Over my many years as a classical singer, I’ve heard a lot of opinions about pay-to-sings. I’d say I’ve come away having learned only one thing for certain: everyone has an opinion about pay-to-sings. Some people consider them a vital résumé builder, and others see them as a disgrace to the classical music industry. Experiences vary widely.
I’ve seen singers without a modicum of experience scoff at the idea that they should pay to take part in a production. I’ve seen others attend the same summer program year after year without advancing. I think that, considered with an air of detachment hard to find in such a passionate field, there are times when a pay-to-sing can be a boon and times when it’s a waste of money.
To that end, let’s weigh some of the generalizations you’ll often hear about pay-to-sing programs.
“If you have to pay to sing, something’s wrong.”
I was given this advice as an undergraduate, and it was said with such conviction that I took it to heart. In retrospect, I regret that.
Opera is an expensive art form to put on. It’s very difficult for any house to break even on a production, let alone a small, independent company that lacks the name and resources of a large house. Your startup, underground, indie opera company in Queens, with its unknown singers, nonexistent chorus, and costumes from Walmart wants to charge $25 a ticket? Well, the Met sells $25 tickets, too. Which do you think most people would rather go to? A company might have very good intentions about providing performance opportunities for up-and-coming singers, but be faced with the reality of a pianist to pay and a building to heat.
And that’s just for a single production. What if they want to take it to the next level? Provide coachings and lessons, language classes, movement workshops, or other career-boosting benefits? The reality is these things cost money. Most who run programs would love to give them to you for free and still be able to pay everyone involved and support themselves. Their inability to do so does not make them scam artists.
“Pay-to-sings provide great networking opportunities.”
Young singers get excited about working with big-name conductors and stars. “I’ll meet singer X, get to sing for them, and they’ll be so impressed by me . . . .” OK, I’ll bite. And then what? They will take you under their wing and nurture your career? They’re going to hire you for their next season? And you’re going to drink beers around the campfire and become best friends and you’ll sleep on their couch next time you’re in Milan?
Mentoring is an important part of any career, but it’s important not to get carried away by your optimism. The more likely scenario is that your idol will have some helpful advice for you, which you may or may not pay attention to in your quest to become their pet project. They’ll feel obligated to accept your Facebook friend request, and you might get skipped straight to the “audition pile” instead of the “throw out pile” if they remember you come audition season and have that kind of authority.
A-listers are not there to “discover” you. They are there to do what they love (sing, teach, or both), have a few low-pressure weeks in the country, and collect a paycheck. If you are in the top 1 percent of your group and do an amazing job, you might impress them enough for them to make a mental note to remember your name.
If you are doing a program to “network” with industry professionals, you’re better off working with someone who is just a step above your current level. They will not only offer you more immediate advice, but will be more likely to hire you, more likely to work with you in the near future in a professional setting, and more accessible. Even then, you still have to impress the pants off of them. Everyone in your program will be vying for a spot in their YAP program or on their Christmas card list.
“If you’re a [insert Fach], you never have to pay.”
It’s true that talented singers in rare Fachs occasionally don’t have to play by the rules. And no, that’s not fair, but it happens. It’s possible that a tenor might receive an unadvertised “scholarship” to attend the program for free, but it’s more the exception than the rule.
Put yourself in the program director’s shoes. You have a fabulous cast of talented young singers who are planning to pay richly to perform roles in your summer opera. You’ve rented the space, engaged fabulous singers and coaches to conduct masterclasses, and the plane tickets have been bought. But you can’t find a lead tenor. What are you going to do? Cancel the entire program, or let some talented upstart join the program for free?
There are too many “if”s for this scenario to be the rule, however. There has to be no one even halfway decent willing to pay to sing the role. Even two or three colleagues at your level can completely upset this playing field. Did you graduate with two other good, career-oriented countertenors in your grad program? If one of them is willing to pay for the gig, then you don’t have a chance at getting in for free. Is the program not a full opera, but a scenes program? Selections can be tailored to the singers available, so it’s not as big a deal if one Fach is underrepresented. Are you a soprano? Forget it. I don’t care how much better you are than the rest of the pack—they’re not going to have any trouble filling your role.
“You should only do full operas, not scenes or concerts.”
One of the biggest challenges to singers starting out is building a résumé of full roles performed, and pay-to-sings are the most immediate way to correct this deficiency. But that doesn’t mean you should overlook other opportunities.
First of all, everyone else has the same idea. So even if it’s a pay-to-sing program, it might be hard to get cast, especially in more common Fachs.
Secondly, are you sure you’re ready for a full opera role? If you haven’t put in your time doing some serious scene work, chances are you’ll have a lot to learn. Just how much recitative have you memorized? Can you keep up your singing technique while you act, and your acting while you sing? Can you get the lyrics out while executing your blocking—and make it look smooth?
These are all pitfalls I have seen inexperienced singers stumble over in full productions. They probably should have spent a little more time in scenes programs before they threw themselves into a full-length opera. When you’re working on isolated scenes, the directors and coaches can spend more time guiding you through each bit of stage time. In a full production, your role might get glossed over entirely—and if you’re not up to speed with your recitative, you can’t expect to have your hand held until you are.
Thirdly, consider y;our long-term career goals. If you love Baroque music, you might find more to profit from in a specialized program that ends in a concert than singing Second Lady in costume. If you intend to have a career in Europe, you’ll likely benefit more from a few weeks or months of living abroad and learning the language than from singing a role in a company no one in Germany has ever heard of.
“I’m too good for a pay-to-sing.”
Doing a pay-to-sing program is not necessarily a matter of your skill level. I know singers who have sung at A houses who have used some of their time off to do a pay-to-sing. It’s a way to learn a new role, language, or style in a way that is low pressure and, when you add everything up, relatively cost efficient.
Do you want all-around training, not just a line on your résumé? Pay-to-sings usually offer more coachings, lessons, classes, and workshops than free programs do. Do you have a specific skill you want to work on? You can find a program based on a certain style of music, language focus, or acting skills. Would you rather spend your valuable time practicing than filling out a million applications and auditioning for the same YAPs everyone else in your Fach is applying to? You can find and be accepted into a nice pay-to-sing with a fraction of the effort.
“This program is going to launch my career!”
As discussed above, there can be many benefits to doing a pay-to-sing program. However, I’ve never seen one turn someone from unemployable to a success.
A program’s brochure will probably make it sound like it’s going to be an immense help to your career. Just look at all the coachings you’ll have, the famous people you’ll work with! You’ll learn a foreign language and how to be a great actor! We’ll even work through your audition arias with you! They’ll have to hire you! That’s marketing. Its aim is to help you justify blowing a wad of cash on a program you probably want to do, but need a better reason than pure desire.
One summer program will not get you to the big time, but it can be one of many collective experiences that will, if you use it as such. If you’re in a good undergraduate or graduate program, a lot of what is being offered is what you should be learning in school anyway. If you’re not absorbing your education there, why will throwing more money at the problem help?
If you want to pay for a musical vacation and some good coachings, and you can afford it, then do it. But be honest with yourself about your expectations. You can’t expect the PR department to be honest for you.
As you consider what to apply for this year, remember that pay-to-sings are neither inherently good nor bad. It’s only a matter of how well they line up to your current needs, goals, and budget.
