From: Lana Mountford
To: vocalist
Subject: Re: How much training before first audition?
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Jennifer writes:

> I would like to know how long some of the people on the list trained,took
> lessons, etc., before their first audition for a professional singing job.
> What was the first type of paying job that you auditioned for?

Oh my, lessee ... If I recall correctly, my *first* audition for a paying
job was for a church soloist/section leader position at an Episcopal
church. This was in August 1995; and I'd been studying with my second
teacher since May of that year, so that's about 4 months. I don't really
count the first 18 months of lessons because I was totally misdiagnosed,
and ended up having to unlearn virtually everything I'd tried to learn
during that period (mostly how to get *really* tense!). Once I found my
"real" voice and could relax, I made rapid progress. Anyway, I landed the
church job, and sang there for nearly 3 years.

> I am particularly interested in hearing about people who did not major in a
> college/university music program because that is a very different situation
> from the one I am in. I started my vocal training a little late, like many
> singers on the list, and study voice with a private teacher on my own
> outside of a formal music program.

Well, I started voice lessons at age 42; started with my second teacher at
43, so I guess you could say I had a late start. At least my voice was
fully mature (though totally untrained). I did start a major in music in
college, but I dropped out and got married after my sophomore year, and
never finished a degree. However, I have a *VERY* strong music background,
having started piano lessons at age 3, attending UMKC Conservatory from age
9, and starting college as a piano performance major after high school
(where I'd had 4 yrs of music theory and 4 yrs of music history).

By the way, two weeks after the church audition, I auditioned for a group
of 5 opera companies (singing "Porgi amor" and "Ernani, involami"). From
then on, I auditioned for anything that came up that my teacher and I
thought I was suited for. Fifteen months after that first "group" opera
audition, I actually got a call from one of the directors who had heard me
that day, inviting me to audition for the title role of Jenufa in the
Janacek opera. Blew me away! I didn't get cast, but it was nice to know
that I'd made an impression. I did finally make my professional opera
debut singing a minor role (Suor Dolcina) in Suor Angelica in 1997.

I don't know how common my experience is -- it's probably different for
everyone.

Cheers!

Lana

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" ... she is deeply concerned with the ways of the mice
(their behavior's not good, and their manners not nice!)
so when she has got them lined up on the matting,
she teaches them music, crocheting, and tatting ..."
"The Old Gumby Cat" from _Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats_
by T.S. Eliot
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Lana Mountford lana-at-amazon.com Seattle, WA