He's known in opera circles as Top Gunn (quoted from a fan website) and half-naked Nathan Gunn and naked Nathan Gunn. Here's why:
Oh yeah - he sings good, too. His 2007 album, Just Before Sunrise, is a collection of mild and mellow songs from "living composers" as he put it on the liner notes. I didn't like all the songs at first, but on numerous plays I have been brainwashed into liking them. Or is it his voice that I like? Dunno, but either way the desired result was achieved.
You've got to wonder what kind of ego a person like this sports. Is he humble and grateful for his gift, or is he arrogant and tempermental? I don't suppose I'll ever know even though his home base is only 40 miles from mine. I don't hang in the operatic world and I'm pretty sure he doesn't hang in the police world, so I doubt we'll ever cross paths.
Having said that, he owes me. And to quote a right wing idiot that I hate (take that, Glenn Beck) I'll tell you how I got there. I have six kids, two girls, four boys (and the boys include two sets of twins). After slogging along I have managed to put them all through college (thanks to their good grades, Pell grants and William Ford loans), three of them through the University of Illinois. Nathan Gunn is a U of I alumni and a current professor of voice there. (I would hate to be his student since he's probably only able to actually teach like 6 days a year with his performance schedule. My son's professor's teaching assistants did all the heavy lifting when they were in college and I imagine the same is true for the college of music, but I digress.)
Having three kids at the U of I ain't cheap, even with grants, scholarships and loans. They have lived everywhere from the six-pack and Lundgren Hall to private apartments (on 1st Street) and houses (on Chalmers) and the book fees alone are enough to choke a horse, not even counting their horse-like eating habits (and not including the annual testical festival which my vet son cooked for each year) . So I'm figuring that with one son a veterinarian - that's 4 years of undergrad tuition and 4 years of grad school; one son an engineer - add on 4 years there; and the other son a liberal artist - add on 4 more, that is a total of 16 years of tuition, fees, room and board at the good old U of I. I OWN him, or more specifically I own his office space at the very least. I'm sure if I were to seek out his office, there would probably be a plaque mounted on the wall nearby with my name as the generous donor.
Hence the title of this post - he should love me if only for the nice little office he occupies.
5 comments:
Nathan is a very humble, down to earth sort of guy. You would feel very comfortable meeting him and I am sure that he would give you the time to talk even with his hectic schedule.You probably already know that he has five children with on set of twins (who BTW just celebrated their 7th birthday by visiting Disney World with their parents). He and his wife are making a big positive impact on the school of music. His fame, as limited as it might be, has not changed him. He is a great father & husband. I am sure that he would admire your sacrifices to educate your children.
Dear Anonymous,
You sound like you might know Nathan well – thanks for your comments. I was hoping he would be humble enough to recognize that genes can get you so far, but his talent and form are surely gifts from above.
I’m also thrilled to hear that he and his wife are able to pump up the school of music. I know the program was not considered fantastic years ago when we were looking at one of our kids going there, so I’m sure their contributions could have only made it better.
I would love to meet him someday but unless he and/or his wife do something more local (Krannert or Chicago/St. Louis) I doubt our paths will cross. As I’m in Champaign a lot (season Illini basketball/football tickets courtesy of the kid alumni) there is always the off chance that we might meet at the custard cup or Biaggi’s, or maybe even at the Marketplace Mall food court. Can you imagine that? I’d probably have a heart attack. Note to self: take camera with you on every outing in C-U just in case.
I’m not sure he’d admire me for my kids hard work, but I hope he would admire them. They are the ones that deserve it. I still own his office, though, ‘cause I’m the one who had to pay and I’ve declared it my little chunk of the U of I. Come to think of it, I own a small piece of Millikin University (one alumni from there so it’s probably just a small janitorial closet) and a slightly bigger piece of Southern Illinois University (two alumni there and they both took the five year plan, so it’s probably a small foyer or maybe even one of the local bars), but the biggest chunk is definitely U of I territory.
Here’s hoping that someday soon I will cross paths with the Gunnster (as another opera fan has coined him) if only to say thanks for not letting fame go to your head. Oh, yeah, and thanks for that beautiful voice.
Now if he’d only record an album of Broadway songs (Oh, What a Beautiful Morning or Tonight or If Ever I Would Leave You – yes, I saw that performance and OMG was he great) I could die happy.
I agree about the plaque. I'm still waiting for the drink the man owes me for all that free publicity - re: the gagillion youtube videos and playlists I've put up, the blog entries telling people to leave the man alone and so on. You'll get your plaque when I get my drink!
And thanks for the roundabout credit on the "Gunnster" nickname. Opera Chic wasn't so courteous when she used it. (meaning, I had to give her a what-fer, lol)
Nathan is the exact opposite of arrogant and tempermental. He is one of the kindest and most down-to-earth people I have ever met - and he has a great sense of humor! :)
It seems I am the only person who hasn't met this guy.
I am happy to hear that he is nice - it's really hard to find out your idols have feet of clay.
Thanks for your comment - I look forward to someday experiencing his sense of humor in person if I'm lucky enough.
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