In the February issue of CS, soprano Natalie Mann shared her story about losing her day job at a Fortune 500 firm, an event which prompted her to pursue a full-time career as a singer. Her efforts were strikingly successful: she is now a chorister at San Diego Opera.
The ending to Mann’s story seems unusual, but the beginning is not. Many singers have lost their day jobs in recent years—in most cases, because of the recession. How have they coped with unemployment? How has their singing been affected? What advice do they have? I spoke with several to find out.
Aftermath
Unemployment is unfamiliar ground for baritone Jeremy Bethea, who, until October, worked as an administrative assistant at a law firm on Wall Street. Although he is trying to maintain a positive outlook, he has been struggling financially. “I cleaned out my 401K and IRA,” he explains.
Mezzo Patricia Combs is another singer who encountered financial difficulties when she became unemployed. (In her case, she left her state job in Texas for a promised position that did not really exist.) After nearly a year of job searching, she finally received an offer. In the span of those 12 months, however, she, like Bethea, cashed out her retirement savings. She even got as far as applying for food stamps and rent assistance. Coachings were out of the question, and she could not afford auditions.
Bethea realizes that if his unemployment is long term, he will have to cut down on coachings. For now, he appreciates the extra time to devote to singing. “When I was working, I had very few vacation days,” he points out. “Every time I had a gig, I had to use my vacation time, so I cut down on the number of gigs I accepted.”
In contrast, once he lost his job, Bethea decided to audition for the Met chorus. “In the two weeks before the audition, I went into high prep mode,” he recalls. “I took two to three lessons per week, along with vocal coachings. I never could have prepared properly if I were still in my day job.”
Effect on Singing
Bethea was fortunate in that his voice teacher gave him a significant discount for the lessons leading up to the Met audition. Not all teachers are willing to cut their fees for unemployed students, though, and this means that singers who lose their day jobs and use up their savings have to limit lessons and coachings to stay financially afloat. Is that reduction in formal training compensated by more time to practice? According to Combs, yes—but only initially.
“I did have more time to practice and learn new music when I left my job,” she says. “For a little while, the lack of tension from that job helped me find more freedom in my voice.” This sense of freedom quickly waned, however. As she notes, “It’s really hard to be relaxed when you’re worried about bills.”
A soprano (who wishes to remain anonymous) once experienced periods of unemployment and remembers that at those times, singing played second fiddle to the job search. “When I was between jobs, I did have more time to practice, but I didn’t seem to be motivated to do more than I normally would,” she relates. “I was able to do more character research, but typically spent more time looking for a day job because I still needed to pay rent. . . . My focus was more on survival, and singing was not really a priority.”
Other singers have had completely different experiences. Some, like Natalie Mann, started off losing a day job and ended up with a full-time singing career. Soprano Jordan Wentworth, who was fired from “half a dozen secretarial jobs,” is a case in point. After the last incident, which she describes as soul crushing, she took solace in music. She recalls: “All I could do was sing through my aria book that came out of hiding each time I lost a job. . . . Only, this time, I kept singing.” Today, “thirty roles later,” she can look back with objectivity. “Once I put the energy into singing that I used to put into being a good secretary, I found my real gift,” she states.
Another anonymous soprano who once worked for a large arts organization says she was “so happy” the day she was laid off. “I had more time to practice and more time to take gigs with afternoon rehearsals,” she explains. “I had less stress, so I sang better.” Today, she is living on a tight budget, but she is able to support herself by singing and teaching voice.
Coping
Despite the positive experiences of a fortunate few, most singers cannot survive by performing alone. What steps can those who are newly unemployed take to improve their situations? My interviewees had several suggestions:
Explore your financial options.
Financial assistance may be available to you, depending upon your situation. “Find out at soon as possible whether or not you are eligible for unemployment, food stamps, etc.,” Combs advises. “I wish I had done that sooner.”
Bethea sets a good example: he contacted his mortgage firm and received a six-month forbearance. In addition, he was able to put his student loans on hold for a year. Furthermore, if you are an AGMA member, don’t forget that AGMA can provide advice and, possibly, financial support through the AGMA Relief Fund.
Start your search immediately, but also take advantage of your free time.
Career counselors are fond of saying that an employment search is a 9-5 job. This view has merit. It is important for singers to register on reputable job sites or with reputable employment and temping agencies, scour the online and offline want ads, and network as much as possible.
These activities, of course, can be extremely time consuming. Nevertheless, unemployed singers will probably find themselves with down time, and it’s important to make the most of it. “The free time gives you a great opportunity,” notes Bethea. “You can mope—or you can do something.”
“Set a schedule and stick to it,” advises the soprano who has experienced periods of unemployment. “Decide to spend a standard time period on the job hunt and then another time period to work on singing on your own. I know it’s hard to be motivated, but realize that you don’t get this time back once you have a job. Set goals; spend time researching programs and other future musical opportunities. Use the public library—it’s free and an amazing resource. Check out CDs and DVDs and really study operas.”
Don’t overlook part-time work.
It may not be ideal, but it can help you cover some of your day-to-day expenses. According to the soprano who once worked for a large arts organization, “Part-time work can be a lifesaver, and there is always part-time work available in a bad economy.”
Be creative.
It is a cliché to say, “Think out of the box,” but that is exactly what unemployed singers have to do. Bethea, for example, registered with Central Casting (www.centralcasting.com) and frequently works as an extra. He admits that it doesn’t pay well and that the work is hard and the days are long—but it does provide spending money, and extras get to meet interesting people in the film industry.
Combs suggests that singers with reliable transportation talk to all the local schools about giving private lessons to students. Keep an open mind. “Tap into your creative side to look for solutions,” says Mann. “What skills do you have that are applicable in other industries that are hiring?” Above all, she stresses, “Don’t be afraid to follow a new opportunity.”
Stay positive.
This advice is easy to give and not so easy to follow, but it is wise. No one wants to hire—or even refer—someone who is perceived as a downer. Soprano Nancy Wiebe Mazurowski knows many musicians who recently lost their teaching jobs and observes that those who are managing best are those with the positive attitudes. “It’s really hard to keep your chin up,” she says, “but to survive the ups and downs of this industry (let alone this economy), you need to ‘do what you’ve gotta do.’”
It’s also important to surround yourself with people who can provide emotional support. “I have great housemates who were very supportive and understanding about my situation and tried to help as much as they could,” notes Combs. “They gave me support when I got depressed about not receiving any job offers.”
As for singers who do have day jobs, my interviewees have advice for them, too. The most important regards an emergency fund: have one! Bethea emphasizes: “It is so important to have savings that will cover three to six months of living expenses. Singers have to plan ahead in case things don’t go according to plan.”
Looking Ahead
Artists often have a tough time making ends meet, even when the economy is booming. It is no surprise, therefore, that many have been hit hard by the recent downturn. If you are one of them, do not despair. Experts say that the economy is slowly improving. Also, keep in mind that unemployment is no longer a stigma, now that it affects so many people.
Admittedly, it is unlikely that you will end up with a successful singing career following a period of unemployment as Mann and Wentworth did, but it is possible that you may find a day job better suited to you and to the pursuit of a singing career than your former position was if you devote energy and enthusiasm to your search. So keep plugging away—and keep singing.
For motivation, consider a suggestion from Wiebe Mazurowski: “An image I find useful is of salmon swimming upstream. When I think about what incredible odds those determined little creatures overcome, it’s humbling. And I doubt that they’re thinking, ‘I feel like doing this today.’ It just is what has to be done.”
