Watching the video of the guys coming into the airport in Malta made me think of what Ron Fair, the executive producer of Il Volo Takes Flight, said back in 2011 about their future: “when we come to the part where we have the screaming girls and then, you know, women fainting….I think so, but in the meantime we will make a lot of great music.” His prediction has come true, maybe even more than he expected. We have seen it over and over…the adulation of the crowds of fans wherever they go….from such humble beginnings to this level of fan adoration.
But back to Mr. Renis. When he discovered them while flipping through the channels, he was amazed at what he was hearing. He called Michele Torpedine and said that he had found something extraordinary and wondered if he would do a great project with him. Of course, he did. He said, “everything started on these late nights in front of the TV where Tony Renis and I realized that this was another important moment for music.” And so it began, and now we have come to the moment that Mr. Fair said would come.
How do celebrities manage it? Can they receive this outpouring of adoration wherever they go without its having a significant effect on them? Other celebs have reacted in various ways….often negatively. But negative is not in Il Volo vocabulary.
Only time will tell what the long term results will be, but we are confident that our guys intrinsic values will be maintained. It will be a challenge to be sure. Will they retain the humility that they have shown….the patience in greeting and interacting with the fans?…..the kindness they show to all from the very young to the very old? Can they keep up with the pace physically and emotionally? Being young helps, but there has to be more to it. They seem to take their physical health seriously as shown in the workouts at the gyms wherever they go. And we have seen evidence of attention to healthy diets. (Provided that too much Nutella isn’t detrimental.) They all have strong emotional ties to their families, who have been so faithful in staying up front in the boys’ lives, giving them support and continuing to be a positive influence. These things are important, but what really counts is who they basically are…what are they made of? What have they shown us in regard to that?
~They have proven to be adaptable to any situation into which they have been placed….they cope, they handle it admirably and they come up smiling (and singing.)
~They are devoted to their craft, continuing to study with their voice coach, because they want to be the best that they can be. Michele Torpedine: “They are three very willing individuals who work really hard. They are willing to face any type of sacrifice, because they want to make it.”
~They have had to be emotionally strong in order to survive the fast pace and variety of the situations into which they have been placed.
~They are ever optimistic. They have displayed joy and anticipation in doing whatever has been expected of them regardless of wherever in the world it might be.
These things don’t even include the degree of talent that they possess. They sing, they dance, they act—there seems to be no limit to what they are capable of.
So Tony, it would seem that your expectation of what they could accomplish was spot on. We can’t thank you enough for getting these wonderful young men on the way to a fabulous career. And we do mean “wonderful”….they fill us full of wonder every time we see and hear them. You got them started, and they have continued to grow and flourish just because of who they are...the meravigliosi men of Il Volo.