After last month’s intense issue on mental health, it was almost relaxing to get back to the nuts and bolts of building a classical singing career. This month’s issue on networking was prompted by two contradictory facts:
1. Jobs come from networking. Working singers say they get many of their jobs through networking—NOT from their manager or through an audition.
2. Most singers don’t network! Think back to your own experiences—an opening night gala dinner party, where the singers all stayed in one group, and the people with money and power stayed in another; a break during rehearsals, where the general director, stage director, conductor and pianist all stayed in one place, and the singers in another; where singers invite each other out to lunch, and don’t invite those who could help them in their careers.
I was talking to a singer friend yesterday who had just returned from a well-paying job as a soloist—with a university choir. I’ve never seen a university list auditions for soloists, so I asked her how she got the job. “I’ve done a lot of small jobs as a favor for a friend in my home state, before moving to New York. He met a conductor from another state while singing in the Robert Shaw Chorale. The conductor called later, asking if he knew a singer for this job. My friend recommended me, and the conductor called and asked me to send a tape. The conductor then asked me if I knew a tenor. I recommended my friend, who also got the job.”
That is networking. How many jobs are cast on recommendation, bypassing the audition process altogether? Look at the process above: The networking came about because someone was first willing to do a favor for someone, with no thought of return. As you’ll read from the networking experts in this issue, that is the key to good networking. It is also why another friend who wears a T-shirt proclaiming, “I’m an arts mercenary,” rarely works. Dale Carnegie often said, “If you want more profit, offer more service.” This is the key, and it works for all business—even the business of singing!
There are two reasons for this issue on networking: 1. Jobs come from networking. 2. Most singers are “lone rangers” jealously hoarding information. Some still think work comes only from auditions or managers. It is indeed a great help if those on your team are good networkers, but don’t count on it. As one respected manager told us, he doesn’t believe in the Internet, doesn’t attend conventions—he called them “…a waste of time and money,” and doesn’t belong to any professional organizations—”Just an excuse for people to party.” Obviously, networking often rests on the singer’s shoulder.
One last note: networking is just part of the picture. Until the day your name is Placido, you probably will have to audition, and CS is here to help you. Auditions are often scheduled at the last minute, so many never even make it into the issue! Make sure to check the website at least once a week for updates [http://www.classicalsinger.com]. And if you are just starting out, don’t be afraid to look at chorus auditions. Despite what some teachers say, many singers got their start in choruses. Conductors often reward talented choristers with solos. People hear you in those solos—and you continue the networking process.
We encourage singers everywhere to get out there and be heard! There are opportunities, both paying and volunteer—in choruses, churches, temples, schools, nursing homes, master classes, workshops, recitals, oratorio, colleges, opera companies, community groups, music theater—and yes, even baseball games! It is all valid, and if you want to work, keep your eyes open for every opportunity to network by building and maintaining your contacts. The lone ranger mentality really doesn’t work anymore. And it isn’t nearly as much fun!
—CJ Williamson, Editor-in-Chief
