I just got home from a long singing job, so writing this article is good timing. My office is a paper/junk disaster! In addition to the piles on my desk, I’m currently rehearsing an opera with elaborate staging; preparing two upcoming roles; I am way behind at the job I do out of my home office; and I have a mountain of papers on my desk. In addition, keeping a balance between my work and my personal life is a constant challenge.
CS asked me to write this article because I have several organization systems which work well—when I use them! But to write this, I also researched approaches from several experts. Possibly some of these ideas will trigger solutions for your own situation.
I use file folders to help organize the huge stack of papers on my desk. Today I’m labeling my folders “to-do,” “to file,” “Eric (husband),” and “financial.” I’ll go through the stack one piece at a time, using the folders and explaining the logic.
1. The New York Times and opera company brochures: I often miss important performances because I lose track of them. I also feel guilty spending money on something that looks like entertainment, without inviting my spouse! Yet attending performances is a necessary tool for my business. I put this into the folder called “Eric,” so I can remember to discuss this with him. Once we’ve made a decision, I’ll put it into “to do.”
2. Music: I’ve already set up a filing system for sheet music (see sidebar), but I do all my filing at one time, so this goes into “to file.”
3. Job info: Ourdated information from my last job can be thrown away. I put maps, rental car agreements, housing agreements, etc., into an envelope with the company name, then put that into “to file.” Staff contact numbers and cast contact lists go into “to do,” because I put some into my computer address book. When done, staff lists go back in the company envelope, and the cast list is filed together with other casts lists.
4. AGMAzine: I glance through AGMAzine and see that it has an article about new contract negotiations with a few companies. This is information that is hard to get, so I clip and put in “to file.” Trash the rest.
5. Incorrect and overdue phone bill from singing engagement: I have to call the phone company to correct the bill, so it goes in “to do.” Once corrected, it will go into “financial.”
6. New contract: This goes in “to-do” file, for reading, signing, and returning.
7. Letter from my nephew: This goes in “to do,” since I want to answer this.
8. Classical Singer: No need to keep this article, since I can get it off the CS website any time.
9. Business cards: Go in the “to do” file, for entering into my computer address book.
10. Personal website materials: Make envelope called “website,” and keep in “to do” file.
11. Wedding invitation: Needs to be discussed with Eric. Gift? Should we go? Store in “Eric” file.
12. Bills: Put into “financial.”
13. Libretto: This goes into “to file,” to be filed later in my music file, or with the correct score on my bookshelf.
14. Thank you notes: Put unfinished thank you notes into “to do.”
The Two-List System
I now have four folders and a huge mountain of work, which no file folder is going to get done for me. My problem is that I’m in rehearsals and hardly ever home to get all this done. What now?
The following system was recommended in several books and is similar to what I’m using. It is the Two-List System. You can use this method electronically, with a day planner or with a simple pad of paper and a calendar! I use my Day Planner because the lists are then always with me.
1. Master Task List (MTL): This is a reservoir of tasks. Make a section in your book and write down every single thing you need to do/see/buy/discuss. At first this may be pages and pages long, but just write it as it comes to you. My current MTL includes: Learn new opera; schedule coaching; schedule doctor’s appointment; practice staging; practice French; follow-up on possible job; grocery shopping; fix shoes; laundry; order music; gather materials for website. Go through the file folders you just made, and add these items, along with any phone numbers or information you need, so that you’ll have it. Look at your calendar and add any tasks listed there, such as “Get mother’s birthday card by 5/25!” You get the idea.
2. Daily Task List (DTL): Each night—the experts say to do this every evening, so your mind is ready to go by morning—go through the MTL list and choose 10 tasks you think you can do the next day. They don’t all have to be from the MTL, but could be emergency tasks, or something fun. Anything not done by the end of the day gets carried over to the next day, for no more than 10 tasks a day. Don’t cross a task off the MTL until it is actually done. “Learn a new opera” is too big for one daily task, but you could divide the job of learning an opera into manageable sections, such as “order opera recording.”
Next, code your daily list in terms of priority, or that you know you should do first. I liked the idea I read about planning your hardest projects, such as memorizing, for the morning, or whenever your peak time is.
