Mixed Tape: A Running Playlist for Opera Singers
Greatest Hits with Commentary
What I had originally intended with these Mixed Tape posts was to curate playlists of popular music, whose lyrics could be interpreted through the lens of opera singers living in the world. Bits of phrases that speak to universal experiences, narratives, norms, etc.. More specifically a running playlist, with the idea that we are either chasing these abstractions or escaping from them. The objective of this creative exercise was to take a song and then include commentary to apply to whatever question or complexity the music had brought forward at the time I was listening. But when the playlist grew larger than expected, it became a chore, so I quickly gave up on the idea. However, in this case, in the form of a Greatest Hits playlist, I am taking my favorite songs from the previous five playlists and sharing my thoughts below.
**Afterthought: Looking back on the general tone of this post, I see that the commentary has more of a bite than my other, more “cheerfully optimistic” and “thoughtfully diplomatic” writings on Substack. This is not surprising to me, as I do not actually care much for running1, despite the fact that this is my sixth running playlist. However, I am going to keep it as snarky as it is, in a public display of “vulnerability”, to show a darker side of myself that I usually reserve only for my closest Scorpio friends. Hence the bonus track at the end :)
Links to the other five playlists for reference: Side A, Side B, Side C, Side D, Side E
Track 01. Opera Singer, by Cake.
"My talent feeds my darker side, yet no one will complain."
Let’s start with the obvious. Though Cake seemingly gives the title of “op(e)ra singer” an impressive and exotic job description, I think the song is meant to satirize occupational prestige. Opera singers were the celebrities of previous generations, and regardless of their decline in popularity, are still associated with luxury, social status and virtuosity. I think to a certain degree, we are all attracted to certain professional fields in part by their symbolism, or in how one’s participation would be perceived by the outside. But when I think of other 4-syllabled high-status professions— pol-i-ti-cian, in-flu-en-cer, the-o-lo-gian, orth-o-don-tist —it just doesn’t have the same intrigue, does it?!
Track 02. Such Great Heights, by The Postal Service.
"They will see us waving from such great heights, come down now, they’ll say, But everything looks perfect from far away, come down now, but we’ll stay."
Often in curating these playlists to apply to industry narratives, I will change the object of desire within the song to apply to music instead of a person of interest— contrary to how many figures analogize music to “mistress”. This song reminded me of the idealization and romanticisation of being in a creative flow state while performing. Meaningful, transcendent, and also highly addictive. But beware, there is a very fine line between whether one’s artistic zeal is an act of devotion or escapism. If you are an artist who can tell the difference, I congratulate you.
Track 03. Copy of A, by Nine Inch Nails.
"I am just a copy of a copy of a copy, Everything I say has come before, assembled into something, I don’t know for certain anymore."
Growing up, I had a very Pollyanna perception of what an artistic life entailed, in that I understood that one of the rewards of being in a creative field was that uniqueness was celebrated and reinforced. It was disappointing to experience later how very often artists are actually expected to conform to an entirely different set of norms and behaviors. To be clear, I am not talking about the foundational standardization of performance practice that is necessary as a starting point to operate within the professional world. I included this song because it communicates my frustration with popular narratives, metrics, oversimplifications, and pigeon-holing of the whats and hows of being an opera singer.
Track 04. Substitution, by Silversun Pickups.
"You're a marionette in the center of the twisting of strings coming from above, It may seem too deep to recover from.”
Collaboration is complex, in that interpretation and execution are informed largely by the creative vision(s) of composer, director, conductor, financier, etc.. I acknowledge that singers have limited creative control, and respect that there needs to be a certain degree of expendability of musicians in order for these beloved works to be presented. However, I would like to communicate that many of us are capable and deserving of higher context feedback than “Well if you do not agree, it is easy for us to find another who will see it our way.” We are people, not puppets.
Track 05. Small Stakes, by Spoon
“Small stakes tell you that there's nothing can do, Can't think big, can't think past one or two and alright!”
In a highly standardized art form such as classical music, which necessitates the cooperation and coordination of several dozen musicians publicly and in real time, what does it mean to “take risks”? Are soloists limited only to the tiny nuances of interpretation? I share similar feelings about the “small stakes” of performance as in Britt Daniel’s lyrics. I confess…there are times…when I will occasionally take interpretive liberties with a vocal line. This is for the sake of authenticity and not to impose myself, and I hold myself very accountable, so I believe I know the difference. It is always circumstantial and (usually) conscious, with an agreement to “meet at the downbeat” or other notational landmark…depending on how forgiving the conductor is.
