Makin' It In Opera
Gwendolyn Kuhlman
Subscribe
A podcast about what it really takes to find your voice and make the life and the art that you love.
Interviews with artists who have branched out in or broken out of the opera industry and are changing it for the better.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
Nov 1, 2022
Makin' It with Monika Beal
A deep conversation on what it really means to be an artist and find your path with creative coach, prolific artist, and my dear friend, Monika Beal.
Check out Monika’s coaching and her writing at www.monikabeal.com
Essay: An Artist by Monika Beal: https://monikabeal.com/musingsmischief/2021/6/17/essay-an-artist
IG: @makinit.opera
Find resources and support us at www.makinitinopera.com
playlist_add
Oct 21, 2022
One Year of Makin' It
Celebrating 1 year of Makin' It in Opera & Kicking off the THIRD SEASON: The Rethink - which is what we do after we've healed and recalibrated.
Follow the pod @makinit.opera
Support the pod/get resources at www.makinitinopera.com
playlist_add
Jun 27, 2022
Makin' It with Jonnet Solomon
My interview with the incredible and persistent Executive Director of the National Opera House in Pittsburgh, Jonnet Solomon.
Instagram: @nationaloperahousepgh
Website where you can donate to the NOH: www.nationaloperahouse.org/donate
Short documentary from WQED on the NOH made in 2009: https://youtu.be/q3TxB-S9VtQ
Upcoming events at the NOH:
If you happen to be in Pittsburgh, the NOH will be participating in a Women Owned Market on Saturday July 9, and a beer festival called Barrel & Flow on August 18, 2022.
playlist_add
May 31, 2022
Makin' It with Minka Wiltz
My interview with the incredible Minka Wiltz - actor, singer, voice-over artist, podcaster, and playwright.
Follow on Minka on Instagram: @minkawiltz777
See Heal, Hope, Love on her website, www.minkawiltz.com or on YouTube:
Find the Cultural Workers podcast: https://anchor.fm/minka-wiltz
Keep up with the pod on Instagram @makinitinopera
Support the Pod: www.makinitinopera.com
Clip from the beginning of the podcast is "Hope" by Jason Robert Brown, recording from Heal, Hope, Love
playlist_add
May 2, 2022
Makin' It with Dana Lynne Varga
Follow Dana’s Work:
The Empowered Musician
www.theempoweredmusician.com
Mass Opera
www.massopera.org
Dana Lynne Varga’s Artist Page
www.danavarga.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theempoweredmusician/
Articles:
Excluded, Penalized, Indebted, Harassed: Systemic discrimination against women in opera
https://theempoweredmusician.com/systemic-discrimination-in-opera/
DMA’s and the elusive, coveted, full-time faculty position: https://theempoweredmusician.com/dmas-and-the-elusive-coveted-full-time-faculty-position/
An Impossible Choice: Music majors, COVID-19 and an uncertain future
https://theempoweredmusician.com/an-impossible-choice-music-majors-covid-19-and-an-uncertain-future/
Keep up with the pod on Instagram @makinitinopera
Support the Pod: www.makinitinopera.com
playlist_add
Apr 12, 2022
Makin' It with Jillian Paige
My interview with Jillian Paige, singer, actress, producer, and creator of Meisner in Music, where we talk about how we can turn singing back into an expression of our feelings, rather than a facilitation of feelings we want other people to have.
Jillian Paige @jillianpaige on Instagram, www.jillianpaige.com
Meisner in Music @meisnerinmusic on Instagram, www.meisnerinmusic.com
Read Jillian’s story of how she came to Meisner
Trauma Informed Healing Intensive with Meisner in Music (till May 4th early bird $100 off with code SONGBIRD)
Info about their Equity and Inclusion Scholarship
Keep up with the pod on Instagram @makinitinopera and support us by telling your friends, rating and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts, and pitch in some money by donating on ko-fi - you can find the link when you go to www.makinitinopera.com.
playlist_add
Mar 29, 2022
Makin' It Part II with Jayme Alilaw
This is Part II of my conversation with the incredible Jayme Alilaw, where we dive deep into her journey as an entrepreneurial artist and the intricacies of the work the Black Opera Alliance is doing to move opera forward.
Jayme Alilaw is a soprano, activist, empowerment coach, and anti-racism facilitator.
She's a specialist in African American Spirituals and Art Song Repertoire, she's part of the four-member Leadership Council of the Black Opera Alliance, and she's the CEO of From the Core Coaching, where she coaches and leads seminars centered on setting free the voices of the oppressed.
You can find her on Twitter and Instagram, @sangmsjayme, website is www.jayme-alilaw.com
You can follow her coaching for individuals and organisations @fromthecorecoaching
Website is www.fromthecorecoaching.com
Donate to The Black Opera Alliance and sign their pledge at www.blackoperaalliance.org
Keep up with the pod Instagram @makinitinopera
Support us by telling your friends and rating and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts.
