How an intentional audition process led one classical voice major to the "Christmas at Belmont" stage
Javi Castro’s journey to Belmont began at his very first audition, which was unlike any he had been to before.
“Say your audition is at 10 a.m.,” he explained. “At other schools, you show up at 9:40; you walk into a room; you sing; you leave.”
“At Belmont,” he continued, "it's a full day event, and we want to make sure students have the best audition experience. Our faculty is super friendly. The audition is in a classroom. It’s less stress inducing, and you just show your potential. I think that's what really stood out about Belmont: that we have a really good audition day.”
Castro now serves as the president of CMPA audition days, creating a full-circle moment in his Belmont journey.
Beyond the unique audition process, the care from voice professors also sealed the deal. “What did it for me was when I asked my now-teacher, Dr. Mark Whatley, for a sample lesson,” Castro recalled. “The first thing he said was, ‘You sing with your tongue back.’”
While some would find this upsetting for a first meeting, this comment is what made Belmont click for Castro. “That’s what I need,” he said. “I need constructive criticism. He said that I have a great voice, but there were things he wanted to work on with me. I did the same thing at other schools, and they just said I sounded great and that I’d be a great asset to their program. That felt very disingenuous, and I have no regrets [about choosing Belmont].”
The Belmont Experience
Castro is a junior classical voice major singing in his third “Christmas at Belmont.” During the performance, he will sing with Chorale, Belmont’s flagship classical choral ensemble. He is also a member of Opera Theatre, which performs two operas per year as part of the classical voice program.
Along with one-on-one instruction, Castro receives feedback from ensemble instructors so each piece can be its absolute best. Dr. Jeffrey Ames, director of Chorale and artistic director for “Christmas at Belmont,” has made a lasting impact.
“Dr. Ames is truly such a wonderful musician,” said Castro. “But he's also a great mentor, teacher and friend. We all just have so much respect for him. Going to class, you want to do your best for him because he really puts so much work and effort into us. We're a Chorale family, and he really keeps that alive.”
Now in his third year in the program, Castro is busy preparing for the biggest “Christmas at Belmont” yet. The production plays a major role in the lives of all CMPA students. Many students decide to attend Belmont because they grew up watching “Christmas at Belmont” on TV, and the chance to have their performance filmed and distributed by a major streaming service is a highlight of the Belmont experience.
The show also gives students experience in learning the differences between performing live and creating a production for the camera. “As a classical voice major who normally doesn’t even sing with mics on stage, I’m going to learn about cameras and b-roll and protocol about no speaking or no clapping or reshooting,” said Castro. “I think that’s going to be really cool.”
Ensembles spend weeks on their “Christmas at Belmont” pieces. They work tirelessly to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. While multiple takes may be needed, they are ready to make sure that the live performance is perfect enough for a single take.
“It really says something when our tickets sell out in 45 minutes,” said Castro. “It just speaks volumes. The Nashville community is really excited for this.”
Beyond the local community, a global audience will tune in to the production when it is livestreamed on Amazon Music’s Twitch channel and Prime Video Dec. 11, and becomes available the rest of the holiday season.
Learn more today.