Ms Druzhinina was very helpful when I wrote to her to tell her I was looking for a treble to cast the role of
Tom Kitten in my children’s opera,
‘The Roly Poly Pudding.’ She identified her student, Alex C,
To fill the part, taught him the part and the role, had him observe the behavior of cats and watch a cartoon based on the same Beatrix Potter story so he would understand how the scene fit into the story, warmed him up before each rehearsal, and attended the rehearsal with him to be sure he was comfortable and knew what to do.

She is an exceptionally devoted teacher and, as a result,
Alex was absolutely perfect: he was professional and seemed to enjoy the experience of singing the premiere of a brand new piece alongside adult professional musicians, took direction well, and interacted well with the other singers in their roles, which is a credit to him, his family, and his wonderful teacher.
I’m looking forward to our next opportunity to work together on another performance.