In the continuing effort to keep my resume to one page, as we are strongly encouraged to do, tonight I took my last school role off the list.
That feels pretty good!
All the remaining are either training program roles (Tytania, Noemie) or professional credits, however small the paycheck might have been! Each role listed is truly representative of my voice, past, present, and future, with no “out of Fach” roles simply there for filler. (Not that I’ve really done any out of Fach roles…)
But there are still things missing.
Namely, leading roles with orchestra. I really only have one, when it comes down to it – Tytania. And that wasn’t a professional gig. I have tons of concert work, at high levels, and more booked for the future. But opera roles have been slow in coming. My path to this stage of my career has been through concert work, so it makes sense, I suppose, but I’m ready to shift the percentage. Someone asked me recently if I was afraid of being put in the box of “new music concert singer,” and, frankly, the idea hadn’t crossed my mind. But I can see the trend on my resume. I know I will always sing concerts; my voice is well-suited for that repertoire. And I love bringing new music to life. But somewhere along the way in the past five years, I became on opera singer.
I’m doing my best to be patient, but I’ll admit to a few anxious moments during this audition season. A few weeks ago, I learned that a job I wanted went to another soprano (one I know personally; all the jobs I don’t get go to other sopranos…). I got seriously bummed out, even though on that same day I sang two great auditions AND booked a series of concerts for May, 2008. I had to work hard to get myself out of the funk, reminding myself that the wheels were set in motion for me, that I have a great team working on my behalf, that I am singing better than ever, that the jobs will come. They will. Won’t they?!
I believe that they will. My managers fielded an inquiry as to my availability for a great role (a leading role with orchestra…) – but it’s fairly last minute and I’m booked. Is it wrong to confess that, even though I’m booked at THE MET, I was disappointed? I am so ready to get on that stage as a principal artist, delving into a character and a plot, taking the audience along with me on the journey through the story, singing the arias and duets and ensembles of the leading lady.
I’m ready, Coach. Put me in!
3 comments:
not commenting on this post - wondering if you know of a website where singers looking to find/let apartments in NYC can specifically exchange with one another? Singer-specific, as opposed to Craigslist??
Another good source is the NYC forum on the New Forum for Classical Singers. There are frequent postings there about sublets.
Good luck!
I love that feeling. There's something about working on your resume that makes you feel really good about yourself.
The other thing I love is writing bios. By the end of it, I'm always so high on myself. "yeah, I really AM the awesometacular Canadian bass!" Ahhhhh cheap thrills.
Actually, I just realized that I'm close to losing Sarastro off my resume. This is a problem- Sarastro is one of the best roles in my voice right now. It's only been a year and a half since I've sung it, but it's been a busy year and a half! So now I'm on the prowl for a Sarastro, so I can continue my pruning prudently.
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