Before attending the Classical Singer Convention in Chicago this past May, I was feeling somewhat downtrodden about the business of singing. I had just finished school, did not have a job, had not gotten into a Young Artist Program, had more rejection letters than I could count, and felt lost without a plan. This feeling of uncertainty vanished, however, within the first few hours of the conference.
I am still processing through all the incredible new things I learned there. It was delightful to meet so many great singers and other professionals in our field. Every one of us had slightly different goals and were at different places in our lives. There were so many opportunities to sing, to network, to learn, to laugh, to play, to listen. Each activity offered something for attendees, regardless of career level or individual goals. Most of all, we left with a clearer
sense of direction and a better idea of the many possible ways to get where we want to be.
Off to a Memorable Start
The opening session kicked off the convention on Saturday morning. First, Classical Singer presented its 2009 Annual Awards to the Stage Director of the Year, Daniel Helfgot, whose list of credits includes over 200 productions, and to the Coach of the Year, Cliff Jackson, who humbly accepted his award while remarking that he still thinks of himself as an accompanist rather than a “collaborative pianist” because of how wonderful an instrument the voice is. The Teacher of the Year, Inci Bashar, was announced, but couldn’t arrive until the second day of the convention to receive her award. All three award winners presented classes throughout the convention.
Peter and Kathleen Van De Graaff then favored the audience with a duet from an Italian comic intermezzo. The couple has made a niche for themselves, traveling around the country performing these recently discovered Italian chamber operas written for as few as two performers. The Van De Graaffs really pepped up the room with their hilarious antics, and it’s no wonder their shows are in high demand.
The last half of the opening session consisted of a lecture from Mark Stoddard, who talked about the theme of this year’s convention, “Forget the Met.” His presentation included a handout and discussion of 50 venues other than the operatic stage where singers could perform
and get paid. I could feel the excitement in the room as he spoke, and saw many of the attendees smiling. The woman sitting next to me was the parent of a singer in the High School Competition, and I could see throughout Stoddard’s lecture that this mom’s fears about her daughter’s financial well-being as a musician were melting away.
Stoddard’s suggestions that we change our mindset about our profession really kicked off a new way of thinking that continued to buzz in conversations throughout the remainder of the weekend. A particularly interesting recommendation Stoddard made was that when introduced to a new person, instead of saying, “I’m an opera singer,” we should say, “I sing the most beautiful music in the world.”
I had the opportunity to test out Stoddard’s suggestion at a barbecue a close friend from college held that night to introduce me to her friends. I was astonished at the response to this statement—rather than a confused look, I got more questions, and I realized how many non-musicians appreciate what we do, and even long to have a singer’s kind of excitement in their own lives.
Audition Feedback Experience
“The Audition Feedback Experience was priceless,” noted soprano Melanie Cain about the opportunity provided to all Professional Track attendees to sing an audition before two industry professionals and then receive immediate verbal feedback on everything from presentation to materials.
“I know it sounds drastic,” she continued, “but I dare say it was life changing, if not career changing. I learned things I had not yet heard in my decade of schooling, and things I can not only bring into my own singing, but my students’ as well.”
I, too, felt like the Audition Feedback Experience was invaluable—to get comments back immediately helped me to evaluate my singing in the moment. My auditors gave me a list of arias they thought would be good for me and really helped me to understand where and what I should be singing. I now feel so much more confident about my upcoming fall auditions. Thinking of them as performances has given me a new frame of mind that will keep away all of the feelings of anxiety and inadequacy.
Professional Track Classes
The numerous sessions and masterclasses provided a wide variety of information, from the technical and health aspects in Dr. Robert Bastian’s “Debunking Singing Myths from a Medical Perspective,” to understanding movement in Maxine Davis’s Feldenkrais workshops, to making a recording in Jeremy Gerard’s “Everything You Need to Know to Record, Produce, Market, and Sell Your Professional CD,” to business methods in Dan Montez’s “How to Get Hired and Rehired: There’s a Lot of Room at the Top,” to the open question-and-answer session on the ins and outs of management with artistic managers Kristin Cowdin and Robert Mirshak.
