Classical singing is a hideously expensive business. Education and ongoing training are pricy. Regular expenses include travel, audition fees, accompanist fees, coaching, wardrobe, headshots, website maintenance, scores, recordings, and more. Every cent is an investment in your career—and so is every minute of time you put in. When those investments aren’t paying off and you find yourself in a school or a program that isn’t delivering on its promises or simply isn’t right for you, what can you do?
Talk to People
Although it can be frightening to approach a faculty or staff member, especially one who has been critical of you, it’s best to give the person the benefit of the doubt. By speaking directly to the person you’re having a problem with or who is in charge of handling problems, you create the opportunity for any misunderstandings to be cleared up before they escalate and to let the person know that you will not accept anything less than professional, respectful, and courteous treatment.
If you are not met with a receptive attitude or if things don’t get better, take your complaint to that person’s supervisor or the program director. You’ll want to keep a level head, calm tone of voice, and professional demeanor while making the following points:
-You’ve paid a lot of money for the program.
-You were promised XYZ in the program literature and in the letter of agreement (you should always have a copy of this with you).
-Detail what you are not getting that you were promised and ask how they will rectify that issue. Will they refund some of the money? Will they make up for it by offering you an alternative of equal value or making sure you get what you originally paid for? Can you switch to a different instructor or class who will give you what was promised?
-If your problem is with a person, detail the events that have distressed you and ask that the person be spoken to. If necessary, ask to be reassigned so that you do not have to work with that person. Say that you are there to learn, and the atmosphere that has been created is not conducive to that.
-Remember that you are not only there as a student, you are there as a consumer. You have a right to what you paid for and to be treated respectfully and professionally.
Find Safety in Numbers
If you aren’t willing to speak to the faculty or administration on your own, talk to other students. Chances are there are others who share your distress. If so, do the following:
-Form a coalition.
-Create a list of talking points that you would like to have addressed.
-Elect one to three people who will act as spokespersons for the group and deliver the talking points.
-Have one of your spokespersons request a meeting with the director of the program or the dean of your school. Everyone should go—the whole group.
-Politely and professionally put the director on the spot. Respectfully demand answers and solutions. Be sure to point out the good things about the program, too—in fact, start with that.
It will be much harder for the executive director or dean to ignore or dismiss your concerns if you present a united front, even if the entire student body is not in agreement.
Take It to the Top
If you still do not get a fair resolution, take your concerns to the board of directors. The executive director of the program is answerable to them, and complaints are usually taken seriously. Universities have boards too! Write to the president of the university if necessary.
-Write a letter to the president of the board detailing the issue, dates, and descriptions of any incidents, your interactions with faculty and administration on the matter, the results, and why you are dissatisfied with them.
-Get all the members of your group to sign the letter or write individual letters.
-If the program is an AGMA apprenticeship, you should absolutely call or e-mail AGMA as soon as possible.
Take It Public
As a last resort, you may have to take your story to social media and singer publications.
-Be very dispassionate about this upsetting experience. Report the plain facts without embellishment.
-Detail the resolution you sought and how it was answered.
-Don’t get personal—let others draw their own conclusions about whether the program is worth it.
-Again, there’s safety in numbers—get as many people as possible to sign on to this course of action and validate your claim.
-Realize that short of proof, it’s your word against theirs. But in this day and age, just getting a doubt on record is enough to make people question the value of the institution.
You may not ever get a resolution—but if you don’t speak out, you certainly will not. And by speaking out, you help protect other singers from making the same mistakes.
What if you find yourself at the program, miserable, and convinced that nothing you can do in the moment will make it better?
-Cut your losses. You’ve spent the money and most likely will not get it back. So instead of hanging around feeling awful, leave. Use the rest of your time to travel or go home and get a few extra weeks of work in to recoup some of your funds.
-Be kind to yourself. Unless you showed up unprepared or were in way over your head from a developmental standpoint, it’s not your fault that things didn’t go well. It’s the administration’s responsibility to make sure you’re getting what you paid for and that they are working to your level, gently supporting you to stretch out of your comfort zone, not demanding things you aren’t ready to give. This is not your fault.
What can you do to protect yourself in the future?
-Research, research, research. Check out the program’s current reputation and make sure to talk to people who have been there recently. Find these people independently as opposed to from references from the program.
-Get it in writing. Just as you would never take a singing engagement without a written, detailed contract, you shouldn’t attend a program without a letter of agreement that details exactly what you are getting for your money. If you are getting a scholarship to a university, ask for those details in writing too, especially if you are made any special promises.
-Read the fine print. Make sure you understand exactly what you are agreeing to and ask for as much clarification as necessary.
-Take a copy with you. Always carry a copy of your agreement with you to the program so you can refer to it knowledgeably if necessary.
Last but not least, realize that you are more than a student. You are a consumer. You have paid for a service and deserve to get it. Would you purchase from a store that seemed shady? What would you do if a store sold you a product and when it was delivered, it was defective or not as described? Act from a position of strength and a perspective of power from the very beginning. Not only will it help you to make good choices, it will help you to protect yourself and get what you purchased.
