Denise continues her conversation with transgender opera singer Breanna Sinclair.  A native of Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of CalArts, Breanna received her Masters from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and was the first transwoman of the opera program, under the pedagogy of Ms. Ruby Pleasure. Operatic performances include Carmen, La Calisto, The Old Maid and The Thief, The Magic Flute, L’enfant et les sortilèges, Platée, and West Side Story, as well as Meredith Monk’s Songs of Ascension at REDCAT, and Zachary Sharrin’s Time Bodies at MOCA.

Outside of opera, Sinclairé has enjoyed a variety of performance opportunities with LGBT and other nonprofit organizations throughout the nation — most recently the Gay Men’s Choruses of Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. She made her debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus. Other performances include Americans for the Arts, Washington, D.C. and Toronto Pride Festivals, SF Trans March, Fresh Meat Trans and Queer Arts Festivals, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, LinkedIn’s LGBTQ Employee Resource Group speaker series panel discussion (alongside civil rights leader Cecilia Chung), Janet Mock’s Redefining Realness book tour, and the Transgender Law Center’s SPARK! anniversary celebration.

Breanna also made her debut as a  guest artist for the Gay Men’s Chorus of DC in Durufle’s Requiem performing “Pie Jesu” at Church of the Epiphany. She was among Out magazine’s 2015 “OUT100” list of LGBT heroes. She was the first transwoman to perform the National Anthem at a professional sporting event for the Oakland A’s, SF Giants, and San Francisco Deltas. She made her debut with SF Symphony on December 31, 2018 as the first trans singer to perform with the orchestra.

What You Will Hear

• Feeling comfortable with your instrument/voice
• Singing voice vs speaking voice
• Being a transgender daughter of a pastor 
• Voice training

Quotes

“When people speak, you can fill in the blanks when they are really truly connected to their authentic voices.”

“So basically you are an upright basd with all these high, wonderful tones of a cello.”

Mentioned

Leontyne Price

Nathan Carter

New Shiloh Baptist Church

In anticipation of season 2, Denise sits down with transgender opera singer Breanna Sinclair.  A native of Baltimore, Maryland, and a graduate of CalArts, Breanna received her Masters from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and was the first transwoman of the opera program, under the pedagogy of Ms. Ruby Pleasure. Operatic performances include Carmen, La Calisto, The Old Maid and The Thief, The Magic Flute, L’enfant et les sortilèges, Platée, and West Side Story, as well as Meredith Monk’s Songs of Ascension at REDCAT, and Zachary Sharrin’s Time Bodies at MOCA.

Outside of opera, Sinclairé has enjoyed a variety of performance opportunities with LGBT and other nonprofit organizations throughout the nation — most recently the Gay Men’s Choruses of Washington, D.C. and San Francisco. She made her debut at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Los Angeles Gay Men’s Chorus. Other performances include Americans for the Arts, Washington, D.C. and Toronto Pride Festivals, SF Trans March, Fresh Meat Trans and Queer Arts Festivals, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, LinkedIn’s LGBTQ Employee Resource Group speaker series panel discussion (alongside civil rights leader Cecilia Chung), Janet Mock’s Redefining Realness book tour, and the Transgender Law Center’s SPARK! anniversary celebration.

Breanna also made her debut as a  guest artist for the Gay Men’s Chorus of DC in Durufle’s Requiem performing “Pie Jesu” at Church of the Epiphany. She was among Out magazine’s 2015 “OUT100” list of LGBT heroes. She was the first transwoman to perform the National Anthem at a professional sporting event for the Oakland A’s, SF Giants, and San Francisco Deltas. She made her debut with SF Symphony on December 31, 2018 as the first trans singer to perform with the orchestra.

What You Will Hear

• How Denise and Breanna met
• Breanna’s journey to finding her voice
• How opera found Breanna
• Developing her upper register 
• Breanna’s accomplishments and challenges  in the opera world
• Learning roles and staying ready
• Being homeless and the help of a perfect stranger
• Perseverance and upcoming performances
• Breanna’s hopes for her legacy
• Advice for young transgender people
• How Breanna researches a character

Quotes

“My performance is a message.”

“I find that having a tribe is so essential. People that hold you accountable. Not just accountability, but they remind you of who you are because sometimes we forget.”

