The Big Picture

Let’s put things in perspective. Most of our focus during practice sessions should be on the day to day techniques that methodically lead us to our larger goals. But every so often we need to step back and look at the big picture.

As we’ve discussed, incremental progress can sometimes be difficult to recognize. So the end of the semester can be a good time to look back and consider your capabilities in comparison to the beginning of the school year or maybe to a year ago.

This is the time of year when we should be enjoying the fruits of our labors, though among the stress of finals and juries it may not always feel like that. If you have maintained discipline and kept up with your practice, this jury should feel like an opportunity to perform music that you love (or have hopefully grown to appreciate) and to demonstrate to the faculty and, more importantly, to yourself, the progress you have made in both your technique and your artistry.

Of course, it’s understandable if singing for the voice faculty induces some anxiety or nerves anyway. But when you know you have prepared and can recognize the progress you have made, you really can (and should) go in and perform with confidence and enjoy the experience.

Now, sometimes the anxiety comes in because your level of preparation has not been sufficient. If that is the case, you still have several days to get where you want to be before juries. Of course, among that last minute preparation we also need to ask ourselves why we were less prepared and how we can avoid that situation next semester. But there is still time to deliberately and efficiently get your songs in your voice and your memory.

The MTP and ATP both offer opportunities to put into practice important elements of your training. Consider this: if you are consistently unprepared for juries, what skill are you building? It seems all you are learning from the process is how to get through a performance when you are not legitimately ready. That’s certainly not the purpose of a jury.

None of us are at our creative best or at the peak of vocal expressiveness when we are anxious. While adrenaline can give us a temporary boost, it is not a sustainable way to build a career. There simply is no substitute for systematic, structured practice as a way to reaching your goals. Hopefully that is a lesson you have internalized this semester.

I was talking about work ethic once with one of my buddies (who sings regularly at the Metropolitan Opera) and he said he tries to follow this adage:

Amateurs practice until they get it right. Professionals practice until they never get it wrong.

Practice like a professional.
Be so prepared that mistakes are out of the question.
Create, express, perform…and don’t forget the big picture.

Now go practice. And rock your juries!