People wonder where the great voices are

[Zerbie]

Article citing the unhealthy demands on opera singers.

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,,2151748,00.html

Between this lifestyle, and a trend, at least in America, to constantly mine for younger singers, how can anyone nurture and develop a voice consistently over time? :(

I heard a great soprano in her early 20s sweep a competition. She went on immediately to sing some major roles (roles requiring vocal and emotional endurance,) and then I heard her again when she was 25 and she had 5 different voices come out her mouth on a single aria.

[Jennifer5]

It really is crazy, because like anything else... learning is a life-long process, so I imagine that with time one's voice will only get better. :love:

[paul]

Zerbie,

Thank you for posting this. I had no idea but am not shocked by the commoditization of yet another art form. It is very agravating.

I do remember reading somewhere that you are a singer? Are you an opera singer? Do you have a place where you can live your talent and care for it? Do you have suggestions on how we can support you and yours?
:love:paul

[Zerbie]

Zerbie,

Thank you for posting this. I had no idea but am not shocked by the commoditization of yet another art form. It is very agravating.

I do remember reading somewhere that you are a singer? Are you an opera singer? Do you have a place where you can live your talent and care for it? Do you have suggestions on how we can support you and yours?
:love:paul

Yeah I'm an opera singer. Well, I've been going slow on the opera thing lately, performing regularly in my grad program, but have slowed way up on taking professional auditions. I was pursuing the freelance opera career for years and just trying to hang on to the lowest rungs of the "working opera singer" ladder was putting me seriously into debt (who else but opera singers goes deep into debt FROM WORKING?) and beginning to create mental stress that I wanted to nip before it started affecting my professionalism. Perhaps I should stress that I had more success than the average soprano of my age and level of achievement, having sung professionally in several areas of the US and having appeared in over a dozen principal roles. I was being *lucky* - and it still sucked.

Several years of below poverty-line income while working 7 days a week, with an Ivy league education (masters degree) and not being able to afford health insurance even for "catastrophic" scenarios, was starting to f*** with my mind. I used to believe that if the career would just take off, the survival pressure would lessen. Perhaps financially that's true, but look at the entirely different set of pressures and mind-f*** that the high level working singers deal with, and you see that the business is not exactly the most conducive to health. You need tough nerves to stay sane in opera.

So I've been in "regroup" mode for a while, taking time "off" to be in school and re-think where to go from here. I LOVE teaching, so an ideal balance would be to perform some more again locally, and just keep growing as a teacher, expand the studio. Or I might think about looking for a university job when this next degree is finished. That's been in the back of my mind for a while, which is a large chunk of the reason I'm in school again.

Suggestions?? Erm, well Paul, that's a new one! Other than, become a general manager and hire the singer who sings/acts the role most convincingly, not just because they are 21 and a size 6? Erm, actually nothing comes to mind. Daniel? What do you think?

[paul]

Zerbie,

Was a silly question really. I am a problem solver by nature. The fact that it may be beyond my jurisdiction or capacity to do doesn't always dawn on me initially. sigh. well wishes seem so inept when you want the best for a person, seems I should be able to do something to bring the wish to fruition. That is, unless Daniel comes up with some revolutionary idea...this is soulforce after all.

[Daniel]

Suggestions?? Erm, well Paul, that's a new one! Other than, become a general manager and hire the singer who sings/acts the role most convincingly, not just because they are 21 and a size 6? Erm, actually nothing comes to mind. Daniel? What do you think?

I think the profession is not for the faint of heart. While the public sees the end result and associates this with a level of accomplishment and glamour, getting there is not easy, and staying there is even harder. The amount of work that one has to be to learn ie vocal technique, style, languages and repertoire is huge.

What's interesting to me is that the singers that I've known who've maintained a successful career (being on the road all the time) while also staying somewhat sane are one of a kind people. They have a definite outlook which involves a thick skin and a strong ego. The whole adventure gets their blood going. They are canny risk takers. And they love being in the limelight. That said, one spends a great deal of time alone on the road. One goes from the performance to the hotel room, living like a monk, protecting one's voice. Everything becomes about singing with a capital S. That said, it behooves a singer to have other interests. Otherwise, one can become neurotic.

All this aside, when I worked for a manager years ago, I noticed that the busiest singers generated most of their own work. I think this is still true. Starting a company isn't a bad idea actually. The thing to do is make a business plan and find a patron, or patrons. Start with one production a year and work your way up. All is takes is vision and a gift for gab. One has to sell the idea- that's really what it amounts to. And every city has someone who wants to be flattered by having their name in the program.

If you convince yourself that it can be done you can convince others. And as always, one has to have a kind of steely patience.

This would be a twist on the nonviolent teaching of being the solution, of becoming the change one seeks.

Art is important! It feeds the soul.

[elcharrom]

Yea voices get alot better with time, although I cant sing opera bein scared that I might DESTROY my vocal cords, but I sing maricahi, and I been singin since I was little, like 2 years ago there was a song that I just couldnt sing cuz there were low and some high notes I couldnt get, and now I can witout tinkin.

And will we ever hear you sing opera Zerbie? :D

[u-dog]

tOFKDzxZ5V0

What I really like about German/Austrian Boy choirs as opposed to English ones is that the Germans seem to appreciate the natural "edginess" of a boy's voice whereas the English tend to cultivate this ethereal, disembodied almost "angelic" tone. This kid's voice is a good example of what I mean. I also wonder if singing a piece like this is good for the long term health of his voice.

I am curious what Daniel and Zerbie and Keltic think about both of these points. Ignoramuses (ignorami?) like Andy should probably just shut up.