Latest news with #singing
CBS News
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Chicago tenor Rodell Rosel says opera connects people through music, emotion
Rodell Rosel is an accomplished tenor who has been singing opera in Chicago and around the country for more than two decades. He sat down with CBS News Chicago to talk about his life and work. "We always say opera is the Olympics of singing," he said. "Our instruments are inside our bodies." Rosel has been in love with opera for most of his life. "I've been singing professionally for 20 years. I'm 21," he joked. His talent has taken Rosel across the U.S. and beyond, and he says opera is for everyone even if the language being sung is unfamiliar. "Even though you don't understand the words, the music envelops it. It's up to the artist to interpret," Rosel explained. "When someone is saying 'My heart is broken,' it will sound like this, it's my heart is broken, it stretches it so it doesn't leave you quickly. It stays with you enough to feel the drama." Rosel said success in opera and in life is all about being comfortable with who you are. He comfortably identifies as a gay man, but said there's more to it. "I want to be a full, rounded person. To be able to full, rounded, you have to be able to embrace everything about you, both masculine and feminine," he said. Rosel has been married to Steven Hunter for 11 years, and when talking about their marriage he keeps it simple. "I will talk about it as normal and as regular as everyone else," he said. "If I'm talking to someone, 'Oh great, my husband and I are talking about going on that trip,' instead of saying, 'oh just want to let you know, I have a husband.'" He also has many friends, some of whom he met through a group called "Asians and Friends." "It started in 1984 as an organization to give a safe space to LGBTQ+ Asians and their allies," said president John McInteer. "In recent years we're trying to get more active in the community as well." McINeer is Irish and one of the friends. He was introduced to the group through his partner at the time. AFC activities include fundraisers, pride parade floats and regular dim sum brunches. "It's about our common interest and being able to open up and compare how we experience our lives in Chicago," said Rosel. And for Rosel, life is good and opera is a never-ending education. "I would consider it continuous learning. Just like law or medicine, we have to keep working on our voice," he said. "We have to keep working on our artistry." Do you know someone a person or place that brings you joy? We want to share your story. Send us your "Eye on Chicago" ideas using the form below (or clicking here):
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
The New Zealand born singing teacher on America's Got Talent.
You know the expression sing like no one is listening, well we've got the 2025 edit, sing like you're in a choir of thousands. Astrid Jorgensen is the creator and director behind Pub Choir; a performance where the audience becomes a choir. Regular listeners may remember we spoke to Astrid in October about her ability to sell out venues all over the world and the joy of uniting strangers through song. Fast forward nine months and the New Zealand born choir director has taken her performance to one of the biggest stages there is- TV show America's Got Talent. Astrid shares her experience with Jesse. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
WebMD
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- WebMD
Sing the Damn Song: Pride, Power, and the Joy of Sounding Like You
I've been thinking about my first love lately. No, not my first serious boyfriend, Paul, nor my first hardcore crush in high school, Rick (oh, how cute he was in his corduroy OP shorts!), nor Patrick Duffy in the too-short-lived '70s TV show, The Man from Atlantis. My very first love, the first thing that gave me an identity, that made me feel like my authentic self, was singing. Singing was the first thing that surpassed all my weaknesses, that was a quality in myself that I knew was special. As a kid, I was super self-conscious. I was short, chubby, and allergic to everything green that grows. My brothers and sister were all super smart and on teams where they ran outside in the Arizona heat, throwing balls, hitting balls, and kicking balls. I've never understood that. Why would you want to be outside running around, sweaty and gross, when you could be inside in the air conditioning, in closer proximity to where snack cakes are kept? When I was in about third grade, my music teacher, Miss Balkenbush, took me aside after class. She told me about the Phoenix Boys Choir, an all-boys group that is internationally recognized for excellence and performs around the country and the world. They were holding auditions, and she thought that I should try out. I remember running home after school to tell my folks and hope they'd let me audition. Well, they did, and I was lucky enough to spend five years in the choir, touring Europe, Canada, and the country, even singing at the National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and meeting President Carter. The kids at school took my membership in the choir as another opportunity to bully me, but I knew that singing for the president was way cooler than being on any soccer team. I sang all through high school, fell in love with musicals in high school, and moved to New York. I pursued a career in theater, and although I had a high caliber of rejection (there were several Broadway shows that didn't want me in them), mostly I waited tables. One thing about my singing: No one ever accused me of having a beautiful voice. Or even a pretty one. Usually, if my singing was described at all, it was called 'good' or 'strong.' When I moved away from pursuing singing, no one was disappointed. Fast-forward to five years ago. My life has moved away from pursuing a professional performance career (although I dip my toe in from time to time). But a few years ago, I realized I was neglecting my first love. I missed singing, so I found a new voice teacher. In our first lesson, my teacher stopped me after singing only one phrase. 