1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Opera singers are famous for being diva's on and off 2 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:07,920 Speaker 1: the stage, but American soprano Renee Fleming has spent her 3 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:12,479 Speaker 1: long and notable career developing a different persona, often being 4 00:00:12,560 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: called the people's diva. For many a Fleming's fan, she 5 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: is the first and perhaps the only opera star they've 6 00:00:19,520 --> 00:00:23,400 Speaker 1: ever paid close attention to, selling more than two million records, 7 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: winning Grammys and other awards for her work, and even 8 00:00:26,800 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 1: singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl. Most recently, 9 00:00:31,680 --> 00:00:34,840 Speaker 1: Fleming has been starring in the Broadway production of Carousel 10 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:38,800 Speaker 1: in her Tony nominated role as Nettie Fowler. She recently 11 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: sat down with Carlisle Group co founder David Rubenstein. They 12 00:00:42,400 --> 00:00:47,200 Speaker 1: spoke on David Rubinstein's Bloomberg television program Peer to Peer Conversations. 13 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: You are performing in Carousel, which is not an opera, 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 1: It's a Broadway play. Why are you doing that and 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: not opera? I just thought, wow, it would be really 16 00:00:56,400 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: exciting to do something new. I always love doing new things. 17 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: It's just been an extraordinary experience. I'm the kind of 18 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,280 Speaker 1: person that if I were to say no for any 19 00:01:05,360 --> 00:01:08,240 Speaker 1: number of reasons, I would always wonder, what if and 20 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: so rather than wondering, I typically jump in so opera 21 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:16,600 Speaker 1: because usually two or three nights a week, perhaps if 22 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 1: you're doing a show, and let's say the Metropolitan, but 23 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 1: you're now doing eight shows a week. So just you 24 00:01:21,520 --> 00:01:25,399 Speaker 1: touched on the actual huge difference, right, So you strain 25 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: your voice doing eight shows a week? Is that hurt 26 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 1: you if you're gonna go do opera later? It wasn't 27 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: that long ago really that people were unamplified on Broadway 28 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,000 Speaker 1: and they sang by in large closer to the way 29 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: that I do because of the drama. They absolutely put 30 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:42,920 Speaker 1: amplification into every theater now and that makes all the 31 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:46,040 Speaker 1: difference in the world. So on the opera stage, our 32 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: bodies are the amplifiers. We have to create enough sound 33 00:01:49,560 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: to be heard over an orchestra chorus and into the 34 00:01:52,240 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: back of a large hall on Broadway. The really the 35 00:01:56,720 --> 00:01:59,720 Speaker 1: mechanism of microphones and amplification and a really great sound 36 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: is they do that work for us and we can 37 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: kind of take not take it easy, per se, but 38 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: not use power. So explain for people may not be 39 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,800 Speaker 1: familiar with this. In opera, there's no amplification allowed. You 40 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:14,760 Speaker 1: can't use microphone or anything like that. Why is that? 41 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: Do you know? It's it's the art form is old, 42 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: it's it's it's been that way always, And frankly, I 43 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: believe that the way we're trained enables us to be heard, 44 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:29,079 Speaker 1: and the the individual quality that we have is so 45 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:32,880 Speaker 1: powerful and beautiful, actually because we all sound quite different. 46 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: When Oscar Hammers sign and Richard Rogers wrote the play 47 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: and the music for Carousel, they knew at the time 48 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:43,920 Speaker 1: that some of the lyrics were complicated and there was 49 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: a bit of spousal abuse. And you have concerns about that, 50 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 1: I actually think you know, and most of opera and 51 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,359 Speaker 1: most of history really Shakespeare also looked at so many 52 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: of these things. I think it's worth, um portraying these 53 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: aspects of the human condition, of human experience, so that 54 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 1: we can talk about it, so that we can air it. 55 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: It's important to give people a platform to say I 56 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: