
Tomorrow will be the first of September 2015 and for me signifies the beginning of my final undergraduate year here at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The last three years have been a whirlwind of exciting experiences, technical discoveries and personal development. Though I have learnt so much from the fantastic teachers that have coached me I know that this is just the beginning, as they have also ignited within me the desire to explore this fantastic art, this wondrous world of opera that so captivates me.

I have so much to do in the coming weeks from preparing my application for a Master’s degree, to carefully selecting my audition repertoire and managing my concert and recital bookings for the coming year.
Looking back over the last three years I remember my excitement at the prospect of joining the RCS and preparing for leaving home for the first time. Walking through the doors on my first day full of wonder and anticipation of what was to come, engulfing my senses with the sounds and smells as I walked through the corridors full of new faces. Smiling to myself as I thought that this is exactly where I wanted to be.
Now three years later I enter my final year relishing the challenges ahead, new repertoire to master, opportunities to search out and decisions to make. I know that I will be helped and encouraged to make the best of my time here, stretching myself and pursuing my dreams to one day perform the operas that I love on the great stages of the world.
It has been so much fun to share my time here with you all, your support and comments have helped and encouraged me to believe in myself and to work hard to achieve my dreams.
Hello, looks like you and me are in the same boat; I’m starting my final year, doing my Foundation Degree at my Drama school in London. Hopefully, with a little bit of luck, I’ll be doing an extra year and receive a BA Hons. I wish you all the best of luck for this school year at the RCS. It’s nice to see someone who’s into the arts too. 🙂
A final year is always exciting, good luck to you, what are you hoping to do next.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Thank you. 🙂 I’m unsure – I’ll carry on with my blog as usual, and I’ll either start my acting career or find a job as one of those historic tour guides, acting in castles and palaces like Hampton Court. What are you hoping to achieve after graduation? 🙂
Our historic tour guide was brilliant it makes such a difference to the tour ☺️. I hope your dreams come true.
I’m hoping to continue my studies, auditions start this November, and I’d like to try to get some more stage experience.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Ah … one short year … and what will follow next? Something bigger, better and of course … beautiful 😀
I hope so 😀. Thanks for your encouragement Cheryl.
Best wishes
Charlotte
So excited for you Charlotte, and you will have your Masters before long. It has been a pleasure to watch you grow, and bless many people with the opera, and your wonderful gift of singing. The Lord will continue to bless you, because you put Him first in your life. Just keep the faith, run the race, and finish the course, then there will be the crown of righteousness awaiting you. May the Lord bless you richly my beloved.
Got to get through auditions first Rev. Tim. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed sharing my progress. I never quite know what’s coming next ☺️.
My best wishes
Charlotte
Charlotte thank you, happy to meet you and follow you. Thank you the time you took to share your experiences.
Very proud of you, and ready to continue to support you and help you if possible.
You are a fabulous person, a wonderful singer. All the best for you!
Happy to meet you too Pascal, Facebook makes the world much smaller. Thank you for your support and encouragement it means a lot.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Much luck in the final year then on to even bigger wonderful things Charlotte! Your USA fan and friend. Cheryl
Thanks Cheryl, I had a fabulous summer school and met many fabulous American artists, I’d love to sing in the USA one day.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Hello Charlotte, I hope one day to see you here. The New York Metropolitan Opera would be a marvelous venue. We are cheering you along. Cheryl
How exciting. May this year find your opportunities as plentiful as the sunshine around you when you smile. Audiences await who have yet to experience your gifts and there are new worlds for you to conquer. Brava, old soul, young star!
Thank you so much Annette for your lovely encouragement.
My best wishes
Charlotte
are you planning on graduate school, or to seek out performance opportunities when you graduate ?
I’m hoping to go on to graduate school Bill, my application has to be in by the end of this month, auditions are in November/December; I’m hoping to line up performance opportunities around my educational commitments too.
Best wishes
Charlotte
drop me an email at bill_gncs at hotmail dot com — I’ll share some insight two friends of mine in the business mentioned the other day. Small world… one friend is a performer who just got her Phd in conducting.
Great, cheers Bill, will do.
All the best
Charlotte
You’re going to do wonderfully! It’s so exciting to reach these milestones. I’m excited for your future! xx
Thanks Elizabeth, it’s a big time of change, what to do next? Exciting.
Best wishes
Charlotte
The last year goes by so quickly. Hope you remember to enjoy it.
If it’s anything like the last three years it will be over in a blink, I will remember to enjoy my time John.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Time flies by so quickly, I remember you leaving for Glasgow and it seems like just yesterday! I’m wishing and hoping all your dreams are fulfilled😘😘
Thanks Gill 🙂 busy planning at the mo.
Best wishes
Charlotte
My heart misses its beat with that smile of yours. By captivating the heart you capture the audience.
Thanks Paul, it’s so important to have the audience with you during a performance.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Best of luck with your studies and the application for a Masters Degree. Sent with a big cheer from me and much love. Clare x
Thank you for the big cheer and love Clare, my heads full of plans, I treated myself to a new diary last week to start to timetable myself and keep a track of all the deadlines I have. Auditions are always an anxious time for most people.
All my best wishes x
Charlotte
I am sure you will do amazingly well.
With love,
Clare x
Glad to hear that it’s going to be onward and upward. Congratulations. I am sure all your hard work will pay off.
I hope so Don I couldn’t do anymore than I do 🙂 My Mum saw my outline plans at the weekend and took a big red pen to scratch some out, for some reason I have to leave time for the laundry! Lol.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Thank you for sharing your journey with us. You have grown not only in your talent but also as a beautiful young woman. I wish you all the best as you go forward and realize more exciting times ahead. The world is your oyster. Blessings!
