“Singing Should be Joy”
As Villa Musica’s new male voice teacher, Humberto Borboa’s arrival to our faculty has been highly anticipated. Originally from Mexicali, Baja California, Humberto has performed in many operas and productions around the United States and Mexico. While he enjoys singing mostly classical music, he loves listening to almost any genre of music, from salsa to latin jazz to rock to trova. He has performed both lead and supporting roles and has a diverse educational background that has brought him to where he is today. Read more about his accolades on his faculty page https://villamusica.org/product/humberto-borboa/
His journey to become an opera singer was not linear. He was first drawn to the drumset, then to the guitar, where his focus naturally shifted toward singing. Clearly musical, one of his high school teachers invited him to join an opera chorus when he was 16 or 17. The operatic singing he saw that day awed him. He left behind the ideas of being a lawyer, or a chef, and let himself dream of being an opera singer.
When faced with questions and doubts about his career as a musician, Humberto simply states, “My goal was always to just make a living out of music. People often think success
means you have to be a soloist, that you have to be with the New York Philharmonic to be a ‘musician’. But I also think that it is really admirable to just be able to make a living, in whatever genre, whether you are teaching or performing in multiple gigs. To just keep making music wherever the road takes me is enough.”
Humberto’s attitude about a career in music aligns quite perfectly with our mission at Villa Musica. While we want to be able to give students the opportunity to be the soloist at the philharmonic (and with amazing faculty like Humberto, we sure do!), we also want to give the space to come and try out music in any capacity. To be able to, just as Humberto does, give them the opportunity to make a living through music.
Humberto, disappointed that we weren’t initially hiring, finally decided to send in his application anyway. When the position became available, he was overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement. “But when I found [Villa Musica], it was not necessarily a way to give back to the community, but at the same time it was. Villa Musica is a great community of artists and local talent who are willing to share their knowledge to help people thrive as human beings, and I was ready to be apart of it.”
Humberto as Borsa in Rigoletto with the San Diego Opera (right)
Now that he is apart of the Villa Musica community, we are also just as excited! Humberto is ready to build his studio and share his expertise with our students. Actively trying to create a safe space and a relaxed atmosphere in his studio, he encourages his students to find their voice and not worry about making mistakes in lessons. “Here [in my studio] it is a safe space because your system needs to get used to this technical way of singing. It is also a space where I can help you learn how to be an artist, I will push you to the best of your abilities, to be musical, to be an artist, to enjoy yourself.”
Teaching is one of the ways that he achieves his goal of being a musician. His favorite teaching moment is when his students have a moment of realization or epiphany. “When something finally clicks in switching bad habits into healthy singing. In that moment they realize, to see the awe in their faces, that yeah, it is that easy. It makes me happy as a teacher to see people enjoying themselves, because singing is a joy.”
We would like to formally welcome Humberto Borboa to our faculty, and we hope that you take a moment to say hello to him the next time he is in the lobby or to ask him what kind of soup is his favorite (he tells me that even though he is from one of the hottest cities in Mexico, he will eat soup year long). The Villa Music community is so excited to have Humberto and his joy for singing within our walls! Sign up for lessons with him to share this joy and to learn the beautiful art form of singing. https://villamusica.org/product/private-lessons-initial/