On his website (Campbell.Vertesi.com), bass Campbell Vertesi has a blog post titled “10 Ways to Stretch Your YAP Audition Dollar.” Whether you’re in search of a YAP or study program this summer, the post is full of great tips and tricks—from carpooling to auditions to selecting companies based on their repertoire—to avoid falling further into debt with applications to summer or Young Artist Programs.
Vertesi and his wife (coloratura soprano Bryn Vertesi) recently put their money where their mouths are by moving to Paris. “My wife specializes in French opéra comique, so last year she called up the Paris Conservatory and asked them if she could come and study in their archives,” explains Campbell, alluding to the Conservatory’s famed trove of mid-nineteenth-century opera documents.
As quickly as the Conservatory said “Bien sûr!” and set Bryn up with a teacher and coach, the Vertesis were quickly saving up as much as they could to afford the move from Cincinnati to the City of Light by working as waiters (a gig that, in eight months, earned them $10,000).
Coming Up with the Pay to Play
A full session at the Aspen Music Festival will run you over $6,000 (which, if you’re brave enough to face the math, is 120 $50 weeks). Naturally, these programs can help you get to a point in your career where living on $50 a week isn’t necessary. However, that doesn’t pay the bills. If you’re applying to summer programs, plan ahead—even before you get accepted.
“We didn’t eat out; we rarely went out for drinks,” says Vertesi of prepping for his move. “Which doesn’t necessarily mean you have to cut out social activities—you just alter them. For instance, we would invite friends over for dinner or have drinks with people at home.”
The concrete goal is recognized by many—from those in the financial trenches to psychological researchers—to be an important factor in saving, as Vertesi found. “Suddenly I had something to help tip the scales. It was either Chipotle [for lunch] now, or dine out in Paris later.”
Tough call.
After you cover your program costs, you can still make the most of your experience on the cheap—whether in the Bay Area or the Bavarian Alps. Here are five real-life examples of how to rock your summer “vacation.”
Aspen-ding Spree
One of the prime spots for skiing and celeb-spotting, Aspen has earned a somewhat unfair rap for being one of the more expensive cities in the States. Fortunately, by going there in the summer for the Aspen Music Festival, you’re already cutting 20 to 40 percent off the cost of visiting during their peak season around the winter holidays. Flying into Denver is cheaper than into Aspen itself, so see if any of your summer colleagues are planning to drive in from Colorado’s capital city. Or, for about $40, you can take a Greyhound bus to Glenwood Springs ($33) and then an RFTA bus from there to Aspen ($6). It may seem like a schlep, but it still saves about $60 off airfare. AspenShuttle.com also offers several options.
For some cheap R&R, stop by Cooper Street for pool, 4–6 p.m. happy hours (and reasonable drinks beyond that), and some local flavor. For a fancy night out, eat during happy hour at the bar at Cache Cache. The Aspen Art Museum offers gratis admission, but the city’s greatest draw—its nature—will probably be your most memorable freebie.
(Check out the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies for more info.)
Puccini on a Penny
At first glance, Lucca, the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini, comes off as Italy’s own version of Graceland. Yet this quaint Tuscan burg (which still boasts its medieval walls) is also a jewel box of a town for singers. And, happily, your budget can range anywhere between Turandot grandeur and La bohème rationing.
“Look at a map,” says former Lucca student and soprano Melissa Wegner. “I did a home-stay in Lucca close enough to the main campus area of my program. I never needed a weekly or monthly transportation pass. I walked a lot and saved lots of money.”
Being in Italy, you’ll also never go hungry—especially with the small Lucchese grocery stores, which Wegner frequented for local flavor. “You can get a bunch of small things—olives, octopus salad, bread, cheese—and head to the [city’s] wall for a picnic lunch. Of course, you have to finish up with gelato.”
Most of the Puccini haunts and monuments in the city are free or cheap, whether it’s a cappuccino at the maestro’s favorite café (Caffè di Simo) or the church where the young composer first played the organ (San Martino). To add more fuel to your research, check out the history of other Lucca-born composers, from Guami to Catalani to Boccherini.
Bay Area Budget
“I always feel good about spending money at Pizzaiolo in North Oakland since the ingredients come from good sources and the food is fantastic,” says baritone Tom Purtill. In the summer, the restaurant’s friendly atmosphere is heightened by the movie screenings on their patio. Though it isn’t exactly cheap eats, a memorable experience or two is worth the expense for the summer.
On the other side of the coin, San Francisco’s foodie culture trickles down from the three-star Michelin restaurants to the much more affordable. “The classic cheap dinner in San Francisco is a burrito in the Mission District,” explains Purtill. “And the absolute best is at El Metate.”
The city’s culture extends beyond the kitchen, however, and the Bay Area is one of the best places to absorb a wide variety of music. “Number one is absolutely the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival in Golden Gate Park. It’s giant and packed—the attendance in 2009 was roughly equal to the population of San Francisco—but every year they get the most amazing acts to play. I’ve gotten to see Neko Case, Gogol Bordello, Aimee Mann, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Iron and Wine—all absolutely free,” Purtill enthuses. A choral—and folk—artist himself, Purtill is also a fan of the International Orange Chorale, which performs for free around the city.
Graz on Zero Green
More than a host to the American Institute of Music Studies, Austria’s second-largest city boasts a population of one in seven students. Among other things, this means plenty of options for traveling on a budget (which you’ll need after the roughly $6,000 program fee). The AIMS website (AIMSGraz.com) offers several ideas for covering the program costs, including some available financial aid, leaving you some more time to research wallet-friendly options. The program also provides daily breakfasts and weekday lunches, saving you considerably on eating out or groceries.
“Putting down the guidebook and being open to the real local culture is always a good idea,” says Wegner. “Avoid too many touristy places. That’s where all the expensive, rip-off places are. Don’t get me wrong—see the sights that everyone loves to see. But if you’ve got the time, explore off the beaten path. It’s always worth it and you’ll save a few dollars.”
And, much like Aspen, the natural wonders of Graz are free.
