Cumpliendo Sueños
"Good people are like candles; they burn themselves up to give others light."-Turkish proverb
When I was "recruited" for the opera orchestra, a huge shiver ran down my spine. I thought I was going to fall asleep during rehearsal, I thought my back & my wrist were going to break, & I thought I was only going to end up disappointing Dr. Brunet. I assumed this when I saw the rehearsal schedule (4 rehearsals from 7-11 PM the week before the concert season, even on weekends) and I almost had a heart attack when I saw the 47 pages of music we had to learn.
If it weren't for my friends that have also been "recruited" into the opera orchestra, I would have probably not have played as well and more importantly, I would have probably never cherished every moment as much as I did.
Being an audience member during an opera is one thing, but being a musician, a singer, or the conductor are entirely different roles. It is now no surprise to me that some of the best classical musicians [& conductors] can be found in opera orchestras like the MET, the Vienna Philharmonic, & the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In order to play in an opera orchestra, you need to have patience, endurance, & the ability to learn your part very quickly. There is also so much effort that goes into the costumes (my favourite being the Queen of the Night's gown) & the stage scenery. I also couldn't believe how many outside factors could play into an opera performance. Believe it or not, it snowed last week in Boone & some of us caught a cold. None of the opera cast members caught a cold, so I'm thanking my lucky stars for that.
One of my favourite things about being a part of the opera was knowing that I was helping someone achieve their dreams. Some of the cast had been practising for years to be able to sing some of the arias (such as the famous aria of the Queen of the Night). Being able to burn a little bit of myself up every show in order to give someone else light is what made being in the opera orchestra so special for me.
THE REHEARSALS
Dress rehearsal #1
When I was "recruited" for the opera orchestra, a huge shiver ran down my spine. I thought I was going to fall asleep during rehearsal, I thought my back & my wrist were going to break, & I thought I was only going to end up disappointing Dr. Brunet. I assumed this when I saw the rehearsal schedule (4 rehearsals from 7-11 PM the week before the concert season, even on weekends) and I almost had a heart attack when I saw the 47 pages of music we had to learn.
If it weren't for my friends that have also been "recruited" into the opera orchestra, I would have probably not have played as well and more importantly, I would have probably never cherished every moment as much as I did.
Being an audience member during an opera is one thing, but being a musician, a singer, or the conductor are entirely different roles. It is now no surprise to me that some of the best classical musicians [& conductors] can be found in opera orchestras like the MET, the Vienna Philharmonic, & the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. In order to play in an opera orchestra, you need to have patience, endurance, & the ability to learn your part very quickly. There is also so much effort that goes into the costumes (my favourite being the Queen of the Night's gown) & the stage scenery. I also couldn't believe how many outside factors could play into an opera performance. Believe it or not, it snowed last week in Boone & some of us caught a cold. None of the opera cast members caught a cold, so I'm thanking my lucky stars for that.
One of my favourite things about being a part of the opera was knowing that I was helping someone achieve their dreams. Some of the cast had been practising for years to be able to sing some of the arias (such as the famous aria of the Queen of the Night). Being able to burn a little bit of myself up every show in order to give someone else light is what made being in the opera orchestra so special for me.
THE REHEARSALS
Dress rehearsal #1
Dress rehearsal #2
A very candid photo of my friends trying to contemplate how we were going to get through the next two hours of rehearsal.
Tip: Give your friends massages during the breaks.
...or do their hair!
...or hang upside down and don't do anything at all!
THE CONCERTS
A photo of the queen with some of her fans.
Two of the sopranos and a giant fluffy land seal.
Queen Rachel was on a tight schedule with her fans & the paparazzi, so we managed to take a quick selfie.
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