{"id":97583,"date":"2018-11-30T14:50:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T19:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=97583"},"modified":"2023-02-01T09:59:00","modified_gmt":"2023-02-01T14:59:00","slug":"rock-n-roll-baritone","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2018\/rock-n-roll-baritone\/","title":{"rendered":"Rock &#8216;n&#8217; Roll Baritone"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin magazine-block-editorial-leadin is-style-text-over-image has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-middle has-text-position-x-left\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"2560\" height=\"2048\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-scaled.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-636x509.jpg 636w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-1024x819.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-768x614.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-1536x1229.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-2048x1638.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-1250x1000.jpg 1250w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\">Photo by Oshin Gregorian<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Music<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tRock &#8216;n&#8217; Roll Baritone\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Everything you never needed to know about this opera singer who dreams of truffle farming<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar magazine-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">November 30, 2018<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/authors\/andrew-thurston\/\">Andrew Thurston<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph magazine-block-editorial-introparagraph is-style-dropcap-outlined has-dropcap\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph-content\"><p>Opera singer<strong>&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.benjaminctaylor.com\/\">Benjamin Taylor<\/a>&nbsp;(\u201914,\u201916)<\/strong>&nbsp;is a resident artist at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pittsburghopera.org\/\">Pittsburgh Opera<\/a>, where he most recently played Prince Yamadori in&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pittsburghopera.org\/show\/madama-butterfly\">Madama Butterfly<\/a><\/em>; in 2019, he\u2019ll be onstage as Schaunard in&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pittsburghopera.org\/show\/la-boheme\">La boh\u00e8me<\/a><\/em>.&nbsp;<em>New York Classical Review<\/em>&nbsp;has called him \u201can immensely powerful baritone.\u201d<br><br>Here\u2019s how he answered&nbsp;<em>CFA<\/em>\u2019s quick-fire questions:<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>First moment you realized you could really sing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elementary school. PE and chorus were the same period, but you had to take a test to get into choir. I got a perfect score on it; I saw that I could match pitch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Last song you sang in the car<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lcWVL4B-4pI\">Blinded by the Light<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;by Manfred Mann\u2019s Earth Band. Right now, I\u2019ve been listening to a lot of classic rock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Mozart or Led Zep?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It has to be&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Wolfgang-Amadeus-Mozart\">Mozart<\/a>. He\u2019s the original rock star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>First time you sang solo for an audience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=CD-E-LDc384\">Enter Sandman<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;by Metallica. I played in a rock and metal band in high school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Strangest warm-up\/cool-down routine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a coconut ginger candy before I sing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Greatest strength as a performer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My flexibility with other castmates; I want to make everyone look as great as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Greatest flaw as a performer<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m a nervous wreck 98 percent of the time. I just embrace it; I use that energy to make something out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Greatest career achievement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In February, I won the&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.georgelondon.org\/store\/c1\/Featured_Products.html\">George London Award<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Most embarrassing bum note<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I did this audition and it still haunts me. I was starting with a Russian piece and I didn\u2019t remember any of the words, so I just did lip trills for 30 seconds. I stopped and I restarted\u2014and I did the same thing. I said, \u201cThank you,\u201d and walked off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Aria you love singing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSilvio\u2019s Aria\u201d from&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pagliacci\">Pagliacci<\/a><\/em>; it\u2019s a very romantic and dramatic piece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Aria you dread singing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cLargo\u201d from&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/The_Barber_of_Seville\">Barber of Seville<\/a><\/em>. That piece is so tough, but so rewarding when you do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Role you\u2019d love to do<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Figaro in&nbsp;<em>Barber of Seville<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>If you hadn\u2019t been a singer, you would have. . .<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Had a little skateboard shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Your retirement plan<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Owning a truffle farm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size\"><strong>Usual reaction when you tell people your job<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOh, I love&nbsp;<em><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thephantomoftheopera.com\/\">Phantom of the Opera<\/a><\/em>.\u201d I have to tell them it\u2019s a musical. Or, \u201cThat\u2019s awesome; sing something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size is-style-default\"><strong>Advice for wannabe opera singers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-default\">Learn a language: Italian, French, or German. Languages are the most important thing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"responsive-video responsive-youtube\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Silvio&#039;s Aria\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pOf_OgVP44w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Listen to Benjamin Taylor sing \u201cSilvio\u2019s Aria\u201d from the opera&nbsp;<em>Pagliacci<\/em>. <em>Benjamin Taylor<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\t<section class=\"wp-block-editorial-collection-billboard magazine-block-editorial-collection-billboard\">\n\n\t\t<h3 class=\"collection-billboard-intro-title\">This Series<\/h3>\n\t\t<article class=\"collection-billboard-article\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"collection-billboard-media\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"collection-navigation-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-baritone.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-baritone.jpg 600w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/02\/Benjamin-Taylor-baritone-450x300.jpg 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"collection-billboard-media-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2018\/rock-n-roll-baritone\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-billboard-media-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t>Rock &#8216;n&#8217; Roll Baritone<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<div class=\"collection-billboard-content\">\n\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"collection-billboard-small-title\">Also in<\/h4>\n\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"collection-billboard-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/collections\/rising-star-2\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-billboard-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>Rising Star<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h3>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"collection-billboard-list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"collection-billboard-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-date\">August 10, 2023<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2023\/bold-music\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-card-article-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Bold Music<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"collection-billboard-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-date\">May 31, 2023<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2023\/niko-cohen-designing-figure-skating-costumes\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-card-article-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Designing for the Ice<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"collection-billboard-list-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<article class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-date\">October 11, 2022<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"collection-billboard-list-item-article-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2022\/anais-azul-personal-music\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-card-article-title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Personal Music<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/collections\/rising-star-2\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"collection-billboard-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>Series home<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/article>\n\n\t<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>First moment you realized you could really sing Elementary school. PE and chorus were the same period, but you had to take a test to get into choir. I got a perfect score on it; I saw that I could match pitch. Last song you sang in the car Blinded by the Light&nbsp;by Manfred Mann\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6310,"featured_media":97586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[],"bu-publication":[191],"magazine-article-category":[372,377,371],"magazine-topic":[392],"news-article-category":[],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[388],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/97583"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6310"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97583"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/97583\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":97589,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/97583\/revisions\/97589"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97583"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97583"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=97583"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=97583"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=97583"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=97583"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=97583"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=97583"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=97583"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}