Where's My Freaking Dressing Room?!

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Alex and Helen have quickly jumped on the podcast to respond to the recent announcement that the BBC will be disbanding the BBC Singers, and the BBC Concert Orchestra, Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony Orchestra will face 20% role reductions.

They discuss what makes the BBC Singers unique, what troubles them about the press release and, if possible, how we can look ahead with a positive spirit.

Sign the petition to save the BBC Singers.

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Just like that, we’ve come to the end of Season 3 of the podcast! From the live episode, to the Voice of Black Opera Mini Series, to episodes on boundaries, nepotism and perfectionism, it’s been a total blast. To see you out, this week Alex and Helen discuss the three things they’re fighting for in the future of the operatic industry.

Boundaries* It would be impossible for us to talk about boundaries on this podcast any more than we already do. However, in this difficult time for those working in the creative arts we think it’s more important than ever for us to feel safe and capable of asserting our boundaries. If you’re not sure what your boundaries are, perhaps take some time to think about it and consider how, if required, you could communicate your boundaries to a colleague.

Moving opera into the 21st century* Many of the episodes this season have discussed the modernisation of opera - be it turning nepotism on its head, understanding the relationship between politics and opera, asserting boundaries and our mini series on the Voice of Black Opera Competition. Alex and Helen are also passionate about modernising opera in its own right; it would be exciting to see more contemporary opera at the forefront of artistic seasons and it would also be exciting to see more new young opera stars taking to this country’s greatest stages.

Often opera revels in how it is a relic of the past. That doesn’t need to be the case any more.

Solidarity* When Alex and Helen first began this podcast in 2020 it was to create a community of like-minded musicians that would support each other as they developed their artistic careers. The podcast’s first live episode in October 2022 was a reminder that this community is very much real and filled with singers and musicians committed to looking out for one another. * In order for us to create lasting change in our industry we can’t do it alone. We have to work as a team and support one another. The podcast has your back, and we very much hope you have ours too.

This episode was edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions. Our thanks goes to Daisy for her positive upbeat energy, her creativity and her social media prowess throughout this entire season.

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This week Alex and Helen discuss the pros and cons of perfectionism.

For many artists the desire to create perfection can be overwhelming. Perfectionism can have many benefits including producing work of a high standard, committing to a project with passion and motivation and inspiring others.

However, perfectionism can also have drawbacks. Perfectionism can cause us to hold artists to unattainable standards, forgetting that real live performance can, in no way, be perfect. Such perfectionism can lead artists to becoming overwhelmingly self-critical which can cause issues with creative freedom and performance anxiety.

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that music is a living, breathing entity. It is not supposed to be perfect.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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This week we discuss the fear culture which pervades the opera industry and how we can take care of ourselves in these situations.

Performance Anxiety

We are singers and performers because we love sharing the joy of making good music; however, in certain situations (such as high pressured auditions) we can become crippled by fear.

Is there a way of us reframing this? Do the feelings we experience before our first night on stage at the Metropolitan Opera have to be fear, or could they be anticipation instead? Could they be excitement at having the opportunity to connect with an audience through powerful music? Could they be adrenaline, gearing you up to give the performance of a lifetime?

It’s worth reminding ourselves that a performance on stage or in an audition needs something more than what we deliver in the practice room - could that be this adrenaline, excitement or anticipation?

Fear towards our superiors

The opera industry is a complex one, one in which we are all trying to impress our superiors in order to secure another gig, another casting or perhaps another audition opportunity. Not just this, oftentimes when we are working with colleagues we admire, we are fearful of what they think of us.

In situations like this it can be helpful to consider yourself five years ago: who were you afraid of? Who did you look up to? Whose opinion did you worry about? It’s likely that five years on you’ve come to realise these worries and fears were not as important as they seemed at the time.

Often the arts talk about being more open, caring, sharing and collaborative. That works both ways. We need to be less fearful of those in positions of power, but also the people who hold these positions need to make themselves more approachable, more accessible, more human.

Fear for our career security

A common fear discussed on the podcast is how to make a sustainable career in the arts. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, the portfolio career allows musicians the flexibility to remain financially solvent whilst exploring and developing creative projects.

The combined effects of Brexit and Coronavirus have throttled the classical music industry and the government’s continual arts cuts act as a reminder that the UK does not value the arts in the same way other countries do (taking Germany and Austria for example). The realisation that a career in the arts is financially insecure is painful, however once you’ve come to terms with this you can make choices to develop a flexible career that works for you. Combine the skills you have in order to provide yourself with a portfolio career that offers a steady income and room to be creative.

Fear in the creative space

It’s sad to say it, but many music-making groups are guilty of creating a culture of fear, whether it be the fear of making a mistake, the fear of not sounding beautiful, the fear of a memory lapse, or the fear of misreading a gesture.

Environments like these require us to regain some sense of control, and we can do this by making a choice:

You can choose to stay, recognising it is just a job and you feel able to handle this situation.
You can choose to leave. You know your boundaries and you’re not prepared to work in such an environment so you make the decision to move on.

In sports such as cricket and basketball, players are trained to withstand trash talk, learning to give their best in a high-pressured, fearful environment. Perhaps opera should do the same?

Much of the operatic industry is based on a culture of fear, meaning we need to learn to protect ourselves. It is our personal responsibility to become robust and resilient enough to manage these difficult situations, remembering that if it becomes too much, it is okay to walk away.

