Dear Cindy,
I am a graduate student in voice performance. There has been a recent topic of discussion among my colleagues and myself regarding MySpace and YouTube. The issue we are split on is the posting of videos or audio recordings of performances. Some of us are of the opinion that it may be helpful to a future career to post our materials on these sites, in case anyone is looking. The rest of us are concerned that it may be detrimental to future careers for the same reason. The argument has gone back and forth for a while now. Do you think anyone of importance (directors, managers) looks at these things? What should we be careful of if we post? Should we post? We appeal to you as our arbiter, Erda!
—Tenor John
Dear John,
I don’t see any harm in publishing your clips as long as they are good. Who knows, you could develop a fan base! And you can always remove them if you get poor feedback or change your mind. But I don’t think these are the best formats for serious marketing efforts. First of all, I doubt that any significant number of general directors or managers are spending their late night hours cruising YouTube or MySpace for casting possibilities. That’s not to say they’re not checking these sites out or that they might not run across your clip, but I see no evidence that these sites—or singer directory-type sites for that matter—are helping singers get cast.
Furthermore, YouTube and MySpace are not really professional ways to present yourself. I would not, for example, put a bunch of clips up and then e-mail producers asking them to have a look.
What is professional, and what can help you get your name and work known is a personal website, and plenty of singers are putting up clips and linking them to their sites. Good quality clips can be difficult to come by, but when you have them they do dress up your site. I know from personal experience that a well-made website is a great marketing and publicity tool. (Just this week I got an audition because an opera company checked out sound clips on my site.)
The guidelines for posting your video and sound clips are the same as for what you would put on a demo recording.
• Is the recording quality good? Grainy images, bad camera work, poor production values, and especially, poor sound are not going to further your cause.
• Do you look and sound good? Never put anything out there with mistakes in it. Don’t make excuses for yourself. Either it’s spot-on fabulous, or it’s not. If you nail the whole aria except the money note, sorry, it’s not ready for prime time. If you’re wonderful but the piano or orchestra is a mess, it’s not usable.
• Is the format easy to use? Make sure you optimize your clip so that it’s quick and easy to download. No one wants to wait around for a huge file.
There’s more to consider. Context is everything. Do you look and sound professional? Are you at a competitive level?
When you put yourself on the Internet, you’re jumping into the shark tank and announcing that you can swim with the best of ‘em. With a click of the mouse, a listener can compare you to singers who are much more experienced. Make sure you’re ready to stand up to them.
If your clips aren’t good quality or if you aren’t quite ready for the shark tank, save them for your mama—or use them only in specific situations, such as e-mailing them to a producer who understands where you fit in the professional spectrum, has already expressed interest, and is considering you accordingly, such as an opera company admin who is trying to cast comprimario roles locally.
Good luck, and see you in cyberspace!
—Cindy
Hello Cindy,
I bought your book, The Student Singer’s Starter Kit, and have read all of your postings/newsletters on your Business of Singing website. I was hoping to get your advice on a teacher situation at my college.
I just transferred to a new school because of one of the teachers, but that teacher’s studio was full. So I got in with my second choice. She is a wonderful person (supportive, sticks up for her students, etc.). The problem is, I don’t feel that I am getting what I need from my lessons. My teacher is mostly going over acting and phrasing and not going over technique much at all.
Lately I have been thinking about asking the first choice teacher if I could get into his studio next semester, but this is a small school and I don’t want to burn bridges and upset people. Is there a politically correct way to handle the situation?
Thanks for taking the time to read this,
—Determined to Succeed
Dear Determined,
First, you must realize that this is your limited amount of time, money, and education you are talking about spending here. You don’t want to be rude or arrogant, but if you want to be a professional singer you absolutely must get what you need and get it quickly. Sometimes that means making other people uncomfortable, upset, or even angry.
This doesn’t have to be the case. You are absolutely within your rights to ask to change teachers. If you do so politely and reasonably there shouldn’t be a problem, as long as the people you’re dealing with are also polite and reasonable. The teacher you want is not obligated to take you into his studio, however.
You already had the foresight and courage to change schools to get what you need. I’m guessing that what you didn’t do was make sure before you made this change that the teacher you wanted would accept you. (Always ask first! Good teachers usually have a line out the door for studio space.) I would go to him now and ask what you could do to get him to take you into his studio. You don’t need to criticize your current teacher to him (or to anyone); simply tell the truth: You transferred to this school specifically to work with him.
If he does ask whether you have other reasons for wanting to change studios, then and only then should you bring up that you don’t feel you’re getting what you need from your current teacher. Be sure to mention that you like her and appreciate her supportiveness, but you don’t feel the two of you are spending enough time on technique. Tell him you are very serious about your education and realize you have a limited amount of time to get your technique in order, and that you are willing to do what you have to do to make it work. You might also want to have specific examples of times when you have asked your current teacher about specific technical issues and felt she did not address them thoroughly enough.
Stick to your guns, Determined. It’s better to be the squeaky wheel now and get what you need. If you don’t get a teacher who can really help you at this school, you’re going to have to transfer again anyway, so in a way, annoying people with the mere query is a moot point.
Good luck!
—Cindy
Dear Cindy,
I have a couple of follow-up questions to your recent double article on finding a teacher and cutting the cord with an old teacher.
I haven’t had a formal voice lesson in about a year. My “current teacher” is my teacher from grad school. I had a couple of lessons with my grad-school teacher my first fall out of school, and we continue a dialogue about my singing and my career. She is very dear to me, and I still consider her a valuable mentor. She continues to champion me to local conductors for concert gigs. However, when I have tried to schedule lessons with her over the past nine months or so, it never pans out. She’s not terribly well-connected in the opera world, her name isn’t that well-recognized, and I feel as if I am at a stage in my development where I need a recognizable name for a teacher.
I believe she still considers me “her student.” I don’t know whether or not she would take offense if I find a new private teacher. I still consider her a trusted member of my “inner circle” and would like to keep it that way. How and when do I break such news?
I recently followed up on a few teacher recommendations. One of the top recommendations turned out to be a judge at a competition I did recently, and I got to speak with him afterwards. I’m thinking this is a good thing, right? He was very complimentary, but I didn’t think that the competition was a good time to inquire about studying with him. What is the best way for me to proceed with this lead now?
Sincerely,
Transitioning Singer
Hi TS,
It sounds like your old teacher is really supportive, but she is probably concentrating on working with her university kids and may even be trying to gently cut the apron strings with you. I’d call and ask if you could drop by her office or take her to lunch. Show up with a bouquet of flowers or some small token of appreciation. Tell her that you are so grateful for all she’s done and extremely grateful that she continues to be a mentor to you. Tell her you hope this relationship will continue, but since your schedules really don’t match up anymore you’ve decided it’s time to find a teacher who can meet with you regularly. I really don’t think she’s going to have a problem with this, and from the sound of it, it’s really time for you to move on.
As for the new teacher, now would be the perfect time to contact him, remind him that he judged you at the competition and was so encouraging afterwards, and tell him that you are very much interested in studying with him. There’s nothing to be nervous about—it’s always flattering to be asked to teach someone.
Good luck!
—Cindy