“When you are authentic, it come, it shows through your art.”

“Living in your truth is the most beautiful and also exciting thing because when you're living in your truth you are giving room for yourself to evolve.”

“When you, confine yourself to what other people think of you or what people view you as, it puts you in a place of insecurity, and it kind of closes the room for you to grow.”

Continuing the conversation with Baritone, Steven Herring, Denise and Steven delve into the differences between a teacher and a coach and Steven’s love for arts education.  Steven has performed the roles of  Don Pizarro in Beethoven’s Fidelio, Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida, Sacristan in Puccini’s Tosca, Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, the title role in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Sharpless in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Belcore in Donizetti’sL’Elisir D’amore. Mr. Herring had the distinct pleasure of performing in Jason and Alicia Moran’s WORK SONGS, for the 56th Biennale di Venezia. A recipient of an Olga Forrai Foundation Grant Mr. Herring is also the Director of School and Community Engagement for Bridge Arts Ensemble, an organization of New York-based teaching artists which brings high quality music education to over 50,000 public school students in Upstate New York. As a featured soloist, Mr. Herring’s concert repertoire includes performances of Beethoven Choral Fantasy with The Saint Louis Symphony, Fauré Requiem with Orchestra of Saint Lukes, Peter in Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion with Musica Angelica and The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, Carmina Burana at The John F. Kennedy Center with The CUA Symphony Orchestra, Messiah with The CUA Symphony Orchestra, Mozart Festival with The Juilliard Symphony.

What You Will Hear

• What is the difference between a difference and a coach?
• Sound quality and sound production as a singer
• Steven’s love for arts education and the Living Arts Collaborative and Bridge Arts Ensemble
• Juilliard and the community
• Storytelling
• What Steven would tell his younger self

Quotes

“Son we learn from everyone so always remain open and get the stuff that you need.”-Edward Zambara

“it really is a rite of passage to be able to perform for young, young kids.”

“ the sounds of your throat will never make you a great singer It's what you do below counts.” “Todd Duncan

“Singers must be great poets.”-Todd Duncan

“Trust the process, life continues moving forward.”

Mentioned

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LivingArtsCollaborative.com

Instagram Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

The Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts 

LivingArtsCollaborative.com

Instagram Facebook 

Jason and Alicia Hall Moran

Ed Berkely

Ed Zamabara

Marlena Malice

Steven Smith

Micheal Kahn

Marian Seldes

Jason and Alicia Hall Moran

Ed Berkely

Ed Zamabara

Marlena Malice

Steven Smith

Micheal Kahn

Marian Seldes

Denise sits down with Baritone, Steven Herring who has performed the roles of  Don Pizarro in Beethoven’s Fidelio, Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida, Sacristan in Puccini’s Tosca, Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, the title role in Verdi’s Rigoletto, Sharpless in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, Belcore in Donizetti’sL’Elisir D’amore. Mr. Herring had the distinct pleasure of performing in Jason and Alicia Moran’s WORK SONGS, for the 56th Biennale di Venezia. A recipient of an Olga Forrai Foundation Grant Mr. Herring is also the Director of School and Community Engagement for Bridge Arts Ensemble, an organization of New York based teaching artists which brings high quality music education to over 50,000 public school students in Upstate New York. As a featured soloist, Mr. Herring’s concert repertoire includes performances of Beethoven Choral Fantasy with The Saint Louis Symphony, Fauré Requiem with Orchestra of Saint Lukes, Peter in Bach’s Saint Matthew Passion with Musica Angelica and The Saint Thomas Choir of Men and Boys, Carmina Burana at The John F. Kennedy Center with The CUA Symphony Orchestra, Messiah with The CUA Symphony Orchestra, Mozart Festival with The Juilliard Symphony.

What You Will Hear

• What attracted Steven to opera
• What makes opera grand and classic and what is different about singing other genres
• Work Songs
• Wanting to play Othello and controversy in the opera world about blackface.
• Going to the Juilliard School
• Life after Juilliard

Quotes

“You always have to find a way to tap into the emotion of the piece….the emotions color the sound.”

“If the voice and the emotion serve  the character, may the best artist win that role.”

“I didn't have to go in search of the black experience black my experience is It's the black experience.”

