Hey everybody!!! I'm so sorry it's been such a long time since I've posted! So much has been going on, and I am so ready to catch you up, but first I wanted to take a moment to talk about something else. Today I got the chance to sit down with nine young and emerging artists and talk about the program. I asked them A LOT of questions and got so many good answers but everybody's favorite question was "What is the best part about this program so far?" The following are the best and most unique answers I got.
Jillian Tate is a young artist who is here for the first time. She told me that the best part of the program was the daily masterclasses taught by the different members of the faculty. She told us that the whole day was just a complete wealth of information and the masterclasses were her favorite part. Belcanto In Tuscany has masterclasses AND lectures every day on a variety of operatic and vocal topics.
Maggie McGovern is also a young artist here for the first time, and she told me that her favorite part was the caring and knowledgeable people that she works with every day and all of the friends she's made in the past two weeks. Every day, each student has a full schedule of coachings and lessons with a break for lunch in which they sit together and share plates of pasta and meat, which is typical Tuscan fare.
Rebecca Henry is a returning emerging artist, and she told me that she loves the fact that the program is in Italy, adding that it really gives her more of an understanding of opera when you can walk to the places mentioned in your favorite arias like the Arno or the Ponte Vecchio. Last Saturday, the program actually took a tour to Florence, where we stopped at opera houses that have been around for hundreds of years and museums with art that's even older than the opera houses. The tour was lead by Giovanni Reggioli, who grew up in Florence only a few streets away from the Duomo.
Let me answer my own question now and tell you that while the faculty are amazing and the sites are stunning, the best part about this program is the students. They bring such joy and happiness to the halls of the school and they always have smiles on their faces. They are sweet and so enthusiastic about what they do and it is truly a treasure to behold. When I walk into a class here and see EVERY SINGLE singer with notes in their hand listening intently to the staff and writing down every scrap of information they're given, it's inspiring. It is obvious they all want to be here and I wish I could show all of my friends back home that this is what it looks like when you've found your passion.