Latest Articles

The "5 Whys" Technique and Your Next Lesson

Tired of discouraging, confidence-sapping practice sessions? The “5 Whys” technique could help turn things around. Every child seems to go through a phase in toddlerhood where they respond to everything

Mar 26 Auditions Plus

China Day 4 – Surreal

By Alex Stoddard A fabulous day in Beijing. There was unfortunately no singing or music in general involved, so you can skip this post if needed. It was

Mar 23 Auditions Plus

China Day 3 – Masterclasses

Today was not a great day for me personally. I laid sick in bed the entire day. So I gave the blog writing responsibility to my Dad Mark Stoddard. He

Mar 21 Auditions Plus

China Day 2 – Walking and Winners

By Alex Stoddard I had a fantastic day today. I’m very, very blessed. Great people. Great city. Great singing. A great event. The day started today with

Mar 20 Auditions Plus

China Day 1 – New Singing

By Alex Stoddard Hello from Beijing! Today was Day 1 of the Classical Singer International Vocal Competition. The talent of the 70 singers from the Central Conservatory of

Mar 19 Auditions Plus

China – It's All About the Doing

By Alex Stoddard It’s all in the doing. What I mean is that life, as they say, is not a spectator sport. If you recall the Garth Brooks’

Mar 17 Auditions Plus

Networking: The Friendship Factor

By Jonathan Blalock of Encompass Arts Recently several colleagues have asked me about networking. In school we all learned vocal technique, but conservatories often don’t teach us the essentials of

Mar 13 Auditions Plus

Need Energy to Sing? Stop Counting Calories

By Susan Brownfield For decades, common nutrition advice has told us that “a calorie is simply a calorie.” We have been told that in order for us to maintain a

Mar 10 Auditions Plus

Perfectionism and Performance Anxiety: A Singer’s Tale

By Angela Peterson Winter Perfectionism is often lauded or admired in the high-achieving, high-functioning society in which we live, but the truth is, its effects can be devastating, especially for

Mar 05 Auditions Plus

A Great Singing Venue for You — Part I

By Mark Stoddard, author of Marketing Singers, a business and marketing guidebook written specifically for singers. Singers find themselves in the precarious position of waiting–waiting to see if they get

Mar 02 Auditions Plus

The Singer’s Library : Are You Ready to Rock?

The second book in the So You Want to Sing series aims to get your voice rockin’ and rollin’.

Mar 01 Brian Manternach

Delayed Debutants: : Singers Who Enter the Opera Scene Later in Life

Ageism is a reality in opera, however many singers are doing the seemingly impossible—finding success as singers later in life. Discover what they did to find that success, including setting realistic goals, managing expectations, and focusing on the possible instead of the impossible.

Mar 01 Rachel Antman