The career I am pursuing is Classical Vocal Performance, which I hope will lead me to a career as an opera singer. I have been working towards this career since I was 11 years old, when I first started taking voice lessons. I had to drive an hour each way to Franconia, New Hampshire in order to work with a teacher who offered what I needed to pursue this lifestyle. Since then, I have had to set aside at least an hour each day to practice, on top of my already rigorous academic schedule.
I have very specific goals for my vocal performance career. Picking the highest level of education I could was the first step to becoming a successful classical singer, which I have been able to do by attending The New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. I have been placed with a teacher who has already helped further the skills and technique with my voice, and together we are working to ensure that I will have a long career after leaving his studio. In the more immediate future for my education, I wish to get the most out of my education at NEC and, hopefully, attend Juilliard for my Master’s degree.
After my schooling, I hope to travel to Europe to get experience performing on stages around the world and hopefully gain some notoriety so that I can land title roles in professional opera productions. Not only is this important for my personal goals, but I find it critical to change the future of opera and fine arts overall. Music is a dying art in schools and communities, especially in the US. But through my own experience with music growing up, I was able to feel accomplishment and it was my way to heal and develop after many of the challenges that I faced in my childhood.
I would specifically like to help change the negative stereotypes and assumptions surrounding opera, since many people in the younger generations don’t find it interesting or relatable like some shows on Broadway (most operas take place in the 17th and 18th centuries, so obviously the younger generations can’t relate to most of the themes). I want to work with young composers to help change opera to keep younger generations engaged to feel the love for it that so many before felt. Keeping music part of the next generation is crucial, and what better way to keep it a large part of life than to show people where a passion for music can take you and more importantly how it can heal you.
~~Emma Strange