Our artists of the week is Michael Hudetz ’19. He is a music performance vocal major who is involved in concert choir, chamber choir and individual classical voice lessons on campus.
GS: Where do you see your studies taking you in the future?
MH: Performing in operas, oratorios and other concerts as a solo singer or chorus member.
GS: How old were you when you started performing? Do you have any unique stories that struck your interest in the performing arts?
MH: I actually only started singing my senior year of high school. My school had been building this huge 900-seat auditorium, and I remember walking onto that stage for the first time, looking out at all those seats completely mesmerized. I knew I had to get on that stage. I started with acting, so I auditioned for plays. The first part I ever got had just one line, “his jeweler.” But I said that single line with such flamboyant emphasis that it hilariously became infamous throughout the theatre program at the high school and is still referenced today by my old acting teacher as an example of making the most out of every performance, no matter how small. Through acting, I discovered singing, since much of my actor friends were involved in choir. I decided to join choir my senior year and instantly loved it. I was quickly moved up to the top chamber ensemble.
GS: How does performing make you feel overall? Why?
MH: Music comes naturally to me, and it feels like a part of me that has been hidden away is now free. At the end of my senior year, some seniors get to sing solos; I picked “Stars” from “Les Miserables.” After I finished singing, there was a moment of pure silence. Then, thunderous applause and gasps of amazement throughout that very hall that had awoken my desire to perform when I first stepped foot onto the stage. I’ve never been any good at communicating with people the normal way; music is my way of connecting with others.
GS: Name one NCC faculty member in the music department who has made the biggest impact on your college career?
MH: Professor Linda Ogden-Hagen. She is honest and constructive in her criticism. She has a wealth of knowledge about the many physical and mental aspects of singing and can express that knowledge in intuitive ways. My voice has matured substantially under her instruction, and I hope to do her proud.
