(The car is here to get your attention – I owned it for over 47 years!)
MARCH 2021 READY FIRE AIM – GO FOR IT – BE CURIOUS – LET NOTHING STOP YOU!
TOMORROW is the FIRST DAY of the REST of your LIFE!!
TK -my dream was to sing professionally. I want you to BEGIN to dream, to “CONTINUE” TO DREAM, DARE TO DREAM, CREATE YOUR PLAN FOR 5 YEARS, 10 YEARS, etc.
MY JOURNEY to achieve my DREAM.
Vicki & I met here, got degrees, married -short honeymoon . During 10 years in Atlanta. I sang in 10 different opera in small “pick-up companies” (Vicki played most of them). NO PAY, LOTS OF FUN. During the day, I was directing/conducting 7 musical and 2 plays for my HS kids – watching them dream and succeed! 1973 BIG HONEYMOON TO EUROPE. That Trip opened my eyes, gave me a small seed to PLANT. I’M LUCKY
1978 we both studied for 6 weeks at the Mozarteum in SALZBURG, I was in various opera scenes with many singers from Europe. I REALLY got the dream. OPERA! An agent was interested in me, BUT I MUST live IN GERMANY to audition for the operas!
1980 sold house, bought ONE WAY tickets to Europe. AIMS taught me the conventions: arias, correct musical style (German), clothes, agent conversations, speak GERMAN, speak GERMAN, speak GERMAN. Both of us got jobs immediately & my DREAM was realized AND EXPANDING!! at least in GERMANY/AUSTRIA!!! In 5 years in Germany I sang over 400 performances. I take care of my voice, singing the right REP for ME! & right size orchestra! I cancelled for sickness once in 5 years. I’M LUCKY!! Meanwhile, in my 31 summers in Austria teaching for AIMS, & ultimately becoming the Artistic Director –overseeing about 250 people total – 90 participants, orchestra of 75, faculty, staff- I have helped/taught/counseled over 2000 singers and pianists, at AIMS.
THEY fulfilled THEIR DREAMS. ARE YOU DREAMING YET?? I was put on this earth to help others! I know correct arias for each voice type (Fach), GERMAN resume, organize audition notebook for meeting an UNKNOWN accompanist in a German opera house!, how to dress for auditions, what to say, what NOT to say, how to navigate the train system, where to stay, which agents to sing for, common mistakes, in short EVERYTHING ONE NEEDS TO KNOW TO DREAM SUCCESSFULLY.
ARE YOU DREAMING YET? YOU SHOULD BE!!!!!!
STATING /NOT BRAGGING – so YOU will begin to formulate YOUR DREAM.
In my 50 years of professional singing, I have sung over 50 roles in opera, operetta and musicals, I have been the tenor soloist in 28 oratorios, I have sung recitals in over 20 states, I have premiered many works, I have had 3 operas written especially for me, VICKI has had 5 different songs commissioned for me – one for my 65th birthday AND a song cycle for my 75th birthday AND I’m working on 3 ONE ACT operas right now!
I’M LUCKY!
Since moving to Bloomington, I have continued to offer advice to singers/pianists- and I have helped send 9 people to “fulfill their dreams!” 5 from DePauw, & 4 from Jacobs- Edward Atkinson, Edward’s WIFE, Reuben Walker, Caroline Craig. I found out later Quinn also went! AIMS helps singers, orchestral players, pianists who want to be conductors, even established voice teachers, & choral conductors
NOW YOU DREAM!!! Tell me your dream & maybe I can help.
Anguished Witch, Hansel & Gretel, Roxy 2009
Witch Atlanta 1978
KISMET, summer stock St. Louis, 1969
King Kaspar Atlanta 1978
Old Deuteronomy CATS Roxy 2009
The Conferencier in CABARET – Germany 1984
1969 Handsome Prince in Snow White, Muny
Wenzel – Bartered Bride – Atlanta 1985
Fridolin – Rose von Stambul – Germany 1983
Eisenstein – Fledermaus – Atlanta 1979
Tannhäuser – Tannhäuser Spoof – Germany 1985
Tannhäuser
Magic Flute Santa Fe 1968 Slave
Conferencier in Cabaret 1984 Germany
w/ Gateway Chamber Orchestra 2012
Witch Hansel and Gretel, Roxy 1998
Longfellow 2013
Polenblut Operetta Germany 1984
Old Arithmetic Man 2014 Ravel “L’enfant et les sortilèges”
Lion 2019 “Mooch the Magnificent” by Lauren Bernofsky
Remember these sayings! especially “How you do anything is how you do everything!”
Attend our faculty recital MONDAY, November 14, 2016 at 7:30 p. m. at DePauw University, Thompson Recital Hall.
To those add the beautiful, lyrical melodies of Fauré, the stately songs of Purcell and the deeply moving songs of Franz Schubert, Clara and Robert Schumann. Vocal Lit II and French Diction for Singers are both available under DePauw.
I was engaged to teach voice at the prestigious Jacobs School of Music, Indiana University-Bloomington, for the SPRING semester of 2015 and I continued for FALL 2015, SPR 2016, SPR 2017, SPR and FALL 2018. I was Visiting Professor of Voice, substituting for three different voice professors on sabbatical and on performance leaves. To be teaching at my own alma mater (from 1968-70) was thrilling indeed.
FALL of 2015 I taught Vocal Literature and German Diction for Singers at DePauw University School of Music and in SPR 2016, I taught Vocal Literature and French Diction. In FALL 2016 and SPR 2017, I taught the same courses AND a few private voice students as well. FALL of 2017 and SPR 2018 I taught German Diction, then French Diction, all at DePauw University.
Tenors Again starring Vicki King, Randall Black, Jeremy Easley & Thomas King
Sure on This Shining Night
The Crucifixion
Rain has Fallen
These three Barber Songs are among our favorites, performed in Kentucky in 2013
[basic ideas]
KEEP THE STERNUM HIGH
EXPAND THE RIB ACCORDION
TOOTHPASTE TUBE
RESIST THE COLLAPSE
KEEP THE TONE SPINNING
RESONANCE SPACE – VOWEL SIZES
(CHURCH, NOT CHURCH BASEMENT – BELL OF THE HORN)
THE SINGING TONE
ELEGANCE
ENJOY – SEND A MESSAGE
[advanced, artistic, sophisticated ideas]
STRIVE FOR PERFECTION
NO ONE EVER ACHIEVES IT, BUT IT SURE IS FUN TO TRY.
“WORK” LONG NOTES, KEEP THEM ALIVE < >
NEVER BE SATISFIED
HAVE THE JOY OF MUSIC ON YOUR FACE AT ALL TIMES
SEND A MESSAGE IN EVERY SONG
SHOW YOUR LOVE OF MUSIC
THINK LIKE A SINGER — SING LIKE A THINKER
*INFUSE INTO YOUR ARIA ALL OF THE EMOTIONS OF YOUR CHARACTER FROM THE ENTIRE OPERA
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