While rocking a sleepy one-year-old recently, I had occasion to sit and look over my shelves of books. I saw at least eight books I have purchased in as many years and never read. Their spines reminded me of where and when I purchased them, and I could still feel that original interest that had inspired me to buy them in the first place. So why had I never actually opened their covers?
I could blame it on lack of time. I’m a wife and a mother of two busy toddlers who works full-time and has church and civic responsibilities. But, honestly, if I had chosen to read instead of watch a favorite television show or crack a book instead of scroll through my Facebook newsfeed, I easily could have read at least half of those books.
The accomplishments we have achieved at any given moment of our lives are really a result of many small choices we have made up to that point. In those small moments, we can fail to remember the significance of the little choices we are making. The sum of those daily decisions can equal success or failure.
Deciding to go to the practice room each day is a small choice that over time can add up to a solid, reliable vocal technique. Every time you enter the practice room, you have additional choices to make—from what exercises to drill to what repertoire to work on. These seemingly small decisions can be confusing and overwhelming. Claudia Friedlander breaks down the art of effective practicing to help you set specific goals and then structure your practice time to reach them (p. 12).
Michigan Opera Theatre’s General Director David DiChiera has spent a lifetime making choices. In his 50-year career he has cast over 3,000 singers. That adds up to a lot of jobs! Find out more about his decision-making process, including what he looks for in the singers he chooses (p. 34).
One reason decision making can be challenging is that we worry about making the wrong choice and having to pay the consequences. But messing up, making mistakes, and moving on are all part of the process. Wilma Wever writes about that this month in “That’s It” (p. 46), sharing how Christine Goerke chose to handle a potentially embarrassing mistake with humor and aplomb. Read Wever’s helpful tips for cultivating resiliency after the inevitable setbacks in a singing career.
With such stiff competition in this business, singers sometimes feel they have no choice. If they don’t pay the $50 application fee for a Young Artist Program, they know there are hundreds of singers who will. And while that may be true, remembering that you do have the power to make your own decisions can make all the difference, as one singer points out in Michelle Latour’s article discussing YAP fees (p. 42).
For similar reasons, singers sometimes feel they have no choice but to sing for free. It’s an opportunity, after all, that many others won’t pass up. But the opportunity isn’t always worth the cost—although, sometimes the opportunity is worth the cost. Again, these are choices to be made. Amanda White walks you through why you should sometimes sing for free, but other times not (p. 56).
Each minute, hour, and new day presents us with a fresh opportunity to choose, regardless of our past choices. I can take one book off my shelf right now and start reading. As we recognize our own opportunities to make choices and exercise our ability to choose, those little everyday choices will eventually add up to big accomplishments.
