I made an appeal last week to those of you in young artist programs to share what were your challenges and reward’s this summer in your studies. Having just given a class via Skype for the St. Andrews opera program, I was definitely having flashbacks to my own summer program experiences. It is summer vacation…
Sit down with a sheet of paper and a pen. Now remember the last time you sang publicly. Write down what you said you yourself before you sang. Now write down what you said to yourself afterwards. You might have told other people even what you thought of your performance, you can write that down…
Deja vu all over again. As I’m heading into production week again for a show I see history repeating itself. You see, it seems I’ve lived long enough and been lucky/hard working enough to have figured out a number of things about life, me and how to feel good and be mostly happy. There is…
“Please Sir, Can I have some more?” This was notoriously asked by the poor orphan in Dickens “Oliver”. His life was changed forever when he uttered that phrase. This month I’m intending to do the same thing. I’m going to ask for more of what I want. I’m going to call it the Oliver Way,…
I start but I can’t finish! I want to practice my singing. I want to make a new audition package for opera work. I want to contact orchestra conductors too and develop my concert career. I even have a conductor to contact and I have his card in my hand. Day after day, I do…
When you go into an audition what are you looking for from the panel? Do you hope to be hired? Do you want them to like you? Do you wish to impress? Sing your best? All things I have thought on many occasions. Have you thought that if you just want it enough you can…
“I think the key is that some people go into looking at it like it is a competition….if you go into it with the perspective that this is a platform, this is an opportunity and I’m going to use this to my advantage and you go in focusing on performing your best and competing with…
Amneris Complex or in colloquial terms “Waiting for the other singers to die so I’m the only one left to hire” Often as a professional singer, I hear my colleagues of a younger age discuss how competitive the field is. And it isn’t just in the operatic field, as I teach at a college for…
