By the time an issue of Classical Singer goes to press, I have usually read every article countless times. By the time the material becomes ink on magazine pages, I have lived with the ideas, words, and concepts for weeks, often months. This issue has been no different. In the midst of swirling thoughts of summer programs set to happen everywhere from Hawaii to Austria, however, one part of one article in this month’s issue continually rises to the top of the whirlpool in my brain: José Cura’s final words to the readers of Classical Singermagazine.
“I would not say ‘good luck,’ because I don’t believe in luck. I believe in being prepared. … Many people think that they didn’t have a career because they didn’t have the luck …
“All the time I hear people saying: ‘I am the greatest artist on earth, but because nobody knows it, nobody gives me a chance.’ That’s not true, because if you put many of those who say that on stage to do a solo, they can’t open their mouths for being too afraid or too unprepared.”
How often have we heard fellow singers make utterances similar to these, or how often have we used such excuses ourselves? How often do we blame our lack of success on the subjective nature of the business, while failing to recognize our own part in the process?
Certainly, as singers we are subject to the whims of those doing the hiring. This rings true in our profession perhaps more than any other. Remembering this in the face of rejection—something every singer must face again and again—can be critical in maintaining a belief in oneself and one’s talents.
We must also, however, identify the things we can control—such as our own level of preparation. This begs the more important question: How can we ensure that opportunities don’t pass us by because we have failed to do all in our power to adequately prepare ourselves?
In the January 2005 issue of CS, CJ Williamson redefined “pay-to-sing” programs by coining the phrase “pay-to-learn.” Singers pay to learn time after time, from college tuition, to voice lessons, to coachings. “Pay-to-learn” programs abound and offer singers one more resource for eliminating the need to rely on luck and ensuring at least the possibility of success.
Of course, not all summer programs are created equal. Finding the patience, foresight and determination to evaluate your own needs, strengths, and weaknesses, determine what a program offers, and then match up the two is vital to having a good “pay-to-learn” experience. As Terree Rowbottom discovered when she interviewed various program directors for this issue’s article on choosing the right summer program, singers can’t do too much research when looking for the right “pay-to-learn” program.
Classical Singer offers a variety of resources to help you with your research. Check out our archives at classicalsinger.com to search past issues for reports on summer programs. Read reviews of programs that are posted on the Classical Singer forum. Go to our online directory, or the printed directory in this issue, to find contact information for the programs you are considering. Then contact the directors and ask lots of questions, using the questions in the “Choosing the Right Program” article as a start. Make sure to ask for names of past participants, and then contact them and ask even more questions.
Don’t leave your “pay-to-learn” program experience to chance. Do your research and make a well-educated decision. How much bang you get for your well-earned buck should be more than just a matter of luck.
As you peruse this issue highlighting “pay-to-learn” programs, and the ideas move from the pages into the swirls of your own mind, perhaps these words from Mr. Cura will rise to the top: “Everyone can be great in the shower! My advice then? Speak less and do more!”
Let us all do more, so that we rely less on luck and more on our own careful preparation.
