Thomas Dana:"Those who work with numbers can find harmony and balance in singing..."

"There will always be someone who sees the splendor of beauty, the spirtuality of pure ideals, although destiny obliges him to live surrounded by covetousness and mediocrity." ha dicho Marber. William Congreve agrega: "Music alone with sudden charms can bind the wand'ring sense, and calm the troubled mind." The absent-minded journalist, for the moment unaware of the subtle nuances of music, glanced at his wrist watch, pursed his lips, gulped down the last lingering drop of coffee in his cup and rushed helter-skelter to the office where an accountant was waiting to be interviewed. Alas! In the downstairs lobby while biding his time for the arrival of the lift, an enchanting aria from "La Boheme"--in which poor Rudolfo once again confesses his love--seemed to pour out of the elevator shaft.

"Can't be!" muttered the somewhat distracted reporter to himself, "I must be dreaming."

Still a bit taken aback by what must have been a fantasy, he knocked sheepishly on the door and introduced himself.

"Thomás Dana, the accountant? Pleased to meet you. I'm the reporter."

"Oh! Do come in."

"Well. I was wondering... Could I ask you a rather impertinent question?

"Go ahead."

"Ah...do you sing at work?"

"Ha! Ha! Ha! No, I'm afraid that's impossible. I mean I'm a sort of manager here and managers have to maintain an image in the public eye. But I sure would like to!"

"I see...ah...this question may sound a bit strange but...by any chance do you sing in the elevator? I mean I thought I heard..."

It was clear that the journalist had lost some of his usual aplomb, but Tomás just grinned and said:

"Could be. Sometimes when I take the elevator coming to my office or going home I tune up my voice. And you can imagine: in such a small place! There are people waiting and they wonder what's going on. They hear this strong tenor voice and seem dumbfounded. 'What's this? We must be at the Colon theatre but we aren't. We're at work.' And you know what? When I'm on the elevator with other people they don't pay any attention to me because I am so short. Anyway singing in the elevator is just a kind of joke I like to play on people."

"Ha! Ha! Indeed. I don't suppose there are many singing accountants..."

"I wouldn't say so. As far as I know I am the only one, at least in this office. "

"Would you say you are more accountant or more singer?"

"Singing came first but you must bear in mind that singing is an art and art is always in the process of development. It takes a long time to develop your voice and your artistic sensibilities-actually the process never ends. You have to advance step by step. As for accounting, well, I think it is easier. First you go to the university, you study, take exams and in five years or so you graduate, get your degree. become an accountant and get a job. But when you are involved with an art more than your intellect is involved: you put your whole soul into it. That takes a lot of effort."

"Would you say there is a conflict between singing and working as an accountant?"

"It has to do with time, lack of time. I work eight to ten hours a week, sometimes on weekends so that doesn't leave much time for singing. And since I live in a flat I can't practice late at night because the neighbors complain."

"I imagine they knock on your door saying they can't sleep..."

"Yea. But there seem to be two groups: those who think I'm disturbing and those who realize I am trying to better myself."

"Do you practice alone or do you accompanying your voice with the piano or some other instrument?"

"I did study piano but when I practice I do so alone because I have to work on each phrase and repeat it, develop it until it sounds right."

"What would you say is the most difficult aspect of the operistic style of singing?"

"Well, there are many difficult aspects but here in Argentine I believe that what is most difficult is to acquire good singing technique. We are in the midst of a crisis-perhaps the whole world is-in trying to find the best technique. Each teacher has his technique, so you have to choose. We singers use the whole body when we sing and the body suffers if you don't have good technique."

"You mean a singer uses more than his voice?"

"Certainly. There are many are many practical tools but the main one is vocalization and you must do each exercise correctly. That's why you need a teacher. You can't do it all by yourself. You need a teacher who knows the human body, psychology, someone who has a good knowledge of the stage."

"What about your own teacher."

"I've had a lot but now I am studying with an 80 year old Italian born teacher who sings very well, even at his age. In fact, he's a sort of Buddist in the way he teaches."

"You mean he uses oriental technique?"

"No. I refer rather to his attitude. You have to be introspective when working with the voice and that's what he teaches you. You have to control the body and sing without thinking about what you are doing."

"How do you bring emotion into your singing?"

"Well, for me the wonderful thing is when things begin to flow. There is emotion in the lyrics and in the music. But when you begin to feel the emotion of the composer, you are ready to add your own feeling. Take the opera "Carmen," for example. It makes me remember when I was young, when I felt rejected by women."

"Does the emotion come more from the lyrics or from the music?"

"It comes from both. You cannot divorce one from the other. It was Puccini who said the words have to fit perfectly with the music. He spent a lot of time choosing the right words for his arias. And if you improve your comprehension of the lyrics, you can then develop the music more masterfully."

"I suppose classical singing must be very demanding. Do you diet?"

"Well, I'm not a professional singer but you certainly must take care of your body if you have to go on stage night after night. Watch out for toxic dishes, fried potatoes, eat balanced meals, do light exercise, running or swiming but not the kind of gymn that demands a lot of stress."

"Getting back to your practicing at home: does your wife put up with your 'do-re-mi' drills?"

"Actually my wife loves to go to the opera. When she was young she told her mother she wanted to meet someone who liked opera and...maybe that's why we hit it off so well!"

"Bulls eye!"

"Yea. It was a sort of blind date. We struck it off fine because she likes music, especially instrumental music. When she was pregnant with my baby I would sing to her belly and now my young child shows she loves music because she tries to copy me when I sing. I like to think that music and opera could become a sort of legacy to her. If she wants to follow in my steps, fine, but I don't worry about that."

"In fact, some people say music has a therapeutic effect..."

"Yes, I believe so. Music is a sort of trip. It takes you to another world. And in opera you can pick the characters you want from Puccini or Verdi or...tragic or comic or romantic characters."

"Do you have a favorite aria?"

"There are lots but the character I like best is Rudolfo in "La Boheme." He describes himself as a poet, tries to live life from day to day till he finds his true love. He is a sort of bohemian until he finds true love. Unfortunately I don't think my voice is suited for the role but who knows, perhaps some day."

The journalist nodded and stood up, a quizzical expression momentarily spreading at the edges of his lips. He shook hands with the accountant-singer and headed towards the door, then turned and asked:

"Any advice for accountant-singers?"

"Yea. Those who work with numbers should try to find another discipline, especially in the arts, because that brings balance and harmony and makes you a better person."

Now, once again in the elevator, the journalist wondered whether his fantasy on the elevator an hour earlier about someone singing a Rudolfo aria had been real or not.

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