The Making of Opera Singer...

Before I came to Converse, I was still the same crazy person that you know today, with the exception that I spent a lot of time at work and taking my siblings wherever my parents wanted me to. Any free time I had was spent researching, listening to, and practicing anything I could for voice. Opera has always fascinated me, but I got obsessed with it during my senior year. My love for music was strong in high school and I took every opportunity possible to be involved. During my time at Converse, I have only grown to love my art even more. I have learned to take every opportunity available because you may not have it again. I have learned I still need to practice as much as I did before if not more. My voice teacher has influenced me even more because she pushes me so hard. I have also learned that my time will be consumed by music, however, I do not hate it. I actually love that I can be around music 24/7 because that was not an option in high school. My biggest goal is to sing in The Metropolitan Opera House as one of the lead soprano roles. I absolutely love singing opera and being in such a prestigious opera house would be wonderful. I plan to get there by getting all of my degrees( B.M, M.M, and D.M.A) in Vocal Performance. I also plan to network as much as possible to get my name out. I will strive to be the best in everything I do too!

Need A Pick Me Up? This music will help!

So...it's Thursday night around 1 a.m. You've got five homework assignments that are do in the next twelve hours and you have no idea how you are going to get them done. Your brain is on overload and you are about to have a meltdown. But wait...you've just realized you have no music on! No wonder you are stressed. You have nothing to keep you motivated. This needs fixed immediately! So...what should exactly should you turn on? Well, if you're asking me, this is what I suggest.

First off, anything from a musical. For me, it's particularly anything from Rent, Wicked, or The Lion King. I enjoy just being able to act like you are part of the musical and lip syncing in the most ridiculous possible. It's also great if you sing along with a musical you can dance to. Taking a break from my work for two minutes helps so much in the long run. I feel more motivated than ever after and while I'm listening to these things.

Second would definitely be any form of music from various holidays. I am at my happiest when holidays are nearing so why wouldn't I be more motivated when Halloween or Christmas music is playing? My Christmas selection is dominated by CDs of Trans Syberian Orchestra. The blend of old Christmas music with a twist keeps me going for hours on end. I'm full of energy when listening to this music. Now, Halloween, I could listen to anything and instantly be alert. Halloween ties with Christmas as my favorite holiday.

Third, I love listening to opera as a pick me up. Every time I listen, I think about the fact that, in order to achieve my dream of being a opera singer, I must do well in all the classes I'm in. Opera also helps me relieve stress. It is the singlemost art form that can keep me going no matter what.

To lower or not to lower the drinking age...

As I'm getting older, I am being exposed to more and more things that were unacceptable at a younger age. Among these things are drugs, alcohol, and foul language. Over the years, there has been controversy over the topic of lowering the drinking age to 18. Many individuals believe that if you are old enough to be drafted for a war, then you should have the opportunity to drink as well. Others believe that the drinking age should remain at 21. I am split on this issue. In some circumstances, it only makes sense for the drinking age to be lowered. However, for as many reasons as there are to lower the drinking age, there are as many reasons to keep the drinking age at 21. The brain of a human is not fully developed until around the age of 21. Therefore, a teenager’s thought process is not going to be the same as an older adult when drinking. The teenager will have less control as well. The change in physical behavior from a teenager simply should not be mixed with alcohol. Another reason to leave the drinking age at 21 is that the younger that an individual starts to drink; the more likely they are to become an alcoholic. So what are your reasons for allowing someone at eighteen to drink? Well, I agree that anyone that can go to war should have the right to drink. Why should someone be able to fight for our country, yet not be allowed to have a drink when they choose to do so? Also, every 18 year old now has the privilege of doing everything else as a legal adult, with the exception of consumption of alcohol. I can vote for the leader of our country, go to a club whenever I so choose, buy a lottery ticket wherever they sell them, and marry the love of my life. I was given all these responsibilities when I became 18, so why is alcohol the only privilege I am left without? When I go into a club and they have to put big black x’s on my hands to show that I’m underage, it is embarrassing and demeaning. This could be prevented if the drinking age was lowered and we were treated more like adults.

To My Dear Little Sister Class

I am Rebekah Wertz and I'm a vocal performance major in your big sister class. I am absolutely thrilled that I was asked to tell you guys all about my time here at Converse and am willing to help with anything and everything you may need! Before we start, I would like to tell you a little about myself. I am originally from Spartanburg, so the Converse campus was definitely a second home of mine for many years before now. I am the oldest of six kids so I'm used to everything being chaotic! I have three fish named Dino, Gumby, and Flora and they have been with me through my entire time at Converse.

 I have experienced many things over the past couple years that I've been here. I've cried over what seemed to be the simplest things in class and I also laughed at things that no one else thought was funny at that time. Move In Day was a lot more involved than I ever imagined. I imagined that there would be a couple people helping direct traffic, but I never expected the majority of faculty and many students to help in bringing everything up to our rooms. The whole process was painless and I enjoyed the welcoming spirit of everyone at Converse! I also expected to see more people outside of my major, however, the only times I really see my friends outside of music majors are meals and the weekends. Soak up this time! I love building relationships with everyone and that is a great time to do it!