Mentioned

The Duke Ellington School for the Performing Arts 

LivingArtsCollaborative.com

Instagram Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

Jason and Alicia Hall Moran

Ed Berkely

Ed Zamabara

Marlena Malice

Steven Smith

Micheal Kahn

Marian Seldes

Denise continues her conversation with world renowned opera singer Kevin Thompson to discuss his career and Juilliard experience.. Originally from Washington D.C. Mr. Thompson is an alumnus of The Juilliard School in New York, San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Merola Program, and the Santa Fe Opera Program.  Mr. Thompson has performed in opera houses and concert venues throughout the world, under the baton of many esteemed conductors, including Austria, Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, South America, Switzerland, and the United States. Thompson has made debuts with New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, New Orleans Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera Carolina, Bard Opera, National Philharmonic, The Florida Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, Odyssey Opera, Hannover Staatsoper, Fundación Teatro Nacional Sucre in Ecuador, Teatro Verdi Trieste, Hong Kong Opera, Teatro Regio Parma, Ruse State Opera, Theater Kiel, the Gasteig in Munich, and the Wexford Opera.

What You Will Hear

• Thompson’s taking agency in current career aspects
• Learning the ups and downs of being your own business manager 
• Thompson’s extensive passion for Arts Education
• Faith, believing and growing up as a preacher’s kid
• Life after Juilliard and moving forward
• Hidden talents of being a Chef
• Finding balance and enjoying life

Quotes

“The arts is just not just for the arts, what you learn in the arts is how to come out of yourself and be all of who you are and express that in the world.”

“Know thyself is most important.”

“After I do something really serious and really hard, I give myself a break of vacation. That could be two days, that could be one day, but just go somewhere or do something that you really enjoy because yourself a gift and you need that, to have a break mentally.”

“Life is meant to be really enjoyed it's not meant to just get through it.”

“If you don’t risk anything, what are you to gain?”

“Fight for your dreams, because the dream was given to you, not another person. They were given to you to manifest them and to give them birth. It’s your job.”

Denise sits down with world renowned opera singer Kevin Thompson to discuss his career and Juilliard experience.. Originally from Washington D.C. Mr. Thompson is an alumnus of The Juilliard School in New York, San Francisco Opera’s prestigious Merola Program, and the Santa Fe Opera Program.  Mr. Thompson has performed in opera houses and concert venues throughout the world, under the baton of many an esteemed conductor, including Austria, Bulgaria, China, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Spain, South America, Switzerland, and the United States. Thompson has made debuts with New York City Opera, Santa Fe Opera, New Orleans Opera, Tulsa Opera, Opera Carolina, Bard Opera, National Philharmonic, The Florida Symphony, Opera Santa Barbara, Odyssey Opera, Hannover Staatsoper, Fundación Teatro Nacional Sucre in Ecuador, Teatro Verdi Trieste, Hong Kong Opera, Teatro Regio Parma, Ruse State Opera, Theater Kiel, the Gasteig in Munich, and the Wexford Opera. 

What You Will Hear

• Thompson coming into fruition of his vocal career
• Reminiscing on Thompson’s freshman year of Julliard
• The performance aspect at Julliard
• Thompson’s top 5 characters to voice
• Utilizing Thompson’s humor alongside his vocal talent
• Working alongside Jesse Norman
• Seizing the moment to sing for Grace Bumbry
• Thompson’s taking agency in current career aspects
• Learning the ups and downs of being your own business manager 
• Thompson’s extensive passion for Arts Education
• Hidden talents of being a Chef

Quotes

• “I knew that my talent was my ticket to get me into college.”
• “Stand tall. Stand tall. Stand in your presence.”
• “If you’re playing a villain, the actual character doesn’t think they’re a villain. You find the other elements of the character that are less villainous, because there're so many elements in the human condition and human character. It’s up to us as storytellers to find those nuances in the character.”
• “You have to seize moments in life. They’re not going to be there forever. There are moments that you have to step into your purpose.”
• “The gift is what we have to offer. It is your gift to give to the people and to use it.”
• “Fight for your dreams, because a lot of people will try to talk you out of your dreams.”
• “If we wake up another day, there is a purpose for us to be here.”
• “Faith and fear cannot exist in the same paradigm.”
• “It doesn’t make a difference if it takes you three minutes to learn this role, or if it takes you three to six months, as long as you know the role when you arrive, that’s all that matters.”
• “Fight for your dreams, because the dream was given to you, not another person. They were given to you to manifest them and to give them birth. It’s your job.”

