The Journey of Opera Featuring Ms. McNaulty
Written by Aniya W. ‘27
Because of opera’s intense vocal range and resonance, it has been known as one of the most difficult singing styles to learn and master. Italian opera began around the 15th century in Florence, Italy when Jacopo Peri composed the first operatic song called Dafne. To be able to sing opera, one must learn how to incorporate strong breathing and breath balancing techniques into their voice, as demonstrated by SJND teacher, Ms. McNaulty.
“I started singing when I was 9. I went to a Catholic middle school and one day I was singing in Mass and a teacher heard me and asked my teacher if I could come and sing in the high school choir. From then I continued singing and performing until I went to high school and started competing,” Ms. McNaulty said. “Then I went to a community college and the music teacher used to sing at the Metropolitan Opera Company. She asked me if I ever thought of singing opera. I didn’t even know anything about opera.”
“Operatic music is beautiful. It tells stories. It is emotional and includes universal themes.”
Singing from such a young age, McNaulty “had to learn how to form words differently, annunciate, and be expressive.” When people think of opera, it’s commonly thought of as loud singing that can be heard from miles away, but it’s so much more. As McNaulty said, it conveys emotion and can be a way to express how you feel and different topics in life.
Next time you see Ms. McNaulty be sure to ask her about her journey of opera…and ask her to sing some notes! Maybe she’ll say yes…who knows.
