Being a Collaborative Artist

This post is from Kristin Schwecke! She is pictured here as the Nice Woman / Narrator in Open Dream's production of Big Shoes.

Growing up in theater and choir, I always thought I knew what being a collaborative artist was. I’ve worked with countless directors, conductors, accompanists and other musicians but, I’m just now discovering what it truly is to be collaborative. I’m a professional opera singer and we work with conductors, stage directors, stage managers, and a wide variety of instrumentalists. Being in Open Dream has truly opened my eyes to how unique each of our art forms are, from actors sitting down for table reads, dancers learning choreography, and living composers working one-on-one with the musicians. It is an incredible experience to be able to work so closely with so many talented people in their chosen fields. We each have had the chance to share our expertise and learn something new, because even though we each have our specific talents, we are all stepping out of our boundaries and trying something new as well.