Two students advance to national music competition

French horn player Lauren Robinson and mezzosoprano Rebecca Arnold

Later this month, UD music students Rebecca Arnold and Lauren Robinson will perform in the National Competition of the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) in Washington, D.C., and compete against college students from around the country.

In January, both student musicians received the highest rankings in their respective categories in the Eastern Division Collegiate Artist Competition in Ithaca, N.Y., and earned the right to perform March 27 at the national convention winners recital, made possible by the MTNA Foundation.

Established in 1876, MTNA is America's oldest professional music association, with 24,000 independent and collegiate music teachers committed to furthering the art of music through programs that encourage and support teaching, performance, composition and scholarly research.

Both Arnold and Robinson are pursuing bachelor's degrees in performance at UD. Arnold, a senior mezzosoprano, studies with Melanie DeMent; and Robinson, a junior horn player, studies with Cynthia Carr. Both students first competed at the state level and then advanced to the regional competition in Ithaca, which involved students from 12 northeastern states.

Preparation involved work on full recital programs covering different musical eras. Arnold was required to prepare 12 songs and arias in four different languages. Robinson prepared three works for horn, and she had to memorize at least one movement of a major concerto. Both musicians have been preparing for the competition since September.

Robinson said she began studying the horn in fourth grade. "My mom played the clarinet, and my dad played the horn in high school," Robinson said, "but I don't think that was the reason that I began playing the horn. I just liked the way it looked and sounded."

Performing as a soloist has its own type of pressure and satisfaction.

"I believe that performing is all about communication," Robinson said, "showing the audience how you feel about something, only using music, not words. The feeling that I get when I know that I have been successful is simply unmatched. But, I hate the feeling that I'm being judged by how well I play. I try not to focus on that, though, because I've found that my friends and family still like me even if I mess up."

Arnold began studying the piano, switched to the tuba and finally started singing seriously and taking voice lessons in the 10th grade.

" I've just always loved singing," Arnold said. "Band was fun, but choir was always much more fun for me. I love everything that singing encompasses, the acting, languages, diction and drama. I find it to be very challenging but also very rewarding. Singing is just very logical for me. It is the first thing I think about when I wake up, and all I want to do all day."

Arnold said she especially enjoys performing. "I love the work that goes into it and the tremendous sense of achievement after a good performance," she said. "I also love the energy that I feel when I perform, and I especially love the energy I can feel from the audience if I'm doing a good job.

"People really do respond to a quality performance, especially if what you're doing can appeal to their emotions and experiences. There can be a wonderful intimacy and immediacy to music, specifically vocal music in my case. People can see the music in your eyes and on your face and hear it in your voice. That connection, that can take both you and the audience to another place, is truly gratifying," she said.

For the regional competition in Ithaca, Robinson said she was confident about the music she would perform on her horn. She had played through it every day for about a month and also performed it in front of just about anyone she could get to listen and give her feedback.

"I try to go into competition with the attitude of 'I know that I can play this music, now I just need to show a few more people that I can do it,'" she said. "It's a cocky attitude, I know, but I believe that is what it takes to be a performer in many instances. As I mentioned before, performing is all about communication. Someone once told me that when you perform, all you are really doing is opening up your soul, letting it fly around the room for a while and then bringing it back when you are done. I try to remember that when I am alone onstage."

For Arnold, maintaining a positive attitude in solo competition also is critical. "You have to have the attitude that says, 'This is what I do and I am confident in my abilities. I love it so much that you, as my judges, can't help but love it, too,'" Arnold said. "So you audition and then try not to worry about it. The judging is so purely subjective that you have to have a tough skin and confidence in yourself or you'll never make it."

Arnold said that receiving quality instruction at UD has played a tremendous role in her musical development and success. "The voice faculty is fabulous," she said. "Melanie DeMent is a wonderful teacher and a true inspiration. I attribute much of what I have achieved to her guidance, encouragement and support. The rest of the voice faculty–Patrick Evans, Marie Robinson and Paul Head–have helped me along the way and are always there to answer questions and provide additional assistance."

Robinson also speaks highly of her horn teacher, Carr, whom she described as "an inspiring role model." She said she appreciates the support she has received from the music department, particularly in supporting her travel to the national convention.

After graduation from UD in 2002, Robinson said she hopes to attend graduate school and earn a master's degree in performance. Eventually, she said she would like to play the horn professionally in an orchestra, as well as teach at the university level.

Next year, Arnold will attend the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music to pursue a master's degree in voice. Her ultimate goal is to become a professional opera singer.

Describing music as something she "can't NOT do," Robinson said, "Music is the most satisfying and most challenging thing in my life. It's frustrating at times, but it is also very rewarding, and I can't compare it to anything else I've ever done."

–Ed Okonowicz

Photo by KATHY FLICKINGER