Things I Care About

I had an amazing week.  I sang at the Department of Energy's Small Business Conference with special dignitaries, Governors, and US Congressmen in the audience.  It went very well - and especially well for waking up at 5:30 am!  This weekend, my parents came up to visit Dusti and I, celebrating my mother's 50th birthday.  I specially made a Schwartzbeere Kuchen - a recipe that my Grandma and all of my mother's side makes to celebrate special occasions.  I was very proud of how it turned out!

Besides the great time that I had with my family, I was reminded of several things close to my heart and mind recently.  One of which is my childhood music teacher and mentor who was diagnosed with cancer just a couple of days before my wife and I were married.  She was to play the piano at our ceremony.  Since then she has battled cancer, and still is doing so.  She will be walking in the Barton County (KS) Relay for Life celebration on June 10.  They are selling luminaries to light the path for $10 and can be dedicated to a person battling or has battled cancer.  All of the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.  If you are interested in making a donation to the ACS while celebrating someone's life with a luminary, please send a check payable to "BMI-Relay for Life" and mail it to: 

Denise Wilkens

Benefit Managment, Inc.

PO Box 1090

Great Bend, KS  67530

Also, I have another video comment on the recent news concerning the arts situation in Kansas.

I was just contacted today by the Kansas City Royals.  They have asked me to sing the National Anthem again!  This time, it will be against the Rangers - on Thursday, May 19 - that's this coming Thursday. If you are in the area, hopefully I'll see you there, and hopefully I won't have to use the earbuds this time!

UPCOMING PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

• National Anthem - Kansas City Royals vs. Texas Rangers - 5/19
• Administrative Director of the 33rd Annual Summer Choral Institute - 6/5-11
• National Anthem - Sporting KC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps - 6/25
• Sugar Creek Opera Festival (Chicago) - role: chorus/cover, opera: Daughter of the Regiment - 7/20-8/7
• Kansas City Symphony Chorus Auditions - tba

They didn't know I was listening...

Last week was graduation week at the University  I had the honor of singing the National Anthem and Alma Mater for eight commencement ceremonies: 1 on Thursday, 4 on Friday, and 3 on Saturday.  Now, this is a good thing for me, because I get paid for these, and it is quite a simple and stressless job.  Accompanying me was the Conservatory Brass Ensemble for seven of them and a string quartet for the other.  So, it was a time that I could sit, relax, listen to the same pieces of music - in the same order - while watching several thousand people who are wearing essentially the same black muumuu walk across a stage to a fairly regular tempo set by the calling of mostly exotic names, for many consecutive hours over consecutive days.   Yes, it was perhaps a religious experience, from the droll hypnotic state I was burrowing into out of the drone of names and repitious cycle of Pomp and Circumstance. 

For twelve straight hours on both Friday and Saturday, I sat in a very cold arena, waiting to sing for only a minute or so.  My eyes were heavy and swollen - the lights were bluewhite neon, tiring my brain even further.  And then there were the speakers.  The same script was followed for every ceremony, and the only change in prostration and dogmatic ritual came from the Commencement Speakers.

Rejoicing in my only escape from the monotany, I decided that the only way I could mentally get through twelve consecutive hours of this was to take notes and get my brain active.  I tried my hardest to notice anything out of the ordinary and to write down anything of interest the speakers had to say.  I know it probably appeared odd, that someone would be taking notes during the commencement address.  But as embarrassing as it was, it was the only way I could keep from sleeping (and thankfully, I didn't have to sit on stage with the rest of the Platform Party - that would be monumentally difficult to maintain my composure!)

Well, here are the strange quotes and notes I took:

(I won't tell which graduations they were from, to spare any embarrassment. My comments are in italics)

"In the future, you will have to overcome the problems and difficulties of artificial intelligence.  Computer intelligence increases exponentially and will soon exceed the capacity of the human brain.  You will have to deal with these superintelligent machines, including the moral, ethical, and political ramifications of their actions...Also, in your lifetime, we may become immortal, by living and interacting forever in a virtual and electrical cyberverse.  How will this effect your career decisions and ambitions?" What ambitions? If we were immortal, there would be no limit to procrastinating!

