Vocalist
Dear CS: You recommended subscribing to this mailing list [Vocalist at www.vocalist.org]. I tried it. They often sent me as many as 50 e-mails in a day. A few were interesting and professional. Many were stupid, childish or just plain wrong. I un-subscribed. My recommendation: stay away unless you have lots of free time and great patience for idiocy. —Lee Strawn
Every online group we know has some posts which are trivial, angry, petty and “…just plain wrong.” Vocalist owner Marco Hotti works hard to keep the list free from that—he even started a separate list for those who enjoy “flames.” However, there are knowledgeable teachers and singers who answer questions on the list and together, they’ve created a comfortable and helpful virtual community. Vocalist does generate an enormous amount of mail, much of it simple banter. We recommend trying the digest version where you can just scroll through trivia quickly. This works well on every system except America Online. I have also used the archive at www.vocalist.org/archive to look up topics. This may be a better option for you or you can try a different list. You might try our own Classical Singer Forum at www.classicalsinger.com, which has generated many wonderful discussions among singers. Also see Opera-L, a list which has many brilliant posts but few participants who are singers.
Anti-depressants and stomach acid
Dear CS: In the March issue on depression, Dr. Berc failed to mention one serious and common side effect of the use of anti-depressants, which could significantly adversely affect singers. That is the stomach upset called gastric or acid reflux that can be caused by the Prozac-type class of drugs. The stomach acid splashes up through the esophagus and can burn the vocal cords. This side effect occurs in about 30 percent of patients who take the SRI class of drugs (Prozac, etc.). Symptoms are heartburn, gastric upset, diarrhea, a persistent cough, and a malfunction of previously well-functioning cords. This can be treated with over-the-counter acid reducers such as Pepcid AC or Gaviscon. If these are not adequate, your doctor can prescribe acid reducers such as Prilosec or Previcid. In any case, this side effect can be treated and should not interfere with taking an anti-depressant. —Name withheld
The agony of opera?
Dear CS: Sheesh! What do you think about this quote by Andrea Bocelli? “‘I don’t feel I’m really credible enough yet [for opera],’ the Italian singer says. ‘I still have to suffer a little while longer.’” Credibility, I understand, but why can’t we let go of this notion that you have to suffer for great “art.” Come on… what’s wrong with simply making a living, making great music? These antiquated romantic notions of the tortured artist don’t fit the reality of the modern day music business. I wonder how many “suffering” opera singers would gladly accept one of Mr. Bocelli’s recording contracts or concert tours? —Name withheld
Networking kudos and questions
Dear CS: Just a note to tell you how impressed I’ve been with the April issue.
Networking is something I’m good at in spurts, but not all the time. The
questionnaire has been very helpful. I spent quite a while yesterday figuring out the five accomplishments I’m proud of. I have a lot of work to do, though…. Anyway, congratulations to you and your staff. Nice job. —Julie Fay
Dear CS: While reading the “networking” edition of CS, I came across a couple of expressions I’m not familiar with…The “three-foot” rule and also the “I give out my business card appropriately?” I think I’m a pretty good networker at the level I am now, yet I never feel comfortable with the business card thing unless someone asks me for a number. Does anyone have any suggestions on “appropriate times?” —Clueless Soprano in NYC
This is a buzzword from the book Power Networking, by Donna Fisher and Sandy Vilas, which was used as a source for the article and quoted extensively. It refers to the idea that you should strike up, or attempt to strike up, conversation with anyone standing in a three-foot radius of you. You never know who might turn into a contact.
To “give out your business card appropriately” simply means—don’t hand out your card indiscriminately. Don’t push it on people. Hand it out if they express a genuine
interest or if there is some reason for you to contact them, or they you. Speaking from my own experience as a singer, as well as from the research I did for this article, I use cards to write notes on. If I’m talking to someone about a good coach, restaurant, or massage therapist (it doesn’t HAVE to be singing-related and often won’t be), I jot down the number on the back of one of my cards and give it to them in a friendly, off-hand, no-pressure kind of way. Or I say, “You know, I don’t have that information on me right now, but let me give you one of my cards and you can call me. By the way, do you have a card?” And they will usually say, “Oh, great!” and give you one. Then you have a further reason to maintain contact. —Lina C. Cotman, Assistant Editor
