There’s a lot of talk of heroism now. Our medical personnel, our first responders, our essential workers, leaders who are actually, you know, leading, teachers, people sitting at home sewing masks for all their friends and neighbors, people who practice social proper distancing. Heroism doesn’t always have to be big and splashy. But it is always in some way self-sacrificing.
All over the arts world, artists, designers, and administrators are jumping in to become a special kind of hero. Atlanta Opera, Washington National Opera, Houston Grand Opera, along with companies all over the country and the world, have kept their costume shops employed making masks. Artists continue to create content — much of it free — and make it available via YouTube and other online formats to entertain the public and remind them that art is a refuge in daily life and especially in crisis.
Artists are answering the call to serve the public in this time of great need, but they are also becoming angels for other artists in a significant and most likely long-lasting way. There is a general agreement that, once the quarantine is well and truly over, the arts world will be rebuilding its ecosystem for some time to come. The Arts Angels of COVID-19 aren’t waiting. They are using this frightening, depressing time to help, uplift, restructure, and look ahead.
Zach Finkelstein is a Seattle-based tenor, writer, husband, and father of one. Pre-COVID, his blog The Middleclass Artist was a beacon of practical knowledge, often centering around financial advice and facts for the performing artist. When the quarantine hit, like many other artists, Zach lost his entire season of work —- over $17,000 worth of contracts —- and watched as his friends’ and colleagues’ seasons evaporated overnight. Many companies invoked force majeure —- the “act of God” clause in most artists’ contracts —- and refused to pay musicians a cent. Over the next few weeks, Middleclass Artist evolved into one of classical music’s leading journalism sites, with almost daily meticulously researched reports. One of Zach’s most important contributions is an ongoing list of opera companies, ballets, symphonies, choruses, concert presenters, festivals, ensembles, and even churches who have paid out all or part of their musicians’ contracts.
Why is Zach’s list so important? It has gone viral across the classical music world, and has been referenced in major media outlets. Zach, and the writers he has begun to hire, are the public voices of singers right now, and they are holding producing organizations accountable. Inclusion on The Heroes of COVID-19 list is a badge of honor that they need. Bad press over dumping their artists at the very time arts organizations are most in need of financial support is a bad, bad look.
It’s no secret that the classical music world is mired in tradition and a hierarchy that encourages (and sometimes demands) silent endurance of abuse and unfair practices. It’s hard to find whistleblowers. Going up against the prominent and powerful is usually career suicide. But as more singers like Zach begin to band together and speak out, the individual artist gains power. Change is slow, but it can be effected.
Speaking of change and squeaky wheels, the newly formed AGMA Soloist Coalition has quickly developed into a powerful advocate for singers. Founded by Jamie Barton, Eric Ferring, Katherine Goeldner, Megan Marino, and Lori Phillips, in a little over one month the Coalition has established an active platform of advocacy and aid. Topics include pay structure, best practices for managers and artists, and the Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Coalition already boasts a long list of accomplishments, such as convincing AGMA to freeze its reinstatement fee at $75 until June 30 (important because it helps lapsed members regain good standing so they can apply for aid from the AGMA Relief Fund), publishing a how-to guide in five languages for applying to the Relief Fund, establishing a Young Artist Mentorship Program, and circulating an Action Network petition asking US opera companies to support their artists during this crisis. (Don’t miss their cool video).
Why is this important to the performing arts world at large, not just AGMA members? While AGMA’s direct influence lies only over its memberships and signatory companies, its policies often shape expectations among members and indirectly influence how the opera business is done. AGMA soloists work at nonsignatory companies, too. The Coalition allows soloists to raise their voices in solidarity without fear of being singled out as troublemakers and magnifies attention to soloist concerns. That’s good for all soloists, not just union members.
NATS, the National Association of Teachers of Singing, was one of the first by-singers-for-singers organizations to assume a leadership role. Under the guidance of Executive Director Allen Henderson, NATS Chat coordinator Kari Ragan, and other prominent members, as the quarantine began, NATS convened panels of experts to teach best practices for online teaching and learning, teaching vocal pedagogy online, making a professional pivot during lockdown, mental health care during COVID-19, and more. All NATS Chat videos are available free of charge on the NATS YouTube channel. NATS chapters also acted quickly to take spring competitions online and to serve and care for traumatized students in the process of losing their senior recitals, spring productions, and summer apprenticeships or programs.
Last, but certainly not least, let’s hear it for the teachers and coaches who, virtually overnight, switched to working via online platforms and doing all they can to normalize things for their students. There have been, and still are, many struggles to learn and optimize technology and to figure out best practices for online teaching and learning. It is exhausting and frustrating for all of us. But our teachers and coaches are there for us, adapting, checking in, making the best of a bad situation that has the potential to turn into something useful.
We are, quite literally, all in this together. We’re learning. We’re working together. We’re taking turns being strong and reaching for help. And that, my friends, is the way life is supposed to be —- not just during a crisis.
These Arts Angels —- these people showing leadership and doing all they can to leverage a terrible situation into one that can trigger great, positive changes in the classical music world and especially for individual singers —- they also have moments of darkness and fatigue. Even if you can’t join a cause, take a moment to reach out and say thank you. Sign their petitions. Like, follow, share their pages and links. Donate a little if you can. Amplify their messages.
It will do us all good.
