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» November 2008 - AUDITION STRATEGY & TACTICS
Auditions can be the most harrowing part of your career. I can appreciate your doubts and insecurities because I have been there myself. There are many unpredictable emotional and psychological aspects of ones self that seem to rear their ugly heads no matter how prepared you feel you are for such an event. I hope to reduce your level of anxiety and fear by giving you some ideas and tools that will allow you to be excited and thrilled rather than afraid as you stand to present your whole package, your Brand in an audition.
» October 2008 - STORY TELLING
The Art of Communication as an Artist
I have had many singers ask me the best way...to make a piece their own, with their own personality shinning through; they wanted to know how to feel the emotional strength of the piece without going over the edge and still convey it to their audience. Having a very solid vocal technique, the foundation on which to build the rest of the performance structure, is of paramount importance. Then when it is time to learn the art of telling the story, communicating in a believable way, it is much easier to accomplish. Just how does that happen?
» September 2008 - GOALS – FRIEND OR FOE?
You know, everyone has goals. And success requires goals. Most of the time they are in reality just wishes and dreams because you haven’t yet found a realistic and successful way of making them into reality. You can reach any goal no matter how great if you are both willing and able to do the work. Until you discover what works specifically for you in building this process, you may find your interest, motivation and enthusiasm starting to wane after just a few weeks or months of tying.
» August 2008 - BENEFITS OF PERSONAL SKILLS
Relationships – Relationships - Relationships
Having a beautiful voice, amazing vocal technique, natural facility for languages and an intrinsic instinct for drama are just part of the many skills needed to facilitate a singing career. I have heard from many singers who have run into some real difficulties they hadn’t anticipated with the people they were working with and not knowing how to handle themselves in a professional manner without allowing it to become emotional and personal.
» July 2008 - TAKE A BREAK & RELAX
Your guide to taking a mental vacation.
When was the last time you took a break from even thinking about singing or your career? Have you ever given yourself permission to take a mental vacation from singing?
» June 2008 - THE FOLLOW-UP
(What to do with all the stuff you got at your last big musical event, summer program or convention.) I have been asked numerous times, “What does one do with all the business cards and other materials you collected at a musical event, summer program or convention?” How do you go about following up on it all and also knowing what is the appropriate way for staying in touch with those you met?
» May 2008 - YOU'RE EITHER PART OF THE PROBLEM OR PART OF THE SOLUTION! Successfully Resolving Conflict Ever have a personal, business or career situation where there were words exchanged that didn't resolve anything, just making the situation even more difficult and uncomfortable over time? .... I want to share with you several skills and tools that will alleviate being part of the problem, these negative feelings you hold and give you the power to become part of the solution.
» April 2008 - FROM STUCK TO UNSTUCK 2008 is 25% over. Here we are facing the first part of April. Do you feel stuck where you are? How many of you feel like you are doing all the right things but are still coming up short when it comes to seeing much positive progress towards reaching your singing career goals? Everyone gets stuck at different points during their lifetimes. Having the tools to recognize getting stuck and how to get unstuck are worth their weight in gold because it happens throughout every part of your life...
» March 2008 - THE ART OF PUBLICITY
Marketing Yourself with Confidence What is the least expensive, most powerful tool you have to market your own product, you as performer? It's publicity. Publicity is the art of building positive and favorable interest in you (your Personal Brand, the easy going, positive and nice person you are), your product (your voice) and your service (performing). Your job is to tell others who you are, what you do, and why that is important to them.
» February 2008 - THE FULL MEASURE OF YOUR POTENTIAL! How To Be A Winner Would your life be different if you were treated daily by others and yourself, as if you lived up to the full measure of your potential not only as a singer, but as a whole human? We have been told that we must do as much auditioning as possible and win as many competitions as possible, be in as many apprentice programs and have as many roles as possible under our belts and on our resumes to get anywhere. It can keep you frantic, stressed out and at the edge of your sanity level... This kind of stress often can be read by those for whom you are auditioning and cause a negative reaction.
» January 2008 - IT'S A NEW YEAR! WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR? Some days you just want to stay in bed hoping the world forgets you exist! It can happen especially at this time of year when the weather keeps us bundled up and indoors...You may even be rethinking your career choice...How do you get out of this kind of slump?
» December 2007 - THE AUDITION PROCESS Because I have recently adjudicated several competitions in sucession, this subject is heavy on my mind. There are so many different aspects, of being comfortable and prepared for each and every audition, that most singers don't even seem to be aware of.
» November 2007 - YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES: Choosing your voice teacher, Know what you want in a voice lesson If not knowing how to choose the voice teacher for you or what your responsibilities are in preparing and taking a voice lesson, then this newsletter is for you. It can be a win-win solution that allows you the singer and your teacher to both feel empowered and productive.
