Dear Cindy,
Last fall, I spent some time in concentrated study (also doing a few auditions) as a lyric mezzo. It was challenging because my voice kept changing and growing, and the information I was getting from my teacher was a bit—unclear, let’s say. I was about to make a big audition push when there was a devastating family emergency, and I had to fly home. I lost months grieving.
Last June, I found a fabulous new teacher, took some intensive language courses, and switched up to a surprisingly comfortable young dramatic soprano. I’ve been getting great coaching with some new people who are not afraid to tell me what needs work, and are pleased with my progress and my potential. The switch is not yet complete, and I don’t expect to start really auditioning again until the spring. I did some auditioning last year with mixed results—some I bombed because of my “hope and pray” technique, and others generated interest but no jobs.
My résumé is thin. The bulk of my work has been oratorio, concerts, and recitals. I have performed six or seven operatic roles, so when I get rid of all the mezzo roles I’ve prepared and studied, the résumé is thin, and I don’t want to seem defensive or apologetic about the gap between jobs.
So how do I explain this time spent without jobs, credits, auditions, etc.? I’m 31, and though I look about 25, I want to be smart about this, because I don’t know how much longer I can expect to be given chances as a young, unproven singer. Thanks so much. Any idea you have is much appreciated.
—S.
Dear S.,
Congratulations on your new direction, new teacher, and many new discoveries. I’m terribly sorry to hear about your difficulties and glad you are doing so much better.
On to the advice. The good news about your résumé is that you don’t have to get rid of all your mezzo roles, not just yet. You need all the experience you can get on your résumé. List your mezzo roles under “Opera,” and then have a category for “Roles in Repertoire.” Here is where you can list roles in your new Fach that you’ve prepared but haven’t had an opportunity to perform. If you haven’t learned any new roles yet, or they’re not at a stage of preparation where you can claim to truly know them, add a category for “Roles in Preparation” instead and list one or two roles that you’re currently working on.
How long has it been since your last performing credit? One year? Two? More? If it’s been more than a year, you might want to leave the dates off entirely until you get some more credits. If it’s only been a year or a little longer, go ahead and leave the dates on. You can mention your Fach change in your cover letter, to anticipate any questions about the gap.
If anyone asks, be prepared with a simple, brief statement. Tell them that you were changing Fachs and took some time off to retrain your voice—which is the truth. (The rest of it—your mourning, difficulties with your teacher, and so on—is your personal business. From a business standpoint it has no bearing on your voice or career, and need not be brought up.) Having roles in repertoire and roles in preparation will help a lot, because it will show that you’ve really been working on your voice and haven’t just been sitting idle.
Also be sure to end by reassuring your potential employers that you have spent the time off wisely, preparing for your new Fach, and you can’t wait to demonstrate how well this suits you. Emanate confidence and concentrate on what matters most—singing well. If you do that, résumé issues will not be the priority.
Best of luck,
Cindy
Dear Colleagues:
Recently, during a singing engagement, I had the chance to reconnect with a colleague I have not seen or heard since she was a young artist. It was wonderful to catch up with her, a few years down the road, and see what she has become. This young woman has done a lot of singing in her career, and she has management, but over lunch she confided to me that she was frustrated with her manager and with the level at which she is currently working.
My friend is a bombshell. Beautiful, sexy, with dynamite vocal goods, stage presence, and acting ability; a lovely colleague, an engaging personality, an interesting back-story—she’s got the whole package. So why is she having such a hard time?
We chatted a bit about her relationship with her manager, the repertoire she’s singing and how she presents herself in auditions. It was immediately clear to me that there is a disconnect between her glamorous appearance and the types of roles for which she auditions. Also, she is using the same audition repertoire she did several years ago when she was a young artist!
Clearly, it’s time for my friend to refresh her aria list and reconsider her entire marketing package—including how she relates to her manager. We’re now working together to do so, and I will be interested to follow her progress over the next few audition seasons.
We singers have to learn so many lessons, and one of the most important is that singing beautifully, all by itself, is not enough to get a career going. You have to know how to sell your product as well. When a salesman makes a presentation to a potential buyer, he has to know both his product and his buyer very well. He has to understand his product’s strengths and weaknesses, he has to know its value in the market, and he has to know how to show it to the buyer in a way that emphasizes how his product will meet or exceed the buyer’s needs. He needs to get the buyer excited about his product.
Singers, we are also salespeople. We are our own products. Our voices, our looks, our personalities, our acting ability, our repertoire, our special knowledge and skills—all these are aspects of what we are asking potential employers to buy.
