From the MRW Water Cooler:
Q: Dear Mike,
In one of your episodes you launched into a rather well-sung rendition of “Vecchia zimarra” from “La Boheme.” I’m an opera singer and voice teacher, and immediately recognized your excellent diction and lovely bass/baritone voice. Where did you train, and did you ever sing opera professionally? Also, for heaven’s sake, how does one begin with Puccini and end up scraping ostrich barf out of buckets?
I would love to know more. — V. Hart
It’s been a crooked road for sure.
Most of my career choices have been motivated by my interest in doing a particular thing at a particular time. No master plan. Sometimes, those choices were made as a means to an end. The Opera for instance, provided me with my union card, as well as an unprecedented opportunity to meet girls. Eventually, I began to appreciate the music, but that was not my objective going in. Likewise, QVC presented an excellent opportunity to learn the details of live TV, and work in an industry that was in its infancy, but clearly destined for wild success. I had no great love for the industry, but had the time of my life nevertheless.
Along the way, there have been game shows, talk shows, reality shows, infomercials, tons of narration, local TV, writing gigs, consulting gigs, and all sorts of other silliness that might surprise you.
In the end though, it’s all ostrich vomit in the bottom of a bucket, and I’ve been scraping it clean for sometime. At long last, I did it literally.
Mike
Dear Mr. Rowe,
My comment has absolutely nothing to do with opera (although I can talk endlessly about my favourite opera – Borodin’s ‘Prince Igor’) or your lovely bass / baritone voice (although you undoubtedly have one). I just wanted to say a big ‘thank you’ for making me laugh, a skill that is greatly underappreciated today. Woody Allen’s words come to mind: “I am thankful for laughter, except when milk comes out of my nose.”
I live in Serbia. It is currently 2:57 am here and I am translating (I am an English translator and interpreter) a rather difficult interview with a Serbian film director. I am so tired, so fed up with the interview itself which is pretentious and too long and I need something to cheer me up and fill me up with enough energy to keep me going. I still have 7 more pages to translate. So, I go to your Facebook page, play a video clip of you reading an excerpt from ’50 shades of grime’ while lying in your bathtub and wearing jeans and I laugh so much that my facial muscles still feel numb. You are my ‘go-to-man’ when I need a quick pick me up. O, God, this sounds wrong! As if I were a drug addict, and you my dealer. Anyhow, I blame it on wee hours of the morning. As they say, I have reached that age when my brain went from “you probably shouldn’t say that” to “What the hell! Let’s see what happens”.
All the best! And keep those jokes and great Facebook posts coming.
Snezana
Anyhow, keep up with the good work whatever you do
Dear Mike..
Remember, a new beginning can be a great thing!