While attending an annual competition recently, I struck up a conversation with the incredibly talented pianist accompanying the singers. I knew this pianist had participated in the previous year’s competition, and I asked him how the level of singing compared this year with the previous year. He gave high praise to the current competitors, but he mentioned one distinct difference. The level of singing in terms of vocal technique was comparable, but he felt that the level of preparation was not. The singers didn’t seem as adept with the nuances of the language, the style, the phrasing, or the interpretation.
Intrigued, I asked him if he could attribute this difference to anything other than the variation of singers from one year to the next. His response was very telling. He said he had the distinct impression that many of these singers don’t spend time or money coaching their music. They invested in vocal lessons, but not vocal coachings.
As singers, expenses run high and income often runs low. Determining how and where to spend those hard-earned dollars can be a challenge. Coachings and lessons add up quickly, especially depending on your geographic location and the going rate for said lessons.
Sometimes a lack of time inhibits us from scheduling those much-needed coachings. With day jobs, rehearsals, family and church obligations, school, and more, finding one spare hour each week can seem overwhelming. It can be easy to justify eliminating coachings, to think of them as less important, unnecessary, or sometimes just not feasible because of time or financial constraints.
Beverly Sills said, “There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” Looking for a shortcut because of lack of money, lack of time, or just plain laziness often results only in coming up short with the needed skills to be at the top of your game. In a high-competition industry, it is often the little things, the small details that set you apart from the next singer.
This month we salute the many great coaches in this industry who help singers discover, sharpen, and refine the details and nuances of the art of singing. In this special edition, read about one such coach: Steven Crawford, Classical Singer’s 2007 Coach of the Year. Crawford combines his extensive knowledge of language, style, and interpretation with a down-to-earth, no-nonsense approach. He shares this forthright and honest style—a style singers have described for years as delightfully refreshing—in his interview with Rachel Antman.
Lest you feel discouraged contemplating how to make ends meet without scrimping on the training essentials, in this issue we also bring you two great articles about finances. Lisa Houston’s column inspires once again with a candid discussion about the psychological aspects of money issues for singers. Lynnette Owens, in her continuing financial series, chimes in with terrific, practical tips for better money management. Yes, you can balance your many costly singing needs and your checkbook.
In this issue, we also highlight three collaborative pianists who are taking a fresh approach to the business side of coaching. They decided to combine their skills and resources in a revolutionary fashion and start a coaching company, working together to meet the needs of musicians in the Chicago area. Let their story inspire your creative business ideas.
In life and in singing, the devil is indeed in the details—but so is success. As singers, let us not get left behind by overlooking the important details in our personal and musical lives. Hats off this month to the many terrific coaches out there calling our attention to the critical artistic details that turn notes into art.