As much as I love being a music major, it is a lot of hard work! I know that I came in thinking "Hey, I've been in music forever! Some of it should be a breeze!" Man, was I wrong!? The classes are strenuous and you have a lot of work to do outside of your classes and private lessons. Practicing and doing your homework in a timely matter is essential for your success as a music student. Never fall behind on your assignments. And as I tell you that classes are really intense, I would also like to say how rewarding it is to know that at the end of the day, all of this is helping me get closer towards my dream of being an opera singer. I love every part of it, even on the days that I just want to cry and give up! When you get here and get acquainted with teachers and older students, go to them as your mentors! They are a huge help and I've never had anyone unwilling to help if I had a problem!

I know many of you may think that you may never see boys again! I know I thought that when I first got here! The fact is...there are always guys on campus. There may not be tons of them, but they are definitely always here. The good thing about not having guys on campus is that you don't have to worry about looking nice or trying to impress someone the whole time you are in class. I also get less nervous to speak up in class. With my best friends from high school being mostly guys, this also gave me a chance to get closer and bond with the girls here more and I have some of my best friends with me now! It is also easier to focus on school work without the distraction of boys!

One more thing I must say is to branch out of your comfort zone of music and go do something outside of the music building! I did the Haunted House my first semester here and absolutely loved it! It gave me a break from various music things and I learned more about theatre while doing it! While you are out of your comfort zone, you may find something that you love and decide to minor in it or even double major in it! It's a wonderful way to meet new friends as well!

I hope my advice has been very helpful to all of you! I'm always here if you have any questions!

Both The Blessings and The Curses of A Social Network

As a college student, I have to ponder and think about many things at the same time. What class is next? Wait...what did the professor just say and was I supposed to write that down? Did I have homework for my next class? While all these questions have to deal with my school work, one more question still haunts my mind and causes me the most trouble...have I updated my Facebook status? While I understand that classes are important and that they are top priority, an overwhelming desire comes to check my facebook and see how others are and to catch up with fellow alumni of my high school. I believe that I got so used to using Facebook all the time over the summer and I never got rid of the habit. I don't know what my plan is to avoid Facebook, other than to simply have my computer off whenever I do homework that does not require it. I also have decided to start putting myself on a very strict schedule to avoid "free time" when there really isn't time for it. Any time I find myself using any time as free time, I will try to find a more efficient way to use my time, such as socializing with others in person, instead of over Facebook. I will also use any free time I have to study more about my voice and the pieces I should work on for the following week. In addition, this time will be used to work ahead on large assignments. I plan to break this Facebook habit in one fell swoop.

September 3

One may ask why I decided to come to college in the first place. I believe that it is essential to learn the fundamentals of my chosen field. Without the fundamentals, one will not get very far. I also love the fact that there is always an opportunity to learn. In college, it is a time to take classes in your field, as well as take classes in fields that have always intrigued you. It's a time to explore what you really want to do in life. It's a time to adjust to being a adult and realizing that your parents aren't there to help you with everything anymore. It's a time to become more organized. It's a time to thrive and grow in the one thing that you've always dreamed of. I decided to come to college because I want to accomplish my dreams.

So...you decided to go to college, but why choose Converse? Why choose a college in your hometown? Isn't that an all girls school? I decided to college based on both academics and the atmosphere I will have while here. The student to teacher ratio as an undergraduate student is 10:1, which means I will have help from my professors whenever I need it and participating in class discussions is a must. I love the fact that the faculty loves having you on campus, even if you are not a student yet. They were extremely helpful during the entire admissions process and even now. Every question I had was answered within a day or two. I also decided to come to Converse because of the amount of scholarship money I was offered. It was extremely affordable to come here, even though the tuition seemed completely unattainable. I love the environment and the sense of togetherness the entire campus seems to have. It makes me feel right at home.

You decided to come to Converse, but why have you chosen specifically to be a part of the school of the arts? Why have you decided to study music? Music is the biggest passion in life. On top of that, singing is an even bigger passion in my life. The voice faculty at Converse is absolutely phenomenal and as I am planning to be a vocal performance major, this was very important. I grew to love every aspect of the Converse campus throughout my years in high school, but I would live in the music building if I could. I love the fact that a practice room is equipped with a piano and usually a mirror. As a singer, it is important to learn the notes of a piece as well as express them in such a way that people know what you are singing about, even if the audience doesn't know the language you are singing. The facial expressions that a singer uses are essential as they will portray to your audience as well as your fellow singers what is going on. Since there is a mirror in every room, it makes it very attainable to portray these traits. I am privileged to be at a school where the staff of the music school is always willing to help as well. I have had many questions for the first couple days here and a teacher has never failed to answer the question or direct me towards someone that knows the answer.

So...now that we've got through all the really serious stuff, my teacher decided to ask us a very insightful question. If you had to give up either cereal or sandwiches for the rest of your life, which would it be? Well, considering it is very rare that I eat cereal, I would have to give up cereal for the rest of my life. I eat sandwiches at least once a week in some variety. So many types of bread, meat, vegetables, and different condiments. There are endless possibilities!