Michigan native Sarah Bauer cannot remember a time when she wasn’t singing. Bauer is a Shreveport Opera artist in-residence and loves being in the spotlight. Audiences can look forward to seeing Bauer in a variety of roles for the 66th season of the Shreveport Opera. Bauer will be on stage again Oct. 4 but this time at St. George’s Episcopal Church in Bossier City as part of the church’s Masterworks Series. The concert is free and open to the public.

Q: How did your career in music begin? Bauer: I was always singing when I was young, but I think I credit most of my musical training to playing French horn until I went to college [about 10 years]. By the time I was a senior in high school, I was a drum major in marching band, played horn in band and orchestra, sang in choir and show choir, and took both French horn and singing lessons. After doing all of that, it seemed like I should give a career in music a try, so I went to college for voice performance, and now here we are.

Q. When did you know that you would be able to make a career out of singing professionally? Bauer: This question cracks me up because I honestly still don’t know if I will be able to make a career of singing professionally. I have the most popular voice type in a field that is kind of difficult to break into, so even at this point, there is no guarantee that I will ‘make it.’ But that won’t keep me from giving every bit of time and effort that I can to this career for the time being.

Q. How long have you been singing? Bauer: Voice lessons: about 10 years. But I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t singing.

Q. Do you ever get stage fright? How do you deal with that? Bauer: Stage fright focuses me and makes me feel alive; I love the adrenaline. If I am ever actually scared, it means that I am not adequately prepared. Feeling nothing is also bad because it means I don’t care about that performance, and I won’t perform at my best. For me, the best way to overcome stage fright is to trust my own preparation and to trust that I belong there and I have something worth offering.

Q. What do you like the most about being a resident artist with the Shreveport Opera? Bauer: Where do I begin? The company is wonderful to work for, and the community is incredibly supportive. Shreveport Opera has deep roots in the community and has been around for a long time; we are in the 66th season. I believe strongly in the outreach that we do within the community. For instance, we perform two operas for children, which have good morals (importance of being kind and tolerant, the importance of not bullying, etc.), but we also educate about what we do as performers and musicians. Opera is for everyone, and I love helping to spread that message.

Q. What has been your favorite role so far with the Shreveport Opera and why? Bauer: I played a small role last year, called a comprimario role, that was really fun because I got to play a catty, gossipy townsgirl. The character, Giannetta, was different from the young, dewy-eyed maidens that my voice type usually demands, and it was fun to mix it up. I am also looking forward to playing one of the wicked stepsisters in ‘Cinderella’ in April, for similar reasons.

Q. after Shreveport, where will you travel next? Bauer: I don’t know, yet! In America, opera singers are basically contractors, so they bounce around a bit. Next year’s auditions haven’t happened yet, so I and my colleagues don’t know where we will be after Shreveport Opera’s season ends in May.

Q. How many languages do you know?

Bauer: I have studied French, German, Italian and Spanish. I have also learned how to sing in Czech and Portuguese. I am not fluent in any of them, so I continue to work on the first three mentioned. Most operas are in those first three languages, and increasingly English, so singers try to focus on learning as much of those as possible. Many of my colleagues are bilingual because it is a major advantage in this field.

Q. Is it a struggle being away from family? How do you deal with it?

Bauer: It can be difficult; the hardest part is being away from my boyfriend of four years, but we respect each other and want the other person to be able to pursue their dreams. Skype is the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Q. What are your hopes for your future in opera?

Bauer: Pretty simple: I would like to make a good living from solo singing, while continuing to travel and learn new things about people and the world.

Q. Do you sing in the shower? If, so what do you sing?

Bauer: I actually don’t sing a great deal in the shower. If I do, I am often warming up, or it is because I heard a song from somewhere else, and I just can’t get it out of my head. We’ve been listening to a lot of Beyoncé in the car lately though, so you can guess what I’ve been singing lately.