Opera singer

I grew up in Paris, living there since the age of five months, although I spent many of my summers in the U.S. I started singing before I could speak, according to my mother. I took piano and voice lessons for fun and sang in choirs throughout my childhood, but never thought of making a career out of music. When I was getting ready to go to college, I thought I wanted to become either an actress or psychologist. I chose Hillsdale because it was strong in both of those subjects.

At Hillsdale, I was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, the theatre honorary, choir and the Hillsdale Opera Theatre. After graduation, I went to the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. I then moved back to France and was a young artist at le CNIPAL in Marseille. This program is very similar to grad school except they pay you! When I was at the young artist program, I auditioned for an opera company in Germany and was hired to sing the lead role of Gretel in Hansel and Gretel by Humperdinck, but my big break arrived when I auditioned for Paul McCreesh for a Handel opera. That opera was filmed for International Television, after which I started getting offers for roles and an agent started working with me. I’m on tour six months out of the year for opera and I sing roughly 20 to 30 concerts a year, which allows me to spend more time at home.

I learned the most essential lesson one could learn in a career: Always come prepared. Before Hillsdale, I had never been in a play, nor had I done any opera. I would not always learn my lines, but with patience and kindness, my teachers made me realize--sometimes the hard way--that I should use my spare time to learn my roles by heart, even if I had a full class schedule. I learned the true meaning of multi-tasking. Hillsdale gave me the opportunity to excel in a friendly, positive environment.

Take as many classes as your tuition fees allow. This is the time to do it, when you have no obligations to pay rent or utilities. Careers take up so much time and that extra class that might make you feel great will be an asset in any job interview since people always ask what we’re passionate about. Whatever you do, make sure you spend as much time with your teachers and learn from them. And stay away from the cafeteria…I gained the Freshman 20! I was warned but I couldn’t resist. Believe it or not, I thought the food was terrific…especially the desserts!

I chose Hillsdale because my father is from Michigan and I was looking at schools in the Midwest. I was really looking for something small so that I wouldn’t be completely lost in my classes. I also really wanted a school where teachers would know my name and face. It was the perfect size, and the person who showed me around Hillsdale was exactly the kind of woman I was hoping to become. She was well-spoken, cultured and elegant and made a huge impression on me at the time.

I majored in a field where no one can prepare us for the future ahead, especially in music. But Hillsdale prepared me to be ready when my dreams actually came through. I had a well-rounded education. This permitted me to get different jobs to sustain myself through the following years until my voice developed enough to start working as a singer.

The highlight was the friends I made at Hillsdale and my excellent teachers. I’m still in touch with my friends despite being an ocean away, and we see each other either in Europe or when I fly back to the U.S. It’s sometimes a few years before we see each other, but when we do, it’s as if no time has passed; it’s amazing.

dianahigbee@yahoo.com