» October 2007 - WHAT STYLE OF A SINGING CAREER IS RIGHT FOR YOU? We all start out on our career paths with such enthusiasm and belief in our being able to manifest the singing career of our dreams....We can lose our enthusiasm and resolve after hearing for the 100th time that we are too old, too tall, to short, too fat, too something - make it up. We feel it is hard with these types of comments to be taken seriously....But remember, if you want to sing and perform there are many varied ways to have a career. Which way is right for you?
» September 2007 - EMPOWERMENT — DOING POWER DIFFERENTLY Empowerment is, simply put, using your energy to fuel actions and behavior that create healthy personal power. Every living thing is animated by energy; whether it's a plant photosynthesizing the sun or humans interacting within a relationship, including the one with themselves. It's giving yourself permission to use your energy to be who you are at your core level and becoming the example of that to the world.
» August 2007 - OVERWHELMED BY WHAT YOU LEARNED THIS SUMMER? Christine felt like she was on overload as the summer program she had been attending was winding down. Her head was spinning from all of the new material she had learned there. She felt overwhelmed with it all and wasn't quite sure if she could even begin to process it. Wow! Yes, she was on overload. What to do?
» July 2007 - SUMMER READING LIST Often, summer is a time when our ordinary day to day schedule changes. You may be traveling to and from a summer program or two, or just seem to have more time on your hands because of the more relaxed schedule at work. May I suggest you use some of this time for reading.... I have compiled a short list of some of my favorites that you might find interesting.
» June 2007 - SUMMER PROGRAMS Summer Programs are a wonderful investment of your time, energy and money if you have done your homework and chosen wisely. They are a way to expand your experience, try any new skills and tools you have learned and possibly move you to the next level of professionalism.
» May 2007 - TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES ~ TO BE OR NOT TO BE! We would love to invite you into our program. However, we all feel we can't offer you a place because your physical size just doesn't fit the profile we are trying to present to our public.” How many of you struggle with this problem? It's not a gender thing; it affects both males and females. It can be an ongoing problem for many performers. I want to talk about it openly and address some of what I believe could be the reasons for keeping oneself this way.
» April 2007 - IS THIS A MIRACLE OR A WELL DESERVED OUTCOME? Nathan got the call that he had made the finals of the Met Auditions which would take place in NYC in April. He immediately thought to himself, "This is a miracle!" and then started worrying that maybe he wasn't really ready for this level of competition. It then occurred to him that he had actually made winning the Met Auditions one of his goals for 2007. He realized that he was beginning to reap the fruits of his labors.
» March 2007 - LOSS & TRANSITIONS It was during a break in an afternoon rehearsal onstage that Mark received the call. It was his mother telling him that his dad had had a massive heart attack and died immediately. He hadn't suffered. He had just finished mowing the lawn.... What was he going to do now? His first thought was to leave immediately, catch the next flight and go home. His next thought was that dress rehearsal was just 2 days away and his dream, his NYC debut was 4 days away. What should he do?
» February 2007 - TIPS ON MASTERING THE ART OF NETWORKING Networking! Why does this word sometimes strike fear and dread into our hearts? What makes us want to run the other way and find anything else to do with our time and energy? No matter how good we seem to be with people, when we find ourselves in a "networking" situation, we feel awkward and at a loss for words. What is it really, and how does one do it successfully?
» January 2007 - IT'S A BRAND NEW DAY, A BRAND NEW YEAR!
SO, WHAT DO YOU PLAN TO DO WITH IT? You have spent your time, energy and money on preparing your voice, performance skills and music; your product. How much time, energy and money have you spent on setting up your business to sell your product?
» December 2006 - HAPPY HOLIDAYS For many of us, the holidays present a mixed bag. As singers, you are often busier than usual with performing and that's a good thing. But along with having more singing opportunities comes trying to cope and prepare for the traditional holiday festivities that happen within our families and with our chosen community of friends. Here are a few tips on how to move through the holidays without as much stress and stay emotionally and physically healthy.
» November 2006 - TRADITIONS - IS YOUR ARIA READY? New York Times, critic Anthony Tommasini wrote an interesting article "A Lamentation on the Dearth of Divas." He said that everyone is singing the repertoire where they feel safe from the criticism of being compared to those great voices of yesteryear.... He intimated that these legendary singers benefited from knowing and using the great vocal and interpretive traditions when performing their particular roles. He feels no singer today is being groomed for specific roles, and more pointedly, the Lirico Spinto, Verisimo, and Wagnerian roles. He seems to be looking for voices that can bring to life the storied traditions missing in today's vocal sound....So what is that vocal and interpretive tradition of producing the drama and emotional character that is talked about and how does one get it?
» October 2006 - THE ESSENCE of TIME There are so many people out there telling us how to best control, invest, and spend our money, but one rarely hears about how to control, invest and spend our 24 hours each day; how to actually live on 24 hours a day. The supply of time is a miracle when you think about it. Every day when you wake up you get another full 24 hours of life.
