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Acting in Plays, Singing/Returning to pro music after long illness

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Expert: - 2/16/2009


Question
Dear Sean,
I am a lyric coloratura soprano in my late 20s based in the NYC area.   Upon
first glance, my resume includes BM in voice and several honors from a
highly respected conservatory/school of music, 3 years of study (2 remaining)
towards my MSM (Master's in Sacred Music) with a focus on Jewish lirturgical
& art music,  a moderately strong performance history which shows an
extensive range of venues and genres,  and glowing recommendations from a
number of highly respected voice teachers, coaches, conductors, directors
and colleagues from around the world with whom I've had the priviledge to
collaborate.  However, while I've had the good fortune to received such
opportunities & training in my young career,  for the past 6 years I've been
battling a severe illness whose progression has required me to gradually
curtail my professional activities over the years until finally I was forced to
stop performing all together and take a leave of absence from school in
2007.  While the details are unimportant, I can tell you that because of the
biomechanics involved,  the illness itself, along with medication side-effects
and complications from multiple surgeries to my occiput and cervical spine,
have had devastating impact on my voice, though I have worked hard to
rehabilitate and maintain my instrument throughout this ordeal.  In a few
days, I will undergo my final surgery (halleluyah!) and if all goes well, I expect
be back to full health AND full voice in 3-6 months.  
My question: Having been out of the game for so long, where should I look to
resume my career?  How do I get around these 3 potential problems?
1) Incongruent Age and Experience: Had I not fallen ill in my early 20s, I
would have applied to the various apprentice programs and competitions
designed to help young singers build their careers. But as these programs are
often restricted to singers under the age of 30-35, I fear that by the time I
have my voice back, I will be too old to have adequate time in such programs,
especially if I take the 2 years to complete my MSM.  How crucial is age at
this point in my career?  What kinds of opportunities should a singer in my
position pursue?
2) Explaining my recent hiatus to potential employers/directors without
causing concern about my health: How do I explain to prospective employers
and teachers the gaps in my resume, particularly over the past 2-3 years
when I was too ill to perform or to study?  My illness is both rare and poorly
understood, with the few experts finding enough to completely change the
treatment protocols at least 3 times in the past 10 years.  Should a potential
employer or director asks about my future prognosis, I cannot absolutely
guarantee that I will remain healthy, though I have no more reason to believe
I'll fall ill than someone who has never had health problems.

3) Networking: Because I have been so ill, I have fallen out of touch with
virtually all of my professional contacts and haven't a clue where to find
reputable information regarding auditions, training programs, festivals, local
organizations, performance opportunities, etc.  

I truly appreciate any advice you may have for me.  I miss the music world so
intensely that it's palpable.  While I am grateful for this last surgery that will
allow me to regain my health, it will be when I return to the stage that I will
be truly healed.

Mimile

Answer
Hello, Mimile –

Thank you so much for the question.  I truly appreciate your confidence.

In other words, you are starting all over.  It's much easier to address your concerns from the standpoint of being brand new rather than an approach that's about making "a return".

After you are able to start practicing again, you will probably find many changes in the overall sound of your voice.  Starting over also means letting go of not only the past but the way in which you used to rehearse and perhaps a large percentage of your former repertoire.  Nothing is to be gained by being frustrated over who you used to be or what you used to sing or who you once knew.

As a professional singer, I know that the need to sing never stops.  The need to compete or exhibit yourself in front of a panel of judges may fade, but the stuff about expressing your Self through music and through the word – even if it's just in the privacy of your own space or in the imagination – is a lifelong gift.  And now you see the clear possibility of returning to that creative process again.

Continue your MSM and its focus on Jewish lirturgical and art music.  Your circle of contacts will grow from there.  I worked regularly as a church musician – and loved it.  All you have to do is stand there and sing – flawlessly, of course.  My experience was that it led to other work, i.e., weddings, funerals, etc., and helped fill the audience for my concerts and club work.  On your journey toward obtaining this very special Degree, you are going to learn many new things about yourself and the opportunities and locations where your talents can flourish.