'Too much,' he said. 'Too much what?' I asked. 'Too much air, too much tongue, too much pushing, too much, too much!' He also informed me that I was a tenor, a notion to which I scoffed. Never in my whole life have I been able to sing any kind of high note without blood spurting from my vocal chords, let alone a tenor-type range. Alas, the teacher was right. Neal Harrelson (that's his real name, in case you're in need of a voice teacher) has taught me, in the past few years, that I am indeed a tenor, with a high B-flat, no less! I've also realized how difficult it is to sing, and sing healthfully. Neal has given me a technique that gives me more confidence in my sound than I've ever had. Still not a beautiful sound, but free and without tension or anything unhealthy. I started working on a song about six months back that I feel I have no business singing, it's so beautiful and outside of my skill set. ('Answer Me' from the musical The Band's Visit.) But I wanted a challenge, and I figured that whatever I learn in this hard song, I can transfer over to easier material. Skip ahead to a few weeks ago. We're working through the song with Neal plunking a rudimentary accompaniment (he plays piano like a precocious second grader). I started from the beginning of the song, really concentrating, focusing on how I'm making the sound more than what my voice sounds like. I was feeling like the song was going well, and made it to the end. After the last note, both Neal and I were silent. Then he said, 'Oh, my God, that was beautiful! That was beautiful!' We were both in tears as he continued, 'That's bel canto, honey. That's bel canto. That's beautiful singing! I left that lesson on a cloud. Realizing how I've not only made progress in my vocal technique, but my first love rewarded me with dulcet tones. During this Pride, among your passionate protests, sparkly dances, and wonton pleasures, I invite you to honor your first love. Write that book. Sing that song. Crochet that afghan, whatever! Do it. At this time when so much is threatening, when the government seems to want all LGBTQ folks and people living with HIV dead, being your authentic self is an act of rebellion.
National Post
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- National Post
Senior Living: Summer tunes
Article content Summertime and the living is easy … especially if you're grooving to seasonal music. Article content It's light. Article content It's fun. Article content It's warm and fuzzy. Article content Summer music hopefully has you singing and dancing in the sunshine … even if you were a dorky teenager like me who sang badly and danced worse. Article content It was different times. There wasn't a pocket-sized telephone for every teen everywhere. Article content But no problem way back when. The sun was shining. And the songs on Top 40 radio were warm and happy. Article content Article content It was — and still is — the summer musical mood. Article content I'll dial back to some personal history: My single mother worked as a bookkeeper in what was then a thriving Montreal clothing industry. And since school was out for July and August, I got sent to summer camp. Article content Camp was, however, more musical than athletic. It's not like we learned to play instruments. But we did a lot of singing. Article content Beaver Camp had a way leftward leaning. One of my early camp songs was Solidarity Forever. We actually heard it performed live at camp by the great Pete Seeger: Article content 'When the union's inspiration through the workers' blood shall run Article content 'There can be no power greater anywhere beneath the sun Article content 'Yet what force on Earth is weaker than the feeble strength of one Article content 'But the union makes us strong.' Article content I doubt this is U.S. President Donald Trump's favourite Article content song. And it's not a summer hit these days. But Seeger was popular at the summer camp I attended. We didn't have any fancy facilities; the counsellors played guitars, the campers sang along. Article content Article content And we learned union songs. I loved them … even if those lyrics were a mystery to a little kid like me and my fellow campers. Article content Fast-forward to high school. And new tunes. Article content Although a hopeless dancer, I loved popular music, from Pat Boone (no relation) to Elvis. And my absolute favourites were the soul hits from Detroit and the southern Stax studio. Great harmonies. Super voices. Dancing tunes. Article content I played the hits on my transistor radio — a gorgeous Sony I acquired on a trip to New York City and stored carefully in its original box. My favourites: Smokey Robinson, the Supremes, Otis Redding. Article content I still love that music.
