Interview

--How would you describe what you do?
There are many different things that I "do". Part time, I'm a sales associate at a women's clothing store. But, I want to be known as a classical singer. So, I sing. I perform a variety of different languages, styles, and moods all set to music for any number of people. Sure, at some point in my career I would love to sing to sold out opera houses. But, at this point in my career, I will settle for small groups or even just one or two classmates.

--Is this different than what other people think you do?
When most people think of an "opera singer" they think of a very large woman wearing a horned helmet and they probably immediately get bored. I, however, like to think that opera is one of the most interesting art forms around today. Operas portray the most extreme emotions and tell some of the most beautiful stories ever written. I also don't just sing on a stage, I study music 24/7 in order to be able to perform. I think there is a lot of misconception about how difficult and intense the process of becoming an opera singer is. We don't just learn songs for an hour in our lessons, we also study music theory, ear training, and the piano. We go to school for years to build our technique so we can sing for, on average, about three hours over a full orchestra. I believe that being an opera singer is almost like being an Olympic athlete. It takes years to train and incredible amounts of stamina to succeed.

--How do you know if you’re on the right track with a project?




Whenever I'm doing a project, I tend to set goals of smaller pieces I want to accomplish by a certain time. If I'm on track with that, I'm on track with my project.

--How do you go about making choices?
I am a big fan of the pro/con list. I need to see things written out in front of me in order to really be able to think about my options. I'll make my list, go over it, and if the decision is not immediately obvious, I'll spend some more time thinking about it or ask the opinion of someone I trust. 

--How do you know when you’re done?
When I know my material (or project) backwards and forwards. If I'm really done, I should be able to tell you everything about my work without (much) hesitation.

--What’s your workspace like?
Small, noisy, a bit cramped, and with a piano. Most of the time the sounds of other musicians accompany me, but sometimes my workspace is completely silent (except for me).

--What are your essential tools?


A piano, healthy vocal cords, water, music, my iPod (or another way to record myself).

--What’s the most surprising tool you use?
Probably my water bottle. Its not really surprising that a singer needs water, but my water bottle is incredibly large (upwards of 40 oz.). It tends to take people aback when they see it.

--What was your biggest mistake or the one you learned the most from?
There was a time when I thought I knew a piece because I had performed it perfectly a while ago. I was cocky and ended up making several mistakes. Now, I always run over everything. Even if I'm totally confident with it.

--An example of your work:




This is a piece called "Dein Blaues Auge" by Brahms. This video was taken when I was around 14 and had been studying voice for about a year or so.