Are today’s college graduates really prepared for what lies ahead? A recent column in the New York Times suggests otherwise, that college graduates are perhaps not adequately equipped to make the transition from the regimented nature of academia to the relatively unstructured environment that awaits them outside those hallowed halls. While the commencement ceremony is a joyful celebration of the achievements of college graduates, the term “commencement” itself reminds us that this event is as much about beginning the rest of one’s life as it is about celebrating the past. Oscar Wilde addressed the question of education versus experience in his typically pithy style: “Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing worth knowing can be taught” (The Critic as Artist, 1890). Sardonic though this quote may be, there is truth in it, as there is no greater teacher than life itself.
Classical Singer asked three music professionals with diverse backgrounds to share what they learned through their experiences, in hopes that their input will help music graduates as they make the transition from academia to the “real world” of a music career. Soprano Erie Mills enjoyed many successful seasons as a leading coloratura soprano before beginning her current career as an English diction specialist and coach for young singers and professional opera companies. Opera Memphis General Director Ned Canty came to opera directing via the world of theatre and works with conservatory and university singers in addition to guiding Opera Memphis. Artist Manager Kristin Cowdin, in her seventh season with Guy Barzilay Artists Management, studied music and English in her undergraduate years.
What’s the most useful lesson you learned in your academic work that you have carried into your career?
Erie Mills: It all adds up! All the classes that I may have thought were irrelevant made me a better musician. Voice majors always complain about music theory—but in the end, if you are a better musician, that’s great.
Ned Canty: Nothing replaces research. The more you know about your role, the opera, the period, and your colleagues, the better. When I teach, I encourage singers to come to the first day with an idea of what every moment they have in the opera might mean, balanced with a willingness to toss any or all of it out the window in the pursuit of something better and more truthful.
Kristin Cowdin: Academia is sheltered. And it was great (especially in my undergraduate degree) for people like me. Study hard (sometimes exceptionally hard). Pass a test. Learn my music. Carefully write in my IPA. Perform in assigned recitals and performances. The path is written out for students, and success at that point in our lives means getting passing grades. You don’t learn the harsh realities in different calculators of success until you leave school.
Conversely, what is the most significant lesson you learned “in the trenches”?
EM: Probably dealing with the politics of music was the most important thing I learned in the trenches. Just because you may think you’re right doesn’t mean you are. It’s how you get other folks to agree with you that’s important. Compromise is probably the best option!
NC: We work in an art form that is ephemeral and ever changing. The moment you think you know what a moment or a role or an opera “is,” that is the moment you cease to be an artist and become a commodity. But if you can keep the same sense of wonder and discovery for your tenth Bohème as you had for your first, you are in for a happy career.
KC: Your passion does matter. Life is much better if an individual finds fulfillment. However, fulfillment and happiness can come from many arenas—not just career.
What are some of the challenges you personally faced when transitioning from academia to the “real world,” and how did you find your way through them?
EM: I was very fortunate that “one thing led to another” and that I was prepared for the success I had. I always equate one’s career with a wheel with spokes. The singer is the center of the wheel, but the spokes are what keep the wheel turning. The spokes include your spouse/partner, voice teacher, vocal coach, manager, publicist, dress designer, etc. Choose wisely, because these spokes are important for the wheel to turn effectively.
And always be prepared! This refers to taking good breaths before you sing a phrase as well as role preparation.
NC: I never studied opera in school, so I never had the opportunity to fail in a safe environment. Every show I have ever worked on had stakes. This led me to always think through every choice I made in terms of interpretation, design, and concept. While I would have loved the chance to do some crazy, off-the-wall things, the need to always think of the audience and the companies that employed me has served me well in the end. I think this might be the opposite of the usual transition, however. On the outside, every gig counts. This doesn’t mean take no chances; it just means be smart about the ones you choose to take.
KC: Thankfully, I figured out my personal curve in my career path early, and it was unlikely that any measure of hard work I put in would be enough when compared with my dose of natural talent to give me the guarantee of the type of performing career that I wanted. However, success is different when one leaves the cozy home of a degree program, even if it might have been an elite and competitive one. Suddenly, a singer finds himself competing against a pool much larger than just those singers at a school. The act of putting in the requisite time and practice in this new situation might not be enough since a singer needs more than a grade on a transcript now. Success at this point means not only getting roles, but paying for rent and food whilst doing so and attempting to do so.
What are a couple of challenges you see young singers struggling with in today’s world, and how might you advise them?