Thank you Janice and especially for keeping in touch, I always love to see your smile and read your encouraging messages. It’s been super reading about your journey too. Congratulations on the success of your books.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Thank you, Charlotte! You are a special and talented and lovely young lady! It is my pleasure to know! Xo
So excited for you and the start of a new year of challenges and new experiences. Go get them Charlotte!
Thank you Darlene, I’ll try my best.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Reblogged this on GUM: Growing up Millennial.
Best wishes as you begin your final year! I can’t believe it’s been three years since I began following your blog and reading about all of your amazing experiences. Have a wonderful year!
Thank you Deb the time is flying, I loved reading your heart-warming post about Ben wonderful news.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I’ve enjoyed your blog since I started following you, I’ve learned a lot of music history from you, plus I’ve found a new appreciation of music from you as well.
I sincerely hope that you keep your blog going for a long time, it’s one blog that I always make time to read.
Thank you for sharing so much of your journey with us all.
Thank you Colin for your lovely message. I’ve had such a busy schedule this summer I’ve only been able to post once each week but I hope to continue as I enjoy reading my comments and reading other blogs it’s so valuable to me as a person. Thank you for joining the journey with me.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Exactly what Colin Noel-Johnson said. 🙂 It’s exciting to watch and listen to you, your talent and your zest for the journey. Like Colin, I’ve learned plenty of music history from you. I’ve also become reacquainted with opera in general and certain specific operas. As a writer and editor, I especially admire the clarity and contagious enthusiasm of your writing. I hope your future includes writing about music as well as performing it.
Thank you Susanna, one of the reasons I started my blog was to improve my writing as essays are a big part of my course. I’m very enthusiastic about what I do and I always get asked “will you do cross-over or pop music when you’ve finished your training” but there is so much wonderful traditional classical music and new compositions to sing I want to bring people with me on my journey, not just do what everyone else does, so yes I hope to continue.
Best wishes
Charlotte
We’re all cheering for you.
Yay, I could wish for nothing better 🙂
Best wishes
Charlotte
How exciting! Good luck with your master application!!!
Thank you I’ve been working on my personal statement (4000 characters including spaces), writing it, re-writing it. I’m bottling up the good luck messages thank you.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Wow!! 4K words. Good luck to you….
Rooting for you in all your future successes as a vibrant light of culture.
you’re 3 yards in and you’re considering 3 yards more? you might be ll the way into music – if you keep this up! 😀 and you’ve three years more if not the rest of your life to charm me into finding an opera i like…one that is actually opera none of this rock opera stuff either – cheats the point :D. good luck and purdy pictures. go C!
I think you would have enjoyed watching me as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel it’s a good fun opera and the music is sublime. I must ask my Dad if his video clip is good enough to put on line to share a bit of it. Thank you for the luck.
Best wishes
Charlotte
It has been 18 moths since I found you on line, when you were competing on ArtistSignal, and I am so glad that I did. I have enjoyed following your adventure and appreciated being able to see your professional development.
Good luck, Charlotte, in all you do at RCS. I hope that the next year is one in which you achieve all that your heart is set on. I’ll be watching.
Thank you Terry, I’ll never forget you were my top voter in that competition you even beat my Nana:) I learnt a lot from that adventure.
I should know by January if I’ve been offered a place on a Master’s course which is my next target. I’m hoping to get some new recordings too soon.
Best wishes
Charlotte
I am so happy for you & proud of you. Take care.
Thank you Eric you take care too.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Just a quick note to say thank you for liking my fiction series, Flying Home!
You’re most welcome I liked your idea for the story.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Thank you! It’ll be back tomorrow 🙂
All the best for another wonderful year, Charlotte!
Thank you Arti, I need lots of luck this year .
Best wishes
Charlotte
I am so glad you are enjoying the journey, Charlotte. So many student are just fixated on the end goal and forget to have fun along the way. Treasure every moment of this coming year – it will go by in the blink of an eye!
Thanks Noelle, my plan is flexible, when something gets thrown at me out of the blue it makes me feel like fate is stepping in to guide me and thank goodness it does, most of the time the end goal seems so far away. I’ll remember to treasure my time thanks for the reminder.
Best wishes
Charlotte
First, let me say that I absolutely love that first photo of you! Congratulations on reaching another milestone on your journey. I think it’s so wonderful when one finds what they love and can pursue it. Wishing you all the best in your pursuits. 🙂 <3
Thank you Linda, the photo was taken by a photographer on the cruise I was trying to get some head shots along with some family pictures we had together.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Well done, your determination will get you where you want to be! All the best, Charlotte. <3 Iris
I hope so Iris; I read an article today from sinfinimusic which was a wake-up call for training singers. I’m going to need lots of luck and stamina as well as determination.
Best wishes
Charlotte
Good luck… you will do well. Great photos
Thanks Philip lovely to hear from you, hope you and the family are well.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
Hi Char, loved this blog ,best of luck for the coming year.xx
Glad you enjoyed it, feeling positive. I’ve been working hard on some projects for Dad, as well as keeping up with my singing, not long now until teaching starts yay.
All my best wishes
Charlotte
A beautiful post to start the day today, with great music (love the Soundcloud track accompanying me) and wish you a great coming year. My guess it will be another year of exciting experiences and more discoveries and development into your music and life. Take care and continue the adventure 🙂
Thank you Randall, I’m on the look-out for opportunities all the time, I can’t wait to see what this year brings.
Ps keep up with your lovely posts they are truly inspirational.
Best wishes
Charlotte
🙂 I have a feeling it will be another great year for you ~ take care!
It goes by so fast, doesn’t it? Enjoy your last year as an undergrad, and good luck with your applications! 🙂
Thanks Stephanie,
Best wishes
Charlotte