Correlating Careers

There was some buzz in the opera world recently. Andrew Potter, a 43-year-old bass, announced that he is leaving the performance industry. In an article for OperaWire, Potter described that, despite having performed on significant national stages and despite his voice being “at its peak,” it is simply too difficult to make a living in this business. “The math has never worked,” he says. The costs are too high (“Inflation has tripled the cost of everything a singer must buy—flights, coachings, lessons, health insurance, housing in the cities where opera lives.”) and the pay is too low (“I sang at the Metropolitan Opera and came home with nothing.”). 

It's no surprise that performance careers are difficult to build and maintain. And it's no surprise that the work can be sporadic, often with gaps between gigs. But it was surprising for a lot of people in the industry to learn that, even when the gigs are plentiful, it's still hard to make a living.

One way to offset the financial shortfalls is with a correlating career. A phrase coined by "career coach for musicians" Dana Lynne Varga, a correlating career is not a side hustle, a fallback, or a plan B. Instead, it's “a career that runs alongside your singing career, which is ideally both lucrative and personally fulfilling.” Theatre artists are familiar with the idea of having multiple streams of income. Especially right out of college, a lot of actors look for "survival jobs" by waiting tables, nannying, or working as a bartender. But a correlating career is something more than that. It is an actual secondary career, rather than just a temporary job. It is work that you enjoy in a field you're invested in that provides financial stability and career fulfillment.

In an upcoming article I wrote for the Journal of Singing, I discuss several examples of people in the arts who have correlating careers. Opera singer Matthew Swensen has a clothing business. Dramatic soprano Lise Lindstrom worked for years as a production assistant for an investment bank alongside singing major roles on stage. D. Brian Lee performs and runs a voice studio while working a full-time job in information technology.

All of these people have greater financial security today because of their correlating careers. They also have a way to put their time and talents to use that is different from their work in the arts. In most cases, they admit that they actually come to their art with greater focus and energy because they have had time to engage in other activities instead of being engaged in their creative field 100% of the time.

Most of us have heard the familiar advice/warning about pursuing careers in the performing arts: “If you can see yourself doing anything else, do that.” Varga has her own take: “If you can see yourself doing anything else, do that too.”

What career path(s) would you pursue if you weren't a theatre major? Is there a way for you to work toward a career in that area at the same time you're working toward a career in theatre? Not only can it help pay the bills, but it might even help you bring greater energy, focus, and passion to the theatre.

How has your practice been going this week?

Now go practice.