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We all want to try and pretend nepotism doesn’t happen in the opera industry but, let’s face it, it does. So, how can you use nepotism to your own advantage?

Make your own connections

If you’re in a room with someone you want to work with, what’s the harm in having a chat? You don’t have to directly ask for work, you don’t even have to directly ask for an audition, instead you can discuss an opera you saw recently, or something you read in the news, whatever! In making the initial connection it’s about making simple conversation and making an impression on said person.

Make connections in a way that works for you

Perhaps you’re not used to making conversation with people you don’t know, or perhaps you’re a socially shy person; if that’s the case then maybe you can use social media to your advantage? Sending a tweet to a casting director or agent in an attempt to make contact can have a lot of value. Form connections in the way that works best for you. You should never have to feel uncomfortable when making connections.

Use a business brain

Building relationships with people takes time. As with business relationships, you have to prime people in order for connections to prove fruitful. Take your time - calls, emails, tweets, meetings - it all contributes to the end outcome.

Create your own luck!

Based on a book Helen read over the summer, here are five ways of thinking that could improve your own luck:

Be more relaxed (ha!) If you’re open to the situation in front of you, rather than desperately trying to achieve one single thing, you can be more open to new situations and ideas, and form new connections.
Be open to new things and new experiences. The more people you meet, the more things you do, the bigger your chances are to create your own luck.
Build and maintain a social network - create new connections, sustain old ones. (N.B. this can be tiring so make sure to schedule to appropriate rest time in response to this kind of work.)
Expect good luck. Many people walk into auditions telling themselves that they WILL get this role. Can you do the same? Often people that expect good luck are able to turn difficult situations on their head and see the positives - is that something you can try?

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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This week Alex and Helen debate a big question which often plagues the arts: can we separate our work from politics?

In this episode they discuss the three following questions:

Can we put our opinions aside to perform music by people whose views we disagree with?
Can we put our opinions aside to work with colleagues whose actions/views we disagree with?
How are we able to reconcile our morals in the world of opera, an art form that is still plagued by misogyny, sexism, racism, homophobia and much more?

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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Finalist in the Voice of Black Opera Competition 2022, Chantelle Grant sits down with Helen and Alex to talk about the experience of performing in such a prestigious competition, how she feels performing Wagner and Strauss and what it’s like to walk onto the stage at The Metropolitan Opera.

If you want to find out more about Chantelle check out her:

Website
Twitter
Instagram
Youtube Channel

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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Finalist in the Voice of Black Opera 2022 Competition, Thando Mjandana, joins Helen and Alex to talk about how he handles nerves, looking forward to the competition final, future roles he’s excited by and how he got into singing in the first place.

For more on Thando, check out his:

Agency Profile
Instagram
Youtube Channel

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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To kick-start our mini series on the Voice of Black Opera (VOBO) 2022 Competition we were delighted to be joined by the competition’s founder, Vincent Osborne. In this episode we discuss what Vincent is looking forward to in the competition, why he established both this competition and the Black British Classical Foundation, what he hopes to see the opera industry of the future, and just how he ran the Time Out Bar of the Year, The Brixtonian!

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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Alex and Helen were delighted to welcome esteemed colleague and old friend Keval Shah onto the podcast to discuss the similarities and differences between singers and instrumentalists. Keval is an internationally recognised pianist who has worked with many world-renowned singers, making him a perfectly positioned guest for this week’s conversation.

In the episode they discuss the physicality of singing vs playing an instrument; how instrumentalists could learn from singers and their use of text; how singers could learn from instrumentalists and their understanding of a musical score; and, most importantly, how we should all think of ourselves as musicians first and foremost.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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This week Alex and Helen discuss five main points surrounding an age-old controversy: how being a singer is much harder than it looks.

Encouraged to make it look effortless

Singers are constantly encouraged to make their performances look as elegant and graceful as possible (a particular gripe for upper voices!!). Perhaps audiences don’t want to know how much effort goes into singing a full 3-hour role on stage, but being asked to sing 28 bars of coloratura whilst looking like you’re enjoying yourself is not an easy feat.

The practice problem

To make difficult singing look effortless takes hours and hours of practice but, as we’ve discussed before, singers have to be incredibly careful with practicing. The voice box is a precariously balanced set of muscles and every singer has to know their own limits and how much they can practice without doing injury or damage. As we’ve discussed before, mental practice, libretto translation and repertoire research are all important parts of the practice process without tiring out your vocal cords.

You can’t SEE the thing!

It sounds pretty obvious but not being able to see the voice is another difficulty singers have to deal with. If you have a bruise on your leg, a swollen wrist, or an injured hand, these are things you can tangibly see which consequently helps you understand when things are getting better. With the voice, it is not so easy. In addition to that, an appointment to have a vocal scope check up often costs hundreds of pounds. As singers we have to rely on sensation and having a detailed understanding of how our voices feel. If something isn’t right, it’s vital we put ourselves and our voices first.

Singing takes over every element of your life

Lots of things affect the voice - sleep (or lack of), diet, exercise routine, illness, natural speaking voice and so much more. As singers we have to take all these external factors into account. It’s not an easy thing to do!