EM: Stay flexible. There is no one way to do things. In my opinion, the quality of the sound is still the most important thing. Young singers need to work on their weaknesses. Their strengths take care of themselves. Whether it’s acting, movement, languages, rhythm, vocally working through some tough areas . . . these are the things one needs to fix. Remember 0 times anything is still 0, and there can be no zeros in a career.
Also, please notice what the composer has written on the page and do it! That’s what they want, and who are we to do something else!
NC: This is a buyer’s market. Sad, but true. Choices rarely come down to anything as simple as who is “better.” Instead, there are a thousand factors that come into play, many of which are beyond the control of the artist. If you allow each “rejection” to sting, you’ll drive yourself crazy.
On a more specific note, social media allow each artist to have a much greater hand in their own PR than ever before. This is a very dangerous area, however, as things you say or show via social media never go away. My advice is to never say or put anything on Facebook or Twitter that you wouldn’t want every general director, critic, conductor, colleague, and audience member to read or see. If the person casting for Micaëla sees a photo of you doing a keg stand from Spring Break 2007, will that impact their thoughts on your suitability for the role? Do you want to take that risk?
KC: I often see young singers struggling with how to pay for life when substantial singing income has yet to begin or when there are long gaps. It is never too late to invest a little and go back and learn professional skills that can offer more promise of income while pursuing the dream. I also see singers who, at their wit’s and dream’s end—or nearing it—realize that perhaps the career for which they had hoped is not going to happen and wondering what now? And sometimes still with a mountain of debt. Such can be a devastating challenge and one a singer might never wish to think about in advance, but it might be worth it. Could a couple of extra non-music classes or even a double degree help down the line in life planning? It might be worth examining sooner rather than later.
What qualities or skills do you feel are essential to the singer’s career that are not specifically taught in conservatory or music school curricula?
EM: Languages are not emphasized enough. Ideally a voice major should have a double major in voice and a language. Learning about one’s body for singers is very important. It’s not just about the chords! It’s about the entire body. Finally, singers deal with text. It’s not just about phonation! Too many voice teachers think that’s all it’s about. This is why singers need good coaches. Singers need to learn to “sell the text.”
NC: Every artist I consider engaging has to pass a simple test. I ask myself if I want to spend a month of time with this person. If not, I don’t hire them. I need to know they will treat my staff with respect, that they will come prepared and eager, that they will charm donors and volunteers. I choose to work with people who care only about creating the best art possible and enjoy the process of creating it. If I have several singers, all of whom would sing a role well (and that is more often the case than not), I am looking for ways to break the tie. Good colleague skills make a fantastic tiebreaker.
KC: Singing is an expensive career path at the onset (and even when one reaches levels of success). Nobody in school seems to talk about how to pay for it. I know musicians who have found income in freelance jobs like Web design and copy editing and writing. Others have smartly found ways to approach employers and highlight the critical thinking and dedication that a music degree requires and apply those traits to many entry-level positions in a variety of fields. However, it helps if an individual equips himself in advance with knowledge of basic accounting, good writing skills and style, and other such bits of knowledge [that] can go a long way in finding a “day job” (not to mention aid in the planning of one’s singing career as well).
Any final thoughts you’d like to leave with today’s graduates?
EM: I think music majors may have an advantage over other disciplines. Most voice majors make a decision to be voice majors in their freshman year. They are driven by passion and they certainly find out early in the process if this is something they can do. We know that many music majors will not have careers in music, but they graduate with discipline (they’ve had to practice), collegiality (having worked in opera productions, choir, band, orchestra, etc.), and passion (it’s just too hard to do if you don’t love it).
NC: You might have noticed that a fair proportion of the opera audience is older than you. This means they grew up with an entirely different set of cultural touchstones. If you want to make someone who grew up on Lucille Ball and Danny Kaye laugh, you should probably have some familiarity with Lucille Ball and Danny Kaye and others. The prevailing styles of comedy today are often based on awkward pauses, surreal shifts, or cultural reference. These styles are less useful when trying to make an opera funny. When I am directing a comic opera, I am much more likely to reference Singin’ in the Rain, The Dick Van Dyke Show, or His Girl Friday.
KC: One’s hopes and dreams can define you. However, just as defining in many instances is what the world accepts you as and calls you to be, personally and within your professional path. You don’t exist in a vacuum, and whilst pursuing your passion, you must be mindful of the world around you and how it too defines your place in it.
And sometimes the world opens up other paths for a singer for different vocations, combined vocations, etc. I’ve sadly noted occasions in which a singer was so inwardly focused on the dream of singing (even while not obtaining the success she had hoped) that she missed out on an opportunity for something new and potentially fulfilling and interesting as a new career direction.
