You better work!

The current economic state presents opera singers with the challenge of being gainfully employed throughout the year. In the good times, singers had to hustle to be employed full-time, but now it seems that more and more singers are struggling to find work. So what does a singer do to ensure that they can spend more time singing and less time worrying?

A change of attitude towards the business is necessary. Take a look at the number of singers you know who are working. If you can name ten, that means that it is possible and you can release the belief that there isn't enough work. Next a singer must accept that they are the CEO of their own product. The singer has to know what their brand is and where it fits into the market. Are you a sexy Mozart singer? Are a you a dramatic voice with an imposing frame? Are you a singer who can play comedy well? It takes the fach categorization one step further. We have to discover our niche in an over-crowded field and how we stand out.

If you are an independent singer, you have to think of yourself as your own agent. Now this can be tricky as those in power are much more comfortable working with agents versus artists. However, artists who have a comfortable relationship with an opera company should be able to talk fairly openly with the company about audition feedback and possible casting choices.
When you have a relationship with a company it's important to keep them informed. Opera companies hear from singers every day. Some are singers they know, some are unknown, some they really love, some they like, but have nothing for (yes this does really happen) and some who seem to not make an impression. It's not uncommon for the powers that be to have thousands of singers in their database (or heads) and a simple e-mail or postcard letting them know what you are doing puts you in their consciousness and let's them see that you are working (and worth hiring.)

The other thing we can do is always be amazing. This is the hardest part, but knowing how competitive this field is, why would we not give ourselves every advantage? Every time we get a chance to sing in public, it should be as if we are performing at the highest level and think that a job could come out of it (and there are times that this does happen.)

Just like Heidi Klum says "Somedays you're in, somedays you're out." Opera is a fickle business so that means we need to be prepared for anything. As the CEO of Opera Singer Extraordinaire Inc., we have to keep our business ahead of the game, competitive and offering a product that is amazing, interesting and one that people want.

Peace,
Eric