Mentioned

• KevinThompsonBass.com
• Myra Merit - Metropolitan Opera
• Michael Santana
• Suitland High School Center of the Arts
• NAACP Axo Competition
• Paul Ropeson
• Jesse Norman
• Grace Bumbry
• Ames Gros Program in Austria/ American Institution of Musical Studies
• Belmont Glass
• Dr. Carter - Morgan (HBCU)

Denise continues her discussion with Malik Williams.  Hear more about how Malike started dancing, the support of his family and the experience of not feeling valued at Juilliard.  Learn about Mark’s  journey and how his Juilliard experience motivated him to excel.  Malik is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was awarded the Lynn Swann Scholarship to attend the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre during the 2006-2007 season. He graduated from the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, as a dance major in 2013, where he worked with Troy Powell, Christopher L. Huggins, Billy Bell, and Margo Sappington. He then went on to The Juilliard School, where he graduated with a B.F.A. in 2017 under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. At Juilliard, he worked with the choreographers Takehiro Ueyama, Loni Landon, Zvi Gotheiner, Matthew Neenan, and Gentian Doda. He has performed works by Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, and Nacho Duato. Since graduating, Williams has danced with the Limón Dance Company, National Dance Company of Wales, and Lydia Johnson Dance. During this time, he has performed works by José Limón, Caroline Finn, Yin Yue, Caitlin Javech, and Lydia Johnson, among many others. He joined the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) as an apprentice in 2020 and became a company member in 2021.

What You Will Hear

• Malik’s epiphany to embrace himself in his artform
• Processing how to build yourself back up 
• Gaining Black alumni mentors for guidance
• Transitioning from Juilliard to Mark Morris Dance Company
• Malik’s apprenticeship with the Límon Dance Company
• Working for Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes

Quotes

• “I will never be any other person but myself.”
• “You are enough. You have always been enough. And you always will be enough.”
• “As long as your doing your best, that’s all you can ask for. If they’re asking for more, that’s their problem, not yours.”
• “We are still having this conversation and we will have it until we level the playing field, until you can see our bodies and our voices and embrace them with love and respect in an effort to decolonize art and the Eurocentric paradigm of what art is.”
• “When you hear our stories, when you hear our pain and our triumphs, you can’t help but applaud the efforts of the folks that came before you.”
• “These conversations are so constructive because we have to have these uncomfortable conversations so that we can deconstruct it and reconstruct it.”
• “If you hang in there, find a community, go to your family, find your tribe that can support you during hard times.”
• “Your career doesn’t have to be this straight line or a narrow path. It’s only as small as you make it, so why not make it as big as you can?”
• “You don’t have permission to say that the way I tell my story is wrong. Don’t tell me that the way I tell my story or my interpretation of your story is wrong.”
• “Nothing beats a failure but a try.”
• “The universe and God has all of these wonderful ways of structuring our lives if we just get out of the way.”
• “You are enough. You always have been. You will continue to be enough and no one can take that away from you.If someone says that you’re not enough, that has more to say about them than it actually does about you.”

Mentioned

• Alicia Graf Mack 
• Misty Copeland
• Límón Dance Company
• Jose...

In this episode Denise sits down with dancer Malik Q. Williams.  They discuss how he started dancing, the support of his family and the experience of not feeling valued at Juilliard.  Learn about Mark’s  journey and how his Juilliard experience motivated him to excel.  Malik is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was awarded the Lynn Swann Scholarship to attend the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre during the 2006-2007 season. He graduated from the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, as a dance major in 2013, where he worked with Troy Powell, Christopher L. Huggins, Billy Bell, and Margo Sappington. He then went on to The Juilliard School, where he graduated with a B.F.A. in 2017 under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. At Juilliard, he worked with the choreographers Takehiro Ueyama, Loni Landon, Zvi Gotheiner, Matthew Neenan, and Gentian Doda. He has performed works by Martha Graham, Paul Taylor, and Nacho Duato. Since graduating, Williams has danced with the Limón Dance Company, National Dance Company of Wales, and Lydia Johnson Dance. During this time, he has performed works by José Limón, Caroline Finn, Yin Yue, Caitlin Javech, and Lydia Johnson, among many others. He joined the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) as an apprentice in 2020 and became a company member in 2021.