Shelf-life

Often singers feel as if they’re working against the clock, and if they haven’t established a significant career by the age of 30 then it’s not worth continuing. This is a horrid pressure to contend with alongside everything else which works against you in this industry. It’s crucial we remember that the voice is constantly changing, growing and developing. For some singers they might hit their stride in their early 30s as their technique and physiology are now working in tandem. What is more, the industry is not the same as 30 or 40 years ago. Singers are not scouted at the age of 18 to stand on the Covent Garden stage. In addition, what is required of singers is far more taxing, exhausting and demanding. To have the ability to withstand all of that takes many more years of training.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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This week Alex and Helen each share two personal stories where they made a decision to stand up for themselves in the industry. These stories discuss issues of pay, issues of respect/disrespect and issues of sexism.

Alex and Helen hope that in sharing these stories, they can encourage you to stand up for yourself. Setting your boundaries and knowing when your boundaries have been crossed is very important in this industry.

There are ways of stating your limits and expressing when things are unacceptable in a calm, clear and respectful manner. No one should be afraid of speaking out for fear of losing favour/future work/connections.

If we want to see the opera industry improve and foster better working conditions for those in it, it is our collective responsibility to make that happen and speak out when required.

Epiosde edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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With a brand new season comes a lot of new changes:

We are really specialising now, talking to that core audience (of approximately 2 people?!) about the world of OPERA and what things are like backstage.
Episodes will be coming out EVERY WEEK!
We’re delighted to be introducing a brand new podcast segment, ‘Breakdown of the Week’ where we share something that’s not gone quite as we planned and how we dealt with it. To ease us into that, we thought we’d start the season proper with a whole episode on breakdowns.

In this episode we discuss what we call three ‘red flags’ which are signs that we’re heading for a breakdown, and offer some tips and support as to how we can stop that from happening.

Unable to rest

Often we find that when our responsibilities are piling up and the to do list keeps getting longer it’s incredibly hard to rest. Any time we try to take a break our mind is filled with all of our unfinished jobs, all the worries we have for the future, and we can’t seem to sit still. When we’re unable to rest, this is a ‘red flag’ that a future breakdown may be on the way. How can we address this?

Schedule in your weekly diary restorative downtime and hold yourself accountable to this commitment.We have to be as disciplined with scheduling downtime as we do with scheduling practice and all of our other regular commitments.

Restorative downtime means taking a proper mental break; more often than not, this means no screens. You could go for a walk, cook a meal, read a book, go for a run, or even have a nap. In this day and age every element of our lives can be found on our phones. If your restorative downtime is watching a Netflix series while you’re on your phone messaging colleagues about rehearsals, scheduling room bookings or checking your emails, it’s not really downtime.

Communication issuesFor both of us, if our communication styles rapidly change it’s a sign that things are not going well and a breakdown may be on the horizon. For Alex, he finds himself unable to speak. For Helen, she develops an incredibly short temper. How can we handle these changes?

Practice self-awareness and find a sense of inner calmBoth Helen and Alex are big advocates of meditation and mindfulness. These practices teach us how to be aware of ourselves and how to notice when significant changes occur. This means when our communication styles change because we feel stressed, under pressure and close to burnout, we are able to step outside of ourselves, see what is happening, and manage this pressured behaviour. When we realise we are not coping well, we then try and practice good self care, prioritising things such as a healthy diet, a good sleep routine and regular exercise (Of course, all of this is a lot easier said than done!)

Physical symptomsBoth Alex and Helen find that certain physical symptoms highlight when things are not going so well. Alex becomes unusually over-emotional and Helen often experiences stomach cramps and heart tremors. Of course, each person’s symptoms are unique and personal, but how can we deal with this?

Listen to your body and communicate with those around youDepending on your physical symptoms, our advice is simple: treat it! If you have stomach cramps, make yourself a ginger tea and adapt your diet to include gentle and soothing meals. If you have heart tremors, perhaps practice familiar breathing exercises. If you’re feeling emotional, be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to express your feelings.

If you feel it would help, tell those you’re working with that you are going through a difficult time. More often than not, those around you will support you and want to prioritise your mental and physical wellbeing.

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Where’s My Freaking Dressing Room?! hosted their first ever live episode recording as part of Opera Prelude’s OperaWorks conference day. This episode focusses on mental health in the opera industry, however, before getting into the heart of that discussion, the podcast wished to address the controversy surrounding diversity and inclusion and the OperaWorks conference. You can read the pod’s full statement here. As promised, we wished to promote the work of Music Master’s Diversity Audit Tool: I’M IN and we also wanted to re-share our

podcast research episode on the opera industry, Coronavirus and the 2020 resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

AUDITIONSVisualisation

The adrenaline that kicks in during an audition process can negatively impact mental health conditions such as anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. To combat this Alex and Helen often use visualisation techniques. In the days leading up to an audition they will sit in a quiet room and run the audition process in their heads in great detail. Visualisation offers you the chance to experience as close as possible to the audition experience beforehand, allowing you to regain a sense of calm and control over the situation.

Journalling

For those with low self-esteem and depression rejections can be incredibly hard to handle. Alex and Helen suggest journalling straight after every single audition experience. In writing down exactly what happened and how it happened, you have a frank and objective account of the audition. In having written about the audition experience, when the result comes through (good or bad) you have an account of that day you can refer back to.