Five gradutates and two professors have tripped down the same three steps next to the stage.  They were all men; the graduates were all getting advanced degrees.  I will break one of my rules here, but besides these engineers, no one else of the thousands of graduates in the seven other graduations tripped. Go figure...

"I decided to change my speech, after listening to the inspiring speeches from several of your compatriots at this morning's graduation breakfast...I briefly wrote out my new speech on this card...I would like to ask you all to take out your phones, get on facebook and 'the twitter', and message the world about how excited you are." To the people watching me not applaud the speaker at the end of his speech, I already facebooked and 'the tweeted' my cheering.

Before the next ceremony began, I went to the bathroom, and forgot to zip up.  I was stopped by a security guard when I was going back stage at the same time that I noticed my fly was down.  I told him that I was the singer.  He looked at my fly, obviously noticing that it was down, and looked back up at me and said "ok" and let me through.  Thank you sir, for sparing me the momentary embarrassment, for your hope of a much more public one.

Osama Bin Laden was mentioned in three ceremonies.

Three people, trying to say the word "success", said the word "sex".

In the only commencement where the speaker began by saying "I will try to make this a short and memorable speech", four of the eight platform party members fell asleep.

My Favorite Quotes

"No one remembers me" (talking about the legacy of a commencement speaker)

"No one cares about talent.  Genius is unappreciated.  Success is only dependent upon your determination."

"There is no greater national security than a well-educated population."

"If you make your profession your job, you'll be unsatisfied."

"Find the courage to do the things you're not ready to do."

"Be a good person, don't roll your eyes."

And lastly, one of my favorite moments came in the final (and longest) ceremony, the School of Dentistry.  In the audience, were two giant toothbrushes and a giant dancing tooth. 

As for the near future, I will be singing the National Anthem for the Department of Energy's Small Business Conference on Tuesday.  And, I have applied to audition for the Kansas City Symphony for their next season.  Hopefully, I'll have some news to report there soon.

I enjoyed a quick trip to Salina, KS this last weekend to see an excellent organ concert and I always love seeing my grandparents and the folks at UUMC.  As to my other summer plans, I am learning my parts for a July/August gig in Chicago for Sugar Creek Opera.  Also, I will be working hard with the Kansas City Vocal Institute in trying to provide more locations, services, and scholarships.  We're offering guitar lessons now, and are working on sponsoring a "Battle of the Bands" type contest here in Kansas City.  We're also experimenting with other forms of media, and hopefully I'll have more news on that later next week.  And, I will be off to Manhattan, KS to help run the 33rd Summer Choral Institute, which I am very excited about as well.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

• National Anthem - DOE Small Business Conference & Expo - Kansas City Convention Center - 5/10
• Administrative Director of the 33rd Annual Summer Choral Institute - 6/5-11
• National Anthem - Sporting KC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps - 6/25
• Sugar Creek Opera Festival (Chicago) - role: chorus/cover, opera: Daughter of the Regiment - 7/20-8/7
• Kansas City Symphony Chorus Auditions - tba

Seasons at War & an Elephant

Morning. Staring blindly at the ceiling fan above the bed. "It's 9:30 already?" Roll over.

Blink.

Ugh, it's 10:30! "What an unforgiving sleep."

Shower. Get dressed.  "I know I have some clean clothes somewhere." Struggle down the stairs.  Make coffee.  Sit.  Answer emails.  The coffee is ready.  Pour a cup.  Waddle down the hall.  Turn a cold door knob.  Drink a sip.  Press a frozen screen door handle.  And...

Whoosh! "Ha, ha", belted the froren, brumal tongue of the air.  My zombie state was lifting with every sip of my coffee.  My mind's eye awakening, a mental cataract curing to see a new day of ashen sky.  Now looking about from my back patio, the world is sunken, all life drooped in mourning from snow melt.  The grass, the drab apartments, the asphalt parking lot below seem to cry from defeat.  No bird calls, no kids playing soccer. Slam! "Here I am - my fury, my teeth - biting!", cried Winter. I hurry back inside, closing the doors behind me.

My coffee brings the only solace to a new reality.  The zealous hellion, Winter, invades.  A last stand perhaps, but a fight I cannot conquer and one that the weakest of the seasons cannot overcome.  And the saddest truth pervades - a frigid Spring Break has begun.

