Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Winter 2023 11 SAI Philanries, Inc. to the house is a performing space on a river, much like a lawn concert or small amphitheater. While we had a sizable audience congregating before the first concert began, it was wonderful to see town passersbys stopping on the bridge partway through, listening to a few songs, and going on their way. is audience was younger, mostly families and siblings, and it allowed us to contribute to the necessary goal of making our art accessible and creative in its presentation. e second and final concert, held outside at the Kolping, had much the same audience as the first. Many of the attendees have been supporting Roberta's singers in this setting for over 20 years, and I loved getting to introduce some contemporary American art song to an audience that was slightly unfamiliar with it. I would like to finish my story by telling a bit about the lovely singers I was able to get to know over the course of the week. While several participants were opera performers and have been for many years, the range of backgrounds present was much more diverse than that. Several speech therapists were in attendance, as well as a professional waiter, a soware engineer, an acting coach, and a local politician. Roberta's roommate, Andrew, attended for vocal rehabilitation purposes. roughout the week, two of the singers (Karen and Susanne) gave lectures and masterclasses in their own fields (semi-occluded vocal phonation and acting respectively). is milieu of attendees hailing from Canada to Norway was united in their having worked with Roberta for fieen-plus years, reconvening annually throughout many stages of their lives. I, however, found the workshop on the popular-to-singers website YAPTracker, aer it was publicized online for the first time by another participant, Amy. Witnessing the group's trust in each other, despite faltering moments and particularly in moments of success, helped motivate my bravery in trusting new techniques and respecting myself as a new professional with meaningful things to give. I have already expressed my interest to Roberta in attending her workshop once more next July. Waking up to sit in my window preparing for the day, attending outside breakfast with the teachers, pianists, and participants sharing collegial and personal experiences, absorbing expertise with as much sponge-like tenacity as I could, performing with other singers for audiences who projected onto us so much love and engagement, and ending the day once again sitting in my window aer long discussions about the contemporary industry and how to thrive in it in the garden below was an experience that, prior to beginning it, I didn't believe existed or that I could deserve. During it, following it, and because of it, though, I feel frequent artistic fulfilment not only through performing but also through teaching. Without the generous funding from SAI Philanthropies, Inc., I may not have been able to make my journey to a place of such healing, growth, and friendship, and it is a privilege to share even a snippet of this time with you all, my sisters. Catherine Lupien recently graduated with her M.M. in Voice Performance from UNC Greensboro, and prior to that graduated magna cum laude from Shenandoah Conservatory with a B.M. in Voice Performance. She was affiliated with UNCG›s Kappa Gamma chapter and Shenandoah›s Gamma Gamma chapter, and currently works as a church singer, accompanist, and Associate Voice Teacher for the remote company Voice by Chelsea. After the final concert at the Kolping-Bildungstatte. After the final concert at the Kolping-Bildungstatte. From left, top row: Andrew Young, Karen Ingrid, Sky Ingram, Jan Vorrath, From left, top row: Andrew Young, Karen Ingrid, Sky Ingram, Jan Vorrath, Andrej Hovrin, Catherine Lupien, Roberta Cunningham, Rayanne Dupuis, Andrej Hovrin, Catherine Lupien, Roberta Cunningham, Rayanne Dupuis, Alexandra Schoo, David Hardt, Sascha Tombult. From left, front row: Antje Alexandra Schoo, David Hardt, Sascha Tombult. From left, front row: Antje Voss, Donna Lee, Bonnie Wagner, Susanne Pollmeier, Amy Steggles. Voss, Donna Lee, Bonnie Wagner, Susanne Pollmeier, Amy Steggles.

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