The Coming Year
Well...just three blogs this year. I did say earlier that I would write when I needed to, and I have, but mostly in my own personal journal. Little of that has made it onto my blog, but that is fine by me as my attention has been quite dispersed.
This has been a tremendous year of growth for me through some soul searching and great work. I have already spoken of my time with dell'Arte Opera Ensemble, which was a fantastic experience. Other highlights include Il barbiere di Siviglia with Lyric Opera of the North, a Kiss Me, Kate concert with Mankato Symphony, and Messiah with Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra. These were all great experiences that taught me a lot about how I like to work and what excites me. Mainly, I enjoy the process of creation with my fellow performers and the beautiful mix of technique and play that accompanies this process. Also, I love to meet and speak with people, whether they are my collaborators, my audience, or random people in the street. However, even though I have a love of travel and have gained such wonderful experience abroad, I really enjoy being close to home.
So where does that put me now, nearing the end of one year and the start of the next, separated by the imaginary line of endings and beginnings? Well, excited, actually, to begin new pursuits with my talents. I am very fortunate to be living in a region that has such a great support for the arts that sustains many outlets in every field. Already I have been a model for artists' cooperatives throught the Twin Cities, as you can see by this blog's accompanying picture, which is highly gratifying work. Furthermore, I have begun to turn my attention to the many theater and musical theater companies in the area to share the work that I do. I began my performing life in those two genres long before opera, and though over the past ten years I have narrowed my focus to opera, I believe it is time for me to return to those roots and see what worlds I can explore anew. It is my hope that through this I will be able to broaden my exposure to much more of the Twin Cities community and the surrounding region in the coming year.
There is one more area where I would like to expand my efforts: my blog. Since I am a person who loves to speak to others, as I mentioned above, I am planning to put up at least one video a month so that I may communicate more directly to you. This may be a performance, a glimpse of a rehearsal, a prepared monologue, or a simple video blog, where I can share my voice, the real sound of my voice, with everyone. Over the coming months you may hear changes in my diction as I continue my elocutionary work with the brilliant coach Cheryl Moore Brinkley of B.Vocal, and I will invite you to share your thoughts. I am doing this so that I may be more involved with the rest of our great artistic community, sharing what I have and learning from you; and thanks to our great technology at the moment, I can engage with you right from home.
Part of the inspiration for this personal jolt originated in the picture you see above. It is from a great artist whose name I did not catch before the modeling session ended, but who I will credit as soon as I learn it. She captured what I see as my confidence, and it is that man, looking toward the future, exposed, yet smiling and hungry for the new opportunities to come, whom I wish to always be.
Happy New Year!
With Love, Always,
Rodolfo