You can pitch in to keep us going by donating on ko-fi - find the link when you go to www.makinitinopera.com.
playlist_add
Mar 21, 2022
Makin' It with Jayme Alilaw: Part I
Jayme Alilaw is a soprano, activist, empowerment coach, and anti-racism facilitator.
She's a specialist in African American Spirituals and Art Song Repertoire, she's part of the four-member Leadership Council of the Black Opera Alliance, and she's the CEO of From the Core Coaching, where she coaches and leads seminars centered on setting free the voices of the oppressed.
You can find her on Twitter and Instagram, @sangmsjayme, website is www.jayme-alilaw.com
You can follow her coaching for individuals and organisations @fromthecorecoaching
Website is www.fromthecorecoaching.com
Keep up with the pod Instagram @makinitinopera
Support us by telling your friends and rating and reviewing us on Apple Podcasts
You can pitch in to keep us going by donating on ko-fi - find the link when you go to www.makinitinopera.com.
playlist_add
Mar 7, 2022
Season 2: Healing and Recalibration
A riff on what it means for the artists and the industry of opera to heal and recalibrate from decades of keeping up appearances - the themes of this season!
Donate to help keep us going: https://ko-fi.com/makinitinopera
Get resources here: www.makinitinopera.com
playlist_add
Mar 7, 2022
Makin' It with Andrew Simonet
A chat with Andrew Simonet, dancer, choreographer, and creator of Artists U, who believes that building a sustainable life as an artist is a political act.
Sign up for his newsletter at www.andrewsimonet.com
Check out Artists U and sign up for their newsletter at www.artistsu.org
Support the pod: https://ko-fi.com/makinitinopera
Resources to help you make it on your own terms and other good stuff: www.makinitinopera.com
IG: @makinit.opera
playlist_add
Nov 22, 2021
Makin' It Part II with Raehann Bryce-Davis
Part II of a beautiful conversation with Raehann Bryce-Davis.
Black Women in Opera Fest (11/20/21 panel discussions on Opera): https://fb.watch/9ppJkSG2pw/
Shade: A Conversation about Race, Culture, and Identity in Opera (11/17/21): https://youtu.be/Oj-1IBltG6Q
Visit Raehann’s website: http://www.raehann.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raehannbrycedavis/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/raehannbd
Video of To The Afflicted: https://youtu.be/QAPtCED5nlw
Video of Brown Sounds: https://youtu.be/22OR3ygygqg
Learn more about the Black Opera Alliance: https://www.blackoperaalliance.org
Donate to Support the Black Opera Alliance: https://blackoperaalliance.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/blackoperaalliance/donation.jsp
At makinitinopera.com, you can
* Get access to a spreadsheet of resources and inspiration from folks who are changing the conversation about how we tell stories and how we train artists
* Subscribe to the Audition Pep Talk Series newsletter
* Donate and supp…
playlist_add
Nov 15, 2021
Makin' It with Raehann Bryce-Davis
Raehann Bryce-Davis has been hailed by the New York Times as a "striking mezzo soprano" and by the San Francisco Chronicle for her "electrifying sense of fearlessness." 2021/22 includes performances of Der Komponist in Strauss' Ariadne auf Naxos at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Preziosilla in Verdi's La Forza del Destino at Théâtre du Capitole, Azucena in three productions of Verdi’s Il Trovatore at The Glimmerglass Festival, LA Opera, and Staatstheater Nürnberg, Gods and Mortals, at The Glimmerglass Festival, singing selections of Wagner’s Lohengrin as Ortrud and Die Walküre as Fricka, as well as her company debuts at La Monnaie de Munt as La Zia Principessa in Puccini's Suor Angelica, Konzert und Theater St Gallen as Joan of Arc in Tchaikovsky's Maid of Orleans, and her company debut at Teatro alla Scala as Ulrica in Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera. Last season featured highlights like her role debut as Eboli in Verdi’s Don Carlos at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, her LA Opera debut in t…
playlist_add
Nov 8, 2021
Makin' It with Thrilled to Announce
Charlotte Jackson and Perri di Christi are hosts of their own podcast, Thrilled To Announce, and in our conversation today we’ll riff on how their show came about, what their opera careers and journeys were like, and what it’s like to tackle some tough topics on their podcast as they relate to opera. We had a great talk and I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Instagram: @thrilledtoannounceee
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thrilledtoannounce/posts
Merch: https://thrilled-to-announce-pod.myshopify.com/collections/merch
Decolonizing Broken Voices Episode: https://anchor.fm/thrilledtoannounce/episodes/Decolonizing-Broken-Voices-e138len
The YAP Episode: https://anchor.fm/thrilledtoannounce/episodes/The-YAP-Episode-Pt--1-Feat--Blake-Jennings-enko2c
At makinitinopera.com, you can
* Get access to a spreadsheet of resources and inspiration from folks who are changing the conversation about how we tell stories and how we train artists
* Subscribe to the Audition Pep Talk…
playlist_add
Nov 1, 2021
Makin' It with Dr. Lisa Neher
Portland, Oregon composer and mezzo-soprano Lisa Neher (b. 1985) writes theatrical, story-driven music for instruments and voices. Trained as a stage actress, her compositions are shaped by her keen sense of dramatic timing and feature aching, lyrical phrases, energetic rhythmic motives, and intense harmonies. She often draws inspiration for her works from the natural world, suggesting the joyous bubbling of streams, the delicacy of sprouting plants, and the eerie mystery of deep ocean life with evocative timbres and vivid motives.
