I shared a teary moment earlier this week with one of my dearest voice students, Andrew Johnson – whose time at Carthage is finally drawing to a close after almost a decade. (He started out as an instrumental major but at some point decided / discovered that he would be happier as a singer… and lo and behold, he IS!) By no means are we across the finish line quite yet, but this past Wednesday it occurred to me in the midst of studio class that this was Andrew’s very last time in studio. And at that moment I decided that I would watch the time very carefully to insure that there would be time to every student to sing something – and I also quietly decided that Andrew would go last. And that’s indeed what happened; it meant cutting short some of the spoken critique- and I even had to shorten up Jack Lambert’s performance of “where e’er you walk” … but by jove, we got everyone in so Andrew could be our finale with “Che Gelida Manina” from Puccini’s La Boheme, complete with a high C. And as I sat at that piano, accompanying him, I marveled at how far Andrew had come. First of all, he used to be a baritone…. and now he’s a tenor singing high C’s. And he’s happier and healthier than he’s ever been. I don’t begin to claim credit for all that; it’s really much more about Singing Itself and what a glorious journey it is when we commit to becoming the best singer we can possibly be. Andrew’s done that, and the progress he’s made with me – and with Klaus George, who has also taught Andrew over the last several years – has been so gratifying.
Andrew will be singing a final Carthage recital in a few weeks, and I know that one of the most beautiful and meaningful moments will happen when Andrew is joined on the recital hall stage by his father to sing Cesar Franck’s “Panis Angelicus.” It was actually Andrew’s idea to ask his dad to join him in a song- but I get the credit for thinking of this moving song, which was meant to be sung as a duet- and which I somehow knew would work splendidly for both father and son. And the other day was when I got to hear them for the first time, I felt tears prickling my eyes from the first measure they began to sing. It was partly because it sounded so lovely- but beyond that was just the sight of father and son singing together, especially knowing how close they are – and how deeply Andrew appreciates the support and encouragement he has received from both his mom and dad every step of the way. This has not been an easy journey for Andrew, who has had so many demons (especially regarding his health) with which to wrestle over the years, and I know – and he knows – that he would not have made it this far without a mom and dad who love him lavishly. So it will feel SO right when Andrew’s father joins him on that stage in what I’m pretty sure is a Carthage first – or at least a first since I began teaching here twenty years ago. I can hardly wait for what I know will be a beautiful performance and for the warm ovation that I know will follow from the family, friends, and school mates there to cheer Andrew on. That will be an incredibly sweet moment, and one which Andrew will have fully earned . . . the hard way.
pictured above: Andrew and his father rehearsing “Panis Angelicus.”