On February 25, I hosted an opera meet-up I called “Women in Opera Unite!” and invited a bunch of cool women opera singers living in NYC.

The invite read:

You are invited to this because you are an awesome person doing awesome things to further your career, and I would like to invite you to share your experience with others, with the belief that our collective awesomeness will inform, inspire, and empower us all to be even better at life.

The event turned out to be a great success! A handful of women met in an UWS apartment and chatted about their personnel successes, failures, and facts in their careers. Below are our discussions and findings.

Women in Opera Unite Itinerary:

1 – 1:30pm Meet and Mingle

Women met one another, grabbed a drink and some food, made the rounds, and browsed the stations:

Questions Jar
Shameless Promotions
Connection Section
Side Hustle Info

1:30 – 2pm: You have questions? We might have answers.

Taking a moment to discuss and possibly answer questions or topics given by you.

2 – 2:30pm: Real talk, prep talk, and pep talk

A sharing of sorts of women’s insight into how they search, prepare, and fulfill they careers in music and performance though auditions, programs, gigs, and performance.

2:30 – 3pm: Side Hustle = Real Hustle

A chance for anyone who would like to share their side hustles with the group to help promote it, as well as inspire others.

3 – 3:30pm: Humble Brags, Therapeutic Complaints, and Shameless Promotions

Need I say more?

3:30 – 4pm Now it’s time to say goodbye…

Wrap up convos, finish your drinks, provide some feedback, and go out in the world and do the thing.

The Findings

Is it worth it to audition for musical theater?

YES! Many of the women in the room were interested or already immersed in the world of musical theater auditions. One had taken a great class that helped her get started, Always Crossing Over presented my the company Opera works. Other suggestions were creating a separate binder with separate audition songs and resume.

What recording studios in NYC are the best for operatic singing recordings?

Sean Swinney (Approved for voices both big and small)

Opera America, especially in August-October when they have specials (Some women did mention it may not be the best for bigger voices)

Grad school Pros and Cons

This was a tough conversation with mixed views. Many women had obtained a masters and were unsure what they really got out of the experience. Only ONE person thought that they learned things they wouldn’t have otherwise learned while in her program, while the other surmised they would have learned those things through other experiences. And yet, no one said they didn’t think you should go. ALL people in the room agreed to make sure you go knowing you’ll have a good teacher, or the experience will be a waste. All cautioned to consider the pros and cons seriously and not jump into a program unless you feel you can get something really great out of it. Many suggested to start with training programs and gigs, and through those you may find some mentors to help you find the right program, and even find programs that will give you significant scholarships. CONSENSUS: Take your time finding the right program, and don’t pay out the wazoo.