* * *

It seems like I have very little luck with Spring.  I finish a production, feeling like I have a phantom limb.  I want to be outside, have fun, golf, see the sun for once!!  Music keeps me inside all too often.  Thank you Winter for helping me appreciate the good days by giving me depressing ones.  And when that sunny day comes, I will likely be depressed knowing that I could never take full advantage of a perfect day.  Kansas is the rudest of places for Spring.  Summer arrives shortly after Winter.  I hope Spring doesn't pass me by.

* * *

As for the time being, it appears like I will be plenty busy.  I have added many new performance opportunities to my schedule.  I will be performing the role of "The Believer" in a production of Handel's Passion of the Christ.  I am particularly happy to be part of this because there are several incredibly talented singers in the group performing this.  And I will be performing the National Anthem and the UMKC Alma Mater at eight commencement ceremonies at UMKC!  I don't remember singing the National Anthem at so many events.  I am also singing it at a Kansas City Royals game, Sporting KC game, and at the US Department of Energy's Small Business Conference.  I feel very patriotic - but not so much that I would go crazy like Christina Aguilera.

In other news, I still haven't heard from the Lyric Opera of Kansas City regarding my audition.  I hope to hear at least something, sometime.  Waiting is by far the hardest part of my life...perhaps I drink too much coffee, but I am very pragmatic and like a small town boy who doesn't know any better, I think that my hard work will get me somewhere.  I am very proud of my work ethic, but I know the world is a very complicated place.    There is much more to gain than just a good work ethic.  One of the biggest compliments that I have ever received was, "you sang very intelligently".  As odd as that sounds, that means much more to me than most anything.  The person who said it is very, very intelligent as well, which was most meaningful to me.  I hope as listeners of music, we all can value intelligence just as much as most value hard work, talent, and having fun.

I saw the movie "Limitless" last night.  It is not very good, but it's about a guy who takes a pill that lets him access his whole mind.  This makes him virtually limitless.  He becomes very successful, but when he runs out of pills, the hangover begins to kill him - and he becomes incapable of doing anything.  Reminds me a lot about coffee...

I thought the movie would be good, but I was dead wrong.  I may also be wrong about this next new opera review, but I doubt it.  The opera is called Light and Power by Isaac Schankler and is premiering in Boston on May 17.  It is about Thomas Edison and Nicolas Tesla and the discovery and inventions involving electricity in their time.   The only saving grace is that at one point they fail to electrocute a prisoner in an electric chair and they somehow incorporated the experiment with Topsy the Elephant - you can watch below:  (please don't watch this if you are squeamish or love elephants.  You should also know that Topsy was a deranged elephant that killed three people and was deemed a threat to people at the time - 1903.)



Ok, perhaps they could stage that pretty creatively.  Maybe the elephant sings?  But in all seriousness, even I don't want to hear arias about AC and DC currents, a chorus number about transformers, or any opera where the climax of the libretto happens to be about mercury arc valve rectifier stations.  As for the rating, there is probably a great chance that I would laugh through the whole opera, but really, there is no hope for Light and Power.  This one receives the lowest score possible:

1 Susan Boyle

(Sometimes judging a book by its cover is commendable)

Finally, I would just like to admit to a new low in tenorism.  If you remember back on President's Day, I forgot that I didn't have school.  I sank to a new low.  I thought my spring break was last week - only to find out that I have spring break this week.  I did find out soon enough and went to class last week, but it was pretty embarrassing.  And so goes Bryan's adventures in tenordom.

UPCOMING PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

• The Believer in The Passion of the Christ by Handel - 10:45am St. John's United Methodist Church, Kansas City, MO - 4/10
• World Premiere - "Shall I Compare Thee To A Summer's Day" by Betty Liang - 5pm, Grant Recital Hall, Kansas City, MO - 4/17
• National Anthem - Kansas City Royals vs. Cleveland Indians - 4/18
• Conservatory Finale  - Poulenc Gloria (probably on my top 10 favorite pieces ever) featuring the Conservatory Choirs and Orchestra - 4/23
• National Anthem - UMKC School of Nursing Commencement - 5pm 5/5
• National Anthem - UMKC School of Computer & Engineering - 10am 5/6
• National Anthem - UMKC School of Arts & Sciences - 1pm & 4pm 5/6
• National Anthem - Bloch School of Business and Public Administration - 7pm 5/6
• National Anthem - UMKC School of Education - 10am 5/7
• National Anthem - UMKC School of Pharmacy - 1pm 5/7
• National Anthem - Kansas City School of Dentistry - 7pm 5/7
• National Anthem - DOE Small Business Conference & Expo - Kansas City Convention Center - 5/10
• Administrative Director of the 33rd Annual Summer Choral Institute - 6/5-11
• National Anthem - Sporting KC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps - 6/25
• Sugar Creek Opera Festival (Chicago) - role: chorus/cover, opera: Daughter of the Regiment - 7/20-8/7
• Kansas City Symphony Chorus Auditions - tba