Irish Times
14-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
‘When I'm singing, I don't think about my grief': Choir of patients enriching their lives through music
'We can be heroes just for one day.' The David Bowie song, Heroes, rings out in Mercer's Medical Centre GP practice on the site of the old Mercer's Hospital in Dublin city centre. A group of about 12 men and women, members of the Mercer's Melodies patient choir, meet here to sing every Tuesday morning, led by music therapist Jessica Harris. John Breen (49) has chronic asthma and finds that singing helps his breathing. 'I was in bands years ago and took music very seriously,' he says. 'It was all about performing perfectly, but here it's about social interaction.' READ MORE Eddie Finlan (71) says the choir has lifted his spirits. 'I was very ill last year and have lost a lot of weight. I was never in a choir before and it has done me the world of good,' says Finlan, who, after years of homelessness, now lives in Beggars Bush in Dublin. The initiative began when GP Dr Una O'Neill discovered an opportunity to help patients with their physical, mental and social wellbeing. 'We had a room in the centre of the building which wasn't being used,' she recalls. 'I came across the SingStrong singing and breathing retraining programme , set up by University of Limerick physiotherapist lecturer, Professor Róisín Cahalan, to help people with respiratory problems. We ran it for 10 weeks last year.' The SingStrong programme of breathing and vocal exercises was first delivered in 2019 to community groups of people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary. The programmes continue, both online and in person. SingStrong teachers help participants manage feelings of breathlessness by teaching them to breathe more slowly and deeply. Together with work on posture, this improves their sense of control over their breathing. Trish Goulding rehearsing at Mercer's Medical Centre, Stephen Street Lower, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Maureen Madigan (77) lost the last of her siblings in 2024, and the choir has helped her deal with the grief. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill The Mercer's Melodies choir decided to broaden out their criteria for entry and now have people with respiratory conditions such as asthma and emphysema as well as some with obesity or chronic neurological conditions. O'Neill began to notice the benefits to patients soon after the programme began. 'For some, there has been a massive improvement in mental health. For others, it's given them an informal way to feel more comfortable about coming to see the doctor,' she says. Some patients pop into the GP, or have their bloods done, before or after their singing session. Coming to the group gives me a bit of peace and an hour to myself — Deirdre Gannon Following tests which showed improved lung capacity and enhanced mental health (using the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale ), O'Neill ran another programme earlier this year, with Harris at the helm. The criteria was further widened to include patients with dementia, cancer and heart problems. Many enjoyed it so much that a third 10-week programme is under way, with the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RCSI) community outreach programme funding Harris's fees. It's heartwarming to observe the eye contact, laughter and banter between participants. They met as strangers but have become friends through their weekly gatherings. They have even created a WhatsApp group to organise meetups for coffee between sessions. O'Neill, a former member of a choir herself, is keenly aware of the physical health benefits of singing. 'Holding the note of a song or singing a phrase helps control your breathing and improves lung capacity,' she says. Harris, who plays the keyboard and leads the choir with her mellifluous voice, adds that we also engage so much of our brain when we sing. Music therapist Jessica Harris at a Mercer's Melodies choir practice. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Mercer's Melodies choir members Bernie Norman and Irene Kennedy. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill From left, singers Trish Goulding, Paul O'Flaherty and John McGauley. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Mercer's Melodies choir members Jimmy Smallhorne and Deirdre Gannon. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill She says: 'Singing is like setting off fireworks in our brains. Playing music and singing link the right and left frontal lobes through the corpus callosum which engages the emotions, language, auditory processes of rhythm and pitch. It's a lovely workout for the brain.' Jimmy Smallhorne, who grew up in Ballyfermot in Dublin, lived in Stoneybatter for a time and now lives in Carlow. He joined the choir because O'Neill is his GP. He says he enjoys the craic and the company. 'I drive up from Carlow. I'm an actor and I enjoy doing the breathing exercises. I quit smoking when I joined and I also walk and do meditation to look after my health.' Tom Singleton is also an actor and has directed musicals throughout Ireland. 'I have asthma and sarcoidosis (a condition in which lumps form in the lungs and other parts of the body),' he says. 'The more you use your breath, the better it becomes. And when you learn a song in a group, you are more likely to sing it at home.' O'Neill adds that, according to research, group singing improves concentration and memory as well as helping to reduce stress. Maureen Madigan (77) says that when the last of her siblings died in 2024, her life was turned upside down. 'My sister and I were so close, I needed something to fill the void. When I'm singing, I don't think about my grief and loss,' she explains. Deirdre Gannon (57) says there is a lot going on in her life and coming to sing every Tuesday gives her a break. 'My partner is sick and I have emphysema. Coming to the group gives me a bit of peace and an hour to myself.' [ Fake fitness influencers: They tell us about their morning ice baths and deep breathing, but not injections Opens in new window ] [ Prostate cancer: 'When you hear 'inoperable', your world falls apart. But soon I realised that didn't mean terminal' Opens in new window ] Elizabeth Kavanagh, receptionist at Mercer's Medical Centre, phones all the participants in advance to check that they are coming and co-ordinates the group each week. She says: 'It's very loosey-goosey and free-flowing. This choir brings music into a [medical] space which is often about bad news. The social health benefits are as important as the physical ones.' And it's not just the singers who benefit. O'Neill adds: 'I can hear the music through the vents in my clinic and there is a buzz in the waiting room every Tuesday morning. It's very satisfying.'
