Features
Prof Talk with . . . Lydia Hamessley
By Robert Marston ’17
November 3, 2016
Tags features
Position: Professor of Music
At Hamilton since: 1991
What music did you listen to in high school and college?
Well, I sometimes confess to my classes that I loved The Carpenters when I was in high school and college, and I still do. Karen’s voice was amazing, and Richard had a great talent for cool arrangements that seemed sort of classically influenced. I also loved The Moody Blues album Days of Future Past. And I first discovered Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” in high school.
You teach a class on opera. What tips would you give someone who wants to get into opera but is daunted? Is there an accessible opera you would recommend to a beginner?
Just think of it as a musical with more constant singing! Probably start with Carmen by Bizet because students will recognize a lot of the music in it. And La Bohème by Puccini (on which the musical Rent was loosely based) is always a favorite. You’ll have a good cry with that one.
You’re writing a book on Dolly Parton. Why her?
The University of Illinois Press approached me about writing a book about Dolly for their Women Composers series, and I jumped at the chance. I’ve always liked her. I watched her when she was on The Porter Wagoner Show on TV in the 60s, and I was excited to have a reason to delve into her songs. I also loved the idea that in this particular series she was to be considered a composer with all the associations that brings.
Does this mean you have to listen to all 43 Dolly Parton albums?
I think of it as I get to, not have to, listen to all her albums. I worked through them chronologically, and it’s been fun to discover terrific songs that few people, except her most ardent fans, know. I’ve watched all her movies and as many TV appearances and interviews as I can find (in addition to a ton of reading). I’ve also gone to two live concerts (fabulous) and I even went to Dollywood! The more I learn about her, the more complex I find her music. I hope to get to interview her for my book; fingers crossed.
What is something you know now that you wish you had known when you were 20?
I wish I’d known that you’ll have more happiness and do more good in the world if you don’t change yourself unduly for other people. Figure out who you are and what you want, and find people who share those values, not the other way around.
What talent or skill don’t you possess that you wish you did?
I’m an okay tennis player, but I wish I was a lot better. I’d like a stronger serve and more reliable ground strokes. I know where I want to put the ball, but I can’t always pull it off.
What do you like about teaching?
I love it when I see a student have that “a-ha” moment and is genuinely excited to learn something that they’d previously not understood or not realized that there was more to the subject than they thought. My most favorite teaching is with non-majors. Students without much background in music often think they “can’t talk about music.” I really enjoy helping them find the vocabulary and understanding for what they already know and hear intuitively.
What would make you happy on an average day at Hamilton?
It sounds corny, but hearing students say “thank you” at the end of a class and really mean it because they’ve gotten excited about the music and ideas we covered.