It's always about You and your current Product.  As long as you can deliver the goods, no one really cares about past performance history or old health issues.  Depending on the age stipulations for apprentice or advanced training programs for world class opera companies – such as we have here in San Francisco with the Adler Fellows and Merola Opera Training Program – it's still about competing against others with similar or better qualifications.  And you already know the regimen of daily work you would have to embrace to get yourself back into shape for even the first round of auditions.

None of that work will be lost.  I know what it means to be a professional singer.  It's the best regimen for keeping yourself healthy, in shape, sober, constantly educated and socially astute.

Please stay in touch.
I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  When you can come to San Francisco and want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List – http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1042469936.html
I am also the fine arts critc for SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews provide a link to my personal e-mail.

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Acting in Plays, Singing

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Sean Martinfield

Expertise

I am a professional vocal coach in San Francisco. In addition to answers from a previous web site (Askme.com - where my "tag" was "VocalCoach") I have published over 2000 responses related to vocal training - particularly as it relates to Musical Theatre and Opera. I have 24 years of experience as Personal Trainer to singers and actors in the San Francisco Bay Area. I sang professionally for 20 years and know what it means to live the life of a musician. I can determine your voice category, i.e., Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Alto Belter, etc., and how to broaden and strengthen your range. Need an audition song for a Broadway Musical? I will give you suggestions that are appropriate to your vocal category and to requirements specified in the audition notice. I have also created a vocal methodology, "The Belter`s Method". It will enable those in Musical Theatre to practice more efficiently because it focuses on the demands of professional performers as well as to those auditioning for school and community productions, and as University and Conservatory performing arts majors. If what you want is a better voice and more control over your career moves and choices, contact me. Also, as the Editor of SanFranciscoSentinel.com, it is my privilege to review productions at the San Francisco Opera, Ballet and Symphony, as well as Broadway National Tours booked into San Francisco's Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theatres. I also review works by A.C.T (the American Conservatory Theatre) and Magic Theatre. I cover select films, tributes and retrospects, and various international film festivals – particulary those booked into The City's opulent Castro Theatre – including the LGBT Frameline Festival, International Film Festival, Silent Film Festival, Jewish Film Festival, etc. For private vocal instruction, I can be contacted through SanFranciscoSentinel.com. Look under: Seán Martinfield, Sentinel Editor and Publisher.

Experience

As a vocal coach, I work primarily with singers and actors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. My students range from absolute beginners to working professionals, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. The vast majority of my clients come to me through recommendation. I know how to identify any singer's vocal category, i.e., soprano, tenor, alto, baritone, etc. I know how to muscle-up every singer's vocal range and to expand it beyond conventional definitions. I have developed a vocal methodology for those who want to know how to belt, THE BELTER'S METHOD. As a singer who spent half of his career doing Bel Canto, I know that classical or Italian methodologies do not work in Standard American music. Bel Canto cannot be "adapted" to meet the needs of contemporary American music, including the demands of the Musical Theatre. There are a number of major components to my work as a vocal coach. The first is to identify the client's vocal category and to strengthen and maximize the vocal range accordingly. Then it's about teaching a reliable vocal workout that will enable the client to gain better control of their musicianship. That includes scale work to expand the vocal range and to improve placement, breath control, and diction. Then we work on material for the audition portfolio, the immediate job or assignment, a recording session, etc. My task to is to better equip singers and actors who are hoping to or relying upon their performance skills and vocal endurance to maintain a career in the Performing Arts. My clients regularly appear in cabarets and musical productions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Some have worked in New York and gone on National Tours. For more information, Contact me at: Broadwaybelters@yahoo.com

Education/Credentials
San Francisco State University – BA in Theatre Arts; graduate work in Theatre, Philosophy, and Comparative Reiligion. Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley – Graduate work in Ethics

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