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A Stroke of … Scenius?

Posted byMezzoid Voice StudioPosted increativity, ExpressivityTags:, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I just came across the term “scenius” a few  months ago in a blogpost – I’m not sure where. I thought it might be Seth Godin, but I didn’t find it.

Scenius is defined as “communal genius” that occurs in scenes rather than genes. It was created by musician Brian Eno and is intended to convey the extreme creativity that is fostered in groups of like-minded people who work together to inspire, facilitate, and create, rather than as something attributable to One Great Genius. More information about the concept may be found here and here.

I am fortunate to have been and to be in several of these kinds of groups.

  • Wisconsin NATS
  • MDDC NATS
  • The Speakeasy Cooperative
  • The Creative’s Workshop
    and of course
  • Mezzoid Voice Studio (both in its Milwaukee and present incarnations)

This past year, I have been inspired to bring on board guests to help serve my students in their development. We’ve had Lissa deGuzman, Richard Carsey, Ryan Cappleman, Amanda Kaiser, and Matt Bender come in and offer people new perspectives on performing. We’ve initiated studio classes to dive further into Curiously Strong Performing, with every participant eager to support and contribute to the greater good of the studio.

And I’m looking forward to an upcoming project for World Voice Day, April 16, which, since it falls on a Friday, I plan to celebrate for the entire weekend, thereby making it:

In addition to a concert already planned for WVD itself (which I’m in the process of organizing), I am planning to host a variety of new and returning experts in voice (classical, musical theater, pop, and acting) in Q&As, workshops, masterclasses, and whatever else I can think of.

More information will be forthcoming as I actually know it because this came to me yesterday. And I’m going to be working with people to flesh this out and, if we’re successful, to repeating this again next year and the year after (when WVD also will fall on a weekend day).

Looking forward to working with my  students and compatriots  scenius to make this a reality.

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If you’re interested in being a part of World Voice Weekend, please contact me and we’ll talk about the possibilities!

Published by Mezzoid Voice Studio

Christine Thomas-O'Meally, a mezzo soprano and voice teacher currently based in the Baltimore-DC area, has performed everything from the motets of J.S. Bach to the melodies of Irving Berlin to the minimalism of Philip Glass. As an opera singer and actress, she has appeared with companies such as Charm City Players, Spotlighters Theatre, Chicago Opera Theater, Opera Theater of Northern Virginia, Opera North, the Washington Savoyards, In Tandem Theatre, Windfall Theater, The Young Victorian Theater of Baltimore, and Skylight Opera Theatre. She created the role of The Woman in Red in Dominick Argento’s Dream of Valentino in its world premiere with the Washington Opera and Mary Pickersgill in O'er the Ramparts at its world premiere during the Bicentennial of Battle of Baltimore at the Community College of Baltimore County. Other roles include Mrs. Paroo in Music Man, Mother Abbess in Sound of Music, Dorabella in Cosi Fan Tutte, Marcellina in Le Nozze di Figaro, both Hansel and the Witch in Hansel & Gretel, and many roles in Gilbert & Sullivan operettas. Her performance as the Housekeeper in Man of La Mancha was honored with a WATCH award nomination. Ms. Thomas-O'Meally received an M.M. in vocal performance from the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. She regularly attends master classes and workshops in both performance and vocal pedagogy, and is certified in all three Levels of Somatic Voicework™ The LoVetri Method. Her students have performed on national and international tours of Broadway productions, at prestigious conservatories, and in regional theater throughout the country.

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