had a bad experience. UM, no one should. Who should 57 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:13,320 Speaker 1: ever come to an audience and feel taken unawares, I think, 58 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 1: and be be hurt by something, but we should be 59 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: affected by it. You sing one of the highlights of 60 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:20,840 Speaker 1: the show, it's the song at the end, And what 61 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: is that song that is so well known that you've 62 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: sung before about I guess walking alone, So You'll never 63 00:03:29,240 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: walk alone is one of the great iconic songs. It's 64 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 1: a universal statement about hope and about resilience. And in 65 00:03:37,200 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: this piece, it's my character Nettie sings it to Julie 66 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: Justice Billy has died, and um, it's very moving in context. 67 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: And I've sung it a lot before. I sing it 68 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,920 Speaker 1: for the nine eleven memorial a year after nine eleven 69 00:03:48,920 --> 00:03:52,240 Speaker 1: in Washington, and I've sung it all through the years. Um, 70 00:03:52,240 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 1: it's something that people absolutely love. Let's talk about how 71 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: you became a very famous soprano, perhaps the most famous 72 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,120 Speaker 1: in the world. Um, you grew up in New York. 73 00:04:25,200 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: To repeat that, I loved it, so I love that, 74 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:31,000 Speaker 1: David's true. Just keep saying that, thank you. So you 75 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 1: grew up in upstate New York, right, and your parents 76 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: were music teachers. Yes, So did they always say to 77 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: you you should grow up to be a great opera 78 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: singer or they never bothered you to No, No, They're shocked. 79 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: They were absolutely shocked. They said, get get a teaching degree, 80 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 1: and you know you're not going to be a forget 81 00:04:50,920 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: about that. It's just too impossible. So you know, you 82 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: can imagine their surprise. My mother is still teaching voice. 83 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: She's not She loves it. She's very passionate about teaching. Uh. 84 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 1: And I you know, it's it's step by step, it's 85 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: it takes an incredible amount of drive, I think, and 86 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 1: um and resilience again because you know, it's it's hugely competitive. Well, 87 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: when you were a little girl, you were singing in 88 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 1: many different plays. I guess school plays and so forth. 89 00:05:18,480 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: I did musicals. I sang a lot of musical and 90 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,640 Speaker 1: never sang a musical again until now. So when you 91 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 1: apply to college, you wanted to go to a school 92 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:28,120 Speaker 1: that had a very good music program, and you applied 93 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: to Oberlin and you got into Berlin, but your parents 94 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,080 Speaker 1: really couldn't afford for you to go there, So you 95 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,600 Speaker 1: went to State University in post Yes, and it turned 96 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: out that was a pretty good thing for you because 97 00:05:38,200 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: they had a very good school of music. Is that right. 98 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: That's and a great voice teacher. So that and that's 99 00:05:43,080 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: really the one of the key components for success is 100 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:47,960 Speaker 1: having someone who can help you develop your voice. And 101 00:05:47,960 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: it's not easy. It's a very individual when you think 102 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:55,200 Speaker 1: about it. Every instrument is different. Um, it's internal the voice, 103 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: and it requires for each bone structure and each kind 104 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:03,760 Speaker 1: of physical structure a different set of of of rules 105 00:06:03,800 --> 00:06:06,839 Speaker 1: for technique. So when you went there, you realize you 106 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,480 Speaker 1: were probably better than the average person, and you began 107 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:11,400 Speaker 1: to sing a little bit professionally, but you did some 108 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:13,800 Speaker 1: jazz singing as well. You weren't necessary an opera singer. 