Not many children can claim a vocal performance debut in front of an audience at the age of four, however, Tamara (Tammy) Black and her three-year-old brother, Rich, sang at their first wedding together at those tender ages. “My mother, Francine Black, is a career musician, and I grew up singing every day,” Tammy recalls. “My dad is also a singer, and we would sing in four-part harmony together. I grew up singing in church and in school, but church was my primary singing experience, where I was heavily involved with choir and musicals for children at Carmichaels United Methodist Church in Western Pennsylvania.”
At the age of thirteen Tammy’s family moved to Barto, PA, where she attended the Boyertown School District and was actively involved in music programs throughout her time there. Her career choice was never a decision, rather a continuation of what she had always done. “I don’t know that I ever consciously decided on a career in music; what else would I do; that is what I do, that is why I am here.”
Tammy enrolled at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, where she majored in voice performance, and then on to Temple University, where she majored in voice performance, pedagogy, and opera. She notes that some of the most memorable performance opportunities happened during her college years.
“My undergraduate school was affiliated around the Spoleto festivals which are known around the world and connected to Italy and composer Gian Carlo Menotti who founded the festival. He was the composer of Amahl and the Night Visitors and many other operas, and I was able to participate from the age of 19 in the opera chorus and get smaller roles in the operas.” These were monumental experiences for the young vocalist who had her sights set on traveling the world to sing opera. “We also had the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall with The Orchestra of St. Lukes with pianist George Shearing.”
Following these exciting college experiences, the transition to the real world of auditions was “really hard” for the young performer. “I came home from college, and to support myself I got a day job and continued studying before going to grad school. Typical for the age of 23, I fell in love, got married and had babies. When my first child was born, I decided that I was not leaving him to travel for auditions and performances. I was going to be there for his first steps, and his first tooth. I knew that I would not leave him alone. I didn’t really like being away that much, living out of suitcase. I spent a few years teaching private voice lessons and around the time we started the opera company I got a divorce. Sometimes the best career move isn’t always the best move.”
During this time of transition, Tammy pieced together a livelihood in music, as many musicians are very familiar with. “I was teaching privately and running the opera company, I had a church job, and several gigs in New Jersey, western PA, and the tri-state area. I was also teaching at Blue Mountain Academy, and made guest appearances and served as an adjunct clinician for Columbia Online Teachers College. I was not going too far, because I had to be there for my children, while hustling hard to support my family.” As time passed things began to fall into place. “In 2009 we had the 501c3 for Berks Opera Company and I began teaching part-time at Albright in 2011.”
Today, Tammy Black serves as Senior Instructor of Music at Albright College where she has been for the past 15 years. “I teach all of the music theory, and co-teach voice with Jeff Lentz. I also teach music industry courses and run the opera of the year. We partner with Berks Opera Company where I am the Artistic Director and co-founder of the opera company with my dear mother, Francine Black.”
Tammy retains the same desire to remain connected to her family, which has now grown to include two young grandchildren, while remaining close to her home in Reading. She has been able to create a fulfilling life doing what she loves most while inspiring others with her passion for opera. Her work at Albright College and with Berks Opera Company has paved the way for the art of opera to become available to a diverse audience in Berks County.
In her work with Olivet Boys & Girls Club, a 501c3 non-profit in Reading, she has the opportunity to work with inner-city children who attend summer camps each year, and has enjoyed a very receptive audience while introducing the art form. “It has been extremely rewarding as an educational tool. Opera is so educational in so many ways; history, language, emotion, awareness, sociology. It offers something from every category of knowledge in the liberal arts, and I can use it as a tool. An example is singing about a delicious dessert; it gave me the opportunity to talk about foods of different cultures. It is a fascinating way to introduce culture and history, peoples’ habits and traditions.”
Music and the arts provide ample opportunities to bring cultures together to create a better understanding and appreciation of one another. A recent performance of The Bear Prince, a collaboration between Berks Opera Company and the Reading Public Museum, was proof that the art of opera is blossoming in our area. The show filled the Neag Planetarium with seven sold out performances. The Mexican folk tale was performed in half English and half Spanish, and the audience was a diverse mixture of both cultures.
Tammy’s work in Berks County has help build bridges through her passion for opera. Her decision to stay rooted in her homeplace has surely been a gift to our community!
To learn more about Berks Opera Company visit www.berksopera.org.
