On Monday mornings, junior Michael Barnes said students at his performing arts school in the District are often hoarse from singing gospel songs in church. Striving to become an opera singer, the Upper Marlboro resident knows it’s an activity he’s going to have to limit so he doesn’t damage his voice.
‘‘The power of the voice in gospel will put pressure on your vocal cords,” Barnes said. ‘‘I’ve had to hold back singing a whole lot in church because of the way it strained my vocal cords.”
At the Washington National Opera Institute for Young Singers, a three-week camp that prepares singers for careers in opera, Barnes was able to give his all every day without fear of sounding like a frog the next day.
Growing up in a musically inclined family, Barnes was naturally drawn to singing. But his extended family is still sometimes surprised when they hear what Barnes is up to.
‘‘I still tell my family about it and they are like, ‘What, opera?’ Because they can’t understand the language, mostly all you hear in opera is the notes.”
Lisa Adams, Barnes’ mother, first exposed Barnes to music through the children’s choir she directs in church.
‘‘But he didn’t even realize he was interested in this type of thing until he started performing publicly,” Adams said.
It was through classes at the Duke Ellington Performing Arts School in the District that the baritone singer gained more exposure to classical music. It encouraged him to explore additional styles through performances at the Public Playhouse in Cheverly and even dabble in Shakespeare as a singer in ‘‘As You Like It” at the Greenbelt Art Center. However it was the theatrical aspect of opera that entranced Barnes.
‘‘We gave him that exposure in a family setting and that was the basis,” Adams said.
With the opera institute, Barnes was part of a final group performance at the Kennedy Center where only a select number of the 28 students from around the country at the institute performed.
Voice instructor Millicent Scarlett said she could see Barnes becoming more engaged with the audience every time he performed.
The institute proved to be a difficult but engaging experience for Barnes, further solidifying his dream to become a famous opera singer. At Duke Ellington students are required to learn Italian, which was helpful to Barnes at the institute. However singing in addition to learning the meaning of Italian and German songs in a week’s time proved tough.
‘‘I’m still trying to grasp the opera thing by practicing every day,” said Barnes, adding that proper breathing, posture and music theory were still areas giving him some trouble.
But with the dedication to commute two hours roundtrip to attend Duke Ellington, Adams believes her son has the will to succeed when he puts his mind to it.
In the fall when Barnes returns to school he’s sure his classmates and teachers will see a difference in him.
‘‘I’ve learned so much about recital etiquette like how I should be smiling at the audience,” Barnes said. ‘‘So I’ll be bringing that back with me and they’ll probably be looking at me like ‘Who is that?’”
E-mail Andrea Noble at anoble@gazette.net.
