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@violetrae_

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As we kick off into fall reading week, why not celebrate with some action shots from last week’s 𝑨𝑹𝑰𝑨𝑷𝑨𝑳𝑶𝑶𝒁𝑨 𝑺𝑰𝑿! 🎭

The night was an absolute smash hit, with every seat in Wirth Lobby filled! Included in this post are just a handful of our talented Opera McGill students, singing works from Lehár to Sondheim and Verdi to Mozart! 🎵

[ 📸: @tigelman.photography ]

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Spooky season 👻

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Can we stay here forever 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

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As the weather grows cooler, I’m reminded of (much) warmer days spent in the most beautiful small Tuscan town, singing and learning alongside some incredibly special people. Greve and @belcantotuscany (and of course my Yellow House family) have my heart now and forever💛🏠🐓🇮🇹🌄🥂

xoxo Canada🇨🇦

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How’d I get so lucky 🍀💗

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Entering her legal era 🥂Happy 21st to the star of our show 💜 @violetrae_

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Evidence that I did, in fact, have a summer.

Lots of singing, a sampler of exactly what “hot” means, and an unreasonable amount of packing/unpacking.

My camera roll informs me that this is, unfortunately, only part one. My apologies in advance for what this means for your feed.

#travelgirlsummer #operasinger #obnoxioussingerbehavior #backstagepass

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As of late

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Going across the ocean by myself for the first time was very nerve wracking for me. I had no idea who I would be living with, who I would click with, or what it would feel like to be so far from home surrounded almost entirely by people I had never met. Somehow, I hit the absolute jackpot.

My roommate, McKey, was truly a best case scenario kind of situation. From the very beginning, we were on the same wavelength at basically all times, and I genuinely cannot imagine having had this experience without them. My suitemates, Carmina and Toni, were just as much of a best case scenario. The way the four of us somehow seamlessly coexisted from the very start was honestly shocking. Living together could have gone SO many ways, and instead I got three insanely talented, hardworking, hilarious, genuinely good people to come home to every day. The four of us made up the lower level of the Yellow House™️, but the Yellow House lore certainly did not end in our little Hobbit Hole.

Upstairs lived the people who quickly became my weekend adventure crew. Florence, Bologna, late nights, long travel days, lots of food, lots of laughing, and a ridiculous amount of memories packed into such a short amount of time. I fear we’re tied to each other forever now. There’s really no other option.

It is kind of unbelievable how quickly you can form such strong bonds with people when you’re thrown into something this intense together. These are not just people I happened to do a program with. These are people I laughed with until I cried, traveled with, learned from, leaned on, celebrated with, and now miss so terribly.

And on top of all of that, every single one of them is ridiculously talented. Getting to watch people I love work so hard and be so damn good at what they do was inspiring in itself. I cannot WAIT to see where all of their careers take them, and I fully intend on cheering obnoxiously loud from wherever mine takes me. Everyone hopes to find colleagues like these in this industry. I somehow got friends, too.

Yellow House™️ forever. 💛🇮🇹

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I’ve been trying to find the words to describe the last three weeks spent in Greve in Chianti with @belcantotuscany, and it’s hard to verbalize the impact of this experience. But I’m going to try.

If you had told me a year ago that I’d be spending three weeks in Italy to sing opera, I’d have laughed at you. Despite getting back into lessons about a year and a half ago, I had all but given up on this beautiful, important part of my life, beyond a chorus here and there. But last fall, @mezzocara came running up to me after a performance of Considering Matthew Shepard, and the universe gave me a random twist of fate.

The opportunity to make music is a gift. Getting the chance to do it with such incredible people as those I met in Tuscany was beyond my wildest dreams. I learned so much from the program faculty, cramming what felt like many years’ worth of education into our short time together. I grew substantially as a singer and musician, in ways I didn’t quite think possible.

But more than anything, the friendships I made are what I keep coming back to. What an immense blessing by the universe to have immediately clicked with my incredible colleagues, from day one. To say I’m lucky to have met so many lifelong friends would be the greatest of understatements—these are connections that will last the rest of our lives.

I’m so proud of the work and growth I made with Bel Canto in Tuscany, and am even more proud of the outstanding, world class work done by my friends. To say the least, I feel emboldened and empowered to continue finding my voice and finding myself. I’ll cherish these three weeks and these people for the rest of my life.

Thank you to everyone who helped give me the opportunity to experience this, from the bottom of my heart.

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The last three weeks have been a dream. I met incredible people and got to perform beautiful music in stunning venues. The opportunity to sing with @belcantotuscany will be a treasured memory for the rest of my life.

The faculty were unendingly helpful. I have so much to work on but feel prepared to do so. The expertise and experience represented amongst the faculty was world-class.

The people. The humans I had the pleasure of working with were amazing. I’m fighting back tears as I think about the life-long friendships I made. Love you yellow house!

And now that I’m eating my last Italian meal the night before my flight I can tell that readjusting will be hard. I was so blown away with my experience here that I don’t really know how to proceed now. I at least know that currently my heart is fit to burst and for that I am grateful.

Thank you to everyone who had a part in getting me to Italy. This program worked. It worked! There is an future that will be soon forthcoming.

All the love and appreciation I can muster.

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First weekend at #bct26 in the books!

#florence #greveinchianti #sunrisehike #goldenhour

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