Track 06. Casual Party, by Band of Horses.
“It's coming around as it did before, It's gettin' your attention but where's the door?”
I know we live in a time where direct human to human interaction in any form should be reinforced, but I am glad I am not the only one who feels like social gatherings are to some extent, an excuse for people to benchmark and feather fluff. This is what came through to me in the song Casual Party. To be honest, there are sometimes when exposed to the predictable social behaviors of name dropping, knowing better, and pretending to be very very busy, where it is difficult for me to determine which context is more of a performance: life or the stage?
Track 07. Tightrope, by Janelle Monáe
“See I’m not walkin’ on it, Or tryin’ to run around it, This ain’t no acrobatics, You either follow or you lead.”
An artistic path is not linear, it has peaks and valleys, regardless of what it looks like from the outside. What I appreciate about this song, is that Janelle Monáe likens an artistic professional life to walking a tightrope, and the necessity for self-assurance, because “whether you’re high or low”, you are just as likely to fall.
Track 08. Bullet With Butterfly Wings, by The Smashing Pumpkins
“Even though I know, I suppose I’ll show, All my cool and cold, like ‘Ol Job.”
This is a song I will listen to on the way home from a rehearsal that has gone very very badly. Highly recommended.
Track 09. Applause, by Lady Gaga.
I am not so much a fan of this song, but it is clear this playlist needed something a little more uplifting after the Smashing Pumpkins. I think it should be discussed when analyzing music and lyrics, where the line is between celebrating self-empowerment and reinforcing narcissistic behavior…though perhaps this is not the place. That being said, those who are hungry for applause should consider whether your addiction to positive social reinforcement is creating an unhealthy co-dependency with your audience. I am judging you. Have a nice day!
Track 10. Bad Dreams, by Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson
“Pessimistic as it seems, sleep will never come that easy, We will always have bad dreams.”
I think many times the assumption about the status of one’s professional life, is that it mirrors the personal as well. That once we arrive at an ideal, at the highest position within our field, there is an expectation that life is easy, and that all of the other aspects of our lives will also magically come into alignment. James Hollis explains this so much more eloquently than I, so I might as well finish my thought by referencing the quote here: “We all have a fantasy of arriving at a conflict-free plateau, or a sunlit glen without struggle, without the demand for increasing consciousness, without being pulled deeper and further than we wish to travel. Interestingly, there is such a place— it is called death.”
Track 11. This Is Why, by Paramore.
“If you have an opinion, maybe you should shove it, or maybe you should scream it, might be best to keep it to yourself.”
There is a quote by Bertolt Brecht I think is relevant here as well: “Art is not a mirror held up to reality, but a hammer with which to shape it.” As art is a medium of creative self-expression, I am inclined to believe that it can be either mirror or hammer, depending on the personality and intent of the source. It is difficult to evaluate whether our responsibility as artists is to observe or to participate. Does one cancel out the other? How would it affect the essence and reception of our output? Is participation possible without polarization and reactivity? Is observation possible without passivity? I admit, though I feel inclined to seek out a wiser sage or thinker to resolve this paradox for me, considering that the subject here is personal and artistic self-expression, perhaps I should instead be suspicious of anyone who might claim to be that authority.
Track 12. Money Note, by Camille.
"She’ll hit that F#7 to take us all to heaven."
This song is so delightfully weird, that it doesn’t really belong anywhere, so naturally I have saved the best for last. I wanted to use Money Note as my response to an oversimplification of the definition of virtuosity based solely on technical proficiency. Which is to say, that it reduces singing to a pissing contest.
Bonus Track & Current Mood. all american b*tch, by Olivia Rodrigo.
"And I make light of the darkness, I've got sun in my motherf*cking pocket, best believe. Yeah, you know me."
It is given that sopranos embody the entire emotional spectrum of the female experience. The question “Will she kiss you or kill you?” is not a judgement of character, but rather a job requirement. I think this song exemplifies those contrasts. That being said, regardless of whether she is holding a rose or a knife, I would like to ask my musical peers to please stop stereotyping sopranos as the only musical demographic that exhibits bad behavior.
The playlist in its entirety…
I included the song “Walk Idiot Walk” by The Hives to allude to this in a previous post.