Many singers I spoke with expressed that the classes taught at the convention were not covered in school in any way. I was surprised by how many of us felt like our educations did not prepare us for a career as a singer. We learned fundamentals of music, solidified our technique, and obtained valuable stage experience, but were completely unprepared for the business aspect of the singing world. The convention introduced us to that world, and many of the sessions addressed how we could become more adept at working this facet of our profession.
I really took Joan Dornemann’s advice to those present at her masterclass, “Unhappy experiences will help you more on the stage.” She explained that the disappointments we often face in this business and in life can be used as tools for our acting in a given aria.
When I sang for Bashar’s Teacher of the Year masterclass, she helped me with approaching my high notes in a way that made them feel as easy as pie. She was fantastic to work with, and each singer who worked with her sang more confidently and had a markedly better sound in a short period of time. Even more importantly, she made each singer feel as if they had an incredible voice and that improvements were simply an outgrowth of that talent.
This is just a small sampling of the many sessions available. My only negative issue with the entire convention was that there were too many great things to attend! Despite the difficult decision of which sessions to go to, I look forward to exchanging notes with new friends who went to some of the ones I missed.
Old Friends, New Friends
I ran into a good number of people that I’d met before, including former colleagues from college with whom I was out of touch, as well as some I’d met at summer programs years ago. It was nice to catch up with these singers and to hear where they are and what exciting things they are doing with their careers.
One of these singers, Jenny Vanella, a friend from my undergraduate days, participated in the convention’s University Competition and College Expo with the goal of preparing for graduate school auditions. She remarked that this program “really made me see where I am prepared and where my weaknesses are regarding the next step in my education. Not to mention, if you used your time wisely, it was a fantastic way to network.” The exhibition room had representatives from excellent colleges all over the country and provided a means for students to expand their horizons.
One-on-One Time with the Experts
I signed up for two One-on-Ones in addition to the One-on-One that was part of the Audition Feedback Experience. I first spent 15 minutes talking with Kathleen Van De Graaff. She spoke with me about creating performance opportunities. She even e-mailed me after the convention with additional ideas she thought would be good for me, and I’m happy to say that I’ve
already started to implement many of them. Next, I met with Debbie Wood, who talked with singers about dealing with rejection. She addressed changing thoughts about the distasteful aspects of a singing career and, in doing so, how this will change behavior in dealing with the disappointments. My last One-on-One was a longer session with one of my two auditors from the AFE,
Todd Queen. He gave me some great advice on repertoire and auditions as well as suggestions for work I can be doing now to improve.
Ending on a High Note
Sunday evening, all convention attendees—including participants from the High School Competition, the University Competition, and the Professional Track—joined together for a concert and reception. Cash prizes of more than $6,000 were given for both competitions. First-place winner of the High School Vocal Competition, Sean Plumb, sang Handel’s “Si, tra i ceppi” for the appreciative audience. Then Allison Buivid, first-place winner of the University Vocal Competition, sang a tauntingly sexy “Quando me’n vo.”
The seven top singers from the Audition Feedback Experience put on the second half of the program, singing repertoire that spanned everything from obscure twentieth-century pieces, to oratorio, to standard operatic fare. In the end, Katia Escalera, who brought the house down with Verdi’s challenging “Ritorna vincitor!” was given the Audience Choice Award. This award includes a free Singer Website for a year and a four-hour recording session at Gurari Studios in New York City.
After the concert, attendees mixed and mingled while enjoying an assortment of refreshments. Hours after the last plate had been cleared and the final lemon bar eaten, singers lingered in the lobby and bar areas of the Chicago Westin O’Hare Hotel. The convention was over, but the making of friendships and memories continued.
Wrapping Up for a New Beginning
I met many singers who had had similar experiences to mine before the convention. Many were feeling stuck and unsure of the next step in their careers. All seemed encouraged by the convention. One singer remarked that despite a year of disappointments, she would not let herself feel like a victim anymore. She would work through the rejections and really start a new lease on her life as a singer.
From the opening session to the final concert and everything sandwiched in between, the weekend’s events really did help singers “Forget the Met” and discover ways to open new doors and explore unthought-of pathways for a successful career right now. Perhaps the most important thing I learned at the convention is that I need to be proactive in my career. Simply going to auditions is not enough—I need to put myself out there in as many creative ways as I can.
