Singing in Place

We asked Michael to share a little bit about himself.

Tell us about your family.
Well it’s just me actually, so sort of a lonely quarantine, but I have great friends (shout out to April) keeping in touch through all this.

What’s your favorite ‘90s jam?
That’s a tough one—it’s between “How Can I Ease the Pain” by Lisa Fischer and “What’s Up” by Four Non Blondes—both great songs that I always stop what I’m doing to sing along to.

How did you get involved with opera Grand Rapids?
I was a collegiate competition winner a few years ago, and joined the chorus soon after for the productions of Magic Flute and La Traviata. Really a joy to work on both of those!

What is your full time profession?
I’m the organist for First Presbyterian Church in Kalamazoo, so luckily a full-time musician. Church music is a passion of mine, there’s such a range of beauty in it, from ultra-meditative to ultra-jubilant. It’s a blast every Sunday morning.

How have you been spending your time during quarantine?
Watching a lot of Golden Girls and Star Trek: The Next Generation, but also catching up on some reading: Radclyffe Hall and Emily Dickinson at the moment. I’m in the middle of a few Minecraft building projects too, one being an opera house!

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
For a long time I wanted to be an architect. I still love architecture and the amateur study of it, especially turn of the century “Painted Lady” Victorians and Art Deco.

Where is your favorite place in Grand Rapids?
The interior of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church. Maybe my inner architecture nerd is showing but it’s a really nice midcentury building with thrilling windows.

We asked Schyler to share a little bit about herself.

Tell us about your family.
I have been married to my husband Kameron for seven months, and we have two adorable fur babies. Winston is going to be three in May and Nellie is six months old, both chocolate labs.

What’s your favorite ‘90s jam?
I can only pick ONE favorite jam from the 90s?! So hard! But I think I’d have to choose “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston.

How did you get involved with opera Grand Rapids?
I first sang with Opera Grand Rapids in the chorus for their production of The Magic Flute in 2018. I’m very thankful for this wonderful company!

What is your full time profession?
I am not a person who likes too much of one thing, and my various jobs reflect that! The focus is always music, but as we all know, it can be tough to do that full time. I am a choral scholar at First Park Congregational Church in Grand Rapids, an associate voice teacher at the Grand Rapids Voice Collective, a professional opera singer, and also an Agent Assistant for State Farm.

How have you been spending your time during quarantine?
Quarantine for me is actually busier than “before,” and for that I am beyond grateful! I work remotely for State Farm and am teaching lessons virtually. Thank goodness for technology!

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a kid, I really wanted to be a writer. I loved Harry Potter and all things fiction (and still do). Thankfully, quarantine has allowed me lots of time to get back to that!

Where is your favorite place in Grand Rapids?
My favorite place in Grand Rapids is definitely the Amway Grand Plaza. That lobby is just so gorgeous, I have to stop myself from bursting out in song every time I’m in there!

We asked Avalon to share a little bit about herself.

Tell us about your family.
I am a single mother of an awesome 11yr old boy named Landon. He’s sarcastic and adventurous like me and I love it!

What’s your favorite ’90s jam?
This is a hard question. I can’t really narrow it down to one song, but it would definitely be something R&B.

How did you get involved with opera Grand Rapids?
In 2017 a professor from GRCC sent me an email telling me of a performance coming to Opera GR for the MLK Celebration called I Dream, which is the story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his role with the civil rights movement. The deadline to sign up for auditions had already passed, but he told me I should try anyway. They were looking for more African Americans to be involved and this would be a great introduction. So, I did. I’m glad I took his advice because not only is this how I first met Maestro James Meena and the Opera GR community, but from my work in the chorus for the GR show, Douglass Tappin, the composer, offered me a role in the full production with the Toledo Opera and Opera Carolina playing Rosa Parks.

What is your full-time profession?
I am a full-time student at GVSU in their music program. I have one year left for my BM in vocal performance. Outside of that, being a full-time single mother and performer keep me pretty busy, but it’ll all be worth it in the end.

How have you been spending your time during quarantine?
I think the last question answered this one, lol. Oh, and naps. I definitely take naps now which is new for me.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I either wanted to be a gospel singer, a hairdresser, or a lawyer. I loved to sing at church, loved doing hair, and loved getting my point across.

Where is your favorite place in Grand Rapids?
My favorite spot would have to be at a friend/family’s house playing games, listening to music, dancing, eating, and joking with each other.

We asked Keon to share a little bit about himself.

Tell us about your family.
I am the oldest of 3. I am very close with my brother and sister who both live in Grand Rapids. Us 3 along with my 10-year-old niece are inseparable!

