We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Madeleine Lyon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Madeleine thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

As someone who performs in front of thousands of people for a living, it can already feel risky enough to step on stage and open yourself up to an audience. You leave yourself vulnerable to others criticisms and judgements, something that can feel akin to stepping into battle. To be a professional opera singer, you must dedicate years and years to perfecting your vocal technique, your acting, and of course on top of that, singing in five or more foreign languages. After spending so much time on honing your craft, it can feel like a direct attack on who you are as a person when someone criticizes you. I’m a self-diagnosed ‘people pleaser’ so for me, this is a terrifying thought. I noticed myself starting to develop a shield as a defense mechanism. In my performing, I couldn’t figure out how to give myself fully to a character, scared that I would look stupid or do something wrong. In my regular life I was also scared. Scared to make friends, scared to go places by myself, scared of what people thought about me all the time. It became so exhausting to care so much and always be worried about how I was being perceived. The biggest risk I took was when I finally had enough and told myself to start living on the other side of my fear. It’s not the fear itself that we can control, because fear is a natural emotion that comes and goes and we can’t do anything to stop it. However, I knew that I could start controlling how I let the fear affect me. I forced myself to go to concerts alone, to work at coffee shops, to tell a stranger that I liked their pants. Mundane things that shoved me out of my comfort zone, but helped me develop a sense of confidence I so desperately needed. I started to volunteer to sing first in my performance classes or sing a piece that felt daunting. I realized that I couldn’t control when I felt stupid, scared, or judged, but that falling prey to those emotions didn’t serve me at all. I challenged myself to push through and risk failure, a challenge that has made me a better performer, helped me make new friends, and have a life where I feel like I’m actually living instead of surviving.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Madeleine Lyon, and I am a professional opera singer. I am currently a Domingo-Colburn-Stein young artist singing with the Los Angeles Opera. My interest in opera was originally piqued as a child when I first saw The Phantom of the Opera movie. I was taking piano lessons at the time, and my parents got me a songbook of the musical. I would play the songs and sing along at full volume, all hours of the day, trying to imitate what I thought an opera singer sounded like. I eventually started taking voice lessons, singing in church and school choirs, and seriously competing in competitions. I received both my bachelors and masters degrees from Rice University in Vocal Performance, where I recently graduated in 2022. I then was accepted into the LA opera program, and made the move in August of 2022. One of my main goals is to share my passion of opera with other people in my generation, and inspire a new wave of opera lovers. Most people have never been to an opera and have no idea what it’s about, or think it’s filled with stories that have nothing to do with their lives. It’s actually quite the opposite. The stories that are told in these operas are so applicable to our society today and deal with issues that the world is still facing such as injustices against women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and so much more. I’ve also loved experimenting with combining different forms of music with opera. Who’s to say that rap, hip hop, top 40, or country can’t have their place on the operatic stages? I believe that it’s this fusion of styles that can make opera accessible to a new generation, while still staying true to the roots of the art form.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I believe that arts education, especially in children, is one of the most important ways to create a society that values the arts. I was fortunate enough to have parents who valued music and who instilled that in me from an early age. I was always in piano lessons, choir, and musicals when I was younger and I believe those activities greatly impacted me. Not only did it cause me to have an appreciation for different types of music, but it also taught me to have a great work ethic and to set and reach goals. You can’t expect people to care about art if they have never been exposed to it. It’s not something that is easily stumbled upon, so we have to reach people when they’re at a formative age. I also think that this will lead to making classical music more diverse.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

I find connection to be the most rewarding aspect of being a performer. Whether it be connecting with the character or connecting with an audience member, I love being able to tell new stories and meet new people. Oftentimes I tell myself when I’m nervous that at least what I’m doing isn’t neurosurgery or rocket science. While that’s true that no ones life is on the line, music actually is a very important thing that has the opportunity to help people. It‘s a way to reach someone in a way that words alone can’t. It can also provide an escape to those who need it and make you examine new ways of thinking. That’s why I feel so passionately about what I do, and why I take it so seriously. I know what music has done for me, and I want to bring that to other people.

Contact Info:

• Website: Madeleinelyonmusic.com
• Instagram: Dontclaptwice

Image Credits
Douglas Marquez (the solo photos) Cory Weaver (the action shots)