Be Prepared
The idea of preparation is not a skillset we Gemini’s are known for having. That is partly because preparation, especially in the performing arts, is all about consistency: consistency of practice, consistency of good habits, consistency of presence... and, I greatly admire people who are good at consistency.
Luciano Pavarotti famously told Jerome Hines that his voice teacher only had him sing scales and vocal exercises for 2 years before he ever learned aria. Gregory Kunde is an operatic tenor in his mid-60’s who is still actively performing when many of his contemporaries aren’t. On the flip side, the affects of inconsistency were famously exampled by Maria Callas after her hiatus which resulted in a distinct and uncontrollable vibrato throughout the last years of her career. Opera singing is a use-it-or-lose-it skill that must be nurtured and developed.
I consider an opera singer more akin to a Shaolin monk than a pop star (but it definitely has elements of both) because of the required preparation and consistency. It takes years of vocal training, music theory, ear training, and practice to build the capacity to even sing opera. Then, there’s stage movement and acting training— which is very often on-the-job training. Also there are other important elements of opera that require preparation and you are not always so prepared for: your health needs, financial stability, basic modeling skills for press, social decorum, knowledge on website and social media creation, confident networking and negotiating skills, and a thick skin against criticism and microaggressions surrounding aspects of yourself you may not be willing or even able to change. It doesn’t hurt if singers can also mastered marketing, business administration, Google calendar, fashion and correspondence etiquette as well.
Maybe you’re experiencing a post-traumatic response to that last paragraph right now. You are okay. I will give you a second to recover...
To be a professional performing artist is to know how to prepare. It’s through preparation that I build the flexibility of movement, the understanding of a plot, a production concept, and it’s how I maintain vocal stamina based on the difficulty of the music. Even in situations where I have to learn music quickly, prioritizing preparation is what gives me a clear conscience to remain focused and not spiral into mental meltdown or self-flagellation.
Being a performer of color in this art form also means knowing the craft like your colleagues AND knowing how they— the hiring companies, and audiences— will respond to you and your work. Companies are being socially pressured into inclusion and it is providing more opportunities for African American performers to be narrators; but while it will take much more than the year 2020 to shift hearts and minds towards inclusion, what will be most telling for us as performers is whether we are prepared to step into the roles when they are offered. I am grateful to my parents for the foresight to enroll me in the Boy Scouts. The motto… “Be Prepared” has been the gong my conscience has needed to stay on track.
Be prepared. Find teachers and colleagues who have your whole career in perspective, and who are willing to go to bat for you in the board meetings and casting meetings. It means educating yourself and seeking the training necessary to learn the craft: the weekly coachings, flights to lessons and auditions, higher education, and many other things. All of that can seem like steep switchbacks along the mountainside path of success, but what will get you to the top is your commitment to the simple practices of consistency and preparation. Voraciously read things pertaining to works you want to perform. Take 30 minutes every day to warm up and sing. Read and comprehend your performance agreements thoroughly. Ask questions and listen to the advice of people who are doing what you want to do— put yourself out there. God, fate, life, the universe, chance, luck, timing... will handle the rest.
