Chastised!

Did you ever do something that you thought was a nice thing, only to have someone get mad? That's what happened to me recently.

When I was a super in Romeo last summer, I took photographs and a few 30 second videos at rehearsals. I posted them to Photobucket and told my contact at the office for the opera company about them. Actually if I recall I was given the ok to take the photos. She posted the links to the opera blog.

I was poking around my computer last week and found a few more that I hadn't previously posted. I uploaded one to photobucket and sent a message to the guy who played Romeo, to let him know they were there and to see if he wanted his own copy.

I got the following message from him yesterday:


When I first found out that there were videos on the web taken at rehearsals of R&J, I was mortified. You obviously don't realize how detrimental those types of things are to a performer. Those of us who sing for a living in major houses are constantly under watch to see where we as young singers are going vocally. The role of Romeo is a VERY big role and is a very difficult sing. That is why I chose to try it out in <>. It's a small company, very little exporsure and it was a safe place to try it out. When a video of a rehearsal surfaces, it gives those that judge and hire us a sneak peek in and they make their judgements based on a rehearsal, a place that is supposed to be "safe" as opposed to an actual performance when the performer can feel comfortable that all risks had already been taken in rehearsals. In rehearsals we can screw up and have a bad singing day and noone cares. No so if they are being recorded and put on the internet without our knowlege.

If an opera company takes any video or pictues during a rehearsal, they have to notify the singers and get their ok. Otherwise, they have a big lawsuit on their hands.

In the future, PLEASE don't record other performers in rehearsal unless they know about it and are ok with it.

No hard feelings, just thought you needed to know.

All my best and have a great Christmas!

*******************

Ok no hard feelings but you know what? I cried after reading that. Maybe I'm too sensitive, maybe I'm premenstrual, but I felt terrible. I obviously don't realize how detrimental these things are... Is it possible to write that to someone without it being mean?

Of course I deleted the entire Romeo folder from Photobucket and the few I had put up on Youtube. (They were marked private so they weren't out there for all to see.) I sent him a reply:

Wow, sorry, I had no idea. They're not on youtube or anywhere where anyone can find them... but of course I'll take them off photobucket.

Glad you're feeling better.

~Susan

and a few minutes later...

Hi again, I deleted all the contents of the folder from my photobucket account, and there's nothing on youtube. I also deleted my comment on your home page that mentions the videos.

Again, I am so sorry - I feel terrible. I had no idea. I'm just mortified that something I did with good intentions could potentially harm your (or anyone's) career... I'm so sorry... and of course I'll never do it again!


Have a nice holiday.

**************

Then I told Husband about it and mentioned that the promotions person had posted the links to those videos in the Official Opera Blog. He said that in his opinion, her doing so was essentially giving me permission to post them. He also pointed out that when "Romeo" signed the contract it probably said that the opera company can use photos and images... But I wasn't about to write a 3rd email to him. Perhaps if he replies... Which I doubt I will.

So much for being an opera fan - I thought I was doing something nice and instead apparently I was potentially harming his career. I mean that sort of for real and sort of sarcastically. I don't believe I have the power to affect his or anyone's career. If he's got the talent, a 30 second video isn't going to change someone's mind about him.