From Homeless to Singing Opera

From homeless to singing opera — "it's like a fantasy come true."

Transcript

00:00Thank you, thank you, thank you kindly, thank you, thank you, thank you kindly.

00:11This story is about hopelessness and despair, and that's how I felt.

00:31Wow, it's like a fantasy come true, you know, how many people get to sing in an opera

00:36who aren't, you know, graduates of an opera program.

00:40I live in Breaking Ground because I'm among the mixed population.

00:43You know, they have low-income, homeless, and people in rehab.

00:48But I did lose my home years ago when the rent was increased by $600 a month.

00:55So you can imagine, and I lived in that home for 21 years.

01:00We live in a city where one in eight people struggle to put food on their table,

01:05and a city where over 61,000 people are using the shelter system.

01:11And the more we can shed a light on the problem, the more we can raise awareness about the problem.

01:26And it tells the story of Amal, who is a disabled boy living with his widowed mother.

01:31One night they are visited by the three magi who stop at their house for shelter

01:36on their way to meet the baby Jesus.

01:39I jumped at the opportunity to be a participant in this, being that I just love classical music.

01:46I never went to soup kitchens in 82.

01:50I went around the street, and I did buy myself a saxophone.

01:55And I played saxophone on the streets here in New York City.

01:59I hope people take away that homeless people are no different than you or I,

02:05and some are just way more talented than me.

02:07Just because they have homelessness in their past is not going to stop them from doing anything

02:14and becoming a better person.

02:16And I hope people take away that homeless people are no different than you or I,

02:22and some are just way more talented than me.

02:25Just because they have homelessness in their past is not going to stop them from doing anything

02:30and becoming the best person that they can be in the future.

02:33I think many people tend to treat the homeless or the poor as invisible,

02:38and this gives us reason to reevaluate that and to look at our neighbors in the eye

02:44and sing with them and experience this great piece of music with them.

02:49People often think that when you're homeless, it's really hopeless.

02:52That's just not the truth.

02:54We provide them the services they need.

02:56They're singing choruses.