CONCERTSPre-gig

Often the hype of the dressing room before a concert can be difficult to process for those who are neurodiverse. Alex and Helen have learnt to take time for themselves before going onstage. In this alone time they practice small physical exercises, breathing exercises, and they run through the main musical/dramatic aims they hope to achieve for the oncoming

performance. Not dissimilar from visualisation, this alone time allows them the chance to focus which results in a better concert experience overall.

Post-gig

For those who suffer with distorted self-image, paranoia and insecurity, post-performance can be a nerve-wracking time as you worry that you haven’t lived up to people’s expectations. Alex and Helen recommend trying not to critique yourself until you’ve seen or heard a recording of the show. There’s no doubt that in this industry how we feel on stage and what people actually see and hear are two wildly different things.

SOCIAL SETTINGS

Take a breath

For those with social anxiety, the various social engagements one is required to attend as a singer can be challenging. Alex recommends taking a moment for yourself before entering such an event, and asking how it is you wish to present yourself? In taking a moment you offer yourself the mental clarity to decide how you wish to behave.

Episode edited & produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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podcast research episode on the opera industry, Coronavirus and the 2020 resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

AUDITIONSVisualisation

Journalling

CONCERTSPre-gig

performance. Not dissimilar from visualisation, this alone time allows them the chance to focus which results in a better concert experience overall.

Post-gig

SOCIAL SETTINGS

Take a breath

Episode edited & produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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Alex and Helen were delighted to sit down with new media artist, composer and pianist Larkhall to talk about his latest album: Say You’re With Me.

Written during the arrival of his second son when Larkhall realised he was suffering from depression, Say You’re With Me explores his journey of understanding and caring for his mental health. From moments of meditative stillness to joyful exuberant climaxes, the album takes us through many of the emotions we experience in our every day lives.

In this episode Alex, Helen and Larkhall discuss caring for your mental wellbeing via exercise, meditation, medication and even micro-dosing. They talk about how often we hear the mental health stories which aren’t successful, or don’t have a happy ending; Larkhall feels his experience is different and is equally important to share. The trio chat about how the new album came to fruition, how Larkhall composes and how he has built a computer system that develops visuals which react in real-time to his compositions. In his live gigs, Larkhall combines his post-classical style with these design algorithms, creating vivid imagery which is unique to every performance.

Say You’re With Me is available on bandcamp, Larkhall’s website, and all major streaming platforms.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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In the final episode of our Mental Health Week Mini Series Alex and Helen talk about Distorted Self-Image and how they find ways to deal with this in their day to day lives.

Being over-criticalAlex and Helen recognise Distorted Self-Image as not seeing things as they truly are. Oftentimes this can result in an intense over-criticism, not feeling anything is good enough and only seeing the negatives in our practice and performance. How can we combat this over-criticism?

Make recordings. If we are in an over-critical headspace it can be helpful to make a recording of the lesson, coaching or performance, wait for one or two days to put some distance between yourself and the event, and then listen to it with a slightly more objective outlook.
Trying to look at the bigger picture. Often we’ll feel frustrated because we haven’t managed to achieve every single thing we were aiming for in a concert or an audition, but it’s worth reminding ourselves that no audience or panel will know every tiny goal you set yourself. If the audience reaction to a performance is positive, recognise you must have done a lot of things right in order to get to that point!
Encourage yourself to look for the positives. You may feel that the positives are hard to find, but it can be good to do as a reminder that no event is a total catastrophe.

Distorting feedbackA common product of Distorted Self-Image is distorting feedback. Alex and Helen will regularly search for the veiled criticisms behind any comment or compliment. What are the ways we can tackle distorting feedback?

Take what is being said to you at face value. Once again this is a place where recording performances, coachings and lessons can be extremely helpful. If you are complimented after a performance, take the compliment. If you are given constructive feedback in a coaching, take the feedback as it is delivered.
Consider who you need feedback from/whether you need feedback. If you’re unsure about what has been said to you, can you take it and discuss it with your artistic team who you know well and who you trust?
When it comes to feedback: take what serves you, leave what doesn’t.

Unhealthy social behavioursAlex and Helen recognise that is a freelance career is precarious and oftentimes they’ll enter into a work setting desperate to show that they’re competent, committed and completely on their A game. This can result in an almost chaotic energy that leads to them being completely burnt out in the long run. How can we counter that unhealthy social approach?

Caring less about what others think. This is a big problem that can feed into a lot of mental health issues, but it is something which influences how we behave in work or social setting. On many occasions it is the singers that are sure of themselves and confident in their abilities that come across the most relaxed and easy to work with. (We know this is not an easy one!)
Taking a two-minute time out. Whether it be before a rehearsal, or in the middle of a social engagement, it can be good to take two minutes to collect yourself and consider how you want to approach the event.
Reminding yourself that people almost always aren’t thinking about you. In relation to our first point - we’re often so concerned about what others think, but most of the time they’re not thinking about us, they’re thinking about themselves.

If you feel Distorted Self Image is something you are coping with and you want to talk about it, please do feel free to get in touch. We are always here to listen.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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In Day 4 of our Mental Health Week Mini Series we’re joined by soprano Helen Lacey who tells us about her experience of moving to London after finishing her undergraduate degree at the Royal Northern College of Music.

We discuss leaving conservatoire and the challenge of managing your own time. We talk about breaking into a new work and social dynamic, finding your feet in a city you don’t know as well as finding yourself both personally and professionally. Helen reflects on moving to London, how she coped with the size, pace and scale of the city, and also how the pandemic changed her relationship to her local area.