109 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: Did you like jazz more than opera? I'm still a 110 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 1: jazz fanatic. I listened to it a lot, you know, 111 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: I've been biking on the river, and that's that's how 112 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: I distress. And I listened to a lot of my 113 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: favorite performers. Uh so, yeah, I still really love that. 114 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:29,960 Speaker 1: But I think classical for me it was a better 115 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 1: fit for my temperament. I was shy um. I preferred 116 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: to be in the practice room kind of unlocking and 117 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: working on the process of learning how to sing. I 118 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 1: loved that as opposed to being an extrovert and a performer. 119 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,920 Speaker 1: I had to learn that. When did you realize that 120 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: you actually were good enough to maybe be a professional singer? 121 00:06:47,160 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: I just kept going along, So it wasn't as if 122 00:06:49,520 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: I made a decision. I think when I had the 123 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: Fulbright scholarship. That was a big journey point for me 124 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,479 Speaker 1: to be in Europe, to be steeped in a foreign 125 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: language and studying. I loved that. You begin to prepare 126 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: UH to maybe an opera career. How did you actually 127 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:06,160 Speaker 1: break through? You know, you finally somebody has to take 128 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 1: a chance. You know, you have to have one person, 129 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,120 Speaker 1: one impersario who says, I don't care what other people sink. 130 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: I like this soprano and I'm going to give her 131 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:16,640 Speaker 1: a break. And your first break was in Houston. And 132 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:18,680 Speaker 1: how did that come about? Somebody called you and said, 133 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:21,120 Speaker 1: somebody got sick and can you come and perform exactly 134 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: what I had audition for the program for the studio, 135 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: the Young Artist program. A few months later they called 136 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 1: and said, we had a cancelation singing opera. You sing 137 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: from the chess more and not from the uh throat, 138 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: So we use an optimal breath um expansion sort of intake, 139 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:53,320 Speaker 1: and then support. Support is really a key thing if 140 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,480 Speaker 1: that optimizes the the amount of sound you can make 141 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: without using pressure, without actually tiring yourself. So somebody can 142 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: go to a sports event and shout and their horse 143 00:08:05,560 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: the next day you hear or you say, were you 144 00:08:07,360 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: at a rock concert? Where you at a sports event? 145 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,120 Speaker 1: Where were you? Were you out dancing? You know that 146 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: someone has heard their voice, will sing for three hours. Um, 147 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: just as extreme in terms of how we're using our 148 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: voice and the next day we can do it again. 149 00:08:20,400 --> 00:08:22,920 Speaker 1: When you're singing opera and you don't know the language, 150 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,360 Speaker 1: is that very difficult? Well? I sing in about eight 151 00:08:25,760 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: eight nine languages, you know, if you include Lord of 152 00:08:28,160 --> 00:08:33,000 Speaker 1: the Rings, and I only speak really three of them. Um, 153 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: for if you include English. So learning everything else, whether 154 00:08:36,040 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: Russian or Check, is by rote. It's memorizing sounds. You 155 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:49,520 Speaker 1: have to sound authentic and you also have to memorize 156 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 1: what everyone else is saying. So it's just very time 157 00:08:52,000 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: when you don't know the language you memorize by rope. 158 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: Do you actually know what the words say? Or you 159 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:58,640 Speaker 1: just you know what the sound is? You have to 160 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:22,559 Speaker 1: learn it all. Why is that you think opera has 161 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,120 Speaker 1: declining attendance, as does all classical music, Well I would 162 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 1: have I would have tried to explain that, but actually 163 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 1: attendances down a major sports arenas as well. I do 164 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,839 Speaker 1: think there is so much available to people for entertainment 165 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: and a lot of it is digital, and a lot 166 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,839 Speaker 1: of it is on television that people buy and large. 