The Future Opera Representatives Taking Initiative Side by Side Improving Musical Opportunities (FORTISSIMO) held a Skype session with the opera singer Joyce DiDonato for vocal music majors. The event was held in the Pottle Music Building Annex on Monday, Sept. 19.
A newly founded organization, FORTISSIMO, held the event to give the vocal music majors the opportunity to get advice from a professional in their field of study. Officers of FORTISSIMO along with their faculty advisor, Philip Schuessler, instructor of theory and composition, organized this event.
“We organized this event in hopes of jump starting a new student organization that is for vocal music majors,” said Kayla Louis, a senior vocal performance major and founding member of FORTISSIMO. “Our mission is to bring in professional artists, such as Joyce DiDonato, to perform master classes with the vocal students.”
Although the event was primarily for vocal music majors, it was open to all who were interested, with approximately 50 students in attendance.
“The purpose of this event is to better the education of our music students and to get answers from a well known world famous performing artist,” said Louis.
During the Skype session, DiDonato answered several questions from students, giving advice on the challenges and oppositions of being a professional singer, as well as how to improve their talent.
“One of the greatest tools at your disposal is your imagination and your curiosity,” said DiDonato.
DiDonato also discussed how to stay positive, singing techniques, the physical aspect of the business, handling rejection and being yourself no matter what.
The students who attended were very pleased and appreciative of DiDonato’s lecture.
“It’s not often that we get an event like this, designed and orchestrated by students,” said senior Jonathan Turner, vocal performance major. “This event was a great blessing.”
Louis contacted DiDonato through her video blog on YouTube and, while she was unable to attend a master class, DiDonato proposed the idea of doing the Skype sessions to answer some of the students’ questions.
“The thing that I enjoyed most was seeing and hearing her answer the questions live,” said Leon Moore, music and vocal performance graduate student. “Although she wasn’t sitting directly in the room with us, Skype still made it feel personal, unlike a TV interview or magazine article.”
FORTISSIMO was created this semester and they are already planning similar events for the future. The Skype session was their first official event.
“To have one on one contact with someone who is so good at what they do is invaluable for the students at this stage in their career,” said Schuessler.
For more information regarding future FORTISSIMO events contact Louis at kayla.louis@selu.edu.