We also talk about mental health in the classical music industry, how it’s good to see high-profile figures such as Allan Clayton talking about the difficulties of the work (Panic attacks and poor pay: Allan Clayton on the real life of an opera star), yet how we still need to see this openness and honesty filter into our daily practice. As a singer, Helen talks about the way mental health undoubtedly impacts the voice and how, if we don’t care for our mental wellbeing, it can become a vicious cycle.

Helen shares the greatest thing she’s learnt in recent months: we have to tend to all parts of ourselves in order to be able to perform at our best. There has to be a balance.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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On Day 3 of this Mental Health Week Mini Series Alex and Helen discuss depression and three ways they find depression exhibits itself in their lives.

Lack of MotivationAlex and Helen recognise that as two people that are often quite goal-focussed and driven, it can be scary to be in a period of depression when there is no desire to do anything. How can we handle this lack of motivation?

Self-acceptance and self-recognition. Alex and Helen encourage you to recognise the place and space you’re in and to try to accept it.
Tell someone. In sharing, you open yourself up to finding guidance and support. If you don’t feel able to tell someone, step one can often be to write it down with the aim of working towards speaking to someone you trust.
Readjust your goals. Perhaps your goals for the day might be going for a walk, cooking yourself a good meal and getting a good night’s sleep. These things allow us to maintain some kind of basic self-care routine whilst dealing with these difficult emotions.

Unhelpful coping methodsAlex and Helen are both aware that they have used a number of unhelpful coping methods to ignore their depression, including staying busy to ignore their emotions, substance abuse in the form of alcohol, and self blame.

How can we handle depression differently?

Recognising when your diary is unhealthily busy and combatting that by trying to carve out time for yourself in order to face the emotions you’re attempting to run away from. It may be uncomfortable at first, but if you sit with your emotions and acknowledge them you’re a step closer to handling them.
Listening to your body. Whether it’s craving sleep, a certain meal, sunshine or a hug, in listening to your body you give yourself the chance to understand what you actually need.
Talking to someone. Alex and Helen discussed this in yesterday’s episode with Quintin Beer but they couldn’t recommend therapy highly enough.

Unhealthy comparisonIn a world now dominated by social media it is easier than ever to make unhealthy comparisons about ourselves. This can feel far worse during a period of depression. How can we approach unhealthy comparisons?

Take time out from social media. Often some of the worst comparisons come from a two-minute scroll on Instagram. It can be helpful to take a break from these platforms during a blue period to allow yourself the time and energy to rebuild strength.
Question these comparisons! Often we feel inadequate or jealous when we see something on social media, but if we question that thought many times we can find it to be baseless. Yes, this person might have a new job and you feel jealous, but - did you even apply for that job? Would it be possible for you to have that job? What great things have you done recently because you don’t have that job? Everyone’s journeys are different and we can’t all take the same career path in this industry.

If you feel like you are suffering from depression, please feel able to talk with us here on the podcast. We’d also recommend taking a look at Help Musicians resources on mental health in music, in particular their Music Minds Matter website, and as well as that there’s the British Association of Performing Arts Medicine which delivers health and wellbeing services for those in the performing arts.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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Today Helen and Alex are joined by Quintin Beer to discuss Inner Calm, in particular through the methods of Meditation, Nature and Therapy.

Quintin talks openly about not necessarily searching for calm, but instead attempting to achieve a state of balance. Helen and Quintin talk about how they take medication to manage their anxiety and how they find it beneficial to stabilise the extremes of the condition.

MeditationQuintin began meditating in January 2020 through a mantra-based practice course recommended by a mutual friend. In the first lockdown he meditated for twenty minutes twice a day and admits that he has lapsed a little in recent months. He tells us how the more one meditates, the easier he finds it to achieve a sense of calm within the practice.

He tells us that he can find meditation difficult so on a daily level if he needs to find calm he’ll opt for a quiet night in where he turns off his digital devices, tidies the flat and reads.

Helen shares how in 2015 she first started meditating through the HeadSpace app, and after HeadSpace she moved to Insight Timer, a free directory of meditations. Helen now practices Shakra meditations, in particular she likes how the Shakra meditations require us to listen to our bodies and what they’re saying, as opposed to doing something that is so directly thought and emotion led.

NatureInterestingly, both Quintin and Alex discuss how they find nature slightly overwhelming, in particular the size of the sea and the stars. Alex would much rather walk through a beautiful city as opposed to the countryside. He does enjoy the sound of the sea, and finds it calming to synchronise his breath with the waves.

Helen shares how for her, being a part of nature makes her feel calmer. Whether it’s a walk in the countryside, an exploration in a forest or some time by the coast, all of these experiences have a positive effect for her. She finds something settling about being reminded that she’s just a tiny part of this big big planet.

TherapyQuintin shares how he loves the combination of meditation and therapy. On many occasions he finds that issues will come up during a meditation practice, after which he will consider whether to raise them in a therapy session.

Quintin started with Relate, after which he went to the counselling service at the Royal Academy of Music and now he has weekly therapy sessions which he’s done for the last 2 years. Quintin describes therapy as the best form of self care.

Alex and Helen discuss how important it is to have a good relationship with your therapist and how it’s crucial that there’s trust present. Helen feels that for her therapy is one of the places we gain self-knowledge which is so important for each and every one of us as we go through our lives.

