Engraving Services by Abigail Kempson

We all have them —- those beloved, tattered old bits of sheet music, covered in faded pencil scratches of ornaments, translations, tempo markings, cartoon eyeglasses to remind us to look at the conductor. Or that coveted copy of a rare edition that happens to be hand-written and almost impossible to read, or poorly aligned. Abigail Kempson is here to help with nice. legible, freshly engraved copies. Your eyes will thank you, and so will your audition pianist.

Find out more about Abigail’s services here.

The College Audition Blog

Today’s young artist is versatile, and The college Audition Blog has you covered, with advice you can use about opera, musical theatre, acting, music ed, and more. You’ll find lists of overdone musical theatre songs, what to expect from a career in opera, advice on financing college, and a whole lot more. Written by Matthew Edwards, an Maintained by Matthew Edwards, an Associate Professor of Voice and Musical Theatre Styles Specialist at Shenandoah Conservatory and his wife, soprano Jacqlyn Zito-Edwards , this well-written blog is a treasure trove of resources not only for young singers, but for educators.

Visit the College Audition Blog here.

The Musical Occasion : European Audition Trip Planning

It can be tough for Americans to know where to start with European audition planning, especially if you don’t already have an agent or contacts. Anne Mitchell has done the legwork for you, from model letters and mailing labels for agents in 25 and opera houses in 34 countries, to audition organizer booklets, faxes for international singing competitions, and German business letter translations.

Check out The Musical Occasion’s offerings here.

Marcie Stapp and Teddys Music Press

Marcie Stapp is one of the opera industry’s treasures. Renowned coach, translator, editor of the famed Nico Castel opera translation volumes, and faculty at San Francisco Conservatory of Music, she is also the author of The Singer’s Guide to Languages, an illustrated diction volume written especially for singers. More recently, she has published Airplane, a fun and stimulating game designed to introduce and teach IPA. She also has a library of original opera translations, including Carmen, Hansel & Gretel, Così fan tutte, and many more.

A word of warning: Ms. Stapp is old school. She does have a website, but does not accept electronic inquiries or orders. Visit Teddys Music Press here, and call (415) 681–7625 for info or orders.

Opera Tales for Children

Children’s opera is wonderful for so many reasons: outreach and audience-building, publicity, grant-writing, opportunities for young singers to perform short roles … if you’re part of a summer workshop, YAP, or education branch of an opera company, you’re probably regularly looking for options. Opera Tales are written by singer and director John Davies, based on classic fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and The Bremen Town Musicians, with music drawn from a wide variety of operas. With small casts, minimal production needs, and modest royalties, they’re ideal for touring.

Check out Opera Tales here.