Exodus to the South Yields School of Music Alumni Success
School of Music
written by
Pam Wigley
Houston called, and several Carnegie Mellon University School of Music alumni answered. Not only do these alumni call Houston home, but several also work together at the Houston Grand Opera. Another has made a lifelong career at the Houston Symphony Orchestra. The Lone Star State is certainly richer with the sounds of music.
—
Editor’s Note: Raven McMillon, a 2016 BFA voice graduate from the CMU School of Music, was playing a leading role in Houston Grand Opera’s production of “Porgy and Bess” and was unavailable to participate in this interview.
Brian Del Signore
Various Music Genres Led to Houston Symphony
Growing up in Pittsburgh, Brian Del Signore surrounded himself with music. His parents allowed him to sample and pursue what he loved, starting piano lessons at 6, adding cornet in fourth grade and, eventually, finding his groove on drums.
His teacher was Lou Carto, drummer and bandleader for Pittsburgh crooner Bobby Vinton, whose career took off with “Blue Velvet” in the early 1960s. With Carto’s rudimental and jazz training, Del Signore continued drumming and started playing rock music in the Pittsburgh music scene.
He attended a performance of the Carnegie Mellon University Philharmonic at Carnegie Music Hall when he was 20 (two years out of high school) and decided he wanted to continue his studies in a university setting that combined conservatory music training with strong academics. He auditioned for CMU in 1977 and was accepted. He was a percussion major during his undergraduate years, earning a BFA in music in 1981. He went on to earn a graduate degree in music performance at Temple University in Philadelphia, where he studied with Alan Abel of the Philadelphia Orchestra.
In 1986, he joined the Houston Symphony Orchestra as principal percussionist and this year, after 40 years, Del Signore will retire. The years have gone by quickly, he said, while doing something he loves.
“In my third year at CMU, I saw my future,” Del Signore said. “Orchestral music is some of the greatest music in the world, and I wanted to be a part of that. I studied hard, practiced like crazy and eventually began auditioning for percussion openings in orchestras. After numerous auditions, I found my place in Houston.”
Brian del Signore playing with the Houston Symphony Orchestra.
He also found his wife, Leah, in 1991. She was at the Houston Symphony working in human resources, and they clicked after working together on union/management matters. They have three grown children, and both say they are looking forward to their future as full-time retirees.
It’s a time of reflection for Del Signore, who looks upon his CMU years with great fondness. He remembers faculty (and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra members) Stan Leonard, Gerry Unger and John Soroka all of whom influenced him. Donald and Collette Wilkins were other positive influences. He extended gratitude to Alan Abel, his graduate program teacher at Temple.
“He asked me to learn more and study longer with John Soroka at PSO before I enrolled at Temple,” Del Signore said. “He was right; I needed that time, and I was accepted to grad school the following year.”
Looking back at his career, he said, it’s impossible not to think about the current generation of CMU music students. He said he would give his younger self, as well as today’s students, several pointers.
“Study, work hard and be there for a reason!” he said. “Carnegie Mellon continues to have excellent teachers, so focus, know the music and be prepared. Practice a whole lot but also rest when needed, because staying healthy is important. That allows for more energy and inspiration.”
Joel Goodloe
Joel Goodloe graduated from the CMU School of Music in 2015 with a BFA in vocal performance. Now in his eighth season with Houston Grand Opera (HGO), Goodloe serves as director of artistic operations. As he explains it, his role encompasses supervising “everything that happens on the stage related to people or music.”
This large “umbrella” of responsibilities ensures the success of the orchestra, the chorus, dancers, principal singers, conductors, rehearsals and much more for opera — one of the most expensive and complex art forms to produce.
With six people on his team, Goodloe also manages artist services — taking care of guest artists, housing, travel, hospitality and budgeting.
“The job requires an incredible amount of detail, and you understand the complexity of it when you make a mistake,” he said. “If everything goes perfectly, I know I’ve done my job.”
Goodloe’s love of his job includes paying attention to these details seven days a week, year round, alongside his dedicated team. He wouldn’t trade the experience.
“The show must go on!” he said. “And while we enjoy our downtime … you have to do what you have to do to get it done.”
Goodloe learned discipline at CMU, he said, and although he doesn’t perform as a vocalist in his current position at HGO, he does perform actively in Houston as a member of the Grammy-Award winning Houston Chamber Choir. He offers this advice for current students.
“Focus on your craft,” he said. “Spend time in the practice studio. Gain exposure to other areas within music. I sang with the Pittsburgh Camerata and acquired valuable experience as an administrator for the Pittsburgh Festival Opera. You will find your path.”