Quintin and Helen strongly advocate therapy for all. As Quintin says, you don’t need to be in crisis to go to therapy.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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For Day 1 of their Mental Health Week Mini Series Alex and Helen tackle the topic of Anxiety. As two anxious people, they discuss how anxiety exhibits itself most commonly in their lives and how they try to handle it.

Over-practicingFor both of us over-practicing is a common way our anxiety exhibits itself. We always feel like there’s more to do, meaning we practice more than is healthy and do ourselves damage in the long run. How do we combat over-practicing?

Be strict. Set yourself time limits, trust that the practice session you’ve done has been beneficial and remember how crucial rest is.
Set boundaries within the practice. For example, today’s practice session is on coloratura in one specific piece. If you see something else that needs to be worked on, write it down and know that you will address it in another practice session in the future.
Not all practice needs to be singing out loud. Preparing scores, reading libretti, and mental practice sessions are all excellent ways of honing your craft without pushing your voice past its limits.

Over-performingOur anxiety means that when we take to the stage we’re so desperate for people to feel the emotions of our character and we’re so desperate to know that we’re doing a good job that our bodies are a total ball of tension. How do we combat this tendency to over-try and over-perform?

Alex’s teacher reminds him that our job is to invite people into our world, not to push out into their world. It is not easy but it requires us to not care about the audience reaction.
Alex schedules moments of reflection and relaxation in arias and pieces to try and stop himself from embodying so much tension. Helen adds to this that it’s crucial to practice these moments of relaxation in order to build trust and security, it’s not something you can only attempt in a performance.

Over-thinkingAnxiety can result in us finding social situations rather stressful and rapidly over-thinking, in particular in relation to rehearsal experiences. We can often quite quickly misinterpret comments and feedback, looking as quickly as possible for any underlying criticism in order to combat it. How do we deal with this over-thinking?

For Helen, meditation is a great tool to combat anxiety. For Alex, yoga offers a similar release. Both practices have the opportunity to connect to the breath, taking you out of your brain and into your body.
Helen suggests talking to herself like she would to a friend, recommending perhaps some gentle exercise, doing something she enjoys, or having an early night.
Helen and Alex also talk about how important it is to share. Although Alex finds it hard to share, they both know that when they say their anxious thoughts out loud, they feel more able to recognise their anxious thought patterns and see things as they actually are.

Helen and Alex want to remind you that you’re not alone.

If you feel you’re suffering with Anxiety and you’re not sure where to turn, please feel free to talk to us here on the podcast. We’re here to help. We also highly recommend considering sharing such thoughts with close friends and family. If you don’t feel able to just yet, we suggest writing down some of the thoughts and concerns you’re having as a first step with the aim to building up to speaking to someone you trust. Later this week Alex and Helen will talk about therapy and medication, two additional methods to help treat the effects of anxiety.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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For the final episode in Series 2 (can you believe it?!) Alex and Helen are honoured to be joined by good friend and esteemed colleague, Richard Robbins. Richard is an in-demand tenor who has soloed with ensembles such as The Southbank Sinfonia and the Academy of Ancient Music; he is a City Music Foundation Young Artist for their 2020-2022 season and he has also been a young artist for Handel House, Leeds Lieder, Oxford Lieder, and Brighton Early Music Festival.

Most importantly, Richard studied at the Royal Academy of Music for his master's degree in 2015-2017 which was where he met Alex (and through Alex, Helen) and their friendship was born.

Alex and Helen invite Richard onto the Dressing Room Pod to discuss how, following his studies at conservatoire, he has built his career in classical music . The chat covers all kinds of topics, not least:

Music College

How it is the people, not the institution that will define your music college experience.
How conservatoire can help you understand the next steps you need to take to build your career, although it may not directly lead you there.
How the music college experience is not egalitarian, which seems unfair. As a place of education should conservatoires not be able to offer all students equal opportunities? Of course, equality of opportunity can never mean equality of outcome, but each student deserves to feel that their institution believes in them and is working to channel their energy into a successful future career.
Our tips for those at music college: be brave, ask for what you want, and develop the self-knowledge to take from the experience what you need and leave what you don't.

Career path

How in 2022 we are not able to identify solely as singers. We must build a patchwork quilt career, a smorgasbord of work opportunities. Now having many strings to your bow can be perceived as a strength.
To what extent can we manifest our next steps? Richard feels his career happens somewhat in retrospect, whereas Alex and Helen are more inclined to feel that they set goals and work towards them.
'The industry wants you but doesn't need you, and you've got to want it but not need it.'

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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This week Alex and Helen have a laugh discussing what it's like to study and work abroad. Alex has extensive experience performing across Italy and in September 2021 Helen moved to Switzerland to join the Swiss Opera Studio programme. The pair talk language barriers, finding common ground, how mainland Europe approaches the opera industry and taking the plunge to move your life to another country.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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Opera as an art form requires our imagination. Whether we be entering into the world of Die Walküre, The Cunning Little Vixen or Tosca, each opera asks us to leave behind the every day and suspend our belief.

Why is it, then, that singers often face visual discrimination? Time and again singers in auditions, rehearsals and even performances are criticised for their size, their age, and their 'beauty'.

