The Singer’s Audition & Career Handbook is a comprehensive guide to the training, audition technique, and professional development essential for launching and sustaining a rewarding career in classical singing. Expanding on author Claudia Friedlander’s online collaboration with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, the book brings together insights from nearly seventy prominent performers, educators, and opera industry professionals. Whether you are a young singer preparing for conservatory auditions, a professional opera singer, or an avocational singer seeking to improve your technique and pursue local performance opportunities, this book will help you take inventory of your skills and achieve the next stages of your musical journey.

Complete Vocal Fitness: A Singer’s Guide to Physical Training, Anatomy, and Biomechanics is a primer on sport-specific training for vocal athletes. Elite athletes apply cutting-edge research in movement and physiology to customize fitness regimens that ensure peak performance. The principles of sports science that enable them to fine-tune strength, flexibility and dynamic stabilization to meet the requirements of a given sport are invaluable for preparing the body to meet the physical demands of singing. This book will teach you to: Optimize alignment by identifying and resolving postural distortions Balance strength and flexibility throughout your torso to facilitate full breathing and promote coordinated breath management Improve oxygen consumption to enhance your stamina and ability to sustain long phrases Stabilize your spine and major joints in order to continue performing with solid technique while meeting the demands of stage movement Musicians of all kinds benefit from understanding the basics of how their instruments work. This book is also a guide to how the vocal instrument functions. You will find accessible descriptions of the fundamental components of vocal anatomy – laryngeal function, articulation and resonance – explaining their movements, their interaction with one another, their integration with the anatomy of breathing and alignment, and relating them to common non-anatomical terminology often used in the voice studio.

Any singer longing to have a career in opera, particularly in Europe, should be familiar with the European system of classifying voices know as Fach. The Opera Singer's Career Guide: Understanding the European Fach System presents valuable information to help readers learn, understand, and use the Fach system to their professional advantage. More than just soprano, alto, tenor, or bass, students and professionals alike should know the 25 different Fach categories fully defined here, along with the examples of roles, audition arias, and European opera houses and agents provided. Based on careful research and personal experience, singer and teacher Pearl Yeadon McGinnis describes the features, characteristics, and benefits of the Fach system, including voice categorization and classification and using Fach to train the young voice. She provides practical information on maintaining a career in opera, such as the different types, procedures, and pitfalls of opera auditions; types of opera contracts and contract negotiations; and the value of networking. She explains the different styles of European opera houses and gives an example of life in a state level German opera house, including the various performance spaces, the makeup and responsibilities of an ensemble, and the jobs and functions of opera house personnel. A glossary and several appendixes supply tools for auditioning, such as newly classified roles for Children, Lyric, and Beginner singers; roles for the established Fach categories; lists of opera agents and houses in the German speaking countries; and suggested audition arias by Fach. In addition, practical details are offered about establishing and maintaining residency in Europe, obtaining permission to live and work in Europe, and helpful hints about customs and travel.

In-text URLs can be accessed via the “Features” tab of the publisher’s website. Conductors face a multitude of hurdles as they strive to obtain a foothold in the professional world. Once they have attained a position, there are obstacles both on and off the podium to keeping that position as well as advancing in the profession. Founding conductor of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, pedagogue, and frequent guest conductor for both pops and classical concerts, Carl Topilow is in a unique position to help conductors navigate their careers. The Orchestral Conductor’s Career Handbook takes readers through the step-by-step process of establishing a career in orchestral conducting. Through his experiences with professional, pops, conservatory, community, youth, summer festival, opera and ballet orchestras, Topilow provides practical tips for conductors of any orchestra type and at any level of their development. Filled with personal stories from Topilow’s career, the handbook provides insights on an array of topics, including applying for conducting programs and conducting positions, connecting with audiences, developing interpersonal relations within the orchestra family, starting your own orchestra, interacting with donors, and beyond. It also presents fresh ideas for programming, rehearsing, and approaches to standard repertoire pieces.

The Horn Player's Audition Handbook provides a handy, one-volume reference guide to the literature, especially for those players preparing for an imminent auditions, containing, as it does, the repertoire most frequently asked for by American orchestras. Since audition lists almost always include a few "non-standard" works, the well-versed student will also want to have employed the more comprehensive collections of excerpts in the course of his/her general preparation for an orchestral career. However, the advantages of having the most "important" audition material under one cover will readily be appreciated and makes this book a welcome addition to the literature.

“I am your accompanist. You do not know me. I am the guy who sits behind the upright in the unflattering fluorescent light of the dance studio, a bottle of water on the floor, a half-eaten Power Bar on the bench, and your audition in my hands.” Award-winning New York theatre composer and pianist Andrew Gerle pulls no punches in this irreverent, fly-on-the-wall guide to everything you've never been taught about auditioning for musical theatre. From the unique perspective of the pianist's bench, he demystifies the audition process, from how to put together your book and speak to an accompanist to the healthiest and savviest ways to approach the audition marketplace and your career. By better understanding the dynamics of professional auditions, you will learn to present yourself in the strongest, most castable way while remaining true to your own special voice – the one that, in the end, will get you the job.

Beyond Sound is a must-read for anyone who loves music technology and wants to build a career in this competitive, fast-paced world. Author Scott L. Phillips draws on his seventeen-year career as a technology trainer and educator, and his extensive network of music technology professionals, to present an intimate view of the exciting world of music technology. The book offers an in-depth consideration of music technology education, including looks at specific programs and a clear explanation of different types of degrees. Moreover, it provides practical guidance on career preparation, including how to get a great internship, how to land that first job, and how to make connections and move up in a variety of businesses from recording to television and film to video games. And Phillips brings stories from successful professionals, who share their experiences, advice, and suggestions.

An Engaging and Accessible Guide to Achieving Sustained Access in the Music Industry As a musician, how can you blend art and survival and still keep loving the business? The Musician’s Career Guide, written from the perspective of someone who has engaged in the daily struggle that all artists encounter, provides clear strategic support and advice in a knowledgeable, reader-friendly voice. From preparing for an audition to business planning to protecting one’s mental and emotional well-being, The Musician’s Career Guide marries practical tips with in-depth resources, anecdotes and stories to learn from, and comments for consideration and self-reflection. This book is a tool musicians can use to develop a realistic roadmap for success in the careers they desire. Part textbook, part self-directed learning tool, and full mentor, this information-packed text speaks with the voice of experience in a way that is realistic and attainable. The authors address topics including the following fundamental areas: Career development Touring Roles within the music industry Recording deals and industry PR and marketing for artists Keys to community engagement The mental side of being a musician The path and commitment to mastery as professional musician The Musician's Career Guide offers a foundation for both new and experienced musicians who yearn to clarify and achieve their individual goals of personal success and fulfillment through their craft. It's essential reading for any musician.