BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
So you’ve been to see the opera.
Maybe you were a concertgoer, taken aback by the majestic staging and tales of love and tragedy. Maybe you rocked up as a musician or singer yourself, and listened out for the quality of timbre from leading stars and chorus alike.
It doesn’t matter who you are or why you see the opera, because opera is for everyone. But not everyone knows how much work goes into the production of a show – from the rehearsals to the individual training and practice from each singer who is working hard in their part. Working to be the best they can be.
That’s why in 2018, we’re teaming up with the West Australian Opera to shed some light on what happens behind the curtain.
Lucy Mervik took part in the West Australian Opera Young Artist program and will this year share her skills with students as part of a Sing Out Loud workshop.
In her own education, Lucy graduated from Trinity College of Music in London, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and has also studied at the University of London. She’s performed across Europe – and with WAO, a foremost Australian opera company.
Let’s learn all her secrets behind the curtain.
Tell us about your entry into singing. When did you realise this would be the life for you?
At school, I was always singing. I was head chorister and also in a constant stream of musical theatre productions.
When I was 15, I went to see my first opera, Rigoletto, and fell in love! I was desperate to learn the role of Gilda! That was when I realised that with a lot of hard work and dedication, I might be able to turn singing into a career.
What’s your favourite memory of singing on stage?
My favourite memory is from my earliest operatic performance experience. I sang in the Dorset Opera Festival’s chorus when I was age 17. We performed Ponchielli’s La Gioconda, and the rush of adrenaline from being on stage with such talented soloists was incredible; watching and learning how they pour emotion into the music, transforming it from notes on a page to something with soul.
You’re now part of the WAO team for Sing Out Loud. What’s a typical workshop like?
Sing Out Loud is a loosely scripted show/workshop for primary school children. We wanted to get kids involved in opera and singing from an early age, to avoid barriers being built in later life – opera is fun and is for everyone, young and old.
We have lots of audience participation in the show – we run through breathing exercises, teach the kids a variety of warm-ups; we sing in rounds together, we even teach the kids some Italian!
There is lots of call-and-response work, and the kids sing an awful lot during the hour. We have linked the workshop to the current curriculum, so it really is a fun way to learn and build upon techniques their classroom teachers may have taught them.
In between the interactive elements, we have some arias and songs for the children to listen to. This calms them down and introduces them to the sound world of operatic singing.
What style do you feel best suits your voice as an instrument, and how do you encourage other singers to discover their strengths?
Bel canto arias best suit my voice; Bellini, Rossini, Donizetti, etc. but I really only discovered I could sing these once I worked on the agility of my voice.
I really steered away from florid and highly ornamented music when I was younger, as all those black notes on the page scared me! But with diligent practice, I overcame this. And now, I find this is the repertoire that I sing best. I also love French Chansons, and specialised in this when I was studying for my Masters at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
What are some of the vocal warm-ups that you find are most effective with your students?
I aways like to start with humming. This is the best way to awaken your resonance in your ‘singer’s mask’. Then, I like to sing arpeggios on different vowel sounds – always slowly at first, concentrating on keeping the continuity and clarity of the vowel between intervals, and then I might repeat a little faster.
I always include octave jumps to get my air shifting, and finish off with some fast-moving scales and ornamented patterns.
During our Sing Out Loud workshop, we teach the kids some tongue twisters, which are a fantastic and fun way to warm up your lips and tongue. The kids love these and bring some very vibrant energy as they try to master the words!
How do you like to protect and nurture your voice throughout the week, when you’re not on stage or tutoring?
The voice is so delicate; it really takes some looking after. I don’t smoke, and excessive alcohol can dry your voice. So unless celebrating, I usually refrain from drinking more than a glass or two!
Constantly raising your voice, or shouting, is extremely wearing on your vocal chords and so I avoid going out to noisy places in the run-up to a show or event. I also have to stop myself from shouting at my own children, although sometimes with little success!
Has performance anxiety ever been an issue for you?
Luckily, I have never suffered from real performance anxiety. When you first start performing, and you are still mastering your voice and learning new techniques, most people are preoccupied with reaching that high note; or whether you can repeat certain passages as well as you did in your lesson; or will you run out of breath! But this is totally natural and I don’t think is at all classed as ‘performance anxiety’.
I think once you can rely upon your voice and body to create a good sound, then you can start to relax with regards to performing. You can begin to concentrate on characterisation instead of worrying about the notes.
If you do suffer from performance anxiety, just make sure that you are as well prepared as possible in terms of memorisation, movement, and blocking.
What are some of the skills you find useful in singing that mightn’t be so obvious?
Interpersonal skills are very important in all walks of life. But, particularly when you are spending weeks with a small number of people in a rehearsal studio, it is important to do your best to get on well with everyone!
Fitness is another key factor. Singing is very physical and it helps if you have a strong body. We are often moving around the stage whilst singing, and sometimes even dancing whilst singing, so fitness is a great help!
We learn to use our peripheral vision and develop spatial awareness during our performance training, and this is essential when sharing the stage with others; there can be 40 people on the stage at any one time, and it would be easy to knock into someone if you are not alert.
Resilience is another thing which is important to develop throughout your career. There is much rejection in the arts industry, and it’s best to develop a thick skin.
What has been the biggest struggle in your career and how did you push through?
The biggest challenge for me has been having a family.
Women’s bodies change so much during pregnancy and after childbirth, but I wasn’t prepared for how much my voice would change during this period, and I felt as though I really had a new instrument to master after the birth of my first daughter. I had to work hard with my teacher to negotiate my way around my changed voice, and needed to find new repertoire more suited to my slightly heavier voice. Embracing the changes and having faith in my teacher was what helped me through this challenging time.
What advice would you give to other young singers looking to embark on their careers?
Be passionate about what you do and how you learn, and get ready to work hard.
Grasp every opportunity that comes your way, watch everyone, listen to everyone. But most importantly, be humble. It is too easy to get caught up in the limelight, so get involved in a children’s education or community program to keep you grounded!
Lucy Mervik is hosting an Act-Belong-Commit Sing Out Loud workshop series with West Australian Opera. Sing Out Loud brings together trained and untrained singers, and is linked to the West Australian Music Curriculum. Explore rhythm, tempo, pitch, dynamics, and singing together in a group. Last year’s workshops booked out – this year, they run from 18-22 June and cost just $5 per student. Full information on the WAO website.
We’re excited to team up with WAO throughout the year, so that we can give you an exclusive look into how opera works behind the curtain.
Tune in for our next interview to learn more about life as an opera performer and educator!
Image supplied.
