How to create success for ourselves as Singers

A common concern that comes with pursuing a career in music is that it is a highly competitive field. For singers specifically, there are limited opportunities today that only have a select number of spots for a broad pool of talented, qualified individuals. For those of us in this career field, it is an intimidating idea, to say the least. 

Many of us have been passionate about music for as long as we can remember. We have known from a young age that we want to share our voices and love for music with others. When we perform, we are creating a connection with our audience and offering a piece of ourselves that goes well beyond us. 

So how can we pursue this calling, while also sustaining a stable lifestyle?

Though a career in voice and opera can come with uncertainty, I believe we can overcome current barriers by learning to create opportunities through community engagement, collaboration, and utilizing our current advantages. I’ve recently been brainstorming a variety of ways we can create new opportunities as young singers, staring with:

Offer your skills as a service to others

One of the first questions we want to ask ourselves is: what valuable skills can I offer to others?

Teaching is a common example of a service we can build a profit from. I have been teaching voice and music lessons for about three months now, and as my client list grows I have found it to be such a rewarding experience to help my students foster a love for music and work toward their individual goals. Many of us who have been trained classically have a thorough understanding of how our voices function, and can help others interested in music learn to use their voices in a way that is healthy and sustainable. There is so much we can do through teaching, whether it’s introducing music fundamentals to children or assisting adults who want to rediscover their passion for singing.

There are many opportunities to find a teaching position; whether it’s through the public school system, or a local music academy. Websites such as LinkedIn and Indeed are a few resource examples that post various teaching opportunities for musicians. Many Singers take an entrepreneurial approach as well, opening their own studio to offer private voice lessons to students.

Our performance experience is another example of a skill we have to offer. Many local restaurants, coffee shops, and wineries hire musicians to perform. I’ve found that I enjoy blending different genres of music, such as classical, popular music, and musical theatre. These positions are often paid, and you can put out a tip jar and a Venmo barcode to build extra profit. This is also an excellent way to connect with small communities and generate more accessibility to classical music. Many audience members I’ve spoken to have expressed interest in Classical Music, but don’t attend performances due to lack of affordable prices or local groups. People appreciated the experience of listening to live classical music in a small, intimate venue. A majority expressed how classical and opera is an art form that is not often heard, and wish there were similar events held more often.

Do it scared

Full disclosure, I was terrified to reach out to local businesses and ask to be hired as a singer. Imposter syndrome is a common experience amongst singers. We ask ourselves: what if I’m not good enough? What if I’m not ready? What if I get another no?

To combat this, I’ve been working on shifting my mindset from “What If?” to “Why not?”

Why not send in the audition? Why not apply to the job?

Here is what I’ve realized: If we don’t take the leap of faith and go for it, we are already giving that “no” to ourselves. We have nothing to lose by putting ourselves out there and taking a risk.

There have been plenty of times when I’ve allowed fear to hold me back when considering sending an audition to a competition or voice program. However, when I force myself to go to the audition scared, I can find peace in knowing that I gave the best I have to give.

Take advantage of Digital Media

I highly recommend for those who haven’t already done so: build your website! There are so many creative advantages to owning a website, and it’s never too soon or too late to create yours. As singers, our websites serve as an excellent marketing tool. We can customize them to represent our own unique artistry and draw attention to our performances and achievements.

One reason I hesitated to create my website for so long was because I thought it would be a complicated process. However, there are plenty of platforms that make it easy for anyone to build and customize a website. I personally enjoy Squarespace, and have found them to be relatively affordable.

One of the most important skills we must have as singers is self-promotion. With the amount of accessibility to technology we have today, educating ourselves on digital marketing is essential. By promoting ourselves on social media, we can build more connections with people in our industry and create more visibility around our craft.

Overall, there are so many digital media tools we can use to connect with other singers and musicians. For my blog next week, I will be delving deeper into this topic. If you’re interested in utilizing tools related to social media and technology, I encourage you to tune in next Friday!

And of course - if you’re interested in similar content, you can find me on Instagram @sallymcgrath_voice . Feel free to message me there with any inquiries or feedback, or send an email to sallymcgrath.voice@gmail.com!

Wishing you a week filled with opportunity and inspiration, and a love for your unique voice that persists through anything!

Sally