Lyric Opera of Kansas City Auditions

I had my audition for the Lyric Opera of Kansas City on Saturday.  I auditioned for the chorus, comprimario roles (non-starring roles), and for the tenor apprenticeship.  I have been looking forward to this audition for a long time for several reasons:  the new Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts will open later this year and will be the new home for the Lyric, next year's opera season will feature some great operas, this could be my first opportunity to sing with a professional company outside of a summer program, and I am excited to be auditioning for the tenor apprenticeship.

Anyway, the week leading up to the audition was very odd.  In the past, I have lost my voice twice during this time in February.  I don't know if it is because of allergies or perhaps it is just a fluke, but I was worried earlier in the week that my voice would not hold up until Saturday.  I took all the opportunities that I could to rest and drink water.  By Friday, I still was pretty tired and had a rough voice, but I prepared throughout the day on Friday as best as I could.  I got plenty of rest, sang just a little, and drank tons of water.  By Saturday, I felt very well.  After my morning pot of coffee (yes, that's right - a whole pot) and allergy medicine, I had several hours of opera rehearsal before my audition.

I was in opera rehearsal for several hours, singing sotto voce (meaning "under voice") - we call it marking as well, but it is just light singing compared to full voice operatic singing.  Then I headed downtown for my audition.  The audition was at the opera center which doesn't look very impressive on the outside, but is actually a large building designed for all the rehearsing and set building (I'm assuming) etc.  The room I sang in was very large, kind of like a basketball arena, or an indoor football practice facility.  It was VERY live (to put it another way, my voice echoed profoundly).  As the singers left the "arena", many were complaining about their tendency to oversing, and saying that it sounded like they were all in a giant shower.  I don't think that this changed the way I approached singing one bit, since I rely a lot on how my voice feels instead of how it sounds.

I was one of the last singers of the day, and one of only a few tenors.  After the singer before me finished (and she was SPECTACULAR) I took the long walk to the piano at "mid field".  They were still debating about the previous singer, so I just stood until they welcomed me.  I said, "Hello", and then waited awkwardly long for a response that never came, so I then said, "I would like to begin with Lenski's Aria", and we immediately began.

This is one of my favorite and most successful arias. I thought it went really well. Perhaps it was hard to tell in such a live space (many small details can be lost or muddled in an echo-y room...this is also why karaoke machines have lots of reverb - it can cover a myriad of singing sins, which you can blame for why your Aunts feel like their tipsy rendition of INSERT COUNTRY SONG TITLE HERE is the best thing since sliced bread), but many of the technical issues I have been working on went so well during this aria.  The notes past the passaggio rang true with ease (these are the highest notes that I sing).  I was very proud about the lower resonance as well, which is one of the great attributes of my voice (it is a more mature sound than many other light tenor voices).  This aria brought out many of the things that I do best and I thought it was one of the best times that I have performed it.

After that aria was over, they asked what other arias I brought with me.  All the arias that I bring to auditions are generally in different styles and languages.  The one I began with is in Russian.  So the other four I brought were Dies Bildnis (German), Il mio tesoro (Italian), En fermant les yeux (French), and Here I Stand (English). They chose to listen to Here I Stand from The Rake's Progress.  I am always surprised when they pick it, because it is kind of weird.  It premiered in 1951, so it isn't that old, but it just requires a good mind to stay on track and it lies in an interesting part of a tenor's range.  It also is full of speech-like patterns and sounds, a far cry from any classic romantic aria. Some people love it, and some hate it.  Actually, the company that gave me the gig in Chicago this summer also chose to hear this aria.  Take a listen and make your own conclusions (the aria begins at 5:25 - if you are already annoyed and want to fast forward)



How interesting, isn't it?  Actually, this staging really is distracting...the music is really ingenious and this opera is considered one of the most important pieces of Neoclassical music ever.  Neoclassicism developed in the early 20th century and was a new approach towards the old classical era structures of music.  In other words, they wanted new sounds, but they kept it simple and uniform.

