My First Week in NYC

Life and Living
It has been busy...busy...busy. Everything in New York moves much faster and goes much further. I am staying with filmmaker/playwright Rod Gailes....who happens to also be my friend...fraternity brother...and primary artistic collaborator. He lives "on the A- Train"...at 147 and St. Nicholas....up in Harlem...(the Upper Westside)....in a subsection called "Sugar Hill". It is a great location....a 7th floor apartment with a view....(very uncommon in NYC)...and there are a number of nice restaurants in the area. There really hasn't been any time or opportunity for actually buying groceries and cooking meals regularly. And so I vacillate between Chinese (shrimp with broccoli), Jamaican (jerk chicken and plantain), Italian (a slice of pizza), or Soul Food (fried whiting). The cost is anywhere from $3-9....the portions are substantial....and I can sometimes get..."tomorrows lunch from today's dinner".

The Opera Experience
Prelude to Performance is the opera training program of the Martina Arroyo Foundation. It is truly a blessing and an honor to be here. There are nearly 40 singers in the program....and it is truly a reflection of the internationalism....multiculturalism....and diversity found in the world of opera. We are Korean, Cuban, Canadian, Chinese, African American, Japanese, Euro-American, and so much more.....we are grad students, undergraduates, working professionals, emerging professionals and again....so much more. There is a wealth of talent.....great voices.....and nice people....the environment is very collegial. The instruction here is passionate, careful, exacting....and at the highest level I've experienced hitherto in my career. The schedule is 10-6 Mon-Fri. The week has been filled with a steady rotation of 1.5 -3 hour sessions in Libretto Study, Roll Preparation, Italian Language, Musical Review, and Individual Coaching. On Monday we will add 2-4 hours of Staging to that rotation. Summer performances of Prelude to Performance begin this weekend. Click here for the entire schedule.

The Leporello
My Leporello is "a work in progress". Over the years, I have worked hard to be known as a singer/artist/musician who shows up fully prepared for rehearsals.....whether it is for opera, oratorio, or my own church choir. Due to some unavoidable circumstances and challenges, I cannot boast in my 'advance preparation and readiness' for this program. But it is coming together....bit by bit. And I should add....the Leporello is a HUGE role...perhaps even having more material than the title character Don Giovanni!!

Walking the Walk
I have been told that 20 city blocks is equivalent of a mile. One can easily walk a mile a day living in NYC. During my first week it was typical for me to walk from 145 down to 82nd street...and then back up to the famed 125th Street in Harlem.....there is always sooooo very much to see....sooooo many new sights and sounds....soooo much so that true distance can be deceptive while walking. Walking is one of the most effective ways for me to learn my music. I get my headphones and my index cards containing my handwritten transcription of the libretti in IPA ....and I review the music in sections repeatedly while walking. And I continue to walk until I have accurately learned a particular musical section. For memorization.....I take only my piano accompaniments....no index cards....and I challenge my ability to correctly recall the given material. Several days ago after finishing a long day of rehearsal at the historic Leiderkranz Hall located at 86th between Madison and 5th Avenue.... I walked up 5th Avenue...past Marcus Garvey Park.....up along the Peter Jay Sharp Boathouse on the Harlem River all the way to Dyckman Subway Station in the Bronx. As a result my feet became severally blistered...walking was difficult and painful for about 2-3 days...and I ended up needing to buy a real walking shoe....and now life is so much better. :-)

On my Way to Broadway.
First of all.....Phantom of the Opera is NOT an opera....it is a Broadway Musical....I am not here to 'do Broadway'....I am here to opera.....(a completely different aesthetic.....like apples and oranges).....however......I am quite sure that the time will come when I will on day be here to 'do Broadway'. This week I was treated to 2 Broadway shows....The Color Purple and Sweeny Todd. Both were outstanding. But....let me just say that....I am now more than ever.....I am convinced and determined that.....COLORS: Brothers Beneath the Skin has something very unique to offer and needs to be mounted on a world-class stage. "You shall see it."....mark my words.

The Puerto Rican Day Parade
Last week Sunday was the Puerto Rican Day Parade.....and boy....what sights and sounds. I have no intention of going to the event.....as I had a 3pm orientation meeting at the Liederkranz...but I ended up going my defacto because there were so many thousands of people there on 5th Avenue for attending the parade....it was nearly impossible to cross the street to get to my destination. Consequently, I arrive 40 minutes late because

Central Park
Central Park may be 'dangerous' at night....but during the day it is virtual panoply of recreational delights.....I have to cross through the park each day to and from rehearsal. It is truly an oasis....and escape from the miles of city concrete...the throngs of meandering tourist... and the blaring horns of passing cars....and it’s a good place to sit on a park bench and study my music!

Well that is about all for now......there is much to do today.....hope you enjoy the photos. Click here to see more.

Please feel free to send mail to:
Darnell Ishmel
C/O Rod Gailes
746 St. Nicholas #72
New York, NY 10031
My email is: darnell.ishmel@gmail.com

Be well,

Darnell