{"id":31162,"date":"2019-07-22T13:57:14","date_gmt":"2019-07-22T17:57:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/college.unc.edu\/?p=31162"},"modified":"2024-07-02T17:12:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-02T17:12:05","slug":"tar-heels-in-the-field-melody-zhou","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/?p=31162","title":{"rendered":"Tar Heels in the Field: Melody Zhou"},"content":{"rendered":"

Experiential learning is an important way for students to gain hands-on experience in their chosen fields. This summer, budding musicians, environmental researchers, public servants, journalists and more are jumping headfirst into internships and programs.<\/em><\/p>\n

After switching her music major focus from piano to vocal performance, rising Carolina senior Melody Zhuo is spending her summer performing Italian operas in Italy.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Melody
Melody Zhuo sings opera, accompanied by a pianist, on stage in Italy as part of the Si Parla, Si Canta program, which trains young musicians in Italian language, repertoire, culture and musical style.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\n
\n
\n

Melody Zhuo\u2019s affinity for music appeared early in life. She learned to play the piano at an age when most kids are just beginning to learn their ABCs. But it was originally only a hobby.<\/p>\n

\u201cI got my English name Melody because when I was very little I liked to dance, and I started playing piano when I was four,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ve always loved music. I think it\u2019s integral to our daily lives, and it really brings people together in very meaningful, powerful ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

She didn\u2019t even really know she could sing until she arrived at Carolina to study music a few years ago. She initially focused her undergraduate studies on the piano, but attending musicals at Carolina Performing Arts<\/a> inspired her to try voice lessons with UNC-Chapel Hill lecturer Timothy Sparks.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe announced to me in a lesson one day that she had \u2018an idea\u2019 for her future study as a music major \u2026 to switch her focus from piano to voice,\u201d Sparks said. \u201cMelody possesses a beautiful, full lyric soprano voice with real potential to pursue a professional singing career, and it is exciting to witness her steady artistic growth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, the summer before her senior year, Zhuo is performing in operas for audiences across Italy, singing some of Giacomo Puccini\u2019s most famous compositions.<\/p>\n

The Tar Heel\u2019s talent earned her a spot in the prestigious 2019\u00a0Si Parla, Si Canta\u00a0<\/em>program, which trains young musicians in Italian language, repertoire, culture and musical style.<\/p>\n

With financial support from the Center for Global Initiatives<\/a>, she traveled to Arona, Italy, where she is spending eight weeks developing the endurance and discipline necessary to perform with a professional company.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rehearsals can be grueling, but I\u2019m learning so much about my own singing, as well as how to come alive on stage, because it really is about bringing forth the story and creating something meaningful for the audience,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s been very rewarding, both emotionally and artistically. I\u2019m really starting to see what the highest level could be and what I could aspire to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between daily Italian language classes, vocal coaching sessions and performances at hospitals, churches, theaters and orchestra halls, Zhuo is getting to know a new group of peers from around the world, including several internationally acclaimed musicians.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m learning how to be freer and more confident on stage, interacting with fellow singers versus just sitting behind a keyboard,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s a different experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

At first, her vocal performances in Italy came with some nerves and self-doubt. But the daily practice helped Zhuo overcome her fears. Now when she steps on stage, whether in a serious role in Suor Angelica\u00a0<\/em>or a comedic role in Gianni Schicchi<\/em>, she does so with confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne takeaway I have lately is that confidence comes from doing,\u201d she said. \u201cMusic making is always imperfect. If it\u2019s perfect, it might as well be engineered. It\u2019s not about messing up. It\u2019s just about performing my best at every single show and sharing something from heart to heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

After graduation, Zhuo plans to pursue graduate studies in music and audition for a young artist program \u2014 doors she credits Carolina for opening through the opportunity to learn in Italy this summer and harnessing her newfound passion for vocal performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have really enjoyed becoming stronger as a person through this experience,\u201d she said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know I was capable of surpassing those challenges and pushing past what I thought my limits were.\u201d<\/p>\n

By Emilie Poplett, University Communications<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

After switching her music major focus from piano to vocal performance, rising Carolina senior Melody Zhuo is spending her summer performing Italian operas in Italy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":31163,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,15,29,33,21,34,18],"tags":[24,25,26,192,557,558,559,560,118,36,37,38,39,40,561],"class_list":["post-31162","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-fine-arts-humanities","category-general","category-media-news","category-news","category-news-archive","category-undergraduate-education","tag-carolina","tag-college-of-arts-sciences","tag-college-of-arts-and-sciences","tag-department-of-music","tag-experiential-learning","tag-internships","tag-melody-zhuo","tag-music-major","tag-tar-heels","tag-unc","tag-unc-arts-and-sciences","tag-unc-college-of-arts-and-sciences","tag-unc-chapel-hill","tag-university-of-north-carolina-at-chapel-hill","tag-voice-major"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31162"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31162\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":49464,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31162\/revisions\/49464"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/31163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/collegearchive.unc.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}