Note-worthy Experiences Music Studio
F E A T U R E
Interview with Nathaniel Bear
F E A T U R E
Interview with Nathaniel Bear
How old were you when you first learned a musical instrument?
I began piano lessons at 5 years old, but I have been singing for as long as I can remember. My parents were both cantors in the synagogue, so my earliest memories of singing are in Jewish settings, both in the synagogue and at home. Vocal music was a constant in my house growing up, ranging from traditional cantorial style to art song and opera (my mother had once been an opera singer as well), and like most children, I mimicked what I heard, singing the songs of my parents at a very early age. Piano lessons were the start of my more formal training, and I was fortunate to have teachers who’d instill in me musical and aural skills that would be consequential in my eventual focus on music professionally. After a transformative summer
spent at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s vocal program for high schoolers, I decided that classical vocal music and opera would be my main focus of study in college.
Who are some of your most inspiring teachers?
My parents are certainly the most important teachers I’ve had, though they were rarely “in the studio” with me, so to speak. They largely left formal instruction to my primary teachers, but were a constant encouraging and guiding force, with the knowledge and skills to give valuable advice, both technical and practical. My middle school choir teacher also comes to mind as a rather important figure in my musical development. She had very high standards in the rehearsal room and demanded a great deal from a rowdy group of pre-teens, but her commitment to musical excellence came in the service of loving the music we performed. Learning that creating beautiful music wasn’t just an expressive or technical achievement, but a way of showing love for what we did was an invaluable lesson and one I’ve taken with me into my career.
What is your most memorable performance?
Perhaps this is the expected answer from an operatic tenor, but my most memorable performance was the closing night of my first production of Puccini’s La Boheme during my graduate studies at Northwestern. I sang Rodolfo (which had been for so long one of my dream roles) alongside dear friends in the other leading roles. The whole production process had been
a wonderful experience. Aside from the camaraderie I enjoyed with my brilliant friends and colleagues, I was fortunate to work with an experienced coaching staff, an inspiring stage director, and a supportive conductor. Being a part of a major operatic production coming together is always exciting, but there was something magical about this first experience of mine
with such a quintessential part of the operatic canon. I soaked up every moment of rehearsal and practice, and when the curtain fell after the final performance, the feeling was indescribable. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish my studies.
What do you like most about teaching young students?
I love being able to help young students establish the fundamental skills to not just play, but to practice and to listen well! When young students learn how to practice and apply themselves, progress and enthusiasm usually follow. Some young students already have a passion for music, but watching the emergence of a newfound enthusiasm for the process is something
special to behold.
When you are not performing or teaching, what do you like to do?
I’m a huge baseball fan, so I love watching and going to games during the baseball season. I enjoy keeping track of various player and team statistics, and I listen to baseball podcasts pretty much every day, even during the offseason. I also love to cook, and you can find me in my kitchen most nights making something (hopefully) delicious for me and my wife!
Learn more about our Voice and Piano teacher Nathaniel Bear in his Teacher page.
I began piano lessons at 5 years old, but I have been singing for as long as I can remember. My parents were both cantors in the synagogue, so my earliest memories of singing are in Jewish settings, both in the synagogue and at home. Vocal music was a constant in my house growing up, ranging from traditional cantorial style to art song and opera (my mother had once been an opera singer as well), and like most children, I mimicked what I heard, singing the songs of my parents at a very early age. Piano lessons were the start of my more formal training, and I was fortunate to have teachers who’d instill in me musical and aural skills that would be consequential in my eventual focus on music professionally. After a transformative summer
spent at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute’s vocal program for high schoolers, I decided that classical vocal music and opera would be my main focus of study in college.
Who are some of your most inspiring teachers?
My parents are certainly the most important teachers I’ve had, though they were rarely “in the studio” with me, so to speak. They largely left formal instruction to my primary teachers, but were a constant encouraging and guiding force, with the knowledge and skills to give valuable advice, both technical and practical. My middle school choir teacher also comes to mind as a rather important figure in my musical development. She had very high standards in the rehearsal room and demanded a great deal from a rowdy group of pre-teens, but her commitment to musical excellence came in the service of loving the music we performed. Learning that creating beautiful music wasn’t just an expressive or technical achievement, but a way of showing love for what we did was an invaluable lesson and one I’ve taken with me into my career.
What is your most memorable performance?
Perhaps this is the expected answer from an operatic tenor, but my most memorable performance was the closing night of my first production of Puccini’s La Boheme during my graduate studies at Northwestern. I sang Rodolfo (which had been for so long one of my dream roles) alongside dear friends in the other leading roles. The whole production process had been
a wonderful experience. Aside from the camaraderie I enjoyed with my brilliant friends and colleagues, I was fortunate to work with an experienced coaching staff, an inspiring stage director, and a supportive conductor. Being a part of a major operatic production coming together is always exciting, but there was something magical about this first experience of mine
with such a quintessential part of the operatic canon. I soaked up every moment of rehearsal and practice, and when the curtain fell after the final performance, the feeling was indescribable. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to finish my studies.
What do you like most about teaching young students?
I love being able to help young students establish the fundamental skills to not just play, but to practice and to listen well! When young students learn how to practice and apply themselves, progress and enthusiasm usually follow. Some young students already have a passion for music, but watching the emergence of a newfound enthusiasm for the process is something
special to behold.
When you are not performing or teaching, what do you like to do?
I’m a huge baseball fan, so I love watching and going to games during the baseball season. I enjoy keeping track of various player and team statistics, and I listen to baseball podcasts pretty much every day, even during the offseason. I also love to cook, and you can find me in my kitchen most nights making something (hopefully) delicious for me and my wife!
Learn more about our Voice and Piano teacher Nathaniel Bear in his Teacher page.
