Vocalist.org archive


From:  Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Date:  Fri Nov 17, 2000  12:30 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist-temporary] Re: why 30?


On Thu, 16 Nov 2000 cantare@p... wrote:

> --- In vocalist-temporary@egroups.com, >
> To be fair, almost every competition I have seen nowadays does not
> have 30 as an age limit. Most of them are about 32 - 33, some are
> even as late as 36. I don't recall seeing any competitions recently
> that had a 30 age limit, actually.
>
> Besides, that doesn't answer the question, why 30? If the voice
> matures so late anyway, why is youth so prized? Jeez!! You'd think it
> was gymnastics or something :)

This is what I've been told:

Most competitions are sponsored by organizations that are looking for new,
younger artists to help "develop". Others are sponsored by opera
companies looking for new, young (cheap) talent to "develop". In all
cases, competitions are meant to reward POTENTIAL, not fully developed
talent. And also to give a kick-start to a singer's career at it's
beginning. I guess many competition sponsors figure, if they're going to
pay (particularly big ticket competitions), they want the singer to have
at least 30 more years (potentially) to get their career to its peak
and to stay in top form for at least a decade or more.

Unfortunately, few late bloomers whose voices may be peaking (in terms of
maturity and technique) at the time they are just starting to be ready to
compete can honestly say they will have another 30 good years ahead
of them vocally. Not that we over-30s aren't all worthy of winning
competitions and getting work. It's just that we're not as good a gamble
as the singer who has 25-30 "top form" years ahead of him (or her).

Karen
=====
My NEIL SHICOFF Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html

My Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html

-----
Es en balde, majo mio, que sigas hablando
porque hay cosas que contesto yo
siempre cantando:
Tra la la...
Por mas que preguntes tanto:
tra la la...
En mi no causas quebranto
ni yo he de salir de mi canto:
tra la la...

- Fernando Periquet



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6572 Re: why 30? cantare@p...   Fri  11/17/2000   2 KB

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