167 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: I mean, I see this with young people around me. 168 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: They just they don't want to spend the money. They 169 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: don't go out. The other thing I want to say 170 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: is when I moved to New York, there were only 171 00:09:47,920 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: a few venues there were There were theaters on Broadway, 172 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: and there were a few classical music venues, a couple 173 00:09:53,120 --> 00:09:55,880 Speaker 1: of dance venues. That was it. Now there's a performing 174 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:59,319 Speaker 1: arts center every other block. So I'm opening the Shed, 175 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:04,400 Speaker 1: which is opening it a year from now. Spectacular. UM. 176 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 1: It's extraordinary architecture, an extraordinary opportunity to create only new work. UM. 177 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 1: And I'm thrilled to be participating in the first piece 178 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: that they're going to present. So opera is something that 179 00:10:18,200 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: you are going to continue doing. There was a story 180 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: once in the New York Times that said, you were 181 00:10:21,920 --> 00:10:24,240 Speaker 1: going to finish your career at the Met at a 182 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:26,839 Speaker 1: certain point in two thousand seventeen, but you're still doing 183 00:10:26,880 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 1: operas that right, right? I mean, that was you know, 184 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:32,120 Speaker 1: that was really unfair. That was the headline, you know, 185 00:10:32,200 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 1: that was trying to draw attention. So when you do today, 186 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,760 Speaker 1: you do opera, you're doing other times of music. I 187 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: mostly concertise, and that's what I've been doing for fifteen years. 188 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: I'd say I spent eight percent of my time on 189 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:47,200 Speaker 1: the concert stage, which enables me to get around the world. 190 00:10:47,600 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: I love creating the Renee Fleming show, whatever it is, 191 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: I think the audience will enjoy the most, a mixture 192 00:10:53,160 --> 00:10:56,559 Speaker 1: usually of repertoire UH and I and I love meeting 193 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: new audiences and having that one on one communication. I'm 194 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,839 Speaker 1: working on a new piece for the Met. Actually that 195 00:11:14,840 --> 00:11:17,000 Speaker 1: will be this can't be announced yet, but it's really 196 00:11:17,000 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 1: exciting to contemplate. So I'm going to go I think 197 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: back to the Met and but but frankly, you know, 198 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: and I have another major theatrical project after the Shed, 199 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: so I didn't even know that I would be doing 200 00:11:29,360 --> 00:11:32,360 Speaker 1: this much theater. So you're singing the songs that won 201 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:36,160 Speaker 1: the Academy Award, Yes, exactly. Um, well, Alexander displat one 202 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: for the music in general, but the shape of Water, 203 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 1: of this beautiful song. It was in the credits and 204 00:11:42,440 --> 00:11:47,040 Speaker 1: halfway through the film as well. You never know just 205 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: so much famous UH sopranos are sometimes labeled as divas 206 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: or prima donnas Maria Alice being a good example of that. Um, 207 00:12:02,240 --> 00:12:04,200 Speaker 1: but you don't have that reputation, So how did you 208 00:12:04,240 --> 00:12:07,559 Speaker 1: avoid that reputation? Gosh, you know, I just wish I 209 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: could have called I just wanted to nurture that a 210 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:13,599 Speaker 1: little bit so I could be the subject of dinner conversations. 211 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:16,000 Speaker 1: And I just couldn't do it. I've never been good 212 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: at it. But in other words, uh, the ego that's 213 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: involved with being a great soprano obviously gets to a 214 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: lot of people. I think it comes out of anxiety. 215 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 1: It comes from it's a certain kind of a huge 216 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: anxiety about performance pressure and and and let's not diminish 217 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,480 Speaker 1: what performance pressure means. It is really challenging and some people, 218 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 1: you know, if you make it to the top, even 219 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 1: staying at the top is terribly difficult. So, UM, I 220 00:12:41,480 --> 00:12:45,200 Speaker 1: have internalized the pressure that I have felt over the years. 