Pensacola Opera inspires in a season of uncertainty | Guestview
Cecily B. Kopytchak
“Aspire to inspire before you expire” is an adage that continues to resonate in my mind almost two decades after I first heard it in the studio of my undergraduate voice teacher and life changing mentor, Dr. Gregory Broughton, at the University of Georgia.
It is a phrase that when spoken literally, to a singer, certainly possesses a valuable didactic meaning, since “breath” is the absolute foundation of song. Alternatively, when its significance is viewed in broader terms, it could apply to almost every decision one makes in his or her daily life. Considering all of the challenges that we faced in 2020 up to the present moment, “aspire to inspire before you expire” has acquired new meaning, with greater urgency, reminding us that life is incredibly fragile and it can, and often does, in an instant, change unexpectedly.