Last Friday night, my two daughters and I had a pizza/movie party night. My three-year-old
toddler snuggled in next to me to watch the movie, and with her cheesy ham-and-pineapple
breath pummeled me with questions nonstop for nearly two hours. “Why is he going up the
stairs, Mom?” “Why is she crying?” “Why did he open the window, Mom?” “Why did she say
that to him, Mom?” Everything she saw with her eyes triggered a question out of her mouth.
Living with a three-year-old and a four-year-old, my days are full of the word “why.” And
while it does try my patience at times, like when trying to watch a movie, I remind myself that
it’s this deep curiosity coupled with an unabashed ability to ask questions that not only helps
but drives my girls to learn as they discover the world around them.
We all had that childlike inquisitiveness at some point. And yet, as we get older, we are
embarrassed to admit what we don’t know, or we are concerned that our question is “dumb,”
and so we stop asking. And in the process, we hinder our personal growth.
Nadine Sierra, featured in this month’s cover story (p. 20), has never stopped asking questions. While singing Gilda in Italy at 23 years old (of course she had already won the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions), Sierra took every opportunity to ask the native Italians about the pronunciation, the meaning, and the culture surrounding the music. And later, while singing Pamina in Austria, she did the same with her German colleagues.
“I have never been scared of asking,” Sierra tells Mark Watson in his interview with the young but wise singer. “I don’t want to sound uneducated when I am singing.”
Sierra knows where to put her concern. She doesn’t worry about sounding uneducated offstage, because she knows that’s where the learning takes place. The more questions she asks while studying the music and the role ensure that she can give the very best performance.
This doesn’t apply only to the music learning process. Former stage manager turned artist manager Claire Friday is educating singers on the behind-the-scenes performance process
and how to be the best colleague possible offstage. On her list of advice in this issue (p. 34)? Ask questions. Don’t be afraid to approach your stage manager or other administrative crew
when you don’t know or understand something.
This issue is full of answers to other questions you may have. Like how to address your financial needs as a singer (p. 40) or as a teacher (p. 8). And how to deal with crippling anxiety that is affecting your performance (p. 38). And why your teacher keeps assigning you yet another selection from the 24 Italian Songs and Arias (p. 16). And how to better address your technical vocal weaknesses (p. 12). But what if your question isn’t answered here? Just write to me with what you are wondering about, and we can address it in a future issue.
There are certainly toddler traits I hope my girls do one day grow out of—like throwing their little bodies to the ground and kicking and screaming when things don’t go exactly their way. But the curiosity and excitement that drives them to ask “why” and learn about the things around them? That I hope they keep forever.
