On That Note: What does it mean to “connect” with a song, or piece of music?

I know that you’ve been sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for the second
installment in this dialog…and here it is!

What does it mean to “connect” with a song, or piece of music?

Start with what is on the page.

Some singers start with the music, some with the text. I am a text person, however,
I will allow room for personal preference. If you choose to start with the music,
take note of all the markings and notations of the composer. This is the first step
in interpreting the intentions of the composer. Depending on your level of musical
proficiency, the score will offer great insight in terms of chord structure, mood
(based on major or minor keys), and reoccurring themes and motifs.

If you choose to start with the text, the obvious place to begin is to determine what
the librettist is trying to convey. In the case of an aria or musical theater piece, you
have to understand who the character is, what their intention is in the piece,
and what lead them to that intent. Even in Jazz and Popular music, the singer has to
understand the “story” and/or “intention” of a song. If you don’t know where you
are going, how can you expect an audience to connect with and join you?

I believe that great performances are created “in the moment”. However, an
authentic moment can only come from being fully prepared, and having done the
research that allows you to work from “beat to beat” in both the text and in the
music.

I believe that the same holds true for great dance performances. There is so much
more to dance than doing steps and moving to the music. Understanding the style
and era from which the music is drawn, again, provides a point of reference. The
same holds true of characterization, and the ability to connect with the music and
how it influences the way in which the story is being told.

Great artists have the ability to make countless hours of research and rehearsal look
effortless and immediate every time. That is the magic and the mystery of “being in
the moment”. And…On That Note…

I bid you Toi, Toi, Toi, till next time,

J. Rosalynn Smith-Clark

For me, the greatest moment in Opera of all time.  A "must watch" to the very end.

Stepping Into the World of Blogging

As the end of the year draws near, we prepare to embrace new beginnings. We set goals and resolutions to be achieved over the course of 365 days. We invite new relationships into our lives, and rekindle old ones. We are more open to experiences, foods, sounds, etc that we may have shunned in the past. We meet the opportunity (or excuse?) to jump outside of our comfort zone and see the world through somewhat new eyes, if only for the first few weeks of the year.

I'm choosing to start my fresh start early. I am jumping into the world of blogging, and am so excited about it.

As the description says, my name is J. Rosalynn Smith-Clark, and I am the founder and Artistic Director of Opera Noir, a non-profit performing arts organization devoted to promoting cultural diversity in the classical arts. I create musical programs that juxtapose Puccini and Duke Ellington in a way that pays homage to both as the musical geniuses that they both were, and that is engaging and entertaining to a diverse audience.

As a company, we do a lot of free student dress rehearsal concerts and Master Classes, which allow students from low-to-moderate income families to experience the performing arts live, often for the first time. They get to be coached by the best in the business and, most importantly, by professional performing artists who look just like them. I love what I do, who I am, and the work that Opera Noir does.

I hail from Pittsburgh, PA, and come from a diverse musical background. I started out singing jazz in nightclubs to pay for my opera lessons. As my dear friend Mama Pearl says: I was a light-skinned woman with a whole lot of black soul on the inside LOL.

There is plenty of time for me to tell my story, as I plan on writing at least once a week over the course of the year. I'd love to learn more about you. Who are you? Where are you from? And what sparked your love for the classical arts?

I am very excited to see what this year will bring. God is moving in a major way, and both Opera Noir and J. Rosalynn Smith-Clark, the artist, have some incredible things in coming in 2013.

I hope you enjoy the journey with me. :)

Warmly,

Roz