My two-year-old daughter, while searching for a toy, couldn’t see it because it was face down on the floor. “It’s right there,” I told her, pointing at it. “It’s upside down.” Hearing my words, she looked up at the ceiling and then down at the floor. I pointed again, “It’s right there, upside down.” Again, she looked up and then down. We repeated this several times. Each time I got more and more amused and she got more and more frustrated as her brain fixated on the words she could understand—“up” and “down”—and altogether missed the real meaning of “upside down.”
In Classical Singer’s 27-year history, the magazine has covered many topics repeatedly. And while the general themes remain the same—balancing career and family, perfecting your art, learning the business of singing, counteracting ageism in the industry—societal norms surrounding those themes continue to change. In fact, with the passing of time, some of the norms may even appear completely inverted, or upside down.
Consider the following five perceptions of yesteryear that have since been turned on their heads—most often to our advantage, but sometimes not.
Singing and Children Don’t Mix
Once upon a time, if you had children, it meant you weren’t serious about singing as a profession—particularly if you were a female singer. While those ideas may still linger for some, it is more accepted now than ever to be both a parent and a singer. It still isn’t easy, and the challenges of balancing both are real. But as singers, as both male (p. 34) and female (p. 28) share in this issue, it can be done. And choosing to rise to the challenge comes with significant payoffs.
Men Go to Work, Women Stay Home
The days of Ward and June Cleaver are long forgotten (Beaver, who?), along with the rigid roles of the male breadwinner and the female stay-at-home mom. Even still, many men with families feel pressure to be the provider, as Michelle Latour reveals in her article this month. This pressure can make pursuing a singing career seem not only daunting but also foolish. But these men make it work and they share how on p. 34.
Being True to Your Art Is All You Need
Finding success as a singer today requires much more than being an artist. You must also be business savvy. Twin brothers Anthony and Will Nunziata are applying the business acumen learned from their father to their own careers—both as duo and solo artists. Determined to make this more than a strictly family affair, they are also teaching these skills to aspiring singers in their original outreach program (p. 44).
You Must Be Skilled to Be Famous
The advent and takeover of the now ubiquitous Internet has resulted in a safe environment where anyone can easily expound on any subject, creating self-proclaimed “experts” in nearly every field. Opera is no different. Any one can watch and imitate YouTube videos, then upload their own, and hope for instant stardom. These amateurs who become instantly famous promote mediocrity in a profession that has always demanded the highest level of skill for success. Calling mediocrity for what it is will help hold ourselves and the industry to a higher standard, according to Cindy Sadler (p. 56).
You Can’t Teach an Old Dog (or Singer) New Tricks
Even if you have long surpassed the age requirements of most competitions, and—well, let’s be honest—calling yourself a “young artist” is long in the past, singing can still be part of your present. Dr. Anthony Jahn discusses the real and significant changes that happen in the aging voice and how with a little care and dedication you can keep singing into your “older” years (p. 60).
As societal norms change, it is essential to understand how these changes impact career norms for singers. Turning things upside down often includes some of what was up and some of what is down. Knowing when to embrace the change and when to resist the change is perhaps the real challenge. Like my daughter, we must figure out what is up and what is down and resist fixating on one end to the neglect of the other in order to maintain perspective and context in a changing world.