221 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: And that's not really great yet either, because it's not 222 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 1: fun to feel like that. But other people externalize it 223 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:52,839 Speaker 1: and they take it out on whoever is around them, 224 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: and somehow that's how that happens. And then they go 225 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,800 Speaker 1: on stage and they're grade now because of the pressure 226 00:12:57,800 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 1: of being an opera singer. Sometimes you need an outlet, 227 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,080 Speaker 1: and what did you do for an outlet? I am 228 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:05,920 Speaker 1: a culture fanatic, I am, and I am also um 229 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:09,680 Speaker 1: fascinated by I want to learn. I'm a lifelong learner. Um, 230 00:13:09,760 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 1: so I'm going to museums in theater. I love, absolutely 231 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: love theater. Uh. And I love beauty and nature very much. 232 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: So I'm enjoying nurturing young talent and I'll hope to 233 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 1: continue doing that in a more meaningful way in the future. 234 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: You're also working with n I H and Francis Collins 235 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,760 Speaker 1: ahead of it to try to show that actually music 236 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:46,080 Speaker 1: can help people get healthier. Can you explain that? So? Um? 237 00:13:46,120 --> 00:13:48,839 Speaker 1: I basically met Francis Collins as the director of the 238 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:51,320 Speaker 1: National Institutes of Health at a dinner party, an amazing 239 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: dinner party with Justices Scalia Ginsburg and Kennedy. Uh and 240 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 1: uh he was we were we had to sing along. 241 00:13:59,200 --> 00:14:01,800 Speaker 1: When you're doing a thing along, isn't everybody else intimidated? 242 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 1: You're not exactly the average sing along. Yeah. We were 243 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: kind of singing this land as your land. There were 244 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:08,960 Speaker 1: songs that everybody knew and they loved it. And I 245 00:14:08,960 --> 00:14:10,960 Speaker 1: said to Frances at some point in the evening, I said, 246 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:13,840 Speaker 1: you know, there's so much neuroscience about music, Um, what 247 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,720 Speaker 1: would you think about collaborating with the Kennedy Center. And 248 00:14:16,760 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: he said, yes, let's let's look into that. And it's 249 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:24,359 Speaker 1: turned into this really extraordinary project. It's about drawing attention 250 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:27,840 Speaker 1: to the power of music. The neuroscience is new, it's 251 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:31,120 Speaker 1: relatively new and becoming more widely known. But how it 252 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 1: helps childhood, in childhood development, how it helps with so 253 00:14:35,080 --> 00:14:40,520 Speaker 1: many therapies for autism, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, UM for veterans. I 254 00:14:40,600 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: gave fourteen presentations in the last six months around the 255 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:48,360 Speaker 1: country where I sing UM sharing the kind of the 256 00:14:48,400 --> 00:14:50,560 Speaker 1: all of the knowledge that I'm gaining in a hopefully 257 00:14:50,640 --> 00:14:54,120 Speaker 1: entertaining way. So when UM, people come up to you 258 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,240 Speaker 1: young performers to say I want to be a famous 259 00:14:56,320 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: opera singer, what is the advice you give them? Well, 260 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: I really advised people first and foremost not to accept 261 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: any limitations. Now you not only have to sing fabulously, 262 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:07,200 Speaker 1: have a super technique and really be able to trust 263 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:10,240 Speaker 1: your voice. You have to look fabulous, look like the 264 00:15:10,320 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: character you're playing, and act amazingly well. And a lot 265 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,960 Speaker 1: of this has developed since I started singing, and I'm 266 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: sure the demands will be even more in the future. 267 00:15:19,320 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: So if I wanted to learn how to be an 268 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: opera singer, it's late. I guess in life you have 269 00:15:22,880 --> 00:15:24,920 Speaker 1: to learn earlier. You can't start late in life, right, 270 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: typically not typically? And today when you go to master 271 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 1: classes you teach people, Um, do you ever see anybody 272 00:15:32,720 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: you think this person really is talented? Or you oh, yeah, absolutely, 273 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 1: I absolutely. You know, there are a lot of diamonds 274 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:40,400 Speaker 1: in the rough out there. And we also say the 275 00:15:40,400 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: greatest singers in the world probably don't even know they 276 