There has been much dispute over the idea of Laura Bretan being a “prodigy opera singer”. Is that even a legitimate term? Also, why are want-to-be classical musicians trying to get on these Talent TV shows, and is it just a trend?
Why you got teary-eyed at Laura’s singing:
Before we begin, if you haven’t seen the clip, and you’d like to watch, skip to 2:50sec.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCoxGV7j71c
1. Although young, she has a great voice with much potential.
■ Indeed, she is only age 13.
■ She is physically too young to be considered a fully-developed opera singer. The operatic voice is heavily based on technical skill and physical maturity.
2. A+ for performance showmanship.
■ So many performing artists simply stand on stage looking completely dumfounded. Props to her for facial expression as well as natural, and varied, not 100% symmetrical body movements.
3. She was humble.
■ What a refreshment! In a look-at-me world, it was a delight to see this young gal hit the stage because she loved to sing and make people happy, and not because she wanted to become the next Roxie Hart.
Do TV Talent Shows Lead to Musical Opportunities?
I’m still conflicted whether or not the TV Talent show has benefitted the artist culture, but I’m going to root for Laura this time around. TV Talent shows have miscued a lot of things in terms of musicality, but it gets you one thing…attention. No, I’m not talking about Kardashian attention, I’m talking about buzz.(Remember this word!)
Nowadays, it’s not just the opera/classical genre that is having a hard time keeping the audience interested as well as communicating with potential audience members. It is happening in many genres and other forms of media. In the music world, it may be that opera and classical(Baroque, Classical, and Romantic) music are taking the strongest hit because it is the oldest of the “pop” genre, and chronologically the furthest from mainstream, pop culture.
*Gasp!* What?! How dare I say opera and classical music are pop! Well, it kind of is…
Although the genre is in a phase of chord simplicity and redundant lyrical topics, “pop” once was an abbreviation for “popular”. I have nothing against Renaissance or the Medieval’s Top 100, but classical music was the first to “reach the masses”. Musicians toured, big music halls and performance spaces were built, music was first written down and people could get copies of sheet music to bring home and learn to play themselves during these musical eras. #ParlorMusic
On top of all this, technology makes things much more confusing. What becomes popular can be so unpredictable and is nearly untraceable even to the big advertisers/companies! We don’t know who is actually setting the trends! There is a mysteriousness we, as a global society, do not have our finger on yet. It is as if what ever the overarching, global mood of the day is, is what “goes viral” by midnight, leaving us to scroll over the same 6-second clip of some frizzy-ponytailed girl shoulder-gyrating to Take on Me. This makes in harder for the classical advocates to find their target-audience.
Furthermore, the trends change wayyyy faster than in the past. This brings me to another reason that classical music is struggling to find a younger audience. This genre is not something that (unless you’re an instrumental prodigy) is easily “inter-actable”.
When in comes to classical music, (Watch there be that one guy set out to prove me wrong! #challengeaccpeted) you can’t just Google a guitar tab for Brahms’ “Wie Melodien”, whip out your hipster ukelele, figure out the four chords, and record a Youtube video of yourself playing your “jazz-fusion funk blues Americana #PMJ” cover in a couple of hours. When you really want it to sound like the original material, it takes long, focused hours of practice just to make a dent in this stuff, even if it is a new genre cover!
So, for someone who wants to blow off some steam, get famous fast, or connect with a song by playing it, it takes much energy. By the time you finally learn to play the classical piece, your musical need has most likely changed! This is my reasoning for there always being the person that sits down at a public piano and plays the same 16 measures of Strauss’ “The Blue Danube”. It’s the extent of his rep-list.
All in all, what I’m trying to get at is two things. 1. Classical music is can be very difficult to use as an emotional resource for the musically uneducated vocal or instrumentalist. Because of this, it is quickly fading in pop culture. 2. It seems as though many people are NOT about the “it takes a lot of work to participate, but the true reward is in overcoming the challenge” mindset.
Was it a good idea for Laura to sing operatic music on a pop-based TV Talent show?
There is uncertainty if her choice to go on America’s Got Talent will haunt her opera career, if that’s what she ultimately decides to pursue. However, it may also assist her career for two reasons:
1. She got buzz. In the olden days, people went to see their favorite opera divas, not necessarily the opera itself. Maybe this kind of promotion would be good for the opera world. #tbt to 1700! Some agent or recruiter may give her a nice opportunity because what comes with her is an good-paying audience.
2. Her performance of classical music and healthy technique brought an emotional awareness to the audience. Yes, she got the #goldenbuzzerticket or whatever you want to call it, but she also got a standing ovation, people were crying, and you could feel the emotion through the TV, Ipad, etc.. That doesn’t happen very often.
Human emotion is sacred in the arts and it has been watered-down heavily by technology. Companies are trying to re-create or simulate this connection. It’s like the hologram performers they have now of Tupac and MJ. Are you really emotionally engaged with the music, or are you marveling at the advancement of technology? I think you’re marveling. Why you ask?
When you go to the movies, have you noticed that they’ve jacked-up the volume to where it’s almost uncomfortable to listen to? Have you been to a pop, rock, or jazz concert recently where the bass feels like it’s going to shake the building to the ground? If not, congratulations! You have better hearing than most of us. But, if you have experienced a loud location, you’ll understand that technology is trying to create a human emotional connection with physical simulation such as really loud bass being the equivalent of heartache or excitement.
In conclusion, there are still a lot of questions over what the classical world decides to do to “stay alive” in the future. So, but for now, let’s put our best foot forward to… prevent this from happening:
Tags: Americas Got Talent Laura Bretan classical Pop Opera future of music Talent shows TV Talent Shows hologram Michael Jackson Tupac Mozart Brahms