One of the perks of a Young Artist Program versus a pay-to-sing program is that a YAP offers a salary. However, YAPs can be one of the more expensive job hunts for a singer. There are not only audition fees to consider, but also the inherent travel and audition expenses. We’ve covered the latter two parts in previous installments (April 2009 and August 2009). With this budgetary breakdown of YAP audition fees added to the mix, you should have a solid game plan to keep your finances in check—and hopefully add a bit more to the pot.
Make Time to Plan Your Time
“You really have to sit down and write out dates, numbers, and plan it,” says mezzo-soprano Jennifer Johnson, a veteran of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, Opera Theatre of St. Louis’s Gerdine Young Artist Program, and the Ravinia Festival’s Steans Institute for Young Artists. Johnson stresses that one of the easiest ways to stay on budget when auditioning for YAPs is to research and not rush the process. The easiest way to do so without feeling constrained is by starting big and whittling your way down.
“You end up making this huge list of places you’d be interested in going,” Johnson explains. “But then when you add up the fees, you’re like ‘I can’t possibly sing for all of these people.’” Many singers, Johnson included, find the magic number is five to six programs, which allows for a maximum amount of exposure while minimizing the inherent expenses.
“I always look ahead of time for the companies that are offering repertoire that suits my Fach. If not, I don’t apply. It’s that simple,” says coloratura soprano Jamilyn Manning-White, a member of Glimmerglass Opera’s Young American Artist Program, who manages her audition budget so fastidiously that she has a separate checking account solely for those expenses. “I have friends that apply to anything and everything, and the money goes so fast.”
Bass Campbell Vertesi goes one step further. We applauded Vertesi earlier this year for his excellent blog post on stretching your audition dollar (campbell.vertesi.com/blog), which offers some of the smartest tips from one singer to another: “What repertoire are they doing this year? Is there anything in there for you? Be realistic—Central City isn’t hiring a young artist to sing Violetta. But there’s a good chance they’d consider a young mezzo for Flora . . . or a young bass for the doctor.”
Vertesi also cautions his fellow singers against applying for programs without researching them in relation to the company’s mainstage. While companies like Glimmerglass feed directly from YAP to mainstage, other companies tend to “separate church and state.”
Think Geographically
The $30 to $70 you’ll spend on each audition fee is nothing compared to the travel expenses if you choose five auditions in five different states. And while it’s great to expose yourself to as many auditions and opportunities as possible, there are more sensible and concentrated ways to do so.
The minute you’re sure of an audition, start researching flights. “I’m constantly searching for good deals, and if a person is patient and willing to do some digging, you can find it,” says Manning-White, who lives in Phoenix and travels to New York frequently. She also points out the benefits of joining—and committing to—a frequent-flyer program, especially if you live far enough outside of New York. “I fly primarily into La Guardia and reap the benefits of Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program. If I need to cancel or change my flight for any reason, I can change my itinerary for minimal or no fees.”
Plan around your key auditions if it means only paying for one airfare rather than several. “There was one time where I had options of going to New York and Chicago,” says Johnson. “I had this one audition in Florida. And I decided it wasn’t worth the money to go down to Florida when I had three auditions in Chicago and four in New York. At the end of the day, it was just being practical.” If even Chicago and New York are too much for one year, look for a concentrated number of auditions—as is often the case in Manhattan in November and December.
Team Up
Yes, if you’re a countertenor, you’re going to be competing with your fellow countertenors. However, if you’re all auditioning for the same program anyway, carpooling or splitting the cost of a hotel room won’t kill you. In fact, knowing familiar faces at auditions—especially those in your vocal range—can be a beneficial networking opportunity.
Staying in touch with colleagues in other cities is also a surefire way to earn a couch or a floor for a few nights while you’re on the YAP circuit. “I try to stay with friends while in NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, etc., and always bring a thank you gift and card with me,” says Manning-White. (Gifts under $25, incidentally, are tax-deductible, along with your other audition and travel expenses.) “If I have the luxury of having access to a kitchen, I buy a few groceries at the local market and prepare a healthy, inexpensive meal for me and my friend whom I’m staying with.”
Act, Reflect, React
Be honest with yourself. If you don’t feel you’re at the level to work in the Met’s Young Artist Program, save it for next year and focus your audition money on programs in your range. While you’ll grow from the challenge, you’ll grow even further from being accepted into Opera Memphis’ apprentice program. And while it’s nice to stretch yourself artistically, you may or may not find that this is the year to make that extra investment.
If you aren’t accepted into any of the programs you audition for, seek out feedback on your audition from your coach or (if possible) one of the adjudicators. If your list included Lindemann, Wolf Trap, and Houston, you may not be at that level (as in college, scouting out a “safety” program isn’t the worst idea in the world here). Don’t feel like you have to settle for a program that won’t suit your needs, but also don’t scoff at the idea of working from the bottom to the top.
On the flip side of the coin, if you’re accepted into the majority—if not all—of the YAPs you audition for, it may be time to crank your audition list into higher gear. Add one or two higher-caliber programs to your next list. Your artistic growth may be supplemented by your financial growth.
