Step 5- Credit where Credit is Due

"Never name-drop. DeNiro told me that."- an unknown comedian.

Obviously, the role-prep system that I have described did not spring fully formed from my mind like Athena. Many talented friends and colleagues helped me find this method. They did it with a lot of persistence, patience and good humor. The list below is by no means all-inclusive.

Back during my chorus days in Seattle, Bill Burden showed me that I had absolutely no idea what was needed to be an opera singer. He made it look so darn easy- from stage presence to singing. Just when I thought it would be insurmountable, he generously took time out of his schedule to talk to me about how I could go about starting an opera career. He practically spelled out the bullet points of what skills I needed.

As an apprentice, Peter Sicilian gave me the idea for the book. He also gave me some of the initial questions that I consider when approaching roles. He also helped me through the process of building my first book for the character of Don Basilio in Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro.

Can you Skrabalak a comma? Can you Spierman a two-syllable word sung in English? When a coach provides keen insight into approaching words, I turn them into a verb.

Ann Baltz gave me a stack of emotion flash cards that can freshen up the most boring of recitatives. (and they are great at an opera singer cocktail party... It's like charades for tenors!)

Like I said, this is hardly an all-inclusive list. There are too many others to thank. I'm sure you can see your fingerprints all over this process.

Step 4- Notes and Rhythms

This is where people's image of an opera singer really catches up to my reality. Hours sitting in front of the piano by myself lead to hours with a coach/pianist as we go through the entire score (usually from the end to the front) and hours with my voice teacher, figuring out the nuances of how best to produce the sounds on the correct pitches.

Another common question is: what is the difference between a voice teacher and a coach?

A voice teacher is your guide in your career. They train you to make sounds correctly on every note of your range and work to help you figure out how to make a uniformed, balanced sound from the very low notes to the very high notes. (see figure 1- right)

A coach/pianist is generally a person who, not only plays piano, but many times are opera conductors or music directors. While they are concerned about the sounds that you are making, they are helping you to sing the music with personality. They take the voice training and help you sing opera with style. (see figure 2- below)

Frequently you will work with a coach who has conducted the opera once (or many times) before. They can give you another point of view on characterization, the tempos or speed that the music is sung, how you can best help the conductor of the opera and collaborate well so that you don't cause a crash with the orchestra. For example, if you are holding a high note, you have to somehow- with voice or gesture or look- communicate to the conductor when to bring in the orchestra. If you don't do it right, you might get stuck holding that high note for too long. If you aren't consistent with how you do that, the conductor has to guess and all of the sudden the orchestra might come in while you are in the middle of that (glorious?) high note. It's a collaboration that a coach would guide you through.

Obviously, the images above are figurative, not literal.

Everything but the kitchen sink

Our neighbor Sarah, who sadly just moved away, is the pastry chef at S'nice, a lovely little vegan cafe in Park Slope, Brooklyn. My wife has stopped by several times to get take-out dessert and last night she brought home a new "approved" item: The Kitchen Sink Cookie.

I had no idea that such a cookie existed in this world. Whoever invented this recipe was either a genius, an evil scientist bent on world domination or the biggest stoner who ever was. It has chocolate chips, nuts, pretzel pieces and potato chips all nestled into some sort of oatmeal and peanut butter cookie. I'm not sure if that is completely correct, so go pick one up and let me know if I got it right. It's worth the trip.

Upcoming Gig: Younger Thompson in "Glory Denied"

I will sing the role of Younger Thompson in Chelsea Opera's production of Tom Cipullo's "Glory Denied."

November 11, 12, 13, 2010, 7:30pm with pre opera Meet the Composer 6:45pm
Matinee November 14, 2010, 4:00pm with pre opera Meet the composer 3:45pm

I'll be singing 2 shows and my performance dates will be announced as soon as possible.

St. Peter's Church in Chelsea 346 West 20th St (8th/9th Ave) NY, NY

Tickets available now! Download ticket form

Tickets:general adm $30 adv/35 doorpref'd seats: $35 adv/$40 door seniors/stdts: $20 adv/$25 door OPENING NIGHT RECEPTION: $10

I'll post more about the piece as I continue studying the role. Until then, check out a brief synopsis.

Please stop reading this now.

And, if you live in NYC, go outside. It's a perfect day out there. I just spent the morning out in Brooklyn- I ran, pushing the Bob stroller, to Prospect Park. We ran through the park and then stopped at the Brooklyn Public Library for my daughter to play in the fountain a bit.

After that, on to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens for a quick walk around. Finally, we stopped at the big fountain in front of the Brooklyn Museum. (yes, my daughter is obsessed).

The weather is perfect, with just a touch of wind.

Go out there and play!

Hanging in NYC

As you can probably tell from the recent posts here, my family and I are "on vacation" for awhile and staying close to home. Home for us is a lot like being on the road.

After over five years of marriage we still have most of our wedding gifts in storage back in Colorado. We've been following a trail back and forth across the country since our wedding and even though we've got a great apartment in NYC, when the road calls and we are ready to go wherever the gigs take us.

By keeping this kind of mentality, we've found it great to consider ourselves "long-term tourists" here in NYC. There is always another experience around the corner, a new restaurant to try and a new playground to visit. (well, we do have a kid!)

Our recent obsession has been Pilar. The grilled cheese sandwich is truly unbelievable.

I'll be posting more favorites later. You can find blog postings about our favorite things by hitting the tag "approved." Consider it our seal of quality!

100 years old, but still tastes fresh!

You'll see a new tag listed at the bottom of this post, "awesome." There are so many cool things that happen when you are on the road. Sometimes you have a great conversation or you see a sight that startles you out of the complacency of the rehearsal schedule.

This particular memory happened in Fairbanks. I was discussing my first experience with Sourdough Hotcakes, pancakes made from sourdough that are were a staple of the pioneer life. As I was bemoaning my lack of talent- I had recently tried my hand at sourdough bread and failed miserably- a tenor from the chorus said, "you know what you really need? Some righteous sourdough." He then went on to tell me a bit about how his family prepares hotcakes and how it is so much more than just breakfast food.

The next day, he showed up at rehearsal with a copy of "Alaska Sourdough" by Ruth Allman. It's the definitive guide to cooking sourdough the traditional pioneer way. He presented it to me with a small ziplock bag. Inside the bag was another smaller bag that contained the "Skilly Starter." It is a sourdough starter that has been in use for over 100 years and has travelled from Alaska to the lower 48 and back over the course of its life.

In my imagination, I wonder how many people this starter has fed over the course of all those years. How many families sat down at a table and were nourished by this. How many lives were saved in the harsh Alaska winters thanks to this starter that was handed to me.

On my first day back from the gig, I got my very first sourdough pot started. Within a week it was bubbling away and sourdough hotcakes and roll-ups have become a family favorite. It's much easier to cook sourdough this way and it is a great, quick, cooler alternative to baking bread in the middle of the summer. Once fall comes, I can't wait to try my hand at baking sourdough bread again.

And so, thank you "Tenor1" (his vanity plates on his car)! What a special and practical reminder of my first Fairbanks Opera gig.