Molly wrote:
<<I am trying to convince myself I made the right decision in not going, yet of course I feel void of anything artistic here as I work in my boring job to help pay for school and do little else! Needless to say, I feel like I am falling behind. I also have an audition for "Cosi fan tutte" coming up in late August.>>
<<I also want to know what I can do on my own to give me an edge and feel that my summer was entirely non-musical. I am going to try my darndest not to be jealous when people come back from their trip this summer......>>
I think it's very important for an artist to learn how to be an artist on his/her own, away from the external structure of teachers and classes. This summer is a great opportunity, and at the end of it, if you make the most of your time, you will have an edge on the folks who are simply continuing the same experience as during the school year, albeit in a different location. Because life is not school, although it should involve continuous, self-motivated and self-directed learning, which you must accomplish mostly on your own, not by having tests and classes to structure your time and motivate you.
<<I have been reading a lot of bios on great opera stars such as Beverly Sills and Ponselle, to name a few. Not to mention tons of recordings. What are some other suggestions? has anyone else here been in a similar place?>>
I think everyone who has graduated from an educational institution and has been an artist has been, and still is, in a similar place. Welcome to adult life!!!
I think you are already doing great things. You mentioned listening to recordings. Also get hold of singer and opera videos. I assume you're putting special focus on the work you said you're auditioning for, Cosi fan tutte. You should read everything you can find on the opera. I also recommend going to the Opera-L archives web site and do a search on the name of the opera. There have been many discussions about all aspects of that opera. You'll get to read a wide variety of opinions and, combined with your own listening and reference-reading on the opera, you can evaluate them to see which you think have merit and which don't. These are excellent skills for the real world that you'll be dealing with as an artist before very long. The URL is: http://listserv.cuny.edu/archives/opera-l.html
I also recommend acquiring a piano/vocal score of the Cosi fan tutte if you don't already have it, and review it as you're listening to various recordings of the opera.
Good luck, and I encourage you to keep writing to the list over the summer about how your self-directed artistic explorations are going.
Peggy
---- Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA "Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile" mailto:peggyh@i...
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