Lisa’s commissions include works for Third Angle New Music, Durward Ensemble, the Glass City Singers, Coe College Orchestra, Kirkwood Community College Chamber Singers, pianist Michael Kirkendoll, and flutist Rose Bishop. Her marimba duo Thaw was premiered by Mayumi Hama and Chris Froh at the Sacramento State Festival of New American Music. She is a fellow of the Cortona Sessions for New Music and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music.
Lisa i…
playlist_add
Oct 25, 2021
Makin' It With Daniel Hellmann
Is it activism? Is it entertainment? Is it art? Who cares?
Daniel Hellmann is a singer, performer, dance and theater maker from Zurich. He studied philosophy, classical singing and theater / performance and has been developing his own artistic and multi-award-winning works since 2012. Hellmann sees his artistic practice as a form of intersectional activism. His projects examine the body, physical relationships and desire, and question social norms and power relations in the fields of sexuality, human and animal rights.
As part of his interactive performance "Full Service" (2014), Hellmann performed hundreds of services around the world in return for appropriate payment. His solo performance "Traumboy" (2015) about male sex work was selected for the Sélection Suisse en Avignon and for the Swiss Selection Edinburgh. In 2019, the female counterpart "Traumgirl" was created together with Anne Welenc - the third production on the subject of sex work, which premiered in August 2019 at the…
playlist_add
Oct 18, 2021
Makin' It with Trey McLaughlin
Trey McLaughlin has been singing as long as he could remember and he knew he was going to be a singer by age 4. He grew up singing gospel and teaching his classmates the songs during recess, harmonies and all. When he got to college, he was pushed to study classical vocal technique because he could make the right sounds. There was a lot of pressure to do “legitimate” art, instead of the gospel style he already knew how to do, and he threw himself into the work of being the best singer he could be. His path took him to create his group Sounds of Zamar, which went viral a few years ago. He feels that following his passions has given him the confidence to trust himself and pursue his heart’s desires.
Trey is a 2008 graduate of Columbus State University (The Schwob School of Music) in Columbus, GA. During his time at CSU, Trey was a member of its University Singers and Chorale. Trey is a member and past president of the professional music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia…
playlist_add
Oct 18, 2021
Makin' It With Opera Programs Berlin
In this episode I will visit with my dear friends, Julie Wyma and Anastasia Nikolov, founders of Opera Programs Berlin.
Both Julie and Anastasia went through traditional conservatory training, and were both taken aback by the insistence that there’s only one prescribed path to success in opera. Their answer to filling the gaps in vocal education was to create Opera Programs Berlin, an online and in-person opera academy which has grown exponentially over the last year in the online space.
As an educator, Julie’s passion lies in helping singers make the transition from student to professional, and in guiding talented people to the places where they are needed. She has served as a vocal coach, preparing singers for auditions and talent competitions, as well as an audition panelist and advisor. With organizations such as Opera Programs Berlin, Dramatic Voices Program Berlin, Irrational Entertainment, Midwest Early Opera Works, Voci Inglesi, Berlin Wagner Gruppe and Berliner Opernve…
playlist_add
Oct 18, 2021
How (not) to make it
Like many others, I got my opera degree because I loved singing, I loved music, and I dreamed of being in the spotlight. After years in the chorus and schlepping from audition to audition, it became clear that we had been trained that in order to “make it” in opera, you had to follow a prescriptive path. One that has its artists doing everything they can to fit into a box, rather than figure out who they are, what it is they want to say, and who they want to serve with their art.. No wonder the industry has spent years struggling for relevance in the wider culture.
The people I’ll talk to in this podcast have followed their art, making it on their own terms. I’ve found that there are many facets to making it on your own terms, and it’s a process with many different outcomes.In this season, all have remained in the music industry, and all are performing. In seasons to come, we’ll branch out from there to explore paths that lead people in all different directions W…
playlist_add
Sep 25, 2021
Welcome to Makin' It In Opera!
A podcast about what it really takes to find your voice and make the life and the art that you love.
Interviews with artists who have branched out in or broken out of the opera industry and are changing it for the better.
playlist_add