by George Varga / © 2022, The San Diego Union-Tribune. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Andrea Bocelli, attorney at law?
Before he became a global sensation as the top-selling opera singer in history, the Italian superstar earned his law degree at the University of Pisa and worked as a public defender.
Bocelli’s switch from litigation to librettos came only after the blind singer [had] decided his heart was in singing, not in analyzing affidavits.
“I studied law, in part, giving in to my father’s insistence,” he elaborated in an email interview from his home near Pisa. “But I’m happy to have pursued these studies because law is a fundamental field for everyone, as it proposes rules for human coexistence.”
Bocelli, 63, used a Braille computer and translation software for his law school studies. By night, he sang and played in piano bars.
Dealing with criticism
[Bocelli] pays little heed to scathing reviews from opera critics, who have panned his voice, phrasing and musical approach.
“In the life of every artist, there are positive and negative reviews—it’s part of the game,” said Bocelli.
“Early in my career, I must admit that a few criticisms—those that were not constructive or were poisoned with prejudgment—had at times upset me. But if I were truly worried about reviews, I would have opted for other professions. I am serene and accept with gratitude every critique, even negative or very negative, as long as it’s made with intellectual honesty.”
‘Pitfalls of show business’
Andrea Bocelli stressed that he has never pressured his two sons and daughter to follow in his footsteps.
“All three of my children were brought up studying and playing music, precisely because I think it is an important part of one’s education, a priceless foundation for the development of the human spirit,” Bocelli said.
“I never, however, encouraged them to take it on as a profession, also because I know all too well the pitfalls of show business.”
...
Visit The San Diego Union-Tribune online.
