The recession has not been kind to classical singers. Many opera companies have folded, and others are straining under slashed budgets. Choruses and orchestras are also suffering. Consequently, competition for roles and gigs is fiercer than ever. Temp jobs, which once helped underemployed singers pay the bills, are no longer easy to secure. Everywhere you look, it seems, there are singers struggling.
Soprano Natalie Mann is one of the few happy exceptions. In her case, the recession hit hard, but it also prompted her to launch a successful full-time career as a singer. This is her story.
Pink Slip
The story begins with a pink slip. In Natalie’s case, it could not have come at a worse time. She had just been promoted to a project manager in the marketing department of a Fortune 500 financial firm, a dream job for her. It was also a dream job that required many sacrifices. The firm was located in the far northwest suburbs of Chicago and she lived in the far west suburbs. Natalie drove 100 miles a day to work, then downtown for rehearsals, and home afterward. Her commute and the job’s long hours forced her to give up her associate position with the Chicago Symphony Chorus. She struggled with whether or not to keep her church job, also located downtown. To further complicate matters, she was also going through a divorce.
“I had tried to be superwoman, and it worked for a while,” she says. “My previous job at Unilever was in downtown Chicago, where my voice teacher was based. I could take lessons during my lunch hour. I also had a compressed workweek, with Friday afternoons off. Getting to rehearsals after work was not a problem.
“Once I took on the new job, the wheels started to fall off the cart,” she recalls. “I felt adrift.” Her life became her work; there was simply no room for anything else. She describes this period as “an insane time.” Then, in May 2009, she was downsized. Her official divorce followed one week later. Before, she had lost the wheels. By this time, there was no more cart.
Natalie had decided a long time ago to avoid the uncertainty of a singing career. “I couldn’t get over the economics of full-time professional singing,” she says. “It’s a daunting proposition, and I wanted to ensure that I could support myself.” So she took what she viewed as the safe, reliable path to the business world after graduating from Indiana University with a doctorate in vocal performance.
Natalie’s choice is somewhat surprising, because her prospects for a singing career seemed promising from a young age. Although she grew up on a working farm in rural Indiana and had not experienced the classical music world beyond taking private voice lessons in high school, she received a scholarship for undergraduate vocal studies at Butler University. Later, she received a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship to study voice and earn her Master of Creative Arts in Australia. At Indiana, notorious for its exceptionally competitive “cattle call” auditions, she sang mainstage roles, including, most notably, Susanna in Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles. “Her soprano soared with the fullness of tone through the climaxes; no high note seemed to tax her,” Peter Jacobi of the Herald-Times noted of her performances there.
After Natalie graduated, she continued to perform on the side and she received excellent reviews. The Naperville Interlude praised her “vocal assurance, impeccable technique, and refined artistry.” In 2005 and 2006, the Chicago Tribune recommended her recitals as a Critics’ Choice pick.
Despite these accolades and the encouragement of music industry professionals, Natalie did not regret her decision to keep singing on the side. “My goal was to make a living, but keep a foot in the singing world,” she explains. Furthermore, until she joined the financial firm, the approach worked.
The Lowest Point
Not surprisingly, the pink slip led to the blues. “I was well into my 30s, divorced, living with my sister and her family, and unemployed,” Natalie remembers. “I had lost all my self-confidence. It was my darkest hour.”
Trying to stay positive, she kept active by volunteering for organizations and starting a new exercise routine, which included walking her sister’s dog. “It was a nice way to help out my sister and a good way for me to work on goals that I felt I couldn’t achieve while I was at the firm—like exercising and losing weight,” she points out.
She also used her free time to connect with old friends, one of whom mentioned in passing that she would really enjoy San Diego. Natalie’s interest was piqued. On a whim, she auditioned for the chorus of the San Diego Opera, an AGMA house that did not restrict its auditions to local residents. “It was a good thing that I had kept my AGMA membership in good standing even though I wasn’t singing with the Chicago Symphony Chorus anymore, because there was actually a spot open for a soprano,” Natalie observes. The audition went swimmingly and, soon thereafter, Natalie received a contract in the mail—for a full chorus position.
Decision
Most practical people do not leave their friends and families to pick up and start a new life elsewhere, and Natalie has always prided herself on being practical. “I grew up in a traditional Midwest family with three sisters,” she explains. “We’re down to earth. My older sister is even more practical than I am. When I discussed the opportunity with her, she surprised me by saying, ‘If you don’t take this opportunity, you’ll regret it.’ I thought that if even my sister, whose life path has been very conventional, felt this way, then it really must be an amazing opportunity. Plus, at this point, there was nothing to lose.” Natalie accepted.
It was the right decision. “I moved out there, and I soon found that I loved working with the company,” she says. Through contacts she made in the chorus, Natalie found a church job. Other gigs soon followed. This past December, she was the soprano soloist in Missa Solemnis with the La Jolla Symphony. This spring, she’ll be making her debut in a role at San Diego Opera as one of the orphans in Der Rosenkavalier. Another dream came true in February, when Natalie made her debut at Carnegie Hall in a benefit concert for the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women” campaign. In short, less than two years after she was downsized, things are looking up for this soprano.
Looking Back
Would Natalie have done things differently now that she has, to use a popular cliché, 20/20 hindsight? Perhaps. “It’s hard to think about doing things differently,” she reflects, “because if I had had it easier, I might not realize what an amazing life I lead right now. That said, if I did have the chance to do things differently, I think I would not let the rejection along the way set me back and make me almost give up singing a few times. I also wouldn’t be so rough on myself when my career wasn’t going the same way it was for others.”
How would she advise singers who struggle with the decision to pursue a singing career? “Remember that just because you’re not at the Met or you didn’t do all the right YAP programs by the time you are 30 does not mean that you can’t have a career. If you listen to your trusted advisers and follow your gut, you’ll be happy with the outcome.
“Singers should remember that our careers are cumulative,” she continues. “The skills you learn on caroling gigs, in churches and temples, and performing with choirs are all important tools to reach a solo career. Don’t limit yourself with rigid goals. Everyone’s career path is different, so don’t get discouraged or jealous of what other singers have. That is just taking energy away from your career. By maintaining a good attitude and working well with colleagues, you will find more doors opening for you.”
What’s Next?
Natalie does not have specific, quantitative goals in mind for the future. Instead, she takes a more general approach. “I want to be open to offers that allow me to continue to grow as a musician, both in opera and oratorio concerts. I want to see if my career is at a point where a manager might make sense, as well.”
It’s important to remain optimistic, she believes. “Performers should keep their ‘once in a lifetime’ dreams alive. You never know when you might have a chance to make that a reality.”
To Learn More
In upcoming articles, Natalie will join other singers in sharing suggestions for singers who lose their day jobs and discuss experiences organizing a concert on behalf of a charity. In the interim, read more at www.nataliemann.com.