When packing your gig bag for the day, look at your DTL and decide what you can take with you, so you can accomplish tasks during small windows of time while waiting in line, commuting or during breaks. Examples would be: Those unfinished thank you notes and stamps; tape recorder and IPA tapes; new recording of opera on cassette, score, etc.
The Art of Delegating
There are many tasks that can and should be delegated. For instance, your manager said he would send a press packet to XYZ company, because you just heard they are casting for your perfect role; or he said he would call to get you a release from one day of rehearsals so you can take another job. Some-times they get busy and forget, and you are in trouble!
Give the assignment, but then write on your calendar to check that it was done! Don’t cross it off your MTL until you know it was done. This step alone would solve a lot of manager vs. singer problems!
Filing Cabinet
Not everything works in the chronological filing system—some paper items just have to go together. Headshots, reviews, bios, résumés, and other materials are kept in separate file folders in a filing cabinet.
In addition to the sheet music file and paper file, my filing cabinet has these folders:
© Contact sheets
© Unions
© Language programs
© Management
© Contracts
© Job Sheets
© Original reviews
© Recital ideas
© Old headshots and reviews/bad reviews, etc.
© Programs
Some items I don’t care to take time to enter into the computer, such as warranties and instruction books. I bought an expandable file, A-Z, and I file these things under what they are, not their name. Example: the warranty on my new suitcase wasn’t filed under Atlantic, but under S for suitcase. My Aiwa sound system is also under S for Stereo.
Day Planner
I use a Franklin Covey planner, which includes a printout of my entire address list, my life divided into roles. There are sheets for every day, plus monthly calendars. I track expenses on the daily pages, particularly when I’m traveling and going through a lot of cash. Receipts go into an envelope in the back. At the end of each month, I put in fresh daily pages and a new envelope
In addition to sections for my personal life and goals, I keep one section in my Day Planner for the business of singing. There is one page for audition tracking. I list the date, company, what I wore, what I sang and any feedback. (I need to also write a reminder on the MTL to contact the company afterwards.) I also keep a job information sheet. When my manager calls with an offer, I start a new sheet. I write the company, dates, roles, other cast, fees and any other info. As the company begins to contact me directly, I just turn to that page and continue keeping notes as to conversations about travel info, housing, etc. I save these job sheets in the filing cabinet when the job is through and have used them many times.
Finished! (?)
I wish I could end this article by saying that my desk is now clean and organized, and that due to my great organization and careful follow-up, everything in my career and life works like clockwork. That isn’t the case. But my research has opened my eyes to some new ideas, which can help me toward that goal.
Sources: Anna-Carin Jean, The Organizer. NY: ReganBooks, 1999.
Ronni Eisenberg and Kate Kelly, Organize Your Office! NY: Hyperion, 1994
Stephanie Winston, Getting Organized, updated and revised. NY: Warner Books, Inc., 1991.
The Chronological File or “Where did I put that aria?”
Sheet Music File
I made a database out of FilemakerPro, but it can also be done using index cards and making multiple entries. Every piece of music that comes into my hands gets a number on the top right-hand corner. My new sacred music in my pile will be number 643, using 25 songs to a folder. I make a new entry in the database that looks like this:
Number: 643 Title: Psalm XXIII Composer: Paul Creston Key: Medium Topics: Sacred, shepherd, psalm, funeral Accompaniment: Moderately difficult piano
Next time I’m looking for a song for a funeral I’ll do a “find,” and all the songs will come up which I’ve marked as appropriate. Or if I can’t remember the name of the song but only the composer—easy! The next piece of music will be 644, etc. There is a printed sheet of the database in the file drawer for quick access.
Paper File
The experts recommended naming file folders with similar items, but this didn’t work for me because I kept forgetting what was filed where. So I use the same system, numbering documents or envelopes of similar documents chronologically. Example: Number: 369 Title: French IPA Author: Tom Grubb Topics: Diction, French, IPA. I will file the documents from my last job like this, after placing them in an envelope: Number: 370 Title: XYZ Opera Company Author: [blank] Topics: XYZ city, map, rental car agreement.