This week Alex and Helen talk about image in the operatic industry. They discuss size, age and beauty in opera; asking the industry to do better but also highlighting companies and artists (such as Jamie Barton with the Lyric Opera of Chicago) who are championing body positivity and bucking this unfortunate trend. They note how most often the female leads face the greatest discrimination and they wish to remind the industry that ultimately, the voice is what matters.

They close the episode with a short discussion on race in relation to image in the industry. Contradicting their previous discussion, they argue that on the topic of race, we are not in a position to suspend belief. Given the power imbalance which exists for countless underrepresented voices in the operatic industry, roles written for people of colour should, in every case, be performed by people of colour and they stress the need to continue diversifying the art form.

Episode edited by and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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This week Alex and Helen mythbust some of the common misconceptions surrounding diet and singing.

Caffeine

A huge topic in the vocal world, there are many conversations about caffeine being a vocal irritant, drying out the cords and preventing healthy singing.

Mythbust: It’s important to remember that nothing you eat or drink directly touches the vocal folds; that is a physical impossibility. Caffeine is a diuretic and therefore dehydrates the whole body. In understanding that we can combat the effects with caffeine by drinking a healthy amount of water throughout the day. It’s also worth considering how much caffeine you ingest a day. It’s unlikely that 1 or 2 coffees will have a major effect, however, 6 or 7 might!

Alcohol

Like caffeine, alcohol dehydrates the body (note we’re saying the body, not the larynx/voice). And again, like caffeine, you can take in enough water to offset the alcohol you drink. However, we know that there are times when we all have a little too much to drink and we need to be conscious of how alcohol affects our ability to sing.

For some, alcohol is no problem and they can sing on a hangover without any difficulty. For others, it’s not so easy. When it comes to alcohol we recommend getting to know your body and how your body copes when hungover. It might sound lame but if you’re unable to sing when hungover it might be helpful to plan nights when you know you can enjoy a few drinks because nothing is required of you the following day, allowing you enough time to rest, rehydrate and recuperate.

Dairy

For many, dairy is considered a big no-no. Whether it be milk, chocolate or cheese, dairy is often said to thicken the vocal folds and create more mucus which can obstruct healthy and efficient singing.

Mythbust: Dairy cannot thicken vocal folds as it has no contact with vocal folds. In addition, dairy does not increase the body’s mucus production, however, there is a reaction between the enzymes in dairy and the body’s saliva which can create a somewhat thick liquid that then coats the mouth. There are a number of ways to combat this affect such as steaming, gargling salt water and drinking warm liquids. Similar to alcohol, your diet is about knowing your body. If you struggle to sing after eating chocolate or drinking milk, perhaps avoid it before a rehearsal or performance.

Acid

Acid reflux is considered a major vocal fold irritant. Unlike caffeine, alcohol and dairy, acid reflux can directly affect the vocal folds. Stomach acid created by acid reflux can rise into the oesophagus and when the throat sphincters are not functioning well this acid can then flow into the throat and touch the larynx.

Acid reflux does not affect everyone but for those it does, it’s important to consider your diet. Foods such as bell peppers, tomatoes and onions can be major irritants alongside orange juice, citrus fruits and even chocolate. For acid reflux we would recommend using a food diary, writing down what you eat and making a brief note of how it affects you in the following 12 hours. You can then see which food groups and which recipes work well for you, and which ones you might need to avoid.

Our diet is something that can considerably affect the way we sing and so it’s worth taking it into account. Athletes know exactly what they put in their body before they train and compete, and singers should not be so different.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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Nobody likes talking about it, Alex and Helen certainly don't like talking about it, but in this episode they get into the uncomfortable topic of money.

Money is hard to come by in the arts. From the start of education to attempting to make a stable living, we all know how it feels to worry about paying the next round of exam fees/audition fees/rent(!!!). Alex and Helen discuss how money affects every area of a singer's life and offer a range of ideas on how to create greater financial security in his industry:

Ask. If there's a programme you want to take part in, or an audition you want to travel to, contact the organisation and ask if they have any ways of supporting those with less financial means. If you don't ask, you never know what they might be able to do in order to help you.
Trusts and Foundations. The United Kingdom is blessed with a wealth of trusts and foundations, many of whose aim are to support those in the arts. To search for ones which might be able to help you there are a number of tools at your disposal:

Help Musicians Funding Wizard

The Alternative Guide to Postgraduate Funding

Directory of Social Change database - you can make an appointment to search their trust and foundation database in their Highbury offices.

The Power of Zoom. Post-pandemic we're seeing many institutions and programmes carry out their first round auditions via Zoom which has the potential to save you numerous accommodation and travel costs. With more auditions happening via Zoom, might that encourage you as an artist to apply for an opportunity that you would never have considered before?
Building Relationships. If an application to a scholarship, competition or trust and foundation is successful, build that relationship. Let the board of trustees know how the scholarship/competition/grant has helped you, update them on your progress and, when possible, invite them to a live performance. In building that relationship, this scholarship/competition/trust and foundation can be an immediate go-to should you need financial assistance in the future.
The Portfolio Career. Pair the unpredictable nature of the creative career with something a little more stable which you also find fulfilling. Love this idea? Want to know more? Check out our episode on The Portfolio Career!
Invoice Hack. We all know the feeling of chasing late invoices. To try and avoid that, make sure to include in your invoice, as stated on the Musicians Union website: ‘Strictly 30 days net. I/we reserve the right to claim statutory interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate at the date the debt becomes overdue, in accordance with the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.’
Let's talk about it. The more we don't talk about it, the harder it is to support one another and also, the easier it is for artists to be paid poorly.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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New year, same dressing room, and this week Alex and Helen have a double bill for you.

