Thinkofsomeofyourfavoritesingers.Whenyoulistentheycanmakeyouhappyorsadpeacefulorangry.Theycanmakeyourelaxorwanttogetupanddance.Giftedsingershavethepowertoaffectusinmanyways—emotionallyphysicallyandmentally.

Butbecomingagreatsingerisn’taseasyaslisteningtoone.Ittakespracticedevotionandstronglungs!Justaskthewell-knownAmericanopera（歌剧）starCarolVaness.

AttheMetropolitanOperainNewYorkCitywheresheoftensingsCarol’svoicemustbeloudenoughtobeheardbyfourthousandpeople.Itmustreacheverypersoninthetheaterwithoutamicrophoneevenwhenshe’ssingingsoftly.ThereasonCarolcanprojecthervoicethatfaristhewayshebreathes.

“Whenyoubreatheit’slikeaswimmertakingadeepbreathbeforegoingunderwater”Carolexplains.“Youhavetotakealotofairintoyourlungs.”

AccordingtoCarolthemaindifferencebetweenpopsingingandoperais“howyoubreathehowmuchairyoutakeinandhowyoucontrolitcomingout.Regularsingingismorelikespeakingandit’salotsofter.WhenIsingforchildrenthey’reoftensurprisedbyhowthevibrationsstriketheirears—likewavesonabeach”Carolsays.“Inoperatheairdoesn’tjustgooutofyourmouth—itvibratesinyourchestthewayaguitarvibrateswhenit’splayed.”

EversinceshestartedpianolessonsattheageoftenCarolhaslovedmusic.Asshegotoldershedecidedtobecomeamusicteacher.Whenshewenttocollegeshetooksinginglessonsaspartofherstudies.Hervoiceteacherdiscoveredthatnineteen-year-oldCarolhadanexceptionallybeautifulsopranovoice–thehighestsingingvoiceforwomen.

Caroldecidedtomakeoperahergoalnotonlybecauseshelovedtosingbutalsobecauseshelovedthedrama.Operaisaplayinwhichthecharacterssingthewordsinsteadofspeakingthem.Thestoriesofoperacanbetragicorcomical.Theycanbepersonalstoriesabouttwopeoplefallinginloveorgrandstoriesaboutkingsandqueenswholivedlongago.Asthecharactersinanoperasingtheemotions(情感)expressedbywordsandmusiccometolife.

TodayCarolperformsthroughouttheUnitedStatesandEuropeandshehassongforalmosttwentyyears.Butshehasneverforgottenwhereshestartedsinginginthefirstpalace.

“Putyourheart