MezzoGirl
Los Angeles, CA
Female, 29
I sing beautiful music -- primarily opera -- but I also do concert work, church music, studio/scoring sessions, and whatever other performance opportunities I can get my hands on.
I once worked with a colleague who got a little over-excited and created new stage combat blocking, which included grabbing me by the throat … hard. I was scared as I didn't know what he'd do next and if I moved, I could have helped him hurt me further. I then had to sing a duet and calming myself down was a challenge. From that, I learned to make sure that talk to the fight coordinator separately if there are any concerns. I was aware that he got like this in performance, but was hoping for the best rather than discussing it in advance. In my attempt to not make waves, I got bruised and scratched. By ignoring my instincts, I became part of the problem. Being a good colleague is so important. We should trust each other on and off stage, but if there are concerns, talk to someone in the company about the best way to address them with your colleague if you don't feel that you'll be calm or confident enough to address it in a neutral, non-confrontational way. And having a mentor who can act as a sounding board for how to best handle such situations before involving anyone at the company is such a help. My teacher is a fantastic mentor in that regard. Knowing when to speak up and when to let something go is a difficult balancing act to do on your own, especially when your reputation equals your career!
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The jury's still out on this from the research I've done, but it does seem that larger ribcages have their advantages in singing. Almost every singer's ribcage will expand in size, which may also just give the appearance of heaviness as well. But that doesn't mean that large voices and long phrases can't come out of smaller framed people. The 'largeness' of a voice comes from the resonating cavities in the head combined with the amount of strength and release in the singer's body. Singing is so much about how you use and release body tension. It's a very physical art. Also, singing makes me insanely hungry, so perhaps people don't make the right choices after singing til 11p at night (I always have a healthy snack right after I'm out of costume). My teacher and I have discussed the differences in body types and singing as I'm smaller and more athletic. Some of the sensations that come from extra weight that are technically very useful, I just can't identify. So I have to find other sensations. I find that strength training and running really helps me because of my size. Having the sensation of a lower center of gravity gives me extra 'weight' while singing.
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They shouldn't, but some still do! In the US, it's rare, but overseas, many people still smoke. I don't know how they do it, but I guess they have lungs of steel. I say it's a no-no, but some make it work.
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Not usually. Sometimes there are microphones above the stage or on the floors to pick up the sound for houses that are not acoustically set up for opera, but not individual mic's. Opera singers train to use the spaces in their facial mask to create our own amplification. With the range of what we sing, both dynamically and the wide range of pitches, it's very challenging to individually mic singers. Most opera singers can't stand being miked since you lose a lot of vocal color when using mic's too close to your face. There definitely are amazing sound engineers out there to make things sound good, but we enjoy relying on our technique to produce the proper sound for what we're expressing.
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It really depends on the person. Most sopranos and tenors mature into their voices sooner than mezzos and baritones/basses. Usually, the voice matures around mid-20s or early 30s and then the voice shifts again in your 50s. Some singers will stop singing in the 50s or 60s. But, with good technique, good health and depending on the person, there's no certain age peak. Placido Domingo is still singing beautifully and he's in his 70s now.
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It's very competitive, especially in America as there are not many houses in the States. There are a lot of politics in opera, like in everything. But it's sometimes efficient to go with someone you trust or know or who has a following that will sell tickets, so I can't judge it too much. You just have to be prepared for the moment when someone takes a chance on you. More often than not, it's dependendability over politics. I've sung with people who just knock my socks off, and I am so happy to recommend them for gigs because recommending great pros makes me look even better. But then others will come unprepared for a gig and people remember that, too.
It definitely is who you know, but there are so many great people in opera that forget about the politics at least for a while and just enjoy who you're working with and who you're working for. And then the 'politics' will start to work out in your favor if you're doing the work on your performance. And a great voice will get heard, so just keep singing until the right person hears it.
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It's best to train classically after puberty due to the hormone changes during it. It's confusing for the young singer to learn proper technique while the instrument (primarily the vocal cords) is changing rapidly. I'd argue that giving the body time to adjust to the hormonal changes & growth development along with allowing for the maturity it takes to understand your body fully to connect to proper technique is advisable.
While waiting the main part of puberty to pass, there are plenty of ways to prepare for a career in opera. Choral work, learning piano and other instruments, learning languages (Italian, German and French are recommended), attending concerts and performances, studying recordings and scores. Listening critically is one of the most important skills a singer can develop.
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