I don't speak/yell as much as this performer did, but I will tell you that my performance was certainly not my best.  Fortunately, the large and reverberant room was probably somewhat kind to me - but I laid some big fat eggs.  In my personal critique, I was too choppy, I wasn't precise enough on my entrances, I rushed the aria - and for that I offer my most sincere apologies to my accompanist, I am SO sorry I put you through that - and the last note was poorly placed.  I manage the tone and vibrancy of my voice by feeling the resonance (or the vibrating air) crashing through all the sinuses and cavities in my face, mouth, and the rest of the skull.  I am very technical about this, but this resonance can be moved around to vibrate in any of these spaces.  So when I say that the last note was poorly placed, it means that I didn't use the right resonating space in my face and mouth so it sounded closer to Bette Midler than an opera singer.  On the bright side (pun intended), I had a good high A right before it.  But, I could have looked like I was passing a kidney stone - I'm not sure.

After the aria, the artistic directors called me to their table on the "side line" to talk.  They asked me a very interesting question.  Why do I have a Master's with two emphases?  I explained to them the situation and my studies at K-State and what I am doing now with my Doctorate, which is just in Voice Performance.  They thanked me for singing, and now I am just sitting back and waiting to hear from them.  Hopefully, it will be an opportunity to perform.  Afterward, I went right back to opera rehearsal without dinner and we practiced until 9:30 or 10.  It was a very long day for sure!

I also had a concert last week with the Conservatory Singers, which went well.  This Saturday, I have another one where I will be the tenor soloist for Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass.  It should be amazing!  There will be a 200 person choir, with orchestra, and it will be held at the Community of Christ Temple - one of the most amazing churches you'll ever see.

Also, last week I had a private coaching with the great American opera singer Diana Soviero.  It went great and she was so kind and encouraging as we worked with many of my release issues with my highest notes.  There are other technical things that we tried to do, that do not seem to fit right with my voice and technique, but it is always great to learn from the best and to hear their stories.  She talked about singing with many of the greatest tenors of the past generation like Alfredo Kraus and Franco Corelli.  I am so thankful for UMKC for providing us with these opportunities at the Conservatory.

State Senators in Kansas are getting close to voting on rescinding the Governor's executive order to end public arts funding, however it may be a close vote.  I have tried very diligently to not make political statements here.  I am just standing up for my profession and passion in life.  I do hope that this era of political antagonizing ends soon.  The "American Dream" for many artists and educators are on the line in many states now.  I hope there is an understandable way to resolve a fight we shouldn't even be fighting.

One more addition to my schedule - I will be singing the National Anthem (the correct way) at the US Department of Energy's 12th Annual Small Business Conference & Expo, which will be here in Kansas City this year.  And in case you are wondering (and "I honestly don't know" is my answer) but the agenda for the opening address includes "Startup America" - the White House's Small Business Initiative to Promote Entrepreneurship.  I am hoping for a very special guest speaker.

UPCOMING SCHEDULE

• Tenor Soloist - Lord Nelson Mass by Haydn - Operation Breakthrough Benefit Concert at the Community of Christ Temple in Independence (where Jan Kraybill is the Principal Musician - she's one of my favorite people in the whole world) - 3/5 7:30pm
• Don Giovanni - Conservatory Opera - 3/17-20
• Wichita Symphony Orchestra Naftzger Young Artist Auditions - 4/2-3
• Conservatory Finale  - Poulenc Gloria (probably on my top 10 favorite pieces ever) featuring the Conservatory Choirs and Orchestra - 4/23
• National Anthem - DOE Small Business Conference & Expo - Kansas City Convention Center - 5/10
• Administrative Director of the 33rd Annual Summer Choral Institute - 6/5-11
• Sugar Creek Opera Festival (Chicago) - role: tba, opera: Daughter of the Regiment, maybe Little Women as well - 7/20-8/7
• Kansas City Symphony Chorus Auditions - tba