Therese Bock, a 14-year-old Prairie High School freshman, is taking the stage as a member of the chorus in Portland Opera’s fall production pairing “Pagliacci” and “Carmina Burana.”
This is her second time singing for the Portland Opera. She performed in last fall’s “La Bohème.”
Therese has been taking voice lesson for five years. She credits her voice teacher, Amy Cole of Battle Ground, for her success.
“I wouldn’t really have gotten to this point without her.”
Her dad, Gary Bock, said his daughter’s passion has inspired him to learn more about opera.
“I frankly hadn’t been much of an opera fan. It’s relatively new to me. Mercifully, they have subtitles,” he said, adding that he’s very excited for his daughter.
“It’s a big deal. The Keller Auditorium is a big stage,” he said.
The size of the venue doesn’t faze Therese.
“It’s not scary or anything,” she said. “It’s fun.”
The Portland Opera will present “Pagliacci” and “Carmina Burana” tonight, Sunday, Thursday and Oct. 2. Tickets are available at http://www.portlandopera.org.
Blown swept up in whirlwind of excitement
Two years of hard work are paying off for the Vancouver band Blown.
The band’s song “Hit Em Hard” is on the “Washington Rockers 2010” album, recently released by Esente Music Group as part of a drunk driving prevention campaign.
Guitarist Rich Cornelison said having a song on the CD is a great promotion opportunity, but it also means a lot to the band members.
“We have lost several friends over the years to drunk drivers,” he said. “We are always promoting not to drink and drive at our shows. It is easier to call a cab than it is to lose your life or take someone else’s life.”
The band has been playing at area bars, but its Oct. 30 gig at Shanahan’s Pub & Grill will be the last around here for awhile. After that, Blown will take its high-energy power rock on the road to larger venues.
The band will tour the Northwest in the spring and then the rest of the U.S. in the summer to promote its first CD, scheduled for release by Rainforest Records in November.
“Maybe next year we can all quit our day jobs and play music for a living,” joked Cornelison, 40, a carpenter.
Guitarist Don Lindner, 38, and vocalist Justin Dipietra, 36, are both plumbers. Bassist Ric Brown, 41, sells weight equipment. Drummer Nick Bjonskaas, 26, works for a coffee roaster.
In addition to juggling the demands of music and day jobs, most of the band members also have children.
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