Apart from the well known vocal experts, we live in a society saturated with coaches, trainers, and gurus. And while all provide valuable services, those service costs start to add up really quickly. Taking a different angle with this month’s “$50 Week,” we cornered five coaches that ought to be in every singer’s court and asked them for some tips—free of charge.
The Life Coach: Ariadne Moisiades
A trained soprano and choral conductor, Ariadne Moisiades is now a certified professional co-active coach (CPC-AC) whose firm Sound Strategies works with a variety of clients to help them realize personal and professional goals.
“Keep your skills honed. Be audition ready; be good to go at any time. You can’t afford to let it lapse. You never know when the industry person is going to cross your path. So we advise to not skimp on that and devote as many resources as you can to this area.
“Consider the world your networking partner. Every exchange a person has with anyone is potentially an opportunity to network. Strike up a conversation and ask people what they’re looking for as well as let them know what you’re looking for. It goes both ways—that’s the big tip. You can help them, and they could make introductions for you or inform you of an opportunity they know about. And most people are happy to help, especially if you’re offering to do the same for them. I’m reminded of a quote a coach of mine had that I loved: ‘The universe is conspiring to help you realize your purpose. Now what are you going to do to lend a hand?’”
The Organizational Guru: Tracy McCubbin
You may not be as much of a hoarder as Amy Poehler’s character on Parks and Recreation (she held onto a newspaper from the ’80s because it had the “first rumblings of Iran-Contra”), but chances are the maintenance of all your stuff is costing you some time and money. Tracy McCubbin of dClutterfly works with people every day to clean their homes, minds, and schedules.
“The key to happiness is time management. What’s the thing that holds you up the most? How can you streamline things like bill paying and losing keys so you have time to rehearse and practice?
“Sheet music may not be going anywhere, but figure out how to deal with the rest of the paperwork. If sheet music is an integral part not going away, how can we reduce the rest of the clutter? One of my favorite tips is don’t let junk mail even get in the house. Recycle it or throw it in a shredder the minute you see it in your mailbox. Fifty to 60 percent of your mail is junk.
“Set up a separate e-mail that you only use for bill paying, financial stuff, and online shopping so that it’s clear when you’re going into that in-box, you’re going to work. It’s almost like a post office box where all the business stuff comes and doesn’t get jumbled up with all of your other e-mails.
“And try to do as much online as you can.
“Magazines are also a big thing. Reduce it down. If you really, truly, honestly need an article that you can’t find online, pull out the stuff you need and create tear sheets in a binder.”
The Allergy Coach: Sloane Miller
Better known to many online as Allergic Girl, Sloane Miller is a licensed psychotherapeutic social worker who coaches the food-allergic and asthmatic communities. Miller finds that her coaching sessions often boil down to one major point.
“Do the stuff that you know you should be doing. A lot of people get great advice—they read the magazines, they see all the information online—and it’s free, and they’re not doing it. And it’s really just a function of doing it and picking one thing—whether it’s meditating for five minutes each morning, drinking more herbal tea, making it to yoga once a week—actually committing to one thing that will be a stress reliever or a life enhancer is the easiest place to start. And I think people overlook that because they think change has to be huge, it has to be expensive. [But] it doesn’t. You just actually have to do it. It sounds really simple, but a lot of people don’t do it. They say ‘I know I should be doing that, but . . . ’
“I talk to my clients about this all the time. They say, ‘I know I need to see an allergist,’ or ‘I know I haven’t been to a G.I. and need to do those tests.’ They know it, but they’re not doing it. So then the coach’s job is to support the action you already know you need to do.”
The Personal Trainer: Adam James Gallo
Owner of the Loft Collective NYC (where he is also a trainer), Adam James Gallo’s personal philosophy is that fitness training should be available to all at an affordable cost. New York-based classical singers can take advantage of his services for $40 a week. However, he also offers up some tips for staying fit without a trainer—or, for that matter, a gym membership.
“You don’t need a penny of your money to get fit and have fun doing it, too. You just need the same thing that got you where you are now: your brains and a bunch of determination (and some patience).
“You know that old pair of walking or running shoes that have been sitting in the corner of your room looking sad? Use them! Find a new favorite corner in Central Park, and don’t forget to climb on every rock you see. Have friends, a field, and a Frisbee? You know what to do. And how about all those complaints about that fourth-floor walk-up of yours in Park Slope? Turn those complaints into affirmations and voilà—you have a stair machine. Seven to 10 times up and down those babies a day, paired with a good diet, and you are on your way to a new bod in no time.
“Challenge yourself. I like to set little challenges for myself while I’m home. For instance, every time I go into the kitchen—for anything—I have to do 25 squats. Or if I use the bathroom, 12 stomach crunches. Or each time I get off the phone, I have to walk up and down my four flights of stairs.”
The Acting Teacher: Cathy Haase
Cathy Haase, an accomplished stage and screen actress, teaches in both the U.S. and Europe. Her book, Acting for Film, is also available for purchase on Amazon.com and in bookstores. While perhaps only the upper echelon of singers can afford a private acting coach or teacher, Haase exposes every performer’s best-kept secrets, which can be used onstage, during rehearsals, or even in the audition room.
“The key to any performer’s success is relaxation and concentration. A performer should begin with their own feelings—what strikes them the most after a first reading—and then go from there. The answers to questions about a role should stem from the feelings that they provoke in the body (not the intellect) and where the tensions rise within the body. The release of this tension is usually the emotions that are connected with the role. You start with yourself; the work on the character comes later.
“Stay in the moment, breathe, let it change to the next moment, and listen to what the body is telling you. If you have a strong technique, the instrument will lead you where you need to go. Everything is a process. Performers always want to be perfect and that’s not possible, especially in the beginning of a career. Take Toscanini’s advice and leave in the imperfections and the moments of chance inspiration.”
