Connie Tabbert
Editor
A young lady formerly of the Cobden area spent an enjoyable six weeks in France doing what she enjoys most – singing opera.
Becky Millar, 23, attended the Franco American Vocal Academy in Paris, France as well as in Perigueux, which is near Bordeaux, a six hour train ride from Paris.
Ms. Millar graduated from Cobden District Public School and then went to Opeongo High School for Grades 9 and 10. She auditioned, and then was accepted into, Canterbury High School for the Arts where she graduated with an arts degree in vocal music. She then graduated from the music department from Queen’s University and this past June graduated from teacher’s college, also at Queen’s University. She is currently a supply history and special education teacher in Kingston for the Algonquin Lakeshore Catholic School Board and offers private singing lessons. She will also keep busy this year taking courses to provide opportunities for her to teach other courses.
Ms. Millar heard about the opportunity to attend the academy’s summer program through an email from her voice teacher. While she had to pay to attend the program, she did receive a scholarship which helped pay for lodging. Ms. Millar said when she was 16 years old she spent a week at a vocal program in Victoria, British Columbia.
There were 36 students in the Paris program and she was the only Canadian. The group stayed together throughout the six weeks. The main opera performed was La Belle Helene by composer Jacques Offenbach, which was a comedy. She noted there were other smaller performances and recitals well.
She noted during the six weeks, she had about four days off, as she was busy with workshops, rehearsals and classes. The opera program provided opportunity to study and perform. There were lessons, workshops, recitals and performances in Paris and Perigueux.
Ms. Millar noted they were at the conservatory each day working on the main opera as well preparing for recitals. They were also preparing pieces by two living composers, “which is kind of weird, because there’s not a lot of composers who are still alive. It was like 20th century music. We actually got to meet them and do two workshops with the composers.”
In La Belle Helene Ms. Millar played a character named Leoena, which just happens to be her mother’s name too, just not spelled the same way.
“There was another girl working with me and we were like the party girls,” she said. “We had our own little solos and our scenes together. We were singing about let’s be young and have some fun.”
She also performed in the chorus. Ms. Millar said there’s not really dancing involved, but there is blocking, such as being in a certain spot and doing various moves. Some of the chorus scenes were dancing, like the disco move and how a cowboy would move.
“It was a really good experience for me, especially at this time in my life,” Ms. Millar said. “I’m finishing school and starting work. I wanted something to do in between that would be a chance to sing some more. Once I start teaching I don’t think I’ll have as many opportunities to perform.”
For Ms. Millar this provided an opportunity for professional development. She’s learning more about singing and putting on a show. When teaching, she will be able to pass on what she has learned to her students. She also wants to continue performing.
If she decides to get a master’s degree in opera performance, the past six weeks would look good on her resume, she explained. It’s good to have programs on your resume to show that you are working on where you want to go.
Ms. Millar has enjoyed singing since she was a young girl. She began taking voice lessons from Sister Joan Pecore in Renfrew when she was about eight years old.
“She started teaching me the classical style,” she recalled. “As I got older and into high school, I started to look at opera. Once in university, it was all opera and art songs.”
Ms. Millar said opera is beautiful music, and while the operas may not be performed in English, it’s wonderful to see what’s happening on-stage and hear the performance. A synopsis is always provided prior to the opera and in larger cities, the translation is usually on a screen above the stage.
It also provided her the opportunity to live in another part of the world. She dived into the French culture, which vastly improved her French, which she wasn’t using as much at home as she would have liked. That’s good for Ms. Millar, because most operas are performed in German and Italian with a few in French. At the academy, all the singing was performed in French.
Ms. Millar said there were a few days to check out the tourist areas, including the Eiffel Towel and the Catacombs, “which was really creepy.” She also spent time with the other students, which was great, because they were all like-minded in what they wanted to achieve while at the academy.
“I made a lot of good friends,” she added. “It was an experience of a life time.”
On St. Bastille Day in France, which is a huge holiday on July 14, Ms. Millar went to the Eiffel Tower where operas were being performed. The opera singers were Natalie Dessay and Anna Detrebko, who are huge in the opera world, she added.
“It was so crowded, so many people there,” she said. “It’s such a big part of their culture, something like we do a country and western down in fiddle park.
“It was like Parliament Hill on Canada Day,” she added.
Ms. Millar also took time to travel England and Scotland, to visit friends and see more of the countryside.
Now that she’s back home, Ms. Millar said while she enjoys performing, she doesn’t believe it’s going to be a career for her.
“I really enjoy teaching,” she said. “It’s really hard to make money off of it (performing opera). I don’t think I want to be in that dog-eat-dog world.
“I like to perform and share it with people,” she added.
Her ultimate goal would be to teach at a similar place like Canterbury and work on musicals and school performances. While supply teaching, Ms. Millar realizes she won’t have opportunity to direct a musical, but she could be asked to fill in for teachers who are directing, but away.
Ms. Millar has no regrets about going and encourages anyone to travel.
“It’s worth it, no matter how much you put yourself in debt,” she said. “Seeing other parts of the world is amazing and being immersed in another culture and language – there’s no other experience like that. But yea, it’s always nice to come back home.”
Ms. Millar is the daughter of Leona Haley and Rob Millar and sister to Jonathon who is currently living in North Bay.