What’s your favorite ’90s jam?
Gosh the 90’s was MY decade so it is so hard to choose. I loved groups like Boys II Men, Dru Hill, K-Ci & Jo Jo, and SWV to solo artist like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Brandy, Tevin Campbell, and Usher. So, I can’t pick a favorite…lol!  Let’s just say the 90’s was my JAM.

How did you get involved with opera Grand Rapids?
I was taking voice lessons with someone who was affiliated with OGR so they recommended I audition. Glad I did!

What is your full-time profession?
I am a statewide residential project supervisor.

How have you been spending your time during quarantine?
Eating…lol. While that is true, my job was identified as essential, so I am still working every day. Other than that, I’ve decluttered my entire place and reintroduced myself to home cooked meals. My mom would be proud…lol.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An Engineer

Where is your favorite place in Grand Rapids?
I am a foodie and I LOVE sushi. So, my favorite place in GR is Maru. In the very recent past a person could catch me there like twice a week. I know it’s bad….

We asked Kohl to share a little bit about himself.

Tell us about your family.
The Weisman clan is five-strong. My mom, Jenna, is a bridal designer and wonderful singer in musical theater. She also music directed the first show I ever sang in: Annie in 5th grade! I was Rooster. My dad, Joel, is also a musician–a rock and prog bassist who has been playing in bands around Michigan since the 80s. I try to take after both of them–I love prog, rock, theater, all of it. I have an older brother and older sister, Ky and Paris, and they’re both awesome visual artists, not to mention the best siblings ever. We also have two little chihuahuas, Daisy (dumb blonde) and Dexter (brooding brunette). The yin and yang of doggies. So were actually seven-strong.

What’s your favorite ’90s jam?
I love the ’90s for music, especially the alternative stuff like Pavement or Jellyfish, but my all-time jam of the ’90s has to be “Cherub Rock” by Smashing Pumpkins. Never gets old, ever. Or “So Fresh, So Clean” by OutKast.

How did you get involved with opera Grand Rapids?
I did some shows with Grand Rapids Civic Theatre in middle school and high school, but I didn’t get into opera until college. When I came back to GR after graduating from college last May, I asked my old voice teacher and GRCT music director Charles Hutchins how I could get involved with opera around here–I knew he had been involved with OGR before–and now I’m involved! I was amazed how approachable the organization is.

What is your full-time profession?

I’m still a student, but I hope to do music full-time. I just graduated from college (studying Chinese Literature) and now I’m looking at programs in music, jazz, and opera. In the meantime, I’ve been singing and playing pop, rock, jazz, samba, etc. at restaurants around town. I did a bit of that in college, too, playing guitar and keys for an Afro-Cuban band and a jazz group in New Haven.

How have you been spending your time during quarantine?
Thank goodness OGR is helping us keep busy! Live music is taking a serious hit. Luckily all these years of hardcore gaming with my dad and brother have prepared me for this moment. With all the free time, I’ve been playing the new Animal Crossing game with my family, watching comedy podcasts–and I got back into World of Warcraft (no better way to not go outside). Oh, and playing lots of music. Musicians have been quarantining ourselves in practice rooms all along, anyway.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be an author! I used to fold up paper into little makeshift books and write fantasy stories into them with illustrations and everything. All in crayon, of course. I would still love to be an author, honestly–I’m just not as good with crayons as I used to be.

Where is your favorite place in Grand Rapids?
Two Beards Deli. I love a mean sandwich, and they have mean sandwiches.

We asked Madelaine to share a little bit about herself.

Tell us about your family.
I’m one of four children, and I’m single but I claim my sister’s rescue dog as my four-legged “niece.”

What’s your favorite ‘90s jam?
I Saw the Sign—Ace of Base

How did you get involved with opera Grand Rapids?
I joined the chorus in 2012. Since then, I’ve sung a comprimario role, was a soloist in the Rossini Stabat Mater, and have sung as a soloist in a variety of community outreach performances. For the last three years, I have been a member of the Board of Trustees.

What is your full-time profession?
Attorney—Partner specializing in White Collar Criminal Defense at Warner Norcross + Judd.

How have you been spending your time during quarantine?
Working from home and continuing to prepare the role of Cio-Cio San (Madama Butterfly) in online lessons with my teacher Nicholas Loren. I will make my role debut in November in a production with the Kalamazoo Philharmonic Orchestra and West Michigan Opera Project.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A trial lawyer or a singer (I’m consistent at least).

Where is your favorite place in Grand Rapids?
Blandford Nature Center. I attended a sixth grade at a GRPS program at Blandford and I still love to run thru the trails and feel like I can escape to nature while still in the city limits.