Author Archives: Classical Singer
Full Court Press: How to Get Press Coverage
From the June online issue of Classical Singer magazine, freelance fundraiser Amanda Keil gives some insights and tips on extending your press coverage. “What is your relationship to The New York Times?” my colleague breathlessly asked me. Within eight months, all three of my company’s performances had earned reviews and/or a spot in the coveted Times’ event listings. Even the show in a dive bar. I was just as surprised as my colleague. As for my connection to … Continue reading
Dressed for Success
Are you dressed for success? In a past article of Classical Singer magazine, we claimed this basic rule: Avoid wearing any clothing, hairstyle, or accessory that would make an audience member uncomfortable or draw an audience member’s (or in private lessons, your teacher’s) attention away from your face or your singing. Here are 13 other audition attire tips as you get ready to #AchieveGreatness!: 1. Most importantly, consider your general hygiene. “Be clean, well-kempt, and smell good,” said … Continue reading
Prepping for Your Fall Auditions
It may be April now, but the Fall audition season will be here before you know it. As actively auditioning singers, especially at the university and YAP level, we need to create our own version of off-season training, so that when fall rolls around, we are already performing at a high level. Where should you start this off-season process? I’d suggest a very no-nonsense, in-depth assessment of your previous audition season. You may have received feedback from some of … Continue reading
Cross-Culture Competence
It is often said that music is a universal language. Few would argue, however, that music is a universal culture-especially not singers who have lived and worked overseas. These singers know that successful international careers require not only high levels of vocal artistry, but also high levels of cross-cultural competence. Awareness How does one develop cross-cultural competence? The first basic step is to recognize that despite globalization, significant differences among cultures persist and that “different” doesn’t equate to … Continue reading
Owning Your Next Audition
My father was a businessman and, aside from being very supportive of my career, he was not involved in the music business at all. A piece of advice he gave me about interviews, however, has informed a lot of advice I have given over the years about auditioning. A huge disclaimer here is that I never was very good about following this advice when I was a singer! In any case, his advice to me was, “When you’re in … Continue reading
Sexual Harassment on the U.S. Opera stage
Identifying sexual harassment and knowing how to deal with it when it does happen is a tricky business, especially in the opera industry. A stage director, the president of AGMA, and singers offer their experiences and advice here. She was singing the role of Despina; he was singing Don Alfonso. The soprano recalls: “He’d hold a ‘hello’ hug a little bit too long, and he’d kiss me on the cheek way too close to my lips. He’d ‘accidentally’ touch … Continue reading
Time Management – The Article You Don’t Have Time to Read
Do you have trouble finding time in the day for everything on your list? Or perhaps you find it difficult to stay focused on what’s most important to accomplish your great ideas? Find a variety of methods to help you use your time more efficiently while working toward your bigger, long-term goals. As entrepreneurs, we are our own bosses. No one is telling us what to do and no one is as invested in our own success as we are. … Continue reading
How Not to Be the Singer Behaving Badly
Last month, I shared some horror stories about certain singers’ inappropriate sense of entitlement and resulting bad behavior, inspired by comments gleaned from colleagues’ posts on Facebook, the virtual teacher’s lounge of the 21st century. This month we answer the more important questions: What can you do to make sure you aren’t falling into a trap of bad behavior? How can you project confidence and professionalism without coming across as arrogant? Here are a few things to think about. Have … Continue reading
Singers Behaving Badly
Facebook has become the virtual teacher’s lounge of the 21st century. Inspired by a post from Fort Worth Opera’s Managing Director and Artistic Administrator Keith Wolfe about the arrogance and entitlement of certain young artists, I asked for input from other administrators, teachers, and singers about their experiences with entitlement, particularly in the younger crowd. Every generation likes to complain about those that come after; it’s often a big joke. “Kids today have it so easy. I walked to … Continue reading
Summer Program Highlights – Part 3
The January issue of Classical Singer highlights summer programs, and here is a sneak peek at some of the great articles you’ll be able to read. We asked summer program directors to share highlights of their 2012 program and tell us what to watch for in 2013. If you attended a summer program in 2012, please take our Summer Programs Survey. Lyric Opera Studio Weimar (LOSW) is a comprehensive opera training program designed for emerging professional singers considering … Continue reading
