Opera Offstage

Over the centuries, classical composers and musicians have created some of the most complex and beautiful works ever written.

But behind the history of classical music lie tales of gruesome murders, suicides, black magic, and stolen heads.

In the Halloween spirit, indulge in some of music history's most haunting tales and decide for yourself whether they're fact or fiction. 

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Jessie

Michelle

Nothing throws off your audition prep more than when you see a monologue requirement in the listing for a Young Artist Program.

Luckily there are lots of handy tips and tricks that can turn this intimidating task into a valuable asset, all while avoiding the common mistakes that often lead to poor performances. Today we cover how to find, choose, and prepare your monologue so that you're ready for the audition season no matter what it throws at you.

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Michelle

When should you start looking into artist management?

How do you find a manager?

What are some red flags that a manager doesn't have your best interests at heart?

Artist management is one of the least spoken about aspects of being a young musician, leaving young artist confused about what managers are, how they can help you, and how to avoid managers who are only looking to make money off of you. Luckily for us, we have Justin Werner and Zoey Preston of Stratagem Artists to guide us through this tricky topic. We discuss all the Dos and Don'ts of when and how to find good artistic management that can help you reach the next stage of your career.

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WELCOME TO THE SPOOKY EPISODE!

There is nothing we love more than a good scary story, so why aren't there more horror operas? 

Today we talk all about the few horror operas there are, and why it's so difficult to bring scary stories into stage mediums. Then we talk about a couple of ways we think opera can adapt to better suit a good spooky tale. Finally we get creative and pitch some of our favorite horror films as operas, and even talk about which horror movies would make the worst operas.

So join us as we kick off the spooky season!

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Michelle

The phrase amateur musician has gotten a bad reputation, but we're here to redeem it because amateur musicians are some of the most hardworking and inspirational people we know.

Today's episode is all about and for amateur musicians. We dive into why amateur musicianship is vital for our communities and how important it is for professional musicians to support and uplift those musicians. We also cover how to pursue music non-professionally from finding lessons and ensembles to performance opportunities and sharing your work online. So join as we explore the wonderful world of amateurism.

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Michelle

Audition packages are one of the great mysteries for classical singers.

What are directors looking for?

What kinds of pieces should I choose?

What if I have arias that are in different fachs?

Luckily for us, we have opera director Nathan Troup with us on today's podcast to help answer our questions about audition packages and auditions themselves as well as answer some of the questions you submitted on our instagram!

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In part two of our Issues in Opera episode on YAPs, we are joined by Cynthia López Pérez, co-founder of Latina Women in Opera, and Renee Namakau Ombaba, founder of Black Women in Opera to discuss the problematic ways many Young Artist Pograms treat young singers. 

From treating musicans as a commodity to enforcing application and tuition fees to being behind on issues of diversity and engaging in tokenism, Young Artist Programs require a lot of change, and our guests have some brilliant ideas about what needs to happen in order for opera to truly thrive.

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Renee Namakau Ombaba

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Cynthia López Pérez

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Michelle

Talent is a prized possession in the world of music, the thing that can seemingly make or break the career of a musician, but how much of a difference does talent really make? 

Today we're talking all about the myth of talent. We break down what talent is, why it's so misunderstood, and exactly how far talent alone will really take you in the world of classical music. 

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Michelle

Young Artist Programs can create amazing opportunities for young singers to grow, learn, and network, but they can also be pretty problematic.

From applications, to auditions, to the programs and their pay, seemingly no one in the classical voice world has passed through the Young Artist phase unscathed.

In the first episode of this two-part Issues in Opera, we talk all about how YAP programs went from being true apprenticeships to being a source of cheap labor and how that effects all of us, both inside and outside the Young Artist phase of our careers. 

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What do rats, outer space, and a Carmen who doesn't die have in common?

They are all ways people have tried to update classic operas for the modern era!

Today we talk about the trend of trying to modernize some of our most famous operas, for better or for worse. And it DOES get worse. We discuss everything from slight changes in location to completely changing the ending of shows and all the craziness in between.

So join us as we take a trip through the wild world of modernized opera!

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Michelle