» September 2006 - PERFORMANCE ANXIETY Some singers are really spectacular at auditions and fall apart during performances and visa versa. It goes both ways and often seems to be a never ending battle. How does one become more balanced with these two components of having a singing career; these two very important challenging elements of getting work?
» August 2006 - FINDING THE RIGHT VOICE TEACHER FOR YOU “Know How To Hold’em and Know When To Fold’em” Finding the right voice teacher for you is of paramount importance. So, how do you go about doing it? How do you leave an abusive student-teacher situation? And how do you gracefully change teachers when the time comes to move on? The most important piece of advice I can give in answer to all three of these questions is to trust your own gut level feelings.
» July 2006 - THE HEART CONNECTION I feel so many singers today learn and sing primarily from their heads, not their hearts. Let me explain. I'm sure you have been to performances where the sets, costumes, lighting, orchestra and even the singing was perfect but something was missing and you left the theater feeling unsatisfied, disappointed and even bored. The heart connection was missing.
» July 2006 - AUDITION ARIAS - ETIQUETTE - RULES-OF-THUMB Getting the whole auditioning package together can be complicated and challenging. The goal is to represent and present yourself, your brand with consistency and confidence. The goal is to present materials that will make the biggest impression thereby getting the job or winning the competition. But how does one do that?
» May 2006 - KNOW THYSELF OR WHAT IS NLP? Our most important objective is our ability to communicate effectively, both on stage and off. This objective encompasses our relationships with each other, the characters we portray onstage, and most importantly the one we have with ourselves. There is a process that can help us achieve this objective. It is called Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), and it helps us better understand our behavior and how we communicate.
» April 2006 - PROCRASTINATION - THE UNIVERSAL EQUALIZER Procrastination does not discriminate and it's extremely versatile... It is totally a human condition. Our pets don't procrastinate. Have you ever seen a dog off its leash not chase a squirrel if the opportunity presented itself? It's something we all do to some extent, some more or less than others... I believe procrastination is a learned behavior we can change once we recognize it, which is often the hard part.
» March 2006 - THE SECRETS TO MAKING ENGLISH YOUR FAVORITE LANGUAGE TO SING IN AND BE UNDERSTOOD! Several singers have asked me recently if I had any helpful suggestions for singing in English and being understood. It seems to be a universal conundrum, because, though using the English language is how we communicate in this country all day long, when it comes to singing, we try to do it in some very different way.
» February 2006 - WHAT'S IN A NAME? WHAT'S YOUR BRAND? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have only one role to play across the broad spectrum of relationships we each have? It’s time to wake up and make a conscious choice about how you want to be perceived not only by others but by you within yourself. A Personal Brand is a powerful, clear, positive idea that comes to mind when others think about you.
» January 2006 - STOP SPINNING YOUR WHEELS - START SETTING YOURSELF IN MOTION! So many singers today burn out before they even begin their careers. We lose some really great voices before they even begin because they simply give up. So, how does one go about creating a career path that keeps you in possession of your own power, and moves you toward your goal of having the type of singing career you want?
» December 2005 - YOU - ME - US
PRIMARY RELATIONSHIPS AND YOUR SINGING CAREER Deciding to make a commitment to your career and your relationship can feel like a conundrum. How do you make it all work?
» November 2005 - GETTING YOUR FOOT IN THE DOOR AT THE LOCAL LEVEL If you are having trouble getting your foot in the door with your local opera companies, first consider the resources available and then take an honest look at what you can contribute.
» October 2005 - MOVING PAST TECHNIQUE TO PERFORMING ARTIST How do you move past obsessing about perfecting technique in all the different aspects of performance and just become the artist?
» September 2005 - EXPANDING YOUR COMFORT ZONE What do you dream of achieving not only in your professional singing career, but in life in general? In your wildest imagination what do you see yourself doing? Now, what is standing between you and the realization of that dream?
There are so many reasons and excuses we use for not pursuing our dreams. Sometimes it seems like we are sleepwalking through life and can't seem to wake up and take control.
» August 2005 - CONQUER STRESS / REALIZE DREAMS Create the concentration and motivation needed to practice, be present and focused at lessons and coachings, learn new music, do translations, implement your business plan and pursue your career goals.
» July 2005 - WHEN IT RAINS IT POURS! Pointers on how and why to choose singing jobs.
» May 2005 - BUILDING A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTER Properly preparing a role, aria or lieder.
» April 2005 - AUDITION TECHNIQUES The day before the audtion, the day of the audition.
» March 2005 - RE-ENTERING THE PERFORMANCE ARENA Have you taken a hiatus from your singing career and now want to get back into the game?
» February 2005 - CREATING GOALS AND TAKING ACTION It's like creating a map of the territory you want to cover on a trip or journey.
