Any artistic career path is a roller coaster. The interminable, nail-biting climb to a peak, the all-too-brief ecstasy of being on top before the breathtaking plunge back to the depths; careening around blind turns; grinding to a heartbreaking halt before starting the climb once more. It’s a strange way to live.
And yet, some of us live for that ride, and we survive it and thrive in it because the very qualities that make us artists also make us survivors. We are creative. We are flexible. We can pivot.
In the bizarro world that is 2020, those qualities may not be as readily accessible as they have been in the past. They may be hidden behind a wall of trauma which manifests as brain fog, lack of productivity, and depression. They are not gone forever; they are not compromised. You might have to work a little harder to reach them, but once you do, you will be glad; and the next time you reach for them it will be easier.
In my last post, we discussed the idea of percentages: at various times of our lives as artists, we may be working 80% as performers and 20% as something else; or 25% performing and 75% something else, and so on. For portfolio artists, who are well-accustomed to living with a fairly stable set of percentages or else living with percentages that are constantly adjusting, the COVID pivot may be less upsetting and challenging. But for artists who have been steadily performing at 75 - 100%, a pivot might feel overwhelming.
One of the greatest barriers to a successful pivot is learning to translate your skillset into a new language in a different industry. As performers, we sometimes tend to think we have nothing that the corporate world would want, so when the career slows down or we find ourselves in a crisis like the pandemic, it’s easy to panic and grab at low-paying, temporary, flexible jobs that keep some kind of paycheck coming in. However, these jobs often exact a high price in energy and mental health, and they don’t typically do much to advance you towards more fulfilling, better-paying work or helping you build transferable skills.
“Remember, you’re not just a voice.” - Karen Slack, soprano
Now is the time to invest in some professional development.
Opera America periodically offers Career Transitions for Artists; free to members, and you can access the sessions in the video archives.
The Career Center at the Actors Fund, supported by Actors Equity, offers free career training in a variety of areas. To be eligible, you must be a member in good standing of any entertainment industry union; or have earned $6,500 in three of the last five years, or $5,000 in each of five of the last 10 years.; or show 12 weeks of documented industry work.
By the way, the Actors’ Fund offers a wide variety of services and programs including healthcare, social services, finances, money management, parenting resources, and much more.
Consider hiring a career coach. As performers, we employ coaches to help us prepare. Why not engage a career coach now who can help you assess your skills and teach you how to translate them? I recommend Andrea Nwoke of Full Voice Coaching and Consulting. She is a professional soprano and entrepreneur who coaches Fortune 500 executives in leadership and empowerment.
Consider going back to school. Many graduate schools have no-residency or low-residency online programs and are geared to students who have already been in the workforce, and are maintaining full-time jobs while studying.
While it is important to be able to pivot —- at least temporarily —- to a career that keeps you fed and clothed, it’s also important not to let your performer soul languish or to cut yourself off from other performers. You might do something as simple as taking a voice lesson or coaching or making the occasional video to share on social media. You could take a class like coach, pianist and conductor Rachelle Jonck and conductor Derrick Goff’s Bel Canto Boot Camp. Hit up your connections and offer to guest on a podcast or Facebook Live interview series, like tenor Limmie Pulliam’s new Listen Up! with Limmie.
Here are some other soul-nourishing activities and pivots your colleagues have been making. May it spark your own creativity!
Beloved baritone Stefano de Peppo has been making fun videos singing out-of-Fach arias.
Soprano Christine Goerke opened a coaching studio.
Tenor Larry Brownlee interviews African-American opera singers about their experiences in the industry in The Sitdown with LB.
Soprano Kira Braun is busily recording art song CDs, making videos at home, giving porch concerts, and working on a digital performance project.
Tenor Stephen Costello and baritone Gideon Dabi started their own Facebook talk show, interviewing a variety of colleagues on a variety of topics.
Sopranos Caroline Spaeth and Raquel Hanaeur started a quarantine mini-concert series.
Mezzo-soprano Gwendolyn Delaney explores art song in her Living Room Concert Series.
Laura Araujo creates online programs and courses through The MAPS Institute and has a free weekly mailing of editations, movement videos, breath work practices, research, and science about the brain and body.
Baritone Michael Hewitt offers singer-friendly weight training.
Soprano Caroline Wolfe, Leah Jorgenson (French horn) , and Jordan Moore (euphonium) started a Black Composer Recital Series.
In Opera America’s latest Career Transitions for Artists chat, the Transitioned Artists Panel, soprano Karen Slack (who is also a recently named Artistic Advisor for Portland Opera) told participants, “Remember, you’re not just a voice.” This is timely advice. We’re still in the eye of the storm, but that doesn’t mean we can’t start rebuilding.
Rebuilding starts with thought. Before you can build, you have to decide what you want to build, and that should be something you are passionate about. You may have to create that for yourself, but as a performer, you know how to do that. Once you have your mission in place, do your research. Do some training. Work your connections from your performance career. Ask for help. Be brave.
What are you doing to nourish your artistic self? What could you use help with? What’s your big pivot?
