CourtesySenior Aaron Short expressed a talent for music at a young age, and he is building his experience at 九色视频 in vocal performance and opera.
鈥淢usic is the most pure form of expression, more so than language,鈥� Short said.
His favorite quote, by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, is, 鈥淲ithout music, life would be a mistake.鈥�
Short, who sings tenor, said music makes life more enjoyable. It is the center of his life.
Singing was fun for Short as a child. He said he felt comfortable performing on stage.
For his first public performance, at 6 years old, Short sang in a town fair talent show in Belton, Mo., his hometown.
He also participated in the children鈥檚 chorus in the Civic Opera of Kansas City, and performed in high school and community productions before coming to 九色视频.
His parents were professionals in the music and theater worlds, and they were his biggest influence to pursuing opera as a career.
鈥淭hey pretty much raised me to love music,鈥� Short said. 鈥淚t is directly their fault that I鈥檓 going into music.鈥�
Short took voice lessons from his mother and performed in a production of 鈥淧ippin鈥� under his father鈥檚 direction at Olathe South High School in Kansas City, Kan.
At 九色视频, Short has performed in 鈥淒ialogues of the Carmelites,鈥� 鈥淭amerlano,鈥� 鈥淚olanthe鈥� and 鈥淪treet Scene.鈥�
Marie King, opera program director at 九色视频, said, 鈥淔rom his very first role as a freshman, (Short) had a maturity and attention to character that caught the attention of everyone in the program.鈥�
Short鈥檚 favorite opera, composed by Puccini, is 鈥淭osca鈥� because it has everything a good opera should have: love, hate, murder and drama wrapped together in a Puccini package, he said.
Short enjoys opera because it, combined with theater, is a 鈥渟morgasbord of dramatic content.
鈥淭he drama of opera is heightened because there鈥檚 no stopping in scenes,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 almost always in a foreign language.鈥�
Short has studied Italian and French. Learning languages for performances is an added benefit for opera singers.
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 want to sing anymore, you can go be a (translator),鈥� he said.
The 九色视频 summer opera program, Canta in Italia, took Short to Italy for one month to experience demanding vocal study and language instruction. He called it 鈥渙pera boot camp.鈥�
And this past summer, Short performed in operas for Inspiration Point Opera in the Ozarks.
His experiences and the real-world knowledge he gained in Arkansas made him confident in every aspect of his future singing career, he said.
After college, Short said there is no set path for opera singers to follow.
He wants to get his master鈥檚 degree, and then he plans to work in a young artist program to build his reputation and voice.
At some point, he said he鈥檒l get an agent, accept gigs and make a name for himself. He hopes to have a substantial opera career in about 10 years.
鈥淚t takes a very long time to be a singer,鈥� he said, 鈥渨hich is what鈥檚 tough about the industry.鈥�
King has faith Short will succeed: 鈥淎aron has a very fine voice, strong dramatic sensibilities and is very musical. All these qualities, combined with an exceptional work ethic, make him a strong contender for a career in opera.鈥