No, this is not your dentist preparing you for a root canal. You are a voice student at the Shepherd School of Music, preparing to sing an aria. The aria is long, the high notes scary. And though not painful like your dentist's drilling procedure, the process is just as meticulous, just as detailed. First and foremost, you must know your craft.
Health is the second big factor.
It's an athletic endeavor. Third is that indescribable thing referred to as charisma. It takes a certain kind of personality or magnetism to draw people to you. But preparing for an operatic career involves more than just a good voice. The opera program at Rice trains voice students not only to sing but to act, dress up in costume and move about the stage.