i am an opera singer

as i mentioned in a previous post, i am currently running sound for a student-run production at my alma mater. my former classmates (and their younger counterparts) are performing the mikado, one of the earliest and perhaps most operatic of the gilbert and sullivan repertoire. i was always reluctant to partake in this group's activities while an undergrad because, as a company of performers, the technical aspects of a show (which is where i can actually contribute) were always overlooked. because of this, it is interesting now to be involved in a production with this company without actually being a part of the group.

anyway, as i said they are performing the mikado. obvious racism and inappropriateness aside, the music for this show is actually pretty brilliant. during the first run through of the show, i was amazed at how many musical numbers were familiar melodies or had well-known lyrics. gilbert and sullivan must have known their stuff. more than that, however, i was struck with how much i actually enjoyed the operatic nature of the piece.

you see, i listened to a lot of opera when i was a young child. my mom loved it so she used to pump it through our house when she was cleaning. or in the car when she was driving. or anywhere when she was generally trying to get my sister and me to shut up. but it never worked, because my sis, father, and i devised this strategy that would always result in the opera being turned off. my mom would put on something beautiful, like bizet's carmen, and just when the performer would begin singing, my cohort would begin screeching along with the music. screaming and howling and high pitched annoyances would soon overpower the opera and would result in a triumphant lack of music. i'm not sure why this was the norm, maybe it was because i wanted to be a petulant child, but without fail my exposure to opera would end in a laughing choir comprised of my accomplices and my mom in a rage.

over the past few years (yes it took me that long) i've realized the foolishness of this practice. i've started attending the opera and have been taken aback by the beauty and power of the music. opera is truly a unique art form, and its focus on the music and story are matched only by the spectacle that is the production. what my untrained, immature ears once heard as people screaming i now recognize as an amazing demonstration of talent, stamina, and beauty.

the production of the mikado that i am currently working on might not uphold all these high standards of opera, but the fact that a group of college students are attempting to bring to life a show with such amazing music is laudable in itself. these kids have found a way to make opera their own and are embarking on a difficult journey of presenting a beautiful and trying work, and for that i must applaud them. i only wish that i had found the beauty of opera sooner in life. and mom, if you're reading this: i'm sorry for yelling along with opera music every time you tried to get me to listen to it.