You’ve arrived at college to study music and you’re ready to start singing! If you’re a freshman, chances are good that you have a few requirements on your schedule in other departments. Maybe you’re a few years in and have electives to take, or perhaps you are a double major balancing voice studies with other subjects. No matter your situation, you can expect to take classes on topics unrelated to singing.
A very informal poll of my friends and colleagues revealed that all of them found non-music classes useful in their careers as musicians. No one said, “I wish I had never done anything other than sing!” After hearing many stories about enriching experiences outside of their degree requirements, I would summarize them into four pieces of advice: make the most of your requirements, pay attention to what interests you, learn where your music comes from, and look outside the classroom.
Make the Most of Requirements
Many (if not all) undergraduate music programs will include a writing course. Didn’t expect to be grilled on grammar at conservatory? They’re doing it for your own good. Anything that makes you a better communicator is going to help you in this business. Even the emails you send when you submit materials to a company or inquire about a gig reflect on your professionalism.
Singers also write program notes, press materials, professional bios, and more. If you are in a show, the company might ask you to write a short social media post about your experience with the production. The more versatile you are as a writer, the more chances you will have to get your name out there.
Hopefully your program also has a class on the nuts and bolts of being a working artist. At New England Conservatory this course is called the Entrepreneurial Musician. Soprano Rebecca Teeters, who teaches the course, describes it as “all the business side of things I wish I had before leaving school: basics of résumés/cover letters, finances, musician taxes, building a private studio, networking, interviewing, career planning, etc.”
Whatever the requirements are, don’t grumble about them—embrace them! Go to class, pay attention, do the homework. You never know what you will pick up that you will need later. And if your program doesn’t offer something you need, you may be able to find it outside the classroom.
Pay Attention to What Interests You
Chances are you have interests in addition to music. Nearly every other subject can be part of a music career in some way, and developing your passion early on can help you find your niche.
Soprano Laura Loge started studying Norwegian as a high school student and went on to focus almost all her non-degree classes on Norwegian studies while getting a BM in vocal performance from St. Olaf College. Fast forward more than a decade to today and Loge, who is accomplished in standard opera and oratorio repertoire, has used her interest and expertise to become a leading voice in the Nordic repertoire. She directs the Mostly Nordic Chamber Music Series in Seattle, serves on the board of the Edvard Grieg Society of America and as founder of the Northwest Edvard Grieg Society, and has published translations, IPA, and Norwegian diction guides. She is currently performing in a seven-concert series of the complete works of Grieg.
When reflecting on how her studies affected her career, Loge writes, “At this point in my career I can truly say that most of my work is Nordic related, whether as a performer or producer. I find both performing and producing equally fulfilling and educational for myself and my audiences. Had I not started studying Norwegian and followed through in college and Norway, I’m not sure where my niche in our business would have been.”
There are many other interests that could turn into a part of your career. Education is an obvious one, as so many singers also work as teachers. Pursuing studies in a secondary instrument can also open doors. If you are passionate about physical fitness, you might end up leading a running club or yoga classes for singers.
Many singers I spoke to mentioned familiarity with different religious traditions to be helpful as well, since so many paid gigs are religious services. In my own experience, my interest in the study of religion led me to a theology minor (and later, after earning a master of music degree, a second masters in pastoral ministry), which enhanced my performance of sacred music. It also led me to work as a music director, conductor, soloist, and writer/speaker on spirituality and the arts. I work a lot in my field of study and I love all of what I do because my work combines two of my deepest interests.
Learn Where Music Comes From—and How to Make It Shine!
It’s hard to think of a topic in the humanities that doesn’t apply to music: languages, world history, poetry, literature, psychology, sociology, anthropology, religion—anything that has to do with people has a connection to music!
When it’s time to perform a piece, there will be many things you want to find out. If it is in a foreign language, translation and pronunciation are essential. Who was the composer? What was going on in his or her life when the piece was written? What was going on in the world?
Who else was writing music at that time? How was the piece received by audiences? Where was the text from? What form is the text—poetry, libretto, liturgical text? Was it traditional or newly written?
It’s impossible in just a few years of school to learn the answers to those questions for every piece you’ll ever sing. One of the best things you will take away from your studies, though, is an understanding of what questions you should be asking and how to investigate those questions. The age of search engines might tempt you to think that all you’ll ever need is your browser to learn more about music, but your professors will give you the tools to think and research more deeply.
You never know when your studies will come in handy. Soprano Leah Hungerford took varied classes in literature, including mythology and French literature, and recently found it connecting to her work. She says of her studies, “Two years ago I would have told you [those classes were] all for my own enrichment and entertainment—but it turns out I’m super into story theatre, so there’s a career win!” Years after those courses, she is still drawing on what she learned in recent performances with Forte Chicago.
Armed with knowledge about what you are performing, you will also benefit from training in how to give your best performance. Acting classes are an indispensable asset to the singing career. Dance doesn’t hurt, either, or courses in physical awareness like Alexander Technique. During your college years you will have access to experts in so many fields. Developing those extra skills can set you apart.
Look outside the Classroom
If there is something that your school doesn’t offer, you can still learn about it. This will be great training for when you are out of school and must seek out your own opportunities for continuing ed!
For example, most singers and teachers mentioned some knowledge of personal finance when asked about what young singers should know. But most intro to finance classes in a university setting aren’t geared toward someone just trying to learn more about how to be an entrepreneur. Maybe your dorm will sponsor a speaker or a local group will have a workshop. If you hear about something like this, go! And if you don’t, get to a library and find a book on it, or a podcast, or a YouTube series.
If you want to increase your foreign language skills, join a conversation group or use a learning app to build on what you have learned in your classes. Work on public speaking through Toastmasters. Join an improv club to work on flexibility onstage. Go to every masterclass you can, whether you are singing or not, to soak up all the information that the clinicians are offering.
Your interests, background, and setting are going to make your roadmap to graduation different from anyone else’s, but all successful students have one thing in common: they do more than the bare minimum. Try new things, exceed the requirements, show up to workshops, and figure out what you love and dig deeply into that. Yes, all these things will make you a stronger artist, but they will also make you a more interesting person with even more insight and personality to share through your art.