Hannah Roberts
Soprano Hannah Roberts earned her BFA in vocal performance from the School of Music in 2013, where she also earned a minor in business administration. Roberts went on to earn her master’s degree at Eastman School of Music – University of Rochester. She is a member of the HGO chorus and co-manages social media for the group; it’s her 10th season at HGO. Like her fellow alumni, she expanded upon her performance skills with her business acumen.
“Our career is our business, so having a business background is essential,” she said.
That belief serves Roberts equally well in her day job at a private equity firm in Houston. As an East Texas native, she said it was an easy choice for her to return to her roots, especially knowing there were fellow CMU alumni in place at HGO. Now, she hopes to inspire new members of the organization.
“We all look at the future,” she said. “Who we are training now will be the next generation of talent to carry on at HGO.”
Part of training is offering advice.
“I wish I’d been a little more open to my personal success being a lot of different things,” she said. “Keep your mind and heart open to what your future can be.”
Monica Thakkar
As HGO’s director of strategic initiatives, Monica Thakkar focuses on the future, looking for new avenues of growth and expansion. A 2006 graduate of the School of Music, Thakkar earned her BFA in vocal performance. Most of her singing these days, she said, takes place in the shower thanks to the different course her career has taken her.
“For singers, our body is our instrument, our identity, and I didn’t so much abandon it as shift course” she said. “I had the opportunity to make a dramatic life choice, and I took it.”
That choice happened when Thakkar was living in New York City and wanted to expand her knowledge of working behind the scenes for an opera company. When she called and offered her services as an unpaid intern, they jumped at her offer.
“I think my official title was assistant to the producers or something like that, but I did a little of everything,” she recalled. “I sold tickets. I helped with the lighting load in. I handed out flyers. I was just so happy!”
Thakkar frequently taps into her wide range of expertise in her current HGO role, planning ways to help Houston area residents explore opera. She proudly spearheads the company’s new works and commissions, as well as executive produces their commercial media, including the recent Grammy-nominated recording of Jake Heggie’s “Intelligence.”
As both artist and administrator, she is not only driven by a deep desire to make opera accessible to everyone, but also a fiscal responsibility to keep an eye toward future growth. As for what she would like to remind her 18-year-old self, Thakkar shared thoughts that current students might find helpful.
“Have more fun!” she said. “Make time for other life experiences beyond music. Go to the Warhol, have lunch with friends, visit Fallingwater. Take time to enjoy.”
Colin Brush
As director of the HGO Butler Studio, Colin Brush naturally extols it as “the best training program for opera vocalists and pianists in the United States.” Given his role, it’s easy to understand his bias. He is also quick to point out his allegiance to his alma mater and reinforced that his training at CMU helped to shape his future.
Brush, who earned his BFA in vocal performance from the School of Music in 2008, was named one of 13 emerging leaders in the 37th and final class of the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship Program in October 2020. Just prior to participating in the fellowship program, Brush served as artistic administrator at Washington National Opera/The Kennedy Center from 2013-2020. He joined fellow class members in Berlin just as the COVID pandemic was gaining ground.
“I stayed in Berlin because the world was opening up as my time there was ending,” Brush said. “I had a full year there in Germany on an artistic visa.”
He produced a fully staged production in Italy and worked as an agent/artist manager with ADA Artists and UIA Talent, representing many important singers across Europe and the United States. This combination of casting experience and agency work expanded Brush’s network.
“I believe this was the reason Houston Grand Opera invited me to join the Butler Studio as director,” Brush said.
After several other stints in Europe and the U.S., Brush connected with fellow alumni at HGO. That led to joining the Butler Studio, which he and the website describe as “the next step into the spotlight for opera professionals. With full access to world-class teachers, staff and performers, the program’s vocal artists and pianists can find growth on and off stage.”
Brush developed a curriculum for the Studio, one that he said is influenced by his time at Carnegie Mellon. For instance, along with private lessons, coaching and role preparation, it includes Dalcroze Eurhythmics taught by current CMU professor Stephen Neely, acting instruction in partnership with the Alley Theatre, movement training, language study, career development, social media, career advising and many more. The program gets more than 1,000 applicants per year in both piano and vocal studies at the pre-professional level. Robert Bosch fellows gain valuable experience working within HGO as they continue their artistic journey toward professional careers in opera.
“My advice to students is to rely on your network,” Brush said. “You will learn from people inside and outside the School of Music. Take advantage of that.”