Friday Feature

Meet Amy Foote. She is kind of amazing. Her energy fills the room and her voice will move your soul. She is part of an ensemble that tours and records. She is working on her own site and teaches voice in San Francisco.

Her passion in every area of her life inspires me. She is one of the most fully present and honest people I know. I am grateful to call her a friend!

I asked her a few fun questions. Enjoy!

Who inspires you?

Sometimes I have the privilege of witnessing someone perform completely unadorned of ego, the desire to impress, or with selfish intentions. Some people perform because they have a deep desire to connect with other humans on a level that even Kant couldn't really wrap his mind around. A few people I admire have made a meaningful connection with their audiences by connecting art with politics (hans verner henze), through communicating with 200 year old operatic stories (patricia racette), and sometimes through being 8 years old and singing a cover of David Bowie (seriously though...I teach a lot of kids...and they can perform like the best of them!).

What is your favorite thing to create?

I love to create (or perform) music that makes people think about something they haven't considered before (avante guard/ chamber music). I also love to write and perform folk songs with my autoharp because simplicity is comforting...and it makes my mom smile. :)

How did you get into singing?

I've been singing since I was able to romp around the house pretending to be the Little Mermaid. It's been quite an adventure from that, to singing in church, going to undergraduate school, and finally ending up in graduate school where I finally got my shit together and realized that I don't want singing to be just for fun...want I want it to be my job. I started taking singing a lot more seriously once I got to the graduate level and realized that not only is the classical world extremely competitive, but it also can be extremely powerful if performed well. I'd like to be a person that is known for communicating well. :)

If you could be anywhere in the world when you wake up in the morning, where would you be?

Paris...preferably somewhere close to IRCAM. However....now that they've banned burkas and are kicking out all those gypsies, I just don't know anymore!!!

What excites you about life?

Meeting new people that have a completely different background than me (whether they're rich, homeless, foreign, or from the south [ha!]), yet noticing that we have an awful lot in common. I also get really excited about the MOMA, dancing, learning new songs, doing handstands, and being near squirrels.