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.
Some do. And some look down on those who look down on contemporary music. Personally, I love it, especially when you're getting to sing music for the first time ever. Contemporary opera is challenging in a whole other way for singers, so it can be daunting. It's fantastic to find companies that specialize in contemporary opera since you know that the artistic & production values will be high, and the audience will be excited. As for modern, contemporary music that's more mainstream (pop, hip hop, rock), some singers don't listen to it, which is a shame. It's hard to find the time for listening to anything other than what you're working on when you're a singer. However, I've learned so much from the passion of Dave Grohl's performances, the storytelling of metal & hip hop, how to speak to an audience seeing Jason Mraz in coffee houses & Michael Buble at the Greek, the way to use your voice like an instrument from the great jazz singers (listen to Sinatra and you can hear how he does 'trombone' slides with his voice...it's really cool) and perhaps most importantly as a woman in sometimes revealing costumes-the importance of wardrobe tape from the pop divas. For me, all music makes me a better musician. Even when I hate it, I try to learn from it- what do I hate, what am I resisting, and , why, why are my lovely lady lumps moving like that when my brain is utterly disgusted by those terrible lyrics?
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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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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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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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Physical Therapist
What's the most dramatic "before-and-after" improvement you've ever seen with a patient?
Auto Mechanic
Are mechanics more likely to take advantage of female customers than males?
Swim Instructor
Do parents ever get angry at you personally if their kid isn't learning fast enough?
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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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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Singers are notorious for having a million 'tricks of the trade' for what to drink, what to eat and what not to drink or eat. But, of course, it's all what works for you individually. Keeping well hydrated with plain ole water is probably the most universal answer. Personally, I like to have hot lemon water morning and night if my throat is feeling raw from allergies or anything. Some people need to avoid caffeine. Others (like me), need it! Throat coat tea is well loved by many singers, although I don't like it myself. Avoiding alcohol the night before a performance and the day of is advisable, especially if you have reflux issues. Plus, if you haven't seen the 'drunk Carmen' clip on YouTube, check it out and you'll never take medication nor drink before a performance again. I really don't know what happened there, but I hope some drug was involved.
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