The guest speaker for this week was Amanda Hick. She is an opera performer and had formal education in music. One thing I noticed is how passionate and in love she is with her art form. I think that she is by far the most bubbly and animated guest we have had thus far. Hick showed us the progression of opera music through the baroque, classical, and romantic  time periods. During the classical period, Mozart was one of the best composers and composed 20 operas before his death. His skills as a musician brought operas to a wider audience. Over decades and centuries, opera singing began to focus more on the expression and range of the singer, rather than the singer supporting instruments. Orchestras grew in size to increase the dramatic effect of their music, with ballet performance in the background. More parts were added to performance to create a ‘back and forth’ and expanded the opera to a three part aria. If I can become this passionate about something, then I think my life would be complete. Amanda perfectly embodies what I consider to be a true artist, on that loves her art with her soul, truly an inspiration.