Last month I shared seven steps for fully and professionally preparing a role before the rehearsal process begins. This month I bring you step 8: walking into that first coaching or rehearsal. I asked two coaches, a conductor, and three stage directors what they expect from singers when they first walk into their studio or the rehearsal hall. What they mention is just as important in your preparation as all of the music, words, and background study of the first seven steps. Discover what these colleagues who you definitely want to impress expect from you as you begin to work.
Working with a Coach
When working your role with a coach before you begin rehearsals, what preparation does a coach expect? Most singers know to start with the basics of notes, words, and rhythms, but that is just the beginning. Valerie Trujillo—a coach and professor at Florida State University and whose impressive credits include former co-director of the Young American Artists Program at Glimmerglass Opera, along with Santa Fe Opera, Shreveport Opera, and the Wexford Opera Festival in Ireland (among others)—wants the singer to come to a coaching with diction and translation prepared.
Once your language study and translation are underway, study the opera as a whole and how your character fits. “There should be some knowledge of the opera from which the aria is taken—where the aria takes place within the body of the opera, and something about the character,” Trujillo says. Carol Rausch—chorus master, music coordinator, and education director at the New Orleans Opera; chorus master and music administrator at Chautauqua Opera; and opera and vocal coach at Loyola University—agrees and adds that a singer must be “ready to take the music to the next level interpretively and emotionally. If there is a literary basis for the song or aria, it’s important to have delved into that novel or play to know the origin of the character.”
Full preparation involves more than just knowing your melodic line. Coaches appreciate a singer who looks at all of the notes on the page. “The singer has to know the accompaniment—how he or she fits into the texture—and ultimately have a sense of the orchestration,” Rausch continues.
Diligent study before a coaching session makes you a collaborative partner. “Sometimes singers come wanting me to give them everything,” Trujillo says. “To me, coaching is a two-way street—the singer must bring something to the table for me.”
“My favorite coachings are not one sided,” Rausch agrees, “but rather finding together vocal and pianistic colors which paint the text, sampling which tempi work best, and discovering the pacing and overall color of the piece. In general, I don’t feel there is only ‘one right way’ for most music, but rather what works best for the collaborators.”
Most importantly, be willing to try new things and come with an attitude of openness and an attentive, listening ear. “One thing I wish singers wouldn’t do is second guess what I’m going to say,” Trujillo says. “That makes me crazy!”
Working with a Conductor
Maestro Jerome Shannon, current musical director and conductor for Pensacola Opera, mentions attitude first. “There is an emotional and mental preparation which allows the artist to exist in a ‘zone of comfort’ in the rehearsal room; adjustments, corrections, suggestions, etc. are part of the process—and when delivered in a true spirit of collegiality, these ‘notes’ are a healthy way to get the best performance possible.”
Again, it’s going beyond the mere notes on the page into true professionalism. You can’t be perfect, and trying to be will only frustrate you and your colleagues in the rehearsal hall. But you can learn to be flexible! Learning to be flexible means observing great artists as they rehearse and work and taking cues from the really successful people.
An eagerness to try new things is necessary to impress a conductor. “What I see in singers that I love is a true spirit of adventure,” Shannon continues. “They are self-assured to the point where they are willing to try almost anything. Singers that I love arrive prepared and ready to ‘play’—that is, to work together to make the best performance possible.”
Shannon notes that some young singers are too quick to apologize even though they never know why the conductor has stopped them. “Maybe I was going to tell you how incredibly outstanding that was,” he says. “I think that rush to apologize is something that fades with experience and comfort, but it’s not a bad idea to recognize it as a nervous response which really isn’t necessary.” It is natural to be afraid to make mistakes, but you must be confident in what you’ve prepared.
He also brings up the importance of keeping your personal life out of the rehearsal hall. Whatever is happening with family, boyfriends, your apartment in another state, you must let it go when you get to rehearsal: “It will still be there when rehearsal is over and you can pick it back up.” He also recommends keeping stage management in the loop so you don’t have to worry about whatever crisis is happening. On that note, he is sternly anti-communication devices. Smartphones, iPads, etc., should be powered off, no matter what. If you are truly in the throes of an emergency, give your phone to stage management.
“Nothing is more frustrating than giving a correction to an artist, then to observe that artist spending every second they are not involved in a scene texting, browsing, surfing, blogging, etc., then get up to run the scene and they make the same mistake for which they received the note,” Shannon says. “Young artists are so starved for validation through employment and the ability to feed the hunger to be on stage—then when that opportunity presents itself, they are so busy keeping in touch with the real world that this obsession to stay connected has impaired their ability to do their best in their chosen field.”
Shannon’s final advice? Act like a grown-up and leave the drama for the stage. “Artists who are kind, considerate, emotionally stable, and mature have a tendency to exude a positive energy that makes the rehearsal room a very special place,” Shannon says. “Nothing casts a pallor which inhibits creativity more than watching someone have a public emotional meltdown.”
Working with a Stage Director
Stage directors agree that flexibility is key. “I appreciate preparation to the point where you know the material cold enough to still be moldable, but not set-in-stone as to not be curious about new ideas,” says Artistic Director and Stage Director of Light Opera Oklahoma Eric Gibson. “As far as what I want and love, a prepared singer comes with a backstory, something figured out about ‘who this character is,’ and are willing to add to that or change it completely. Flexibility is always a great thing in the rehearsal hall! Creating a story is a joint effort between actor and director. Actors who seem to not need a director and do what they want despite the direction of a production only hurt themselves—those folks aren’t any fun!”
Internationally renowned stage director James Marvel agrees. “Singers need to come in with a strong sense of character, but also be willing to change their ideas on a dime. Not being prepared has never been acceptable, but it is even less tolerable now that rehearsal periods are so short. Once the person is cast, all I really look for is an excellent colleague who is open to new ideas and fun to work with. I like people who are able to assimilate new information quickly and people who are bold and fearless in their choices. I would rather someone make a strong choice I disagree with than no choice at all.”
Up-and-coming stage director Sarah Fraser, who also works as a stage manager, speaks to the importance of musical preparation. “It’s surprising how many younger singers in smaller companies will still show up to the first rehearsal with their comprimario role ill prepared. ‘Fake it ‘til you make it’ never applies to young singers (and shouldn’t apply to anybody, for that matter). Not having a role prepared is a sign of laziness and of disrespect to fellow colleagues.”
Fraser also notes the importance of kindness and humility. “The singers I love show respect to the entire cast (principals and chorus) and the production staff down to the assistant stage managers. They help create a friendly, collegian atmosphere that makes rehearsals productive and enjoyable.” It’s important to treat all of your colleagues with respect (even when they don’t behave that way!) because you never know what chorister will rise to be a star or what person on the tech crew someday becomes a general director.
Meeting professional expectations requires so much more than just learning what’s on the page. You’re expected to interpret and, even more importantly, you’re expected to be a good colleague. With these tips in mind, you can follow the “five Ps” I tell my students: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance!
