Small World

These last few days have been quite busy. I sang for Claudia Catania, saw the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, saw Die Fledermaus at the Met (quite a lavish production), and just got back from a production of Pippin (also quite lavish). I also had the opportunity to meet with three great composers of new opera and vocal music: George Lam, Daniel Felsenfeld, and Philip Wharton. Meeting with all these people was such an enjoyment and I got so much information from each of them.

Each of the composers we met was very personable and open. I have always had trouble in situations where I am talking to an "elder" over what to call them, what to say, how to act, etc. But although it was very professional the dialogue was also very informal and I realized that I can talk to them as equals, just as I would talk to any other person.

I got great ideas about how to go about writing for voice from each of the composers I talked with, and also many more professional goals to accomplish. George Lam and I had a great conversation about finding the right story and always asking the question "why opera?" or "why musical theater?," meaning why am I choosing to set this to music, what makes it worthwhile? Both Daniel and Philip recommended working with a playwright on a libretto instead of writing it myself (as did George), since it usually turns out better in the end and the collaboration aspect is a fun and rewarding experience. The biggest thing I got is just to experiment and practice writing for the voice, and work with singers when composing songs.

I also learned that the composing world, and by extension the music world, is actually very small, even in such a large place as New York City. I had set up an interview with George on my own, whose name I got from Chiayu. We got there and he asked us who we had been meeting with and he knew Caroline Worra from working with her in American Opera Projects. Then it turns out that George worked with Daniel Felsenfeld in that same program, so they knew each other well. Daniel told us that for a while when he was younger his best friends were John Corigliano, Mark Adamo, and Danny Elfman. Philip also knows John Corigliano, David Del Tredici, and Samuel Adler from studying with them at Juilliard. It further outlined the importance of networking and getting to know people in the business.

It has been such a great trip with amazing experiences with awesome people, and I will treasure this the rest of my life. I have learned so much from each event that I feel much more prepared and inspired to pursue this career in the arts. I have been pointed in the right direction by all the meetings, masterclasses, and shows we have seen. Working with these amazing people who are such great musicians has shown me the importance of your relationships with other people. I have gotten to know everyone on the trip so well now, and I call each of them my friends. They are wonderful people and I hope to always keep in touch with them.

And a huge thank you to Mitra and Dr. Rieck for organizing the trip, keeping us safe, and challenging our thinking. You guys have been the best advisors one could hope to have.

I will miss New York, but I am ready to go back home to my family, my girlfriend Katie, and my cat, Pipsqueak. It's almost time for Cabaret rehearsals to start and there is ever more work to be done.

See you later, NYC,
- Jordan

The Last Night

This wonderful trip to New York is sadly coming to a close, and I could not be happier with the outcome.  I just got back to the hotel from Chinatown, after taking subways around the city all day.  Travel went extremely smoothly - I am very confident that I could get around NYC by myself.  Accomplishing my travel fears was my personal goal, and I consider it a big success!  I had two wonderful lessons with oboists that play with the two major orchestras in the city, and I feel as if they were pleased with my playing, my second goal therefore was a success!

Goals aside, when I first arrived in the city, I did not like what I was experiencing.  The city was overwhelming, crowded, and busy.  To be put very bluntly, the complete opposite of back home!  Now, on the night before I leave NYC, I really do love being here.  Yes, living here would be very expensive, and I would always be busy working and studying, but there is always something rewarding and exciting to do.  There are restaurants on every street corner, bazaar shops that one would still probably be discovering months after moving, and countless interesting interactions with people to be had.  New York is a fascinating city because it offers so much to anyone willing to take a chance.  Once you enter, the city has a way of teaching you things, like how to get around, how to be smart, and how to live.  People seem to truly live in this city.  Unlike many places in the country, there are so many varied personalities, each living their own unique life.  Will I come back here to study and perform?  I definitely do not have the answer yet.  However, when do I return, I know that I will be very excited and confident.  The person returning to NYC will be the very opposite of the one who arrived last Thursday.

Thank you Mitra, Dr. Rieck, everyone in the cohort and everyone else who made this trip possible.

This experience has changed my life.

Jonathan Conjurske

My life is a lovely disaster

In the past few days, I have lost a part of my glasses at the Met, left my phone in a taxi, have gotten lost numerous time, and accidentally hit a waiter in the face. Yet none of these things really upset me! I have this wonderful way of stumbling through life. I've learned how to fall, and man I can fall in the most extravagant of ways. This is what makes me so strong, professionally and personally. No matter what happens to me, I will always be ok, that's just who I am. Today when the group performed for the Brooklyn High School of the Arts, I realized that I am a performer and a good one. When it comes to "the show must go on" I am your man. And I am a composer as well. Speaking with the various composers and vocalists on this trip, I have learned something very important. My path will be completely different than everyone elses. Let face it, I have some difficulties to overcome but I have no choice but to overcome them. I've decided that if anyone looks at me and says I can't do something, I'm just going to stop listening. If I told myself that a can't do things where would I be now? My parents told me I can do anything and they are absolutely right! I
should have been listening to them this entire time. Who would have thought?

Chris

Coming to a close

The last six or seven days have flown by.  I remember first coming to the city, and although I would argue at the time that I wasn't overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle, New York and this immersion experience has humbled that inner voice and I can say with confidence I was very stressed and overwhelmed.  Having gone through this experience has taught me so much about who I am, but most importantly, who I want to become.  We've just finished performing for a musical theater class in Brooklyn, which was rejuvinating and inspiring.  Dr. Rieck told us last night to, "Be prepared for the unexpected", which made me nervous at first.  After realizing how engaged the kids were and eager to hear us, it was so comforting and encouraging to do what we do; perform.  

