I have been called a lot of different things in my 26 short years:
Dancer, Soprano, Stage Animal, Southern Girl, Most Likely to Succeed, Stage Addict, Valedictorian, Winner, Loser, Chava, Poopsie, Sister, Favorite, Na-na....and now...
Mom remembers when she decided what my full name would be. She was sitting on the swing, herself and her 7-month-round pregnant belly, when it came to her. I would be named Maria Kate Fleming, a graceful combination of family names and heritage. Kate for short.
Up until I began graduate school at Peabody Conservatory, I never felt so strongly about using my entire name. Sure, people knew that I went by my middle name, and I made sure my high school diploma included the whole thing. But it wasn't until I moved farther away from home and into adulthood that I made the decision.
I announced at our first opera department informational meeting, "Hi, my name is Maria Kate. Both names are my first name. It's a southern thing!" I waited for the response. Did it work? Did they believe me? Was I bluffing? It felt a little strange, this altered self. Nervous laughs and mumbled comments greeted me. I was certain this distinction would give me an edge. Who would remember just plain ol' "Kate"?
As I'd suspected, the questions followed: "Is it okay if I call you just Maria?" or "Do you know the Olsen twins? Haha, you know, like Mary-Kate? That's your name, right?" Yes, truly, everybody's a comedian! I put a great amount of effort into clarifying what I wanted to be called: Maria Kate, all four syllables, no hyphen, just a two-in-one like Betty Sue or Jamie Lynn or Minnie Mouse. All the corrections finally caught on, and I suddenly had a new identity. I created a new me, separate, yet connected to my Mississippi home.
I plastered my new name, my real name, on my resumes, audition applications, and assignments. Trying my hardest to get comfortable hearing more than one syllable, I made no exceptions, until...
I formed close friendships with some of my colleagues. Something didn't feel right. I was acting as if this new label had to come with a new angle on life, with even higher expectations than before. The me I knew tap danced and wrote silly poems and ate fried food and twirled a baton. Maria Kate had to be more professional, more unique, more focused, more everything! But maybe not more me. Eventually, I requested that my buddies call me just Kate.
Four years later, the verdict is still out. All 6 syllables of my full name remain as my professional name, and I will always be Maria Kate to some directors, teachers, and colleagues. Lately, though, in this post-grad/p
re-full-time-career existence, I find myself reaching out to a new hand, unsure of what will come out. So...let's see...
Hi. It's nice to meet you. You can just call me Kate.
Up until I began graduate school at Peabody Conservatory, I never felt so strongly about using my entire name. Sure, people knew that I went by my middle name, and I made sure my high school diploma included the whole thing. But it wasn't until I moved farther away from home and into adulthood that I made the decision.
I announced at our first opera department informational meeting, "Hi, my name is Maria Kate. Both names are my first name. It's a southern thing!" I waited for the response. Did it work? Did they believe me? Was I bluffing? It felt a little strange, this altered self. Nervous laughs and mumbled comments greeted me. I was certain this distinction would give me an edge. Who would remember just plain ol' "Kate"?
As I'd suspected, the questions followed: "Is it okay if I call you just Maria?" or "Do you know the Olsen twins? Haha, you know, like Mary-Kate? That's your name, right?" Yes, truly, everybody's a comedian! I put a great amount of effort into clarifying what I wanted to be called: Maria Kate, all four syllables, no hyphen, just a two-in-one like Betty Sue or Jamie Lynn or Minnie Mouse. All the corrections finally caught on, and I suddenly had a new identity. I created a new me, separate, yet connected to my Mississippi home.
I plastered my new name, my real name, on my resumes, audition applications, and assignments. Trying my hardest to get comfortable hearing more than one syllable, I made no exceptions, until...
I formed close friendships with some of my colleagues. Something didn't feel right. I was acting as if this new label had to come with a new angle on life, with even higher expectations than before. The me I knew tap danced and wrote silly poems and ate fried food and twirled a baton. Maria Kate had to be more professional, more unique, more focused, more everything! But maybe not more me. Eventually, I requested that my buddies call me just Kate.
Four years later, the verdict is still out. All 6 syllables of my full name remain as my professional name, and I will always be Maria Kate to some directors, teachers, and colleagues. Lately, though, in this post-grad/p
re-full-time-career existence, I find myself reaching out to a new hand, unsure of what will come out. So...let's see...Hi. It's nice to meet you. You can just call me Kate.
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