The BBC Called, I Answered

"Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head," was playing on the soundtrack in my mind this morning. I checked email and saw a message from Fiona Crack (with a name like that, I almost didn't open the email!), a producer for the BBC News program "Have Your Say." She was inviting me to be on the show based on my blog about soprano Erika Sunnegardh and her Metropolitan Opera debut this weekend, which was broadcast to 11 million listeners. I tried to figure out what o'clock 1800-2000 Greenwich Mean Time might translate to--had it already passed?

I emailed back with my phone numbers and we had a brief chat in which I confirmed that I was "living my dream" and was a working singer/songwriter. I said I knew how great it felt to finally achieve something like that, because I'd done my CD "and nobody even knew about me!" She laughed. "Did you have a lot of dodgy jobs before that?" "Well, yes, but I was also a magazine editor for 10 years..." I babbled a bit about that, and expecting my child, and being laid off in December. I could tell I was losing her. I said I'd like to ask Ms. Sunnegardh about her singing technique. "Brilliant, brilliant. Remember, this is a world show, you don't want to be too technical. But we'll call you in about an hour," she said.

They put me on the air at about 10:40 am my time. I waited with growing dismay as an Italian journalist with a nearly impenetrable accent spoke about something that I eventually deciphered was related to the Iraq war--oh no, they've put me on hold for the wrong show, I thought. But then the announcer wrapped up that discussion and introduced Ms. Sunnegardh, asking her a few questions about her debut performance and how it must have felt, along with her history of nearly 20 years working as a waitress (among other jobs). Then he introduced "Steve from Colorado," who was apparently a blogger like me. Steve asked her about that self-helpy concept of how hiding your light helps no one (I forget the author) and she repeated some of the very cool ideas she wrote on her website about how you may not get to choose when you use your gifts, but rather give them when they're needed.

The announcer turned to me: "We also have Alexa Weber Morales on the line; Alexa, tell us why you were inspired by Erika's story." I said I could relate to her sensation of living her dream because I did it in late 2004 when I released my CD, and that was nothing compared to the magnificence of having your debut at the Met. Unfortunately, because of the phone connection, once on the air I was suffering terribly from a very pronounced echo of my voice, so haltingly I asked her a question about her teachers--was there a point at which she stopped with lessons? She said that in opera, unlike other musical genres, there's a standard that's very exacting, and she spent many years getting each rung on that ladder in place. "Above a certain point, much of it is opinion about your voice, but up to that point there are things you have to achieve in opera." She said she often stopped lessons when they weren't giving her what she needed, and that it was important to have deadlines and goals and consistently evaluate where you are on the path.

I mentioned that I could relate to being a church cantor, I had the same "gig" myself. I wanted to ask her about dealing with critics but the announcer interrupted, saying that Erika Sunnegardh had to get back to rehearsal soon. "Alexa, thank you. We know what your dream job is, because you've been telling us about it, but Steve, what's yours?" "Well, for the past 15 years I've been an investment banker, but one day I just--" "Thank you for being on the program, Alexa," a new producer's voice said as my line was transferred off-air. "Goodbye." I may never know what calling Steve left the world of finance to pursue...