Opera man: singer hones 'hobby with a goal' in Naples - Biography

Airman, Dec, 2003 by Chuck Roberts

As a 2-year-old, Manny Martinez would climb onto the family recliner and perform for his mom such crooner classics as "Moon River" by Andy Williams and other mellow melodies by artists such as Perry Como and Julio Iglesias.

During one such performance, he fell and smacked his head on the the floor of their living room in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. But despite such a bumpy start that left him with a scar above his right eye, Martinez continued to pursue his love of music.

The journey brought him to Naples, Italy, where the 32-year-old master sergeant is assigned as the noncommissioned officer in charge of personnel programs at Detachment 2, U.S. Air Forces in Europe Mission Support Squadron.

For many, an upcoming assignment to Naples is a source of dread after listening to co-workers quick to color it with stereotypes of petty crime and trash. But Martinez met the news with unbridled excitement. Naples was the perfect place to continue a "singing and travel habit" after beginning his Air Force resume with tours at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.; Bitburg Air Base, Germany; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Izmir Air Base, Turkey; and Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

"I would not be able to do all this without the Air Force," Martinez said of the opportunity he's had to further his singing development. "It was the Air Force that brought me here, and I'm thankful for that."

The Naples connection

In Naples, he discovered a love for this historically blessed city whose pulse and energy match the same enthusiasm Martinez brings to the office each day. But perhaps more importantly, he also came upon the person who has both focused and furthered his love of singing.

Through friends, he heard about Jeanette Taylor-Sciurba, a retired British opera singer who teaches from her home on the grounds of Christ Church, a tranquil oasis located smack in the middle of chaotic Naples. She invited Martinez to stop by and sing for her.

So the newcomer to Naples "plowed" his way downtown for the rendezvous. Taylor-Sciurba, a friendly, straightforward woman, assessed Martinez to have a "good natural voice," but told him a "natural voice does not have the discipline to use it in an operatic style for the long term. You've got what it takes; you've just got to work on it."

Martinez was only too happy to renew his commitment to a musical pursuit that had steadily progressed both before and after he joined the Air Force.

The early years

From the family recliner, a young Martinez advanced to the church choir where he was promoted from choir boy to cantor when, as a 17-year-old, he jokingly made fun of the church's incumbent cantor. His friend and church organ player, Frank DeProspo, dared him to step up and offer his services instead.

A cantor coup didn't ensue. Instead Martinez was chosen as cantor for noon mass until he joined the Air Force in 1988. He joined for reasons commonly heard: looking for an opportunity for something different, not ready for college and wanting an independent lifestyle away from his family.

Despite his intention to serve four years and get out, he re-enlisted and relocated to Germany, Utah and Turkey where he sang in church choirs. It was during his next assignment at Spangdahlem where his singing moved into a higher gear by responding to an ad from a local woman offering voice lessons.

It was there that Martinez tuned into a world of singing in French, German and Italian while learning to appreciate the historical period of musical masterpieces. He was selected to sing in the chorus when Handel's "Messiah" was performed in the Bitburg Chapel by professional American and German opera singers.

Although his love of music had reached new heights, his expectations were, and still remain, planted firmly on the ground.

A modest proposal

"I'm a rookie," he said, in a self-assessment of his operatic abilities. "If I tried to sing at the San Carlo Theater opera house, I would be booed and have tomatoes thrown at me."

His teacher, Taylor-Sciurba, who performed in that grand Neapolitan edifice during her career, offers a kindlier, gentler viewpoint.

"Manny's got a lovely, natural voice. He's a lucky boy," she said before their weekly Monday practice. "If only he would practice a little more, who knows if he could use it after his Air Force career," she chided with a friendly smile. Others also notice when Martinez skips his homework. His Italian landlords enjoy his evening studies and question him if they haven't heard his voice after a few days.

His German neighbor also would question Martinez about his absent voice, explaining that his wife enjoyed listening. She enjoyed it so much in fact, that Martinez flew to Germany to sing at their wedding. He's done likewise at five others.

Nothing would please him more than steady doses of practice. Martinez said it would be "awesome" to increase his hour-and-a-half weekly lesson to three times a week, but honing his baritone voice competes with an Air Force career and the pursuit of a degree in human resources management. The average duration for operatic voice study in Italy is eight years.