We are psyched to share this conversation with Kerriann Otaño (she/her/hers), who self-describes as a ‘Former opera singer. Eternal opera hype girl.’

In addition to always sporting immaculate nails, Kerriann is working hard to change the vibe in opera. She envisions an industry where our humanness is welcome in the rehearsal room, where community engagement creates real connection with audiences, and where everyone can bring their full selves into the opera house.

She recounts for us her journey from opera singer to Vice President of Engagement at OperaDelaware and shares her hopes and dreams for the future of our art form.

To follow Kerriann’s inspiring self, give her a follow on Instagram and TikTok! Kerriann says that she loves it when singers slide into her DMs, so feel free to reach out to her!

Many thanks go out to our Season 4 sponsors:

The Sparkle Twins – We are thrilled to have The Sparkle Twins as continuing sponsors for season FOUR. Cherisse and Cherissia Williams are Identical twin sopranos from Brooklyn, NY. Their custom face masks for singers are BACK IN STOCK, so be sure to order one today, and stay healthy in style! To check out their full line of products, visit www.sopranotwins.com/shop and follow them on socials @thesparkletwins !!

EM2Connect– em2CONNECT is a small creative facilitation practice made up of the high-energy and ideas-driven duo of Emily Martin and Elizabeth McDonald. They specialize in rebranding, repositioning, and promoting flexible thinking around creative careers. Their work is centered on THE PROCESS – a collaborative support program where creatives (re)define their creative philosophy as a foundation for strategic career thinking.

Stagetime– Stagetime is the professional hub for the performing arts and is a growing community of 4,000+ opera singers and classical musicians, arts administrators, agents, production staff, and beyond. Set up a launch-ready portfolio in under 10 minutes — a growing list of over 100 arts organizations accepts a Stagetime profile in lieu of a website URL. Unlike a static website, Stagetime allows you to connect with collaborators, showcase your skills, source (or be sourced as) the right talent, and center your creative practice. The arts industry is waiting for you on Stagetime!

And to our affiliates:

The Opera Dolls – Opera Dolls are plush dolls that sing opera when you squeeze their bellies! If you’re tired of hearing wheels on the bus on repeat during this time at home, bring culture to your living room or online classroom and snag yourself an opera doll! Use the code OPERALIFE20 for 20% your order!

Singing Straw – The Singing Straw is an eco-friendly, helpful tool for your practice sessions. Use the code mysocalledoperalife10 for 10% off your order and to support the podcast!

If you’d like to support the podcast, join our Patreon, Buy Us a Coffee, and follow us on Instagram!

Comments, suggestions, or have a story to share? Reach out at info@mysocalledoperalife.com We’d love to hear from you!

Music from this episode: 

Basic Implosion and Too Cool by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.com
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

My So-Called Opera Life is produced and hosted by Elise Mark and Marcelle McGuirk and is edited by Joshua Wise.