"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.
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.
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