For the duration of Wendy's career she's surrounded herself with brilliant colleagues. I've always just sat on the sidelines and watched. In the early years I would play with my Thomas The Tank Engine while the musicians would do the real work (sometimes I'd be cleaning the toilet when I felt inspired). Lately I just go off and strum my ukulele and leave the professionals in peace. Well, something has got to change....
Think about it....here I am, the world's greatest amateur musician, and by that I mean the world's most amateurish musician, surrounded by people who can help me learn the craft of opera. I already have a weekly ukulele lesson as well as a weekly finger-style guitar lesson, but my opera career has stagnated since I released my groundbreaking O Mio Babbino Caro recording. One problem: I don't want to be an opera singer (or better yet, Wendy doesn't want to be married to one). One solution: I'll learn to be an opera coach!
The role of the opera coach is to collaborate with opera singers. The opera coach must be a gifted pianist <insert sound of screeching brakes> and skilled in almost every aspect of the operatic voice. So, it would appear that I need to become a skilled pianist first and foremost before worrying about teaching that other stuff (pitch, rhythm, diction....whatever that stuff is!).
Fate smiled upon me....
As luck would have it, we had one the world's finest vocal coaches/accompanists in our condo last evening. To protect his reputation and identity, I'll only refer to him as Michael M. Michael's stratospheric musical skills are perfectly balanced by his subterranean humour. Like me, he has a sense of humour firmly entrenched in junior high. This is why we get along so well, plus we both appreciate that Wendy endures our childish shenanigans with grace and aplomb.
As I was sitting on the sofa (wondering where my Thomas set was), it occurred to me that this was a perfect opportunity for me to have a lesson with Michael (known casually as 'a couching'). If you've already watched today's video then you'll know that things went extremely well. A couple more lessons and I'll be ready to work with real live singers!
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