Most singers develop strong relationships with their voice teachers in school and depend firmly upon their input. The time inevitably comes when one must graduate and move into a career, which often means training in an apprenticeship program. What can singers expect, then, as they move into their first Young Artist Program? What level of guidance will they receive in this pivotal time of their vocal and career development? Two prominent voice teachers with first-hand experience in Young Artist Programs took the time to share just what is essential to get into a program and what level of vocal guidance is offered once a singer is there.
What does it take?
“Great vocal gifts and an advanced musical skill set are possessed by virtually all the top singers who inhabit the best programs,” shares Stephen King. If a singer were looking for an honest assessment of vocal ability in Young Artist Programs, King would be considered an authority. For the past eight years, he has served as director of vocal instruction for the Houston Grand Opera Studio while simultaneously teaching at Rice University, where he now serves as chair of vocal studies. He is also principal guest teacher for the Los Angeles Opera and for the Resident Artists of Dallas Opera. King’s students have been chosen to participate in programs such as the Aspen Music Festival, San Francisco’s Merola Program, Central City Opera, Chautauqua, Glimmerglass, and the Cincinnati May Festival—and many of them are now singing leading roles with Chicago Lyric, New York City Opera, San Francisco Opera, and Washington Opera, among many others.
“Virtually every program is looking for great talent,” King says. “Suffice it to say that most of the highest-level potential singers are known to the Big 4 programs by the time they are beginning to leave grad school, though there are exceptions.”
Cynthia Lawrence agrees that it takes a special talent to gain entry to a Young Artist Program. “A singer must have a beautiful voice, a unique quality, the ability to express beyond the studio. There must be a strong technique, but it is no longer possible to just be ‘a voice.’ There is so much more to it now.”
Lawrence is now a professor at the University of Kentucky, holding an Endowed Chair in Music, and she has experienced much of what Young Artist Programs offer to students. In her time with Central City, Chicago Lyric, San Francisco, and the Metropolitan opera companies, Lawrence observed the qualities necessary to thrive in a program, advice she now passes to her students. “You must have a strong understanding of a well produced, beautiful sound; [have] a desire to express inner emotion; and understand the style of major composers. Your drive must be keen, and you must be curious to figure out what more there is and how you will gain those extra skills.”
Will I still have a teacher?
Once a singer lands a coveted position with a program, what can he or she expect as far as voice instruction? “Very little, actually,” says Lawrence. “The vocal training is mostly hands on, hard, ‘real world’ work. It is the student’s duty and responsibility to have their technique as put together as [possible] before they arrive. The rigors of an apprentice program are not the place to cruise or ‘try it out.’ There is little time for rest, the energy is high, and you are working, rehearsing, coaching, and learning constantly. There is little to no opportunity to become sick. A singer learns very quickly what they are made of and how to handle it when they are associated with a Young Artist Studio/Apprentice program.”
King says that the Houston Grand Opera is a unique program with respect to vocal instruction. “As far as I know, this is the only YAP with a single teacher who provides a weekly lesson and does not perform some other role, such as administration, etc. In general, teaching in many companies can be sporadic or even nonexistent. This is very individual to the company makeup and how young artist roles are viewed.” Even in companies where a singer is not assigned a voice teacher, such as the Metropolitan Opera, they are encouraged to find a good teacher in the area if they do not already have one.
Might a singer experience conflict or disagreement between their current teacher and their instruction with a new teacher or coach at a YAP? “Of course,” answers Lawrence. “My voice teacher would always be interested in hearing what I’d been up to. If I was smart and understood what I was doing, based on her previous guidance, there weren’t too many problems that needed to be addressed. If I took too many risks and paid the price with fatigue or strain, there would always be some rebuilding and an ensuing reassessment. This never stops, by the way. Sometimes I would call, if I was away for a very long time, and check in.”
King echoes the sentiment of so many voice teachers that the information given in voice lessons is essentially the same from everyone. “In general, I have had little if any difficulty in helping the students organize the information they have from past or current teachers. They know that I teach numerous older working professionals and that the only mission is to help them.”
Even if a program does not offer a voice teacher associated with the company, most YAPs offer regular coaching to their singers. Lawrence recalls her experience with the Lyric Opera of Chicago. “Most of us were fairly strong singers technically, something I am insisting my students realize. We did, however, have many vocal coaches we worked with, and their knowledge and guidance is still with me today. But I believe a singer must possess a strong technique in order to assimilate the advanced ideas from a professional coach.” In other words, a YAP should be considered a step up from the university studio experience, and singers should be technically sound before embarking upon an audition tour.
Can I keep up?
When I first began soliciting information for this article, a good friend of mine described YAPs as basically glorified slave labor. He had obviously benefited from his experiences with many mid-level programs, but he also felt extremely taxed. Young artists are often the ones who drive touring vans, move and set up equipment and scenery, and then sing for hours on end. Unlike my friend, I was lucky enough to subsequently sing for an opera outreach program. The directors cast me in a role that did not stretch me too far and allowed me to continue to develop my technique, even though we were performing daily for primary and secondary schools. My experience was a luxury not often afforded singers in many Young Artist Programs.
King confirmed that the pressures on singers are great. “Depending on the program, vocal demands can be intense—from two outreach shows per day to main stage roles combined with daily coachings, language, movement, dramatic classes, lessons, and all that is involved in multiple preparations.” Lawrence reiterated that fatigue and falling into bad habits are the “worst enemies for a young artist.”
Should this be my path?
Despite the challenges inherent in a YAP for the emerging singer, these teachers insist that the way to a career should usually be through one of the mid- to upper-level programs. “I have to say that in my experience, Young Artist Programs have become the main way to prepare for a career in the United States or abroad,” opines King. “The managers hear the singers in their interactions with the companies and there really is no better recommendation.” Peter Kazaras, with the Seattle Opera Young Artists, said the same thing when I spoke with him for the May 2011 issue: YAPs allow singers to gain access to directors and make connections that would be difficult without the reputation one can make in a major program.
Just being a part of a major company allows singers a new perspective on their profession. “I learned by listening to my colleagues and the major stars I was associating with daily, what the sound was, and how to put it all together as they worked on stage,” says Lawrence. “The experience gained through hard work [in a YAP] is invaluable and the skills gained, friends made, and associations are necessary.”
There are, of course, exceptions, and many are able to make the transition to a professional career without the aid of a YAP. Most agree, however, that they are currently the best and most common way to launch a singing career. A singer must be ready for the demands placed daily upon their instrument to survive and thrive in such an arduous environment. While there is much in the way of refinement, style, and expression to be gained through a YAP, a singer is not ready to audition without rock-solid technique. Without this bedrock, a singer is not likely to be accepted into a program―and if they are, it is possible they will experience trouble because of the stress placed upon the young voice.
One of my favorite football coaches, Urban Meyer, summed it up this way: “I have yet to be in a game where luck was involved. Well prepared players make plays. I have yet to be in a game where the most prepared team didn’t win.” As both Lawrence and King attest, preparation is key.
