When did you begin your training?

I guess that depends on what you mean by “training.” I think my earliest training was ear training, and that came from my Mom. She played the piano, sang, played the guitar, even the accordion (!), and listened to all different kinds of music, all the time. She tells me I sang on-pitch when I was 13 months old, which my girls did also, undoubtedly from all that early exposure to music. When I was eight I began studying the violin (because they didn’t teach my mom’s instruments at school), then switched to flute and french horn in high school, adding viola to the list in college. All that instrumental training made me a very good sight-reader, which really helped in all the choirs and choruses I sang with throughout the years. But I didn’t have any actual voice lessons until my junior year of college…then I was off and running!

Did you always know you wanted to be a musician?

Like when I was a grown-up? I’m still working on that…and being a musician, too! Seriously, music has always been in my bones, and a huge part of my life, even through many other interests and detours – I was a Religion and a Woodworking Major in college, too!—but, I have always been led back to music, in one way or another.

Who were some of your favorite teachers, and what did you learn from them?

I have a hard time with favorites—and, truly, every music teacher I’ve had has taught me something valuable. I had some great, early encouragers in grade school, and that encouragement grew stronger in High School, going through the roof with my wonderful teachers in College. I’m really thankful to the teachers who really took an interest in my musicianship and did all they could to give me great opportunities to perform and strengthen my skills. In retrospect, I think they all had a lot more confidence in my abilities than I did at the time. It took a while to sink in! Now that I’ve been a teacher myself, I try to live up to the good examples I had, and to be that encourager for my students. It’s a thrill to see my students blossom!

Do you have any favorite performance memories?

Again, there are too many to name. But, I know that when a performance is special, there is an electricity in the air that everyone feels, and it stays with you…and this has happened many times, in many places to me. One very special moment was singing, for the first time, in the Galway Cathedral in Ireland with the Bach Festival Tour – here I was, standing on the ground of my ancestors, singing an “Irish Blessing” that I wrote, with the chorus and orchestra behind me – it was just overwhelming. To have my Dad in the audience, six months before he passed away, has added to the sweetness of that memory.

What are your future plans as a classical performer?

Who knows what the future may bring! All I know is that I don’t ever like to shut any doors of opportunity. I have been singing and playing music my whole life, and I don’t see any reason why I’d ever quit doing that—it’s just too much fun, and food for my soul!

For more information please contact Molly at molly@mollyconole.com