Managing an opera life while parenting an autistic child

The tenor Lawrence Brownlee has given a gentle, self-aware interview to Fathering magazine on how to maintain a life on the international stage with the needs of a challenging child at home.

I travel about 9 months a year. I talk to my agent to schedule as much time as I can at home without hurting my career. But if you’re in this business, you have to be out and about so people will see you.

I do hate leaving my wife and kids. I’ve missed so many milestones, especially my son with his special needs. I’ll come home and I’m amazed at some of the things he can do, but I see the struggles he had as well. I tell my wife I wish I could sing in all of these important theaters and come home at night — that would be ideal. If somebody from Star Trek would really invent that teleporter where you could do what you do and still be home at night, that would be fantastic, but that’s not reality.

Read the full interview here.