About Cindy Sadler Expertise I am a professional opera singer and am happy to answer questions about the business, including: music, opera plots, where to find musical scores, what you need to know if you want to be a singer, what life backstage is like, something about the technology used on stage now, costuming, who`s who in opera and in opera companies, the business of singing, how to get a good education in singing, what to look for in a voice teacher and where to find a reputable one, publications and other resources for professional singers and fans, how to get an agent, where to find singer websites and information online, where to get worldwide opera house schedules and reviews online. However, please do NOT ask me to act as a phone directory for you. :)
Experience My greatest accomplishments are making a living at the art I love and helping young singers get their start. :) www.cindy-sadler.com, www.thebusinessofsinging.com
Question I am currently finishing up my senior year of high school and want to pursue a career in opera. I take voice lessons and have been the lead in my school musical, Brigadoon. I am a high soprano. I live in Kansas City, KS. I don't know where to start or how to pursue this dream. In collage, I plan on studying music but what can I do now?
Answer Hi Heather,
Well, as it happens I have written a book just for young singers like you, which tells you how to find a good school and a good teacher, and what you should be getting from your education. This is the very vital first step to a career. Singing is an enormously expensive career, and if you don't learn to sing with a solid vocal technique, you will not have a career. The book is called The Student Singer's Starter Kit, and you can find it on my website at www.thebusinessofsinging.com. You can read some sample pages there.
What you can do right now is research teachers and schools you think you might want to go to. This is a very, very important step --- you don't want to just go off to a school and hope you get a good teacher. It doesn't work that way. You should look for the teacher first. You can continue to study voice at home and prepare repertoire for college auditions. If you haven't taken piano lessons or begun to learn any foreign languages (I suggest starting with Italian) you can start that now. I also suggest you familiarize yourself with publications like Classical Singer Magazine, the Opera America Career Guide for Singers, Musical America Directory, etc., and websites like www.bravuravox.com, www.classicalsinger.com, and www.nfcs.net, all of which offer singer forums and a lot of information. I also have a huge free resources website at www.thebusinessofsinging.com.
Classical Singer is hosting a convention in San Francisco over Memorial Day, including a College Fair. You might want to go to that to get some great information and inspiration.
