After graduating from the Schulich School of Music with a Master of Music in harp performance, Melissa relocated to Los Angeles to build her music career. This Q&A gives insight into her time in Montreal and how she adjusted post-graduation. You can find out more about Melissa on her website.
Article originally published in Fall 2015.
What have you been doing post-graduation?
A week after I graduated from the Master's program at McGill, I packed up my harp & belongings in a Penske truck and moved across the continent to Los Angeles. I wanted to take a year or two off from school after McGill to focus on performing, recording, and writing. LA is a great city to do all three of those things: it's a big city but more affordable than a place like New York. And the music scene in LA is huge and very diverse, ranging from film, television, and video game soundtracks to more self-created work within the contemporary music scene. But living in LA and doing music isn't easy. I'm working full time cleaning swimming pools to pay the bills. Yet it's worth the struggle to live in a city where I have access to vital performance opportunities. Little by little, I'm putting together a recording studio in my apartment, where I plan to be recording engineer, producer, and recording artist. I'm also working on writing several articles for the American Harp Journal, a publication that covers nearly everything harp-related, except for contemporary music, a gap I hope to fill.
Do you have a story from your time at McGill?
I have so many McGill stories!!! But I'll share just one. In 2014, the McGill Opera put on Benjamin Britten's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". It has one of the most fabulous harp parts in all of the opera repertoire and I was lucky enough to be principal harpist for that season. It was also my first time performing in a pit orchestra, and I had no idea how much hard work it would be, or how much fun I would have. The rehearsal schedule was insane and demanding, but the performances were magical and unforgettable. McGill's opera department is one of the best in North America, and the professionalism of all the musicians involved made for an invaluable experience.
What do you take away from your McGill experience?
The Master's performance program at McGill is unique in that it nurtures the performer-scholar. The high level of expectation in both performance and academics is something that very few programs besides Schulich can offer. Training of this caliber shapes your vision as a musician. McGill also showed me the importance of relationships. With students and faculty from every part of the world, you never know when a certain connection is going to put you in touch with the opportunity of a lifetime.
What advice would you give a current student?
Go to as many masterclasses as your schedule allows. Whether it's for clarinetists or vocalists, baroque or jazz, there is always something to learn.
Make friends with the library. It's an invaluable resource with access to everything from an extensive library of LP recordings (some out-of-print and unavailable on any other format) to a collection of the most comfortable and catnap-worthy armchairs available on campus.
Experience Montreal. I wish I would have spent more time exploring the city. Visit a new cafe every weekend. Try to speak as much French as you can. (Listen to podcasts online, they're free!) Walk! Walk everywhere! Montreal is such a walk-able city. Old Port, Mile-End, the Plateau. Such beautiful, unique neighbourhoods that provide inspiration and relaxation for the creative mind.
And last, but not least. Never forget why you are at McGill. You had to apply and audition to get in and you earned it. Your teachers believe in you. And so do your fellow students. So believe in yourself and your power to create.
Watch an excerpt from Melissa's master's recital at Schulich on May 11th, 2015 in Tanna Schulich Hall:
Article originally published in Fall 2015.
