02 January,2011 11:09 AM IST | | Yolande D'mello
On the eve of her workshop, soprano Patricia Rozario tells Yolande D'mello about growing up in a Catholic neighbourhood in Santacruz and teaching at the Royal College of Music in London
Royal College of Music (London) faculty, soprano Patricia Rozario's singing career actually started at age six, when she first brought the house down singing with the church choir. In Mumbai to see amateur and professional singers through a six-day voice training workshop at NCPA, Nariman Point, Rozario talks opera singing and reminisces about growing up in Mumbai.
When did you start taking an active interest in music?
I come from a house where music was always playing. My mum played the piano and everyone sang. So, I guess I began singing at age six. In my neighbourhood in Santacruz, we participated in parish competitions at Sacred Heart Church. That was when I first started singing in front of people on a big stage. Later, my parents realised I was gifted and enrolled me with a singing tutor, Baickoo Mehta, who was trained under an Italian singer. When I was 23, I went to London to study music at the Guildhall School of Music.
You've performed at major venues across Europe. What got you into teaching?
Well, I still perform. Just this year, we had a concert with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall at the heart of the Southbank Centre Complex in Britain.
I performed at the Bath International Festival, Wigmore Hall, and with the Shobana Jeyasingh Dance Company across the UK. But you can't sing all your life. Teaching has helped me maintain a balance. I've been teaching at Royal College of Music, London, for five years now and it's quite rewarding.
What can participants expect at the voice training workshop?
Our aim is to train voices in the Italian style of singing and to introduce youngsters to a new repertoire of music. At the workshop, we train for six hours a day for six days, and focus on technique and musicality. Indians have music in their blood, and we want to create world class singers who will then have an opportunity to sing professionally.
We've often heard that if you want to make it big, you've got to start young. Is this true?
I think children should start singing young, but they mustn't train until they are at least 15 years old. When you train, you are developing your muscles and your body as well. If a child is still growing, it could stunt their growth. I don't accept people under 15 years to join my workshops. At the same time, I don't take singers over 40 years but if I see a spark, I do break my own rules.
What does it take to make a good singer?
When I was accepted to study music in London, I was below the criterion, but the panel saw something in meu00a0-- a passion to sing. Passion counts for a lot more. For that reason, I listen to the people who come for the workshop's audition and only then decide if they should join. If you are serious and work towards it, you will improve; the voice is a flexible instrument. You might not make a career of it, but I encourage those who have a passion for music to sing their hearts out.
Patricia Rozario's voice training workshop that starts tomorrow at the NCPA is full to capacity. Amateur and professional singers can attend her April 2011 workshops, the auditions for which are currently ongoing.
Call: 9867303952
Email: teju@poonamusicsociety.com
