The Singer's Audition & Career Handbook is available for pre-order and will be released October 15, 2019. The following is an excerpt from Chapter 15: Keeping Afloat.
from Chapter 15: Keeping Afloat
A key characteristic of the classical singer’s apprenticeship phase is the gradual transition from earning at least a part of your income from various side hustles to engaging in a professional career in music full-time. Even singers ensconced in salaried resident artist programs often find it necessary to pursue creative means of supplementing their income. This chapter offers strategies to help you survive in ways that will support rather than detract from your artistic aspirations.
Many professional classical singers erroneously identify as self-employed freelance artists running small businesses, whereas in truth they are short-term employees of an ongoing series of production companies. I will discuss this crucial distinction in greater detail in chapter 20, Running Your Business. However, during the early stages of your career you will be well served by adopting the best practices of small businesses.
Small business owners understand that it is likely to take several years before their businesses begin to turn a profit. They know that they will have to make a significant investment in their business, set short- and long-term goals, and dedicate all their available time and resources to the pursuit of those goals. They also know that during the initial phases of their business, they may need to generate income streams that are unrelated, or only tangentially related, to the business they are committed to developing. They know that the eventual realization of their goals will require time, patience, and the willingness to live with some degree of risk for the short term.
By contrast, singers often leave graduate studies thinking they are supposed to break into the business by crossing their fingers, singing for anyone who will hear them, and hoping for the proverbial big break that will launch their career and establish sustainable momentum. This invariably turns out to be a terrible business plan. Emerging artists would be better served by an approach that more closely resembles that of small business start-ups: setting goals, accepting that it will take some time to show a profit, and developing a strategy for financial solvency that will carry them through to the point when their solo careers dobecome profitable.
Singers are very rarely able to begin supporting themselves as full-time performers upon completing their formal studies. Your instrument and artistry may not even fully ripen until you are in your 30s. It is nevertheless crucial that you continue to build skill and experience, minimize stress, and maintain a keen focus on your long-term goals as your career takes shape. Therefore, most of you will have to pursue means of earning a living that will afford you the flexibility necessary for prioritizing and pursuing your performance career. Ideally those means will not only draw on but also expand on your creative and performance skills.
Make the Most of Your Marketable Skills
If you have earned a Master of Music degree, you definitely possess some valuable skills and qualifications. I highly recommend that you explore the possibility of putting them to work for you, rather than resigning yourself to seeking a non-musical means of paying your rent. Your options will differ depending upon your skill set and where you happen to be living.
Sing
Churches and synagogues often hire paid choral section leaders or soloists to participate in weekly services, holiday events, weddings and funerals. Volunteer choral societies hire soloists and sometimes section ringers. Recording studios sometimes need session or backup singers for projects. If you live in or near a major metropolitan area, it may be home to contractors who act as quasi-managers for choral and concert work. Ask around.
Perform
If you have strong dramatic chops and experience, look into the possibility of doing some television, film or commercial background work. Major cities often have contractors or agencies with whom you can register to be considered for this type of employment, and they may be able to put you forward for bit and supporting roles as well. If you have strong instrumental skills, research ways in which they might be valuable within your community – for example, a dance studio or preschool may need a pianist to accompany classes.
Teach
If teaching is something you enjoy or are interested in exploring, there are numerous ways you can apply your skills for profit. Singers who are recent conservatory graduates are often reluctant to offer voice lessons because they are accustomed to the standard set by their own teachers, but everyone has to start somewhere! If you have a clear concept of your own technique and even a rudimentary understanding of vocal pedagogy, I encourage you to give it a try. Start by offering lessons for high school students and adult avocational singers. Even with little prior teaching experience, you will probably find that you have a great deal to offer them. If you are a competent pianist, consider offering piano lessons for children and adult beginners.
Investigate whether local arts institutions offer outreach or teaching artist programs. If they do not, they may still be interested in partnering with you to create an educational program that you could offer to schools, retirement communities, or other civic organizations.
If you have some academic skills that are on a par with your musical skills, consider offering one-on-one tutoring in one of your areas of strength or registering with an agency that offers standardized test preparation.
Performing and teaching are likely to earn you a higher wage and offer greater scheduling flexibility than many other types of employment for which you would qualify. Even if the specific work you find seems to have little to do with solo classical singing, it will still reinforce skills that are relevant to your career goals. Television background work can help you expand on your stage presence and collaborative skills, as well as expose you to interesting aspects of a related performance industry. Teaching a child to play piano can be a satisfying means of sharing your love of music making. Engaging in work that is related to your career goals, if only tangentially, reinforces your sense of self as an artist. And while pursuing work of this nature may require greater ingenuity than an administrative temp or food service job, pursuing your actual performance career will require you to be similarly creative, proactive and well-organized. It’s good practice for what you will have to do later to keep your own career organized, with or without the help of a manager.
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