What kind of music did you grow up with and was opera in the mix early on?

I grew up with a very diverse range of music in my life. Mum and Dad love the crooners and musical icons of days gone by – Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Vera Lynn and Nat King Cole. There is quite a big age gap between myself and my older brother and sister and as a little kid I loved going through their CD collection when they would go out and listening to whatever new music they had bought (I’m sure they were less than impressed). My sister had a long-term love affair with Barbra Streisand and I was fascinated by the sound of her voice and trying to emulate it as a kid. Being from North Queensland there was also a healthy dose of country music in the mix too. I think I was the one that primarily brought classical music into the household, and my love for opera began with the first opera I heard which was Carmen, in primary school. I loved the melodies, the incredibly exciting sound of the orchestra, and the drama of the story. I wanted to know about...