Every once in awhile, a meme will be passed around social media declaring that artists shouldn’t work for free. This righteous indignation usually rises within us when companies or individuals offer us the “opportunity” to give them something for nothing—or for “exposure.” There is a collective frustration among artists that the public has no qualms in asking us to work for free—and that other artists sustain that pattern by saying “yes.”
But does that mean you should never sing for free? There are many reasons the opportunity might be worth more to you than the money would have. Maybe you love the piece or can get some nice YouTube clips out of it—or, more likely, you need the experience. The fact of the matter is that most people are not willing to pay you to do something you’ve never done. Even an entry-level church gig will expect you to have sung in a choir before, if not a church choir specifically. So if you’re staring at an empty résumé, it might not be the time to play hardball over your salary—or lack thereof.
Whether or not to sing for free is a personal decision, and it depends on the circumstances. (I’ve sung for free a lot, but I’ve also declined a lot.) The following are some reasons that singers make the choice to take unpaid gigs. These should help not only singers trying to make a decision, but directors of shoestring companies trying to get and keep unpaid talent.
To Gain Stage Experience
Most of us have some level of stage experience from college or even from high school. But if you’re new to singing entirely, you have to get caught up. You must learn to be on stage before you can have a stage career. Even if you can point to where “stage right” and “stage left” are, there’s no substitution for being under the lights. Sussing out where to stand to be in the light and have your face toward the audience without upstaging your colleagues is an art that needs to become intuition. And until you are at home on the stage, you won’t be comfortable enough to smoothly handle the things that go wrong (and they will).
A singer who just needs to work up their theater chops can benefit as much from singing in the chorus as they can from singing roles. In fact, if you’ve never performed at all, singing in a choir, in a community musical theatre production, or at an open mic are all experiences that will help you understand what a performance is actually like—things going wrong, not being able to stop and start whenever you need to, nerves. Oh, and the exhilaration, too.
To Bulk Up Your Résumé
Fresh out of college, your résumé probably has a handful of opera scenes, some choral solos, maybe a couple masterclasses you’ve taken—and almost no full roles. At this point, you’d kill for a Barbarina or a Gianetta just to have something on there.
At this point, it doesn’t matter much what you sing. You could be in a modern opera no one’s heard of, but it’s a role! Of course, something Fach inappropriate will stick up as a red flag on your résumé, so don’t be overly enthusiastic to take the first thing you’re offered.
To Add Something Specific to Your Résumé
At a certain point in your career, there are some roles you really need to add to your résumé. The Duke. Carmen. Susanna. Something that A) epitomizes your Fach (so it’s obvious to agents that you can get hired for what you think you can get hired for) and B) is from a frequently performed opera (because you’ll be more likely to land the role again if you’ve already done it).
In this situation, a singer is usually looking to get in, get the credit, and get out. A lengthy run doesn’t help, especially if there’s a lot of travel or time commitment involved. In fact, I’ve been in two productions (with two performances each) where the tenor bagged on the second show. Once they could say they’d performed the role, they had no more use for the production.
It’s also important to note that this sort of thing works only on well-known operas. It’s much harder to cast an obscure show for free because singers on this level don’t need the credit.
For a Good Cause
Entire operas are not usually performed for charity. The production costs are so high that it’s not really a good fundraising mechanism. But concerts, both choral and solo, often are. Singing for puppies and kittens or veterans or cancer research can be a good way to give back, especially if it’s a charity you’d be supporting anyway.
Don’t feel obligated, though. Just because something is for charity doesn’t mean you have to feel guilty for saying “no.” And before you say “yes,” make sure it’s a charity you actually believe in. There are many controversial nonprofits (and even outright scams) out there looking for donations.
As a Favor
If you have any sort of network at all, someone you know in the business has probably called you up and asked you to sing something as a favor. Maybe they are strapped for tenors, or maybe their Lucia walked out a week before opening night. If this person is really in a pinch, you might care about helping them more than you care about getting paid.
That’s what friends are for. But favors can be used up quickly. If a company is constantly in a bind, it’s OK to decline. But just remember: you’re going to need a favor someday too!
To Enhance Your Publicity Materials (or Just Impress Your Facebook Friends)
A performer will often sing a role gratis that they’ve already done if they think they can get a bonus out of it: nice production shots, a video of them singing with orchestra, a glowing review. In fact, no matter how many times you’ve done a role, these are always great things to get. Even the opportunity to perform locally for friends and family can be a draw for singers who usually perform on the road!
If you can offer these little bonus features to singers, they’ll be more likely to come back for more. Even if it’s just something nice that they can share on Facebook to show off to their friends, it goes a long way!
For the Love of the Art
This is the one we hear the most from people who don’t want to pay us: “Don’t you do it for the love of the music?” The implication is that if you don’t sing for free for them, you’re not a real artist—you’re just in it for the money. (Yes, all that money that classical singers are just rolling around in.) But if you want us to perform because we love it, then we have to love it. That means the production has to be artistically rewarding. Often, shoestring-budget productions are a bit of a mess—under rehearsed singers and orchestra members not knowing their parts, inexperienced (or no) conductors or directors, pianists playing everything at a funeral march tempo. (You get what you pay for, right?) It’s very difficult to be in the moment as an actor when your scene partner is messing up their blocking left and right (no, right and left!).
If a performer is singing for the love of it, they are looking for the highest-quality production or ensemble they can get into. This kind of person is willing to put in the extra rehearsal and preparation time if it means a good outcome.
All of us will sing for free at some point in our lives, whether for art or experience—or that dreaded word “exposure.” Before you say “yes” or “no,” consider your needs and how the opportunity would fill them. You don’t have to agree just because somebody asked, but you don’t have to decline just because you’re a professional.
