AboutPamela Thomas Expertise Questions on Opera performance, repertoire, vocal technique, acting for opera. I have some 20 years experience in opera in both leading roles and chorus. I have sung with New York City Opera since 1981. I have studied voice in NYC for over 20 years and have also taught technique and coached singers in acting.
Question hello. i am writing on behalf of my son, a junior at pepperdine and a vocal major. he is out of the country visiting his father and on our way to the airport he asked me to just do a little searching online to see what he needs to be doing to get his vocal career started - or at least get headed in the right direction. chris is a tenor and just came back from studying music in heidelberg and vienna this summer with the pepperdine music department. i'm his mom so it's difficult for me to be objective but when he sings - it makes me cry. i know that he's good (according to dr. price - the head of the music department) and he's a good looking kid. where does such a vocalist begin a career after graduation and what should he be doing to that end? he does want to attend grad school and we're looking at schools but i guess the threshold question is can he make a living singing and does he need to start shopping for an agent. thank you in advance and i look forward to hearing back from you.
denise
austin, tx
Answer Hi Denise,
Well, you have asked the question that the 26,000 music graduates of colleges and universities ask - and most institutions have no answer for them.
There really is no specific path to a career - that is nothing in this country - no specific steps to take but here are some of my thoughts.
First of all, because your son is a tenor his chances are much higher for a career. That is just a numbers/competition game. I would not assume that he will be able to make a living immediately after school. If he has another skill or way to help support himself while he is pursuing the career - that is probably essential.
But if he is really good - I would try for one of the major voice graduate schools - Juilliard, Manhattan School of Music, Indiana (there are so many). He needs to make sure he gets an excellent teacher and he should learn repertory. I would try for the summer apprentice programs (Santa Fe, Merola, I think Chicago Lyric has a program) so he can make contacts. But the key to going out an auditioning (also there are competitions) is that he must be ready. First impressions are key in the music world - of course he will continue to improve - but he must be at a high enough level to impress when he goes out for the competitions and apprentice programs. I would say after graduate school he should also look into the Met Artist Program (actually I believe they are now connected with the Juilliard Opera Program beginning this year).
Connections - singing for people in the business - are very important. But you must do it at the right time.
He should continue to perform in operas wherever he can - school, small companies, etc. to gain experience. An opera agent wants to take on someone who has experience (it's kind of a catch 22 - to get experience you have to have experience).
My friend and a wonderful tenor, Ta'u Pupu'a, is just about to have a big career, I think. He came to singing later (he was a pro football player!) but he has worked with some wonderful teachers and coaches here in NY, and he has worked extremely hard himself in learning technique and repertoire. He sang solos in our church, also sang in the choir (which improved his sightreading tremendously), he did concerts and performed with small opera companies here in NY to learn repertoire... all of this paid off in that people began to notice him (of course he has a gorgeous instrument). If you search google for ta'u pupu'a you will see some recordings from some of these performances - this will give you an idea of how he has progressed.
So - at this point - I would have him attend graduate school at one of the major music schools; try some competitions; audition for the summer apprentice programs; think about how he can make some money while he continues to pursue his singing career. Musical America has a website and for an annual fee you can get access to all of the opera companies, music schools, apprentice programs, etc. online. It's www.musicalamerica.com
You might think about getting a subscription. There is also www.classicalsinger.com - a great website for singers - listing auditions, schools, teachers, etc. This is a very good resource that he should use.
I hope this helps - I will look forward to hearing him - if he gets to NYC tell him to look me up!
