All Articles – Page 214

Styles are getting more and more casual these days, but is it really OK to show up for studio class in jeans and flip-flops? Or should student singers be more conscientious about their attire in a university setting?

Several universities have fostered good relationships with local opera companies, choral groups, chamber groups, and symphonies—and their students are reaping the benefits.

For financial, scholastic, or other reasons, not all singers start out at four-year schools. What are the pros of starting at a two-year college, and how can you prepare yourself in those two years to move on to a bigger school? Professors and students weigh in on the issue.

Soprano Ana María Martínez brings her own insights to a term singers throw around often: “networking.” Consider a few networking ideas you might not have thought of before.

When it comes to the question of opera versus musical theatre, singers can emerge dually victorious in an ever-changing market. Wherever you are in your career—just starting college, considering a master’s degree, auditioning for YAPs, or singing professionally—this discussion on crossover from teachers and general directors will give you food for thought.

A good mailing list is critical to marketing yourself successfully. Tech-geek Amanda White takes you through the technical how-tos of setting up a list and offers suggestions on generating names for your list. In addition, she discusses using good e-mail etiquette to make sure you don’t offend your friends, contacts, or the law.

College is a much bigger pond than high school. The big city is a bigger pond than a small town. World-class opera companies are in a bigger pond than community theater. Bigger, however, isn’t necessarily better. The environment that is right for your greatest happiness and fulfillment may end up looking very different from your original idea of success.

Cindy answers a young singer’s question about how to put your best foot forward and come across like a professional. Do you have a question for Cindy? E-mail it to erda@classicalsinger.com.

For a voice student, attending a university often means taking a pedagogy class and learning anatomy. Whether you’re currently enrolled, teaching the class, or studying the material on your own, Dr. Jahn provides helpful hints for remembering the names and functions of the anatomical parts that makes up your voice.

Deciding when and how to leave the stage is a painful and difficult journey, with no road maps along the way. Most singers just don’t talk about it, and so CS has decided to begin the dialogue. In the first of a series of articles, one singer who enjoyed a long career shares how she knew it was time to end her professional career, and tells us about all the heartache that went along with that decision.

Submit entries to the bulletin board by e-mail at bulletinboard@classicalsinger.com.

I recently learned that Motto magazine named my alma mater’s maxim one of the top 10 best college mottos in the country. I used to drive past the words, etched