00:15:42,560 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: have a voice. Well okay, so so David, you know, 277 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: we could work on it a little bit and see 278 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: just check out the town I have. Every time I 279 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 1: have ever sung, people say you are completely tone deaf. 280 00:15:53,880 --> 00:15:56,960 Speaker 1: So I don't think I have the skill. So if 281 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 1: you had to pay to watch opera, who would you 282 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:02,320 Speaker 1: to pay to listen to? Who are the great opera 283 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,600 Speaker 1: male and female performers that you would have paid to hear? 284 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: Oh gosh, I mean I would have loved to have 285 00:16:08,600 --> 00:16:11,640 Speaker 1: heard Maria Collis because of her musicianship. I mean I 286 00:16:11,720 --> 00:16:15,640 Speaker 1: still go to her records all the time. Um, Victoria 287 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:18,040 Speaker 1: las Anels. I don't think I ever heard her sing live. 288 00:16:18,640 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: I'm a huge fan of her singing Schwartzkopf. I did 289 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,160 Speaker 1: a masterclass with her, but I never heard her sing live. 290 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,560 Speaker 1: So there have been great history. We belong to a tapestry. 291 00:16:28,040 --> 00:16:31,640 Speaker 1: Um that is really historic, and I love that connection 292 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 1: to what's come before, and I love celebrating that. And 293 00:16:35,520 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 1: you know, that's something we lose in our culture right 294 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 1: now because of this connection to to to social media 295 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: and to the here and now in the momentary. This 296 00:16:44,360 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: idea that you become really wonderful. It's something that and 297 00:16:47,640 --> 00:17:13,320 Speaker 1: you learn about what people have done before you. You 298 00:17:13,359 --> 00:17:17,080 Speaker 1: have two daughters today want to be singers. They're wonderful singers. Um. 299 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 1: They know too much, so they neither of them want 300 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:23,320 Speaker 1: to pursue singing. So again they the lifestyle is challenging. 301 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: So I am on the road literally every three days, 302 00:17:26,880 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: I'm on a plane. Well, when your daughters were younger, 303 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:31,080 Speaker 1: you've written the fact that you would pack them up 304 00:17:31,080 --> 00:17:32,920 Speaker 1: and take them on the road with you and get 305 00:17:32,960 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: tutors or other than that. Complicated, yeah, but worth it, 306 00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 1: totally worth it. I really believe that their home was 307 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 1: with me that their home was with the people who 308 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:45,240 Speaker 1: loved them, and and that's worked out well. They've turned 309 00:17:45,280 --> 00:17:48,119 Speaker 1: into fabulous young women. So if you had the chance 310 00:17:48,160 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 1: to sing one opera, only one more opera, for the 311 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 1: rest of your life, what opera would you want to be? 312 00:17:53,600 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: Because there one of rosen Cavalier was absolutely my favorite. 313 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:07,960 Speaker 1: The most interesting woman, the most complex. Um, you know, 314 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 1: just such a three dimensional woman, which you don't find 315 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 1: very much. If me too is an issue, most of 316 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:16,320 Speaker 1: what we do. An opera would not be performed because 317 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,880 Speaker 1: women are victimized right and left. An opera because it's 318 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,360 Speaker 1: a it's an historic art form. So um, that's why 319 00:18:23,359 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: the marshal in who has power, who has even though 320 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:30,160 Speaker 1: she's she's complex, she is much more interesting. You've done 321 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:35,040 Speaker 1: Broadway opera, um, classical music as or something you haven't 322 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,320 Speaker 1: done that you would like to do. Gosh, you know what, David, 323 00:18:38,400 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: I'm it's already so much richer than I ever could 324 00:18:40,760 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: have imagined. If you told me that I would be 325 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: in a musical on Broadway, I would have said unlikely, unlikely. 