Meet CA-based Artist Alyssa Wills
Alyssa Wills is a Westminster, CA-based classical singer. Check out her personal website and The Sparrow Initiative, and contact her at singinlyssie [at] gmail.com.
CATHOLIC ARTIST CONNECTION: Where are you from originally, and what brought you to your current city?
I am originally from the Orange County area in CA. Although I always assumed I'd end up in a bigger city like New York or Los Angeles, job opportunities always brought me back here.
I am a classical singer with my own performing group, The Sparrow Initiative. We partner with other nonprofits to create unique recitals and concerts for them to help raise awareness and raise funds for their cause. We are also in the process of producing an opera based on the life of Joan of Arc.
How do understand your vocation as a Catholic artist?
As a Catholic working in the arts, I believe my mission is to use beauty to direct hearts to God. What I sing or write does not need to be overtly religious, but if my intention is to glorify God through it and to bring a little bit of light or joy into the world in the small way that I can, I think I am acting as a Catholic artist.
Where have you found support in the Church for your vocation as an artist?
A few years ago, I attended the Given Institute's leadership forum for Catholic women. This conference was absolutely life changing for me and helped shape and guide how I see my vocation. Women from all walks of life - religious sisters, mothers, artists, lawyers, doctors - gathered to share their experiences living out their faith in their individual vocations, and I cannot recommend the experience enough!
How can the Church be more welcoming to artists?
I feel like dioceses and parishes could do more to seek out and promote good art. So many churches have gotten stuck in a rut singing the same music from fifty years ago when there are so many talented Catholic artists that have new music to contribute. I think there could be opportunities to showcase Catholic art and music through special events in the diocese, and the Church should want to promote new beauty as a means of bringing more people into her fold.
How can the artistic world be more welcoming to artists of faith?
I think the artistic world could be more welcoming to artists of faith by not assuming that everyone in the room comes from the same liberal, atheistic perspective that is prevalent in the arts right now. The amount of times that I have been in a rehearsal and a disparaging comment or joke is made about Catholics and Christians is pretty disheartening. If secular artists could give the same level of respect and nondiscrimination to people of faith that they give to people of any other background, it would create an atmosphere that could be more productive and welcoming to the creative contribution that artists of faith can bring to the process.
Where in your city do you regularly find spiritual fulfillment?
I sing at St. Mary's by the Sea in Huntington Beach every Sunday. The parish demographic is on the older side, but it is a welcoming and tight-knit community, and I really love that they have weekly adoration. This coming year, I'm helping to start up a young adult Bible study group to hopefully create a sense of community for the younger members of the parish.
What is your daily spiritual practice?
I start my day with a rosary and daily offering to hopefully center myself on God for everything I need to do, and then I end my day with some spiritual reading, either the Bible or a spiritual book. Some recent favorites include He Leadeth Me by Fr. Ciszek, Prudence by Fr. Gregory Pine, and I Believe in Love by Fr. D'Elbee.
Describe a recent day in which you were most completely living out your vocation as an artist.
A recent (and pretty typical) day in which I lived out my vocation as an artist included spending the morning programming my upcoming Christmas concert and editing a promotional video for my Joan of Arc opera, teaching singing classes in the afternoon, and then coming home to practice music for the concert in the evening. What brings me the most joy is creating something new with the concert programming or bringing Joan of Arc to life, along with that moment when things click during a practice session and I find the freedom in my voice to express the music the way I envision it.
How do you financially support yourself as an artist?
I am able to financially support myself mostly through teaching. I work at a nearby arts school where I am able to make a living helping young singers find their voices. I definitely consider teaching to be part of my vocation as an artist, as well. I also make money singing at church and picking up gigs when possible. Most of my jobs I have found through connections and friendships I made during undergrad and grad school.
Currently, I am searching for grant opportunities and fundraising that could help me be able to focus more time and energy on The Sparrow Initiative and the Joan of Arc opera. If anyone out there has any suggestions or leads on grants for Catholic artists, let me know!
What are your top pieces of advice for Catholic artists post-graduation?
Pray a lot and go to adoration frequently so that you are able to recognize the Lord's voice when He is trying to lead you somewhere.
Be practical and take the jobs that you can get, but take note of what your heart really wants and consider how you might achieve that (journaling is very helpful), so if an opportunity arises, you are ready to follow it.
Be flexible in your plans and be ready to let go of the expectations yourself, others, or just the industry have placed on you. God calls us in unexpected ways, and His plans do not always look the way we, or anyone else, envision them.
Keep Romans 8:28 close to your heart.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28 (NIV)