Erda, the erstwhile earth goddess from Das Rheingold and Siegfried with knowledge of past and future, now visits CS readers with her knowledge, foresight and wisdom. To ask Erda, write to askerda@classicalsinger.com
Article:
Dear Erda: As a singer whose résumé reflects a relative lack of experience for my age, I feel that auditioners often see me as unqualified. What are some strategies I can use to convince them to take a chance on me?
—Untraditional but not Untalented
Dear Untraditional: At the risk of sounding very rude (which is not my intention), are you sure that your auditioners are making that assumption? How do you know that it’s your age, as opposed to your lack of experience, that’s discouraging them? Are you certain that you ARE qualified for this particular opportunity?
These are difficult and unpleasant questions, but you must ask them and try to give as honest an assessment as possible. When you’re not getting hired, one of the first things you have to ask yourself is, “Are my skills at the level I think they are? Am I auditioning appropriately? Am I offering them what they need to see to hire me for this type of role?” Consult a reputable expert—like a conductor who works with singers and may also coach, an agent or a repected teacher—who is not a member of your usual team and can therefore be objective.
In other words, first make sure that the problem is the one you think it is. If it’s your lack of experience that’s making them hesitate, well, that’s a legitimate concern. Employers are reluctant to take chances even on experienced singers who they don’t already know. That’s why we need managers and networking. So if a lack of experience is holding you back, look hard at the list of where you’re auditioning and see what the very next step up the ladder would be for you. That should be your goal.
Another question: Why is your age an issue? Unless you’re a forty-year-old soubrette (or you just look like one), or you’re auditioning for a young artist’s program that has age requirements, no one should be asking your age and you certainly shouldn’t volunteer it. If you’re auditioning for a young artist’s program and you are 1) well past the age when most people do YAPS and 2) a member of a well-populated Fach, I’m afraid you’re in for a really hard sell. Your choices are limited. Some people choose to lie about their age, but this can easily backfire and is hard to back up convincingly. I don’t recommend it. Why not expend the time, money and energy you’ve been spending on YAP auditions on main-stage auditions instead—at an appropriate level? Don’t forget to go in for symphonies and chorus soloist gigs.
If you’ve tried all that, and you’re sure it’s not … ahem … you, then try being upfront—or sneaky.
Ask pointblank what you can do to get heard. What would it take? Caution: this must be done politely and respectfully, at an appropriate time, without a hint of desperation.
Attempt to approach the auditioners through a non-audition situation, such as a coaching. Once they experience your talent, they may change their minds. You also may be in a good position to ask the above question.
Get the best recommendations you can muster and include them in the next materials packet you send. Also, get the recommenders to make a phone call on your behalf.
Along that line, who do you know who could network for you with these people? Maybe your voice teacher sang for them in the 1980s and they really liked her? Maybe you worked with the conductor in a summer workshop somewhere? Maybe one of your colleagues sings there all the time and you can find out from the colleague what they like?
Perhaps you need to give it some time. If you’ve been hammering on this particular door for a while now, give it a break. Go off somewhere else and put your energy in another direction. Get some experience elsewhere. Make sure the buzz of your success gets back to the stubborn ones. Let some time pass. Try again.
If all else fails, realize that sometimes you just have to accept that your particular product doesn’t appeal or fit the needs of a certain employer. Don’t spend too many of your resources beating your head against the wall. Redirect your energy toward something that seems more possible. Keep trying to move that one, tiny step ahead toward your goal.
