Sorry, it's been a bit busy!

It has been quite a week - Sunday, our (Florentine Opera's) recording of Elmer Gantry won two Grammys - and I was fortunate enough to be able to go - very exciting. We are getting ready to choose auditionees for our Studio Artist program, and rehearsals for Susannah, which I'm directing, begin in a week from Monday!
Having said all of that, I will certainly add some posts next week.

A reminder

Any of you who might be thinking of auditioning for the Florentine Opera Studio, the deadline is fast approaching!! Please visit Yaptracker if you are interested.

Thoughts from Green Bay

I did a Masterclass this week at the University of Wisconsin Green Bay, and had a great time talking to the students, and hearing a couple of them sing. I appreciate Sarah Meredith Livingston setting it up, and giving undergraduate students the opportunity to hear more about the business. I thought that I would copy the handout here that I used this week.

“Setting up” the Audition –William Florescu

I. Preparation – Nothing that is mentioned past this point means anything if this is not taken care of – the main areas of preparation are:

a. vocal – your lessons, technical work, etc.

b. musical – coaching, musical accuracy, style, etc.

c. lingual – also coaching – diction, articulation, pronunciation, etc.

d. cosmetic – your resume, head shot, clothes, hair, make up, etc. – this is one that is generally treated as either too important, or not important enough

e. physical – the dramatic delivery of your piece, your entrance into the room, what you do with your hands, what you do between arias, how you address the audience (whether that be a paying audience, adjudicators, vocal jury, etc) – letter e is the category that is most often left to fate or inspiration, and therefore, the area that is most often badly handled in an audition

II. Why is letter e so important?

a. The externals of your auditions either invite the “audience” into the inner kernel of what you have to offer or it keeps them out.

b. Being in control of the externals overcomes a number of the internals:

1. nerves

2. breath control

3. memory

4. confidence

5. there are numerous ones you can add to this list!!

c. As much as most of us want to believe that it is our voice that will linger in the memory of those who hear us, the truth is, that in many cases, it is how we carry ourselves from the moment we come on to the stage to the moment that we leave, that makes the most lasting impression (assuming that you are not the next Pavarotti, Streisand, or Fleming – in that case, all bets are off! – but remember these are the exceptions, and most of us have to plan our lives around NOT being the exception.)

d. We will experience your externals long before we get to your internals, and as they, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression.

III. What do I do about it? – Most of us know that we need to take voice lessons, need to work with a coach, need to get time on stage, etc. Most of us (and I include myself in this category) do not know how to improve the externals of our auditions, but there are ways!

a. teachers and coaches – this seems redundant since they were mentioned as a separate category, but teachers and coaches have been in your shoes, and a great resource for what to do in your audition when it comes to the externals.

b. Colleagues – your fellow singers, assuming there is an honest bond of trust and support, can give you feedback on how you “come off”. Sing for each other, critique, etc. – it’s amazing how well YOU will improve yourself, when you have to articulate what you think about what a fellow artist is doing.

c. YOU – there are so many ways to self diagnose these days with video, digital recorders, and then, of course, that most advanced instrument of all – the mirror!! Don’t be afraid to analyze the externals of what you do (even to the extent of analyzing how you walk in the room!!

IV. Other resources – As opposed to even twenty years ago, there are a number of resources out there for singers to help find out what you need to do! Some of them are:

a. Classical Singer Magazine, and website http://www.classicalsinger.com/

b. Opera America - www.operaamerica.org/

c. The New Forum for Classical Singers - http://www.nfcs.net/

d. The Opera Audition (this is my audition blog) - http://www.theoperaaudition.blogspot.com/

These just scratch the surface – remember, it is a very competitive field, and you need to put every advantage into your column that you can. And remember the advice of Oscar Wilde – be yourself, everyone else is taken!!

It's your decision

I was speaking with a singer the other day about whether or not a certain aria that involved props should be completely pantomimed as though the props were being used.
This is an interesting question, and I have seen it done, both successfully and unsuccessfully.
What I think it comes down to is: Are you comfortable doing the aria this way? If you are not, it will transmit, and the very least, distract the person hearing you from focusing on your various strengths.
Whenever you have a question about whether a physical approach you are trying to an aria works, have a trusted coach, teacher, or colleague watch you, and/or video yourself. The feedback you get will help you decide how to proceed.
Again, your best chance of success is always tied to your confidence in what you are doing - vocally and physically.

Show them what you are, not what you aren't

One of the really great things about hearing the Met auditions in various locales and circumstances, is getting to chat with singers after the auditions. This allows me to verbalize some things that sometimes float around in my head, but don't get "spit out" verbally.
One such conversation took place recently with a talented young soprano. We were talking about repertoire, etc. and she asked some very good questions. During this discussion, we talked about the fact that too many singers show who they are not during an audition, as opposed to who they are. For instance, if you are a lyric mezzo who does not yet have Non piu mesta where you want it, don't sing it (I cannot tell how many times I have experienced this!) Instead, do arias that show your strengths as they now are. If that is Cherubino or Stephano, that is fine!
One of things singers need to remember is that one of the things that will win you points with the people for whom you audition, is having a sense of who you are and where you are as a singer.
I will expand upon this as we go along, but it's a good thing to remember.

Make your intensities match

An interesting thing I've noticed in auditions is that the intensity and focus a singer may bring to a piece musically may not be matched by what he or he or she is doing dramatically, and then it may switch on the next piece. Be sure you are prepared to perform vocally, physically, and dramatically - consistently from piece to piece. when I do feedback sessions with singers they are generally aware that these inconsistencies occur. Do a checklist of your audition/competition rep to be sure that you are prepared to perform each of your arias completely, to give yourself your best shot.

I am off to judge the Met auditions in Lincoln, Nebraska tomorrow if our midwest weather will cooperate.

A heads up about auditions for our Studio Artist Program

The Florentine Opera Company is now accepting applications for the 2012-2013 Florentine Opera Studio.

Application can be found at:
https://www.yaptracker.com/applications/florentine-opera-company-2012

You do not need to be a paying subscriber to YAP Tracker to use the
application form, although you will need an account (guest accounts
are available; see the website for details). Registration can be
completed at http://www.yaptracker.com/register.

Application deadline is February 10, 2012.

More information regarding the Florentine Opera Studio can be found at:
http://www.florentineopera.org/opera_studio.html