So, the past few months have taught me some lessons about the new paradigm in which we all live.
While my comments here are not specifically about auditioning, they do have to do with being assessed by a whole new group of people. I'm speaking of course now about what we call "social media". Milwaukee had some interesting times this summer with our other opera company, and much of it was played out through blogs, e-mail, comments on newspaper online columns, etc. Having just completed directing a show, I noted that not only does the review show up online, but also comments to that review. In addition, all types of bloggers will comment on performances that you may be involved in as well. I bring all of this up to say to you as singers that if you believed you needed a thick skin before to survive being assessed in auditions and in newspaper reviews, you now have a whole new frontier of commentary on your singing - and in many cases, the qualifications of those people making comment may vary greatly.
I bring all of this up not to frighten you off, but to let you know that those of us who audition you and hire you are well aware of this phenomenon, and I think in most cases, know how much weight to give it.
I would be curious to know of any experiences that you have had in this "brave new world"!
It's funny - my experience with reviews, blogs, and comments of this kind - is all I know, having the beginning of my public career coincide with the birth of these new platforms.
ReplyDeleteWhat prompted me to write here was your comment: "those of us who audition you and hire you are well aware of this phenomenon, and I think in most cases, know how much weight to give it."
All I can say is, I hope everyone is as astute as you!
I recently recommended a very good colleague to a composer looking for a baritone to sing in a workshop performance of a show he's writing. After Googling this baritone's name, he found all sorts of mixed/conflicting comments about him - on blogs, some legit reviews, and some other strange e-musings from various sources - and ultimately decided NOT to hire him (without even hearing him in person).
This prompted me to get more proactive about how I'm being projected on the internet - every so often, I Google myself, and when I find my name included on something sketchy or of questionable merit, I do what I can to have it deleted, modified, etc.
It is indeed a totally new dimension.