Transcriber: Julianne Franco Reviewer: Hélène Vernet
(Opera song)
(The song is ending)
(Applause)
During childhood, I always had this dream
that I would live in a world where people don't talk, but sing.
Maybe you wonder why a child had this dream?
It is because I have a handicap: stuttering.
And when you have this, especially as a child, in the classroom,
you feel isolated.
The moment the teacher asks, "Anthony, what is the answer on this question?"
"Anthony, can you read out this sentence loud?"
Those questions, for somebody who is stuttering, are terrible.
Classical singing helped me to overcome or to deal with my handicap
in a technical way.
But I'm here today because education is the theme,
and I want to share with you how education,
how going into the classroom, giving vocal workshops,
helped me to deal with my handicap in an emotional way.
Years ago, when I did my final exam at high school,
I had to choose what I wanted to become, what kind of study.
So for two years, I was searching.
And after two years, (Snap) I had the answer.
I went to my parents, who were already in doubt.
"What is he going to do with his life?"
I went to my parents with the answer, out of the blue, I said,
"You know what I want to become?
Opera singer!
I want to study classical music!"
Out of the blue!
So, my parents were very sweet,
so they gave me this possibility.
So I prepared for the auditions.
And, of course, the first one were a nightmare.
But one day I had luck: one of the conservatories took me.
And there I was, in this world of people
who were talking about Schumann, Schubert, Bach, Beethoven,
as if they were their best friends.
But I couldn't tell, "Hey, guys..." I could not tell this,
"Hey, guys, you know why I'm here? I have to deal with my handicap."
So alright, I worked within the conservatory,
and really, the voice went better and better.
And I already noticed after three years, four years,
I wasn't the best student they had,
but after seven years, I had to do my final exam.
The day I had to do my exam, my friends and family were waiting outside
and two hours before I had to go to the main hall,
they took me out of the main hall and put me in a very small hall
because I didn't have the quality to sing in the big hall.
So I had to put all my friends and family into this small hall,
I did my exam, and I was free!
I could work, I had some work, you know, in choir and everywhere,
but I missed something.
I wanted to go back into the classroom where everything started,
where this dream started which inspired me to do what I'm doing.
So I created by myself workshops:
education workshops, vocal workshops, workshops about opera,
and with that, I went into the classroom.
And, I discovered something else.
Going into a classroom and saying, "I'm going to give a vocal workshop."
Hmm, they're watching.
And you have to inspire those beautiful people within three minutes,
no more! otherwise, you are lost.
I think that's the best training for every performer on stage.
The other thing is the youngsters in the classroom
they are the most critical in a positive way.
They see, smell, hear, feel, the quality.
They are not interested in my vocal techniques,
they are interested in who you are.
They are interested in my authenticity and not in the virtuosity.
Seven years ago, I was giving one of my workshops,
and a girl raised her hand.
And she asked me, "Can you tell me why you started studying classical singing?"
And of course, this question came these past years very often,
but this time, the question was different.
Everything in her voice, the way she asked, was different.
I felt I had to tell something else. I had to tell the truth.
So I told her,
"Once, I was your age, in a classroom, I had this dream
to live in a world where people don't talk but sing.
You know why? I have a handicap, stuttering."
At the end of every workshop,
I always ask the youngsters to stand up and sing with me.
Sometimes, it's not very easy,
but this time, because I told my story for the first time,
the energy was completely different.
They raised up in a different way, we sang in a different way,
and I thought at that moment, 'Wait a minute!
My story is a metaphor for every feeling of being isolated,
not part of the world.
And after this workshop,
a boy came to me to thank me for the workshop.
He wanted to thank me,
and it took a lot of time because he was stuttering,
and I thought, "How beautiful! How beautiful!"
Three years ago, I sang my first Wagner opera
because my voice was getting better because of the education workshops.
You know, I was singing this Wagner role, Alberich,
and the press was very positive about me; I was so happy.
And one of my colleagues came to me,
"Anthony, I know you from a long time ago,
and your voice wasn't that ... good" - I think he was very polite -
"How is it possible that you developed this voice in this way?
Who is your teacher? What kind of workshop did you do?"
I said, "You know what you have to do?
You have to go into a classroom, stand before this cosmopolitan world,
with our, you know, higher education, Western classical styles,
stand in this cosmopolitan world
and try to inspire those beautiful youngsters within three minutes:
why you do what you do, don't start to sing, just tell your story.
And if you feel that you've inspired them, go to the stage,
and you will know what have happened in this lesson."
The dream which I once had in the classroom is still there.
I think the most important thing is
that if we have a dream,
it's so important that we inspire others
who are maybe doubting about their dreams,
or are afraid or ashamed of them,
to believe in these dreams
because, that also gives you something that you can say maybe afterwards.
"Wow, this is what a dream can do!
Wow, this is what art can do!
Wow, this is what education can do!"
Thank you so much.
(Applause)