What You Will Hear

• Being a member of the Mark Morris Dance Group
• Malik’s motivation to study at Juilliard as a college freshman
• Training the body and mind to prepare for longevity  
• Reflecting back on training from high school 
• Educational and diversity expectations of Juilliard
• Unpacking institutional racism in a technical constitution
• Coping with systemic racism post-graduation

Quotes

• “You only fail if you don’t try.”
• “This has to mean something. Me getting into this school has to mean something.”
• “You should take a chance. You should go into the unknown.”
• “I didn’t realize that being a black dancer changed my experience so much until it was too late and it already changed.”
• “I had something to prove and live up to.”
• “There’s these external pressures because of my environment, because of the people around me. It’s almost as if I have to take on the burden because I’m Black.”
• “The manifestation of the toxicity that started to brew within myself came as an accumulation of the things that were said to me throughout all four years.”

Mentioned

• Mark Morris Dance Group
• Alvin Ailey Dance Company

Denise continues her conversation with dancer, choreographer, actor and singer Neisha Folkes.  Listen in as they dive deep into the truth of the black experience not only at Juilliard in the real world as artists at the top of their game.

What You Will Hear

• Reflecting on touring with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company
• Neisha’s segway into acting career
• Combining acting and dancing skillsets
• Neisha’s art and entertainment fulfilled daughters
• Looking back at Hollywood obstacles
• Giving helpful advice to younger Neisha
• The milestone of moving to Los Angeles
• Casted as a Fly Girl on In Living Color
• Neisha’s regret to not pursue singing talents
• Implementing business with the arts
• Building a company based on Neisha’s daughters
• Next steps in life and career at Harvard Westlake

Quotes

“I would tell 13 year old Neisha to just relax a little more.”

“Singing has this vulnerability that’s beyond acting, beyond dancing. It’s showing yourself, revealing yourself on these open vowel sounds.”

“The real world is no different. Whatever (reason) you’re leaving to go someplace else, you’re going to find that very same and get good.”

“Take the meat and throw away the bones.”

“If everyone around you was doing 100, you gotta do 110.”

“You don’t have to go for perfection, but you have to go for progress.”

“It’s so wonderful to come to the table with someone that you absolutely love.”

Mentioned

• Meisner Technique
• Marian Seldes
• Triple Talent
• Harvard Westlake

Today we dive deep into the dance world with my dear friend from high school, Neisha Folkes. The incredible Neisha has choreographed for well renowned movies. A triple-threat one might say; actor, singer, and dancer. A notable accomplishment was that she was a member of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company company for several years.

What You Will Hear

• Neisha's remarkable acting and dancing career
• Artistic motivation that stemmed from The Bronx
• Reflecting on Folk’s acceptance into Julliard
• Witnessing diversity challenges amongst Julliard
• Previous audition opportunities for Broadway
• Balancing the decision between graduation and Broadway career
• Audition process into Alvin Ailey Dance Company
• Love and respect for Alvin Ailey himself
• Dance coach for Denzel Washington in Malcolm X
• Debbie Allen’s FAME origin story
• Choosing between Alvin Ailey and FAME television series

Quotes

• “I didn’t only just catch up, I surpassed”
• “I am not going to be the master of a bunch. I’m going to be the master of one and I’m going to make it work.”
• “We don’t do this because of a side of the tinge of racism, and for some people, it was more than a tinge. It was very blatant and covert. For some, it was less than that, but there was always a sense of elitism.”
• “I went on and got my Master’s years later, because I really felt uneducated. I really felt that I didn’t have the necessary education that I needed to be in conversation with people.”
• “We always want to get to the destination. We always want to skip a couple steps. Just enjoy the process. Complete it first, and then be fully invested to then bring yourself to the next space.”

Mentioned

• Helen Tamiris Award 
• Alvin Ailey
• Denzel Washington in Malcolm X
• Frankie Manning
• Otis Sallid
• Lindy Hop dance style
• Debbie Allen’s Fame