Last night was my first time at the Metropolitan Opera which was life-changing.  Hearing and watching performers that are world class professionals was refreshing and soul satisfying.  I am humbled to say that I would never choose to do what they do; the amount of time, energy and enthusiasm for that profession is exhausting and daunting.  They truly are masters at their craft and convey it magically.  Having discovered this has confirmed and encouraged me to pursue what I thought was right, a path to opening my own private voice and piano studio.  I want to take my experiences, passions, and knowledge to inspire and motivate a younger generation of people to make a performing career a reality and additionally, to spread the performing arts specifically to kids on an individual level.  

With the help of Logan Tracy, who I wouldn't have met if it wasn't for this trip, and Scott Wesley Hawley, a teacher who is running his business very successfully, I have the confidence, know-how, and resources to begin working towards my goal as a professional.  

Personally, I have discovered things about my personality and demeanor that before I would have had difficulty pinpointing.  New York is a place to discover the individual self and I will never forget that.  I have been reminded how important my family is to me; I've missed my wife and son very much and CANNOT WAIT to see them tomorrow.  However, New York is a wonderful place, full of culture and diversity that I want to show and share with my family one day.  

Loving Life,

Luke Otto

Composers Galore

Day six has been completed! It's a late night here in NYC, we got back from the Metropolitan Opera pretty late. Today was a wild day. I think it was crazy because I didn't realized just how booked it was until I experienced going to all the events. This morning we had "the Hustle" With Logan Tracey. She was extremely helpful in telling us all about the business side of being in the field. There were so many things I hadn't ever given much thought to--you are your own brand. This is definitely food for thought as I venture into second semester. I am going to practice a lot of the things we learned in preparing for my senior recital! Shortly after Jordan and I were off to Jamaica, Queens to interview Dr. George Lamb met with us where he teaches at York College. We really focused on talking about the process of writing opera, from picking a story to set to producing it. I have never heard anyone talk about that before so I feel so much more informed now that I know more about just how lengthy the process of composing opera is! Then we hopped back on the subway south which took about 45 minutes and then we were off to the lincoln center where we met Danny Felsenfeld. We had a really great talk with him over the hour that we had we covered everything from having a family while being a working composer and author to opera to what keeps him in NYC after 15 years. I feel so lucky to have met both of these amazing people and look forward to keeping in touch with them. We ended the night with Die Fledermaus at the Met. It was a beautiful show, the new translations and rewrites were interesting. I'm not sure how I feel about that aspect yet, I am still processing it. Thats all for now folks!

Lauren

getting adjusted

This week has been nothing short of amazing. It has been everything I expected it to be, and everything I wanted it to be.
One of the most impactful shows I've seen so far in my life has been the one we went to go see last night. "Fun House" was that show. I laughed, I sympathized, and I did a lot of crying because the story really spoke to me. My relationship with my father is everything to me, and I really connected with the story even though the horrible events that happened in the show have never happened to me. I found myself being concerned if I was the only person being emotional during the show, and it was comforting to see my friends around me feeling exactly the same way. It was one of those shows that impacts you greatly, and you feel even better after you walk out. Thats the kind of experience that I think off broadway shows are the best at doing, giving you a new perspective without always trying to please everyone, or give the average tourist a energy rush like some shows on Broadway.
Even in the frigid cold I still find a way to love an appreciate where I am, in this awesome city. It's always inspiring, always giving a new perspective, and keeps my dreams alive.
I still have so much to explore and learn in these next two days, and I'm so excited for it.

Laura Schachner

Drag Queens and Puppets

Friday night we saw an Off Broadway show called "Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812" The music and the talent just blew me away. It was sort of a dinner theatre where we could order dinner and we were served appetizers. The show happened around us in all directions and the actors were so close and interacted with the audience. The music was also absolutely stunning, and I still have some of the songs stuck in my head. Before the show there was a drag queen walking around warming up the audiences, cracking jokes and talking with everyone. She asked me how old I am i responded, "20" and she yelled obscenities which I don't think I can write on here, basically saying "Live it up, I wish I were that age again." This really had an impact on me because back at school I have anxiety over the fact that I'm graduating in a year and a half, I just feel like I'm growing up so fast. This was a slap in the face saying settle down, you have so much time, it's okay if you don't know what you want to do the rest of your life right now. So far this was one of my favorite experiences. After we got to talk to Amber Gray one of the performers. She was incredibly nice and encouraging for us to move to the city and follow our dreams. 

Saturday morning we participated in "Yoga Voice." I will admit I was one of the skeptical ones but I did learn how involved your body has to be when you are singing. You need to stay grounded and make sure that you know how your body should be involved and get strength and power from it. It also felt really nice to be in a relaxed situation in New York City. Then We met with Abigail Wright, a chorister who sings at the Met. It was really great to hear how her schedule worked and the different types of contracts that the performers have.
That night we had a free night and Jess, Jordan and I went to see Avenue Q. I was a little skeptical about the puppet part and didn't know if it would be entertaining for me but I fell in love with it. It was hilarious and all the songs are still stuck in my head. I was so impressed with the performers, they all had multiple roles and different voices for each one, it was just so impressive! The next evening we saw a show called "Fun Home." I had no idea what to expect, all I knew going in was that it was an off-broadway musical and it was at the public theatre. It turned out to be the most heartbreaking musical I've seen and was such an emotional experience. As our group was walking out of the theatre there was not a dry eye. Literally everyone shed a tear. It was great to see such a huge variety in shows, there are so many different kinds and I think when people hear broadway they are expecting Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.  After seeing these shows I truly believe that anyone could find a show that is entertaining to them.

-Leah