Will the world go on without us if there are no more Traviatas?
Rehearsal Notes, June 18th Edition
Welcome to Rehearsal Notes, a 5-part weekly publication highlighting the things that have inspired me and the lessons I’ve learned on and off-stage. Each Rehearsal Notes edition has a singing or career tip for you to try out during your week - find it in the Voice Note section. I hope it brings you joy and actionable tools for your own creativity!
What I’m Listening To
In just a few weeks, I will be giving an end-of-season recital with tenor, Brett Sprague at the Badisches Staatstheater. So to say it simply, pretty much all I am doing is living eating breathing this music. One of the final pieces of the program will be the Final Monologue from Jake Heggie’s Master Class. Take a listen to this text and tell me it doesn’t move you.
‘The sun will not fall down from the sky if there are no more Traviatas. The world can and will go on without us but I have to think that we have made this world a better place. That we have left it richer, wiser than had we not chosen the way of art.’
- Terrence McNally in Jake Heggie’s Final Monologue from Master Class
What’s Itching My Brain: Is it ‘too late’?
On this week’s Q&A over on Instagram I got this very difficult question yet again: ‘Am I too old?’ It’s a question that comes up over and over again in the opera industry. I think we are asking this question for 2 reasons:
the industry is trending younger because less-experienced singers are cheaper, can work more, and nobody honestly cares if you get spit out after a few years for overwork (that’s up to you!)
shiny-new-thing syndrome
This question is honestly wreaking havoc on singers’ mental health- no matter if they’re young, older, already working, or somewhere in between.
“Am I too old?”
It’s a problematic question because it’s vague - and vague questions are usually the wrong ones to ask. So go with me on this thought experiment: add “to what?” at the end of the question ‘Am I too old?’
Am I too old… to what?
To apply for a young artist program? maybe yes maybe no
To enter a competition? Maybe yes maybe no
To take voice lessons? Definitely no.
Have a career that looks like Nadine Sierra’s? (remember, be specific!) Maybe yes, maybe no.
Find the version of the question where the answer is no - and start doing that thing. Move without worry in that direction.
What this vague version of the question tends to forget is that a singing career can take a million different forms. If we stop feeling ashamed about that, maybe we could actually enjoy the creative lives we’ve painstakingly built - and be as proud of them as we absolutely should be.
Voice Notes
This week I have been working hard on the 30 Day Vocal Exercise Challenge (sign up for it here) to try my absolute best to get it out into the world by July 1st (or else at this point it will eat my brain alive!) I wanted to share with you one of the exercises that will be in the challenge.
If you have my Practice Journal Method, then you know that all of my exercises are named and nicely organized into an Index. This exercise is called ‘knitting’ so if you have the practice journal, feel free to add this exercise into your index and experiment with it within the method. This is for your extreme high notes- have fun with it but remember to take the exercise back down to your middle range- don’t leave yourself hanging up there!
Performance & Teaching Updates
Tomorrow is my very last Rosenkavalier, there’s a small chance Sophie will make another appearance next season but for now… it is a much heartelt goodbye to this role that has kept me company for many seasons now and shown me a lot of the world. Yes, it makes me sappy AF. Ist halt vorbei.
July 10th you can catch our Liederabend ‘The Artists’ Way’ at the Badisches Staatstheater and if you’re on the other side of the world, see you in Daegu on September 5th for La Traviata and later that month back in Germany for Rameau’s Les Boreades.
Teaching schedule updates:
July-September online lesson & career coaching times will be available but limited so book them now here
21st-23rd July I’ll be in Boston if you want an in-person lesson, shoot me an email at marthaeason@gmail.com and I will fit you in during that week.
If you’re interested in building a career in Germany, the online course will only be availabe at the current price until September because it’s getting a glow-up. So get it now, here. Literally thrilled this month from one singer who landed their first fest contract and another who just received their 3 year freelance visa in Germany.
Happy Singing, Y’all