326 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:49,280 Speaker 1: So I don't think I have a wish list. What 327 00:18:49,320 --> 00:18:51,600 Speaker 1: I do have is an open mind and a and 328 00:18:52,000 --> 00:19:08,080 Speaker 1: a belief in the future. I absolutely believe that things 329 00:19:08,160 --> 00:19:11,040 Speaker 1: come to us if we work hard and we're dedicated, 330 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:13,360 Speaker 1: and we love what we're doing, we're passionate. When you're 331 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: an opera singer, you can't yell at anybody or yell 332 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:17,399 Speaker 1: anything because you could ruin your voice. Do you ever 333 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:19,439 Speaker 1: worry about that? Or you just don't worry about that. 334 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:23,160 Speaker 1: I made that mistake once. Uh, one of my daughter's 335 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 1: was upstairs and I shout in a moment, I shouted 336 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: at her, and I felt it. I went, Oh, I 337 00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:35,040 Speaker 1: had to cancel three performances at the met in a 338 00:19:35,080 --> 00:19:38,639 Speaker 1: production that was that was built for me. So that 339 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:41,879 Speaker 1: was really unfortunate. So like in my case, I'm not 340 00:19:41,920 --> 00:19:44,560 Speaker 1: a good singer, as I mentioned I have. I'm completely 341 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:46,639 Speaker 1: tone deaf. But you know I can sing in the 342 00:19:46,680 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: shower and nobody objects. So can an opera singer sing 343 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:52,639 Speaker 1: in the shower. That's not possible. Oh it's great to 344 00:19:52,640 --> 00:19:54,439 Speaker 1: sing in the shower. It's a good place to warm up. 345 00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:57,000 Speaker 1: You have all that moisture. You know you're in fact, 346 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: you might become a better singer by singing in this 347 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: Maybe that I mean as your practice. That more I 348 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:04,040 Speaker 1: think about that the thing that you're most proud of 349 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: having achieved in your life, other than let's say, raising 350 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,359 Speaker 1: two very talented young women your daughters. What would you 351 00:20:10,359 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: say your your most achieved that's given you most pride? 352 00:20:14,480 --> 00:20:17,159 Speaker 1: Is it coming from very modest circumstances to becoming one 353 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: of the most famous people in the world in the 354 00:20:18,960 --> 00:20:21,360 Speaker 1: opera world, or what would you say it is? Well, 355 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:25,920 Speaker 1: I do share with you this extraordinary wonder at the 356 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:31,160 Speaker 1: realm of possibilities that we have as Americans because, um, 357 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: some of my relatives were literally coal miners in Pennsylvania. 358 00:20:35,640 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 1: And I have sat next to Prince Charles and next 359 00:20:39,760 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: to the King of Sweden at dinner parties and at 360 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: various performances, and I always stop and say, isn't this amazing? 361 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: And literally in two generations that I have this, this 362 00:20:52,280 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 1: ability to travel the world and experience every place I 363 00:20:56,320 --> 00:21:00,760 Speaker 1: go um at the most extraordinary level. And the legacy 364 00:21:00,840 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 1: that you would like people to um think about you, 365 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,640 Speaker 1: let's say, twenty years from now, when you people look back, 366 00:21:06,880 --> 00:21:09,760 Speaker 1: I think I really expanded the possibilities for the singers 367 00:21:09,760 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: who came after me by singing in multiple genre, by 368 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: singing jazz, by singing, making a rock album, now singing 369 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: in music theater. Um. When I started, people discouraged that 370 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,320 Speaker 1: very heavily. They said, no, you're going to ruin your legacy. 371 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:25,600 Speaker 1: You will, um, you, you, you will ruin the way 372 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:29,040 Speaker 1: in which you're viewed critically. You must not step out 373 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:31,480 Speaker 1: of the box. In fact, the more specialized you are, 374 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 1: the better. And I just thought, I, I'm too curious, 375 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 1: I want to try new things, So I just ignored 376 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,160 Speaker 1: that advice. When you're an opera, when you go out 377 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,880 Speaker 1: for a boutt can go on for ten minutes, twenty minutes. 378 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 1: How long do you go out before you realize it's 379 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: finally time to leave the stage and bowing and opera 380 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:54,280 Speaker 1: is an art form unto itself. It's another performance, and 381 00:21:54,359 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: some people do it extremely well, and the audience loves it. 382 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 1: They love it, you know, I sort of forced. I 383 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: had friends who would yell at me through my whole career. 384 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: Stay on stage. The audience wants to show you their love, 385 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:10,280 Speaker 1: their appreciation. So um, it didn't come supernaturally to me.