Yes, it’s the equation. Again. A recycled post from 2005, but still one of the organizing features of my approach to the audition season. My son is the mathematician in the family. But even though my fling with math is decades in the past, I can still appreciate the eloquence of a beautiful formula. Yes,
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Are You Ready?
A blog question and answer from last season: Q: I had a teacher recently tell me not to apply to studio programs at larger companies (such as Wolf Trap) because, in her belief, if a young singer is heard by a large company before they are ready to be considered a full-fledged professional, then the
Read MoreAudition Season: Forms & Fees
I’m supposed to talk about paperwork (audition applications) today, and I will. But before we shut down our right brains, I want to call your attention to this blog post by Seth Godin. One of the great things about Seth’s posts is that they are rarely long, typically under 500 words. So visit the link.
Read MoreYoung Artist Programs: Where to Start
If you’ve figured out your way around the landscape of YAP opportunities, you may want to skip this post. But if you’re looking for a place to start, read on. We’re finding that more and more singers are using YAP Tracker: https://www.yaptracker.com/. There is a $50 annual fee for the service, but as far as
Read MoreThe Forest before the Trees
Some food for thought this weekend before we get into the nitty-gritty. A few seasons ago on the blog I tried to quantify what we listen for in auditions. I ended up with a list modeled on one in Joanna Merlin’s book “Auditioning.” (It’s intended for actors, but its wisdom easily extends to the singing
Read MoreYou Never Really Enjoy It; You Just Get Better at It
I was watching TV the other night and saw an ad for an upcoming fall series. One of the characters was talking about coming to terms with something distasteful. (How’s that for specificity? I can’t remember the show or the subject material…) Anyway, she said, “You never really enjoy it; you just get better at
Read MoreThe Fall 2009 Audition Mini-Course
A few weeks off from the examined life has restored a little clarity. I’m resisting getting back on the blogging horse because I know how intense this next part of the cycle is, and each year brings a bit more ambivalence about documenting and engaging in dialogue about the audition process. Yet, it’s unavoidable that
Read More2010 Audition Applications Available
I’m staying off the interwebs as much as I can for another week. Am still completely blog/tweet/facebook/ninged out, and I need to find my center before I can be of much use here. In the meantime, this is your first reminder that all application materials are available for the 2010 season! Start here for complete
Read MoreOperascape, and Over & Out
The perfect positive storm for the end of our season – Puccini’s Boheme, Operascape production, NSO, Wolf Trap Opera, and some of the best weather of the summer. Resulted in standing ovation from just under 6,000 folks – a huge number of them new opera-goers (just under 4,000 in the house, and almost 2,000 on
Read MoreCreatures of the Night
Focusing S. Katy Tucker’s projections Opera requires an intensive “tech” period, part of which is devoted to hanging, focusing and cueing the lighting that serves functional and expressive purposes. And, in the case of our Boheme, this same period encompasses everything that’s required to get projected images and video onto a hanging screen. Under “normal”
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