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The Inner Voice
Renee Fleming is one of America's most celebrated sopranos and a superstar of the opera world. She's also intelligent, reflective, and articulate. Maybe the engaging storytelling and lucid prose in this memoir are the work of novelist Ann Patchett, who is thanked for her "silent work on paper" in the acknowledgements. In any case, I enjoyed learning about this hard-working artist's struggles to overcome stage fright, combat perfectionism, balance work and family needs, and understand, improve, and maintain her vocal production. Many performers' memoirs are flooded with name-dropping and gossip; this one instead offers helpful lessons for aspiring singers.
Recommended by Jessica Files Squier of The Birchtree Center.
