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Opera Offstage explores the grey area between music school and a professional career. We’re here to discuss those important skills and topics that leave you wondering, “Wait, how the heck did I not learn about this earlier?” From audition season and recitals to fitness and finances, join us as we talk, joke, and complain about everything it takes to be a classical musician in a modern world.
Episodes
Tuesday May 25, 2021
Tuesday May 25, 2021
People often assume singers must like the sound of their own voice. After all we spend hours every week hearing ourselves sing, listening to recordings of ourselves, and have committed to hearing our own voice over and over again as a career. But the reality is that most singers have a lot of insecurities around the natural traits of their voice, whether its speedy vibrato, a naturally smaller voice, a smaller range, a large voice that doesn't blend, etc. Combine that with the negative self talk that permeates music departments and you've got a recipe for major self-confidence issues.
So today we're talking all about learning to love your voice and all its traits and stop wasting your time pining after a voice you don't have, because everyone should feel confident and excited to share their unique instruments with the world.
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Tuesday May 18, 2021
Tuesday May 18, 2021
Between the travel, audition fees, clothing, music, and ongoing education, music can be a very expensive career to pursue, which is why almost every musician has a second job that helps finance the first.
But finding jobs that pair well with pursuing music can be super tricky. You have to find a job that has major flexibility for you to travel for auditions and gigs, pays well enough to finance that travel, and doesn't take a major toll on your voice and body.
Which is why today's episode is all about breaking down the typical and not so typical side gigs for musicians and all the benefits and drawbacks to each type. From the service industry to retail to teaching and administrative work, we'll help you find a job that suits you and your music career. Plus, stick around at the end to hear about the one side gig you should NEVER take.
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Tuesday May 11, 2021
Tuesday May 11, 2021
The history of classical music is filled with some pretty crazy collaborations, but what about some of the more modern ones?
How about a Bel Canto soprano and one of Rock and Roll's most famous front men?
Or an opera composer an indie singer-songwriter?
Or one of film's most famous composers re-orchestrating many of his works for a classical violinist?
Join us as we explore some of classical music's craziest pairings and all the ways music reaches across genres. As a bonus, we have a little rant at the end on why everyone should love John Williams and why "How do you feel about John Williams?" is a great first date question.
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Tuesday May 04, 2021
Tuesday May 04, 2021
Oh, gap years. We love you and love to hate you.
The world of academia tells us silly myths about gap years like “Taking a gap year means you don’t take your career seriously” or “Taking a gap year is just one step away from quitting music.”
But is taking a gap year really as career-shattering as it seems?
NOPE. Not even close.
Here’s the thing. Sometimes you need to take a break from school. Everything is going to be ok. In fact, things will probably be awesome!
So whether you’re thinking about taking a gap year, are in the middle of one (uh, hello covid), or are just taking a break from music in general, we’re here to give you the honest pros + cons, and help you come up with a game plan.
PSA: This episode topic was suggested to us by dear friend of the podcast + listener, Lauren!
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Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
Tuesday Apr 27, 2021
April 30th is International Jazz Day, so today we're celebrating Jazz and all the ways it's contributed to classical music!
We talk about some of our favorite artists, how being a jazz musician is different from being a classical musician, some wild moments from jazz history, and even a few jazz operas!
So join us as we celebrate the unique and extraordinary style of Jazz.
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Tuesday Apr 20, 2021
Tuesday Apr 20, 2021
Usually when you say the word artist, people picture someone free-spirited and intensely individualistic and for good reason, a lot of great art is based on innovation and freedom from convention. So why do we as classical musicians face such constant pressure to conform to standards that no longer suit us, our industry, or the modern world?
Today we're talking about being yourself and breaking the "good musician" mold. We tackle some of the biggest myths we all believed, why individuality is so important, and what being yourself really looks like throughout school and your career. So join us as we shake off old expectations and get ready to make the art we really came here to make.
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Tuesday Apr 13, 2021
Tuesday Apr 13, 2021
From watching operas in pajamas, to practicing in our cars, to virtual audition catastrophes— making music during quarantine is WILD.
This week we’re reading your quarantine performance stories and you guys DELIVERED. These stories are hilarious, unfortunate, and everything in between! If anything, listen to this episode to hear about the time Jessie split her pants.
We also share a major announcement during the episode: our team is expanding! If you’re interested in joining our staff as a Writer, Content Creator, or Audio Editor, you can find more information down below.
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Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
Tuesday Apr 06, 2021
It's officially tax season! As musicians we receive tons of training and education, but unfortunately very little of it is usually in personal finance, so along with tax season usually come tons of questions for musicians.
What should I do during the year to prepare for tax season?
How do you file income from multiple states?
What are qualified business expenses?
Luckily we have some very qualified help to answer your questions and ours. Our guest Tiffany Soricelli of Virtuoso Advising is a licensed financial advisor who serves as the Business and Financial Coach to the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at The Metropolitan Opera and the Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera. She has worked with artists at Minnesota Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, San Francisco Opera and regularly serves as a speaker for OPERA America programs and events.
With her unique journey from music to the world of finance, Tiffany answers all of our questions and then some, so that we can all go into this tax season a little less stressed and a lot more certain.
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Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
Tuesday Mar 30, 2021
Behind every great musician are a lot of really incredible teachers, but how do you find a good teacher? And what do you do if you realize your teacher just isn't the right teacher for you, because the only thing harder than finding the right teacher can be figuring out how to leave the wrong one.
We're here to show you where you should be looking for your next teacher and how to make sure they really are the right fit for you. If you're already with a teacher and not sure it's working for you, we'll also go through the signs that you and your teacher just aren't compatible or, even worse, the signs that you might be with a toxic teacher. We'll walk you through how to leave the wrong teacher and all the benefits that come with finding the right one. Whether you're a student, a teacher, or both, this episode will help you navigate the tricky space of private lessons.
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Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
Tuesday Mar 23, 2021
Everyone knows that classical music is filled with drama, but most of it is actually happening offstage.
Today we're talking all about some of wildest unknown scandals in opera and orchestra. From the sugar baby who couldn't sing to fruit throwing audiences to the slap heard round the concert hall, there is a story in here for everyone. So join us as we take a peak into classical music's not so classy reality.
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