To start, they discuss the seasonal nature of the career as a performer and how it often involves intense periods of work (like Christmas!) followed by intense periods of quiet (did someone say January blues?). They suggest using your off-season to reflect, plan and work on personal development as well as managing your on-season in order to avoid three months of chaotic work without a break.

Following that, they offer you a January self-care package. With the seasonal nature of the career in mind they understand that January can be a difficult time for many performers and so they suggest:

Let the Christmas cheer spill over!

Why does all the fun have to stop as soon as we hit January 1st? January can often be cold, dark and difficult, why not warm it up with a nice cheese board and mulled wine with friends? Use the January downtime for things you won’t be able to do in the busier months, whether that be visiting family, reading or cooking.

Let yourself cocoon

Christmas can be an intense period for performers so recognise if your body needs to rest and LISTEN! Give yourself the time to recover that you deserve. Others may be setting intense goals and attempting to follow resolutions but it’s important not to compare. The seasonal nature of the performing career is unique, let your body tell you what it needs.

Manifest 2022

Alex and Helen like manifesting because it isn’t goal-bound or time-bound. It uses your imagination and gives you a creative opportunity to consider your future. Ask yourself where you’d like to be at the end of 2022 and see what your brain throws up! Do you like what you see? Can you make decisions which align with that manifestation in order to help bring you closer to that ideal?

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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It's our last episode of the year so we decided to take a look back at the New Year's Resolutions we made back in series 1 on the pod in January and see whether we stuck to any of them or just totally ignored them.

Before we get started don’t forget to tag us on social media #AlexSimpsonFail and tell us whether you think Alex passed his driving test this week!

Resolution 1: Let it Go

Helen: 'I feel like I'm a lot better at letting go of bad rehearsal experiences, and even on a smaller scale bad notes or bars of music when I'm performing. I understand better now that there's no point getting hung up on those things, you just have to let them go. Having said that I still have massive issues with posting on social media so I didn't do so well there.'

Alex: 'I got a lot better at letting go of my worries in the rehearsal room. I was always so concerned about what my colleagues thought of me but over the course of the last year I've been able to let go of that worry and focus more on being in the actual moment.'

Resolution 2: Get It Done

Alex and Helen: 'As two people that love to control things, we both nailed this one. We love to plan our days, to schedule and organise our time and be as productive as possible.'

Helen: 'HOWEVER, that can have some set backs. You can get so used to creating your own ideal schedule that when someone else asks you to rehearse at a date/time you dislike, you really struggle to adapt. The scheduling has to be flexible.'

Resolution 3: Feed Yourself

Helen: 'Too easy. Just kidding! If I'm honest I don't think I was as successful with this as I wanted to be. It's been a really unusual year and so although I've found time for things I love such as reading, running, cooking, theatre, I haven't given myself to these things as mindfully as I probably should.'

Alex: I approached this resolution slightly differently - seeing it as making sure to make time for myself. I know now that in the morning I hate being in a rush to get the day started. I like to take my time when enjoying my breakfast and morning coffee. I see that process as a little ritual, something that I keep for myself and in that time I have the headspace to think, plan, consider. Making time for myself is really important.'

Alex and Helen: 'This resolution did make us both think about the fact that singing simply isn't the be all and end all for us. Yes, we absolutely love it and yes, we are passionate about this career but there are so many other things that are important to us and it's about being able to find the balance of those things.'

Resolution 4: Don't Make Resolutions

Helen: 'Har har. We're such losers. Having said that, I think this is something really important which I will take into 2022. The world is so unpredictable right now and your life can change overnight (I would know!) so try and adopt flexible goals that you can change and adapt as you see fit, rather than unrelenting resolutions.'

Alex: 'Resolutions don't have to be about looking at the bad things of 2021 and going into 2022 and saying I MUST FIX THESE. Resolutions can be celebrating things that went well and aiming to continue on that path, or making a commitment to try something new or different. We should see resolutions as a positive thing.'

This episode we're encouraging you to 'Hit the Refresh button' as we draw a line under 2021. Let's celebrate the end of the year and get ready to rock for 2022. We've got lots of exciting plans on the way so watch this space!

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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It's Christmastime, for many performers it's audition time, which also means it's acceptance/rejection time.

Performers in the creative industries have to audition for opportunities in order to further their careers, and it's likely that for every ten auditions a performer does only one of those will be successful. Therefore, 90% of the time performers are facing, handling and processing rejection.

Alex and Helen can't help but ask themselves why it is they were never taught to handle rejection?

This week Alex and Helen get stuck in at the deep end and talk about Rejections. They talk about normalising rejection, they discuss how to find fresh motivation following rejection and they share their techniques for handling and processing rejection.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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The days are getting shorter, the weather is getting colder and it's almost an acceptable time of year to be eating mince pies which can only mean one thing: Christmas is on its way! There's no denying that for singers and performers Christmas is an intense period of time including carol services, Messiah concerts, midnight masses and so much more. With that in mind Alex and Helen thought it was about time to offer you some tips, tricks and ideas on how to handle your crazy Christmas diary.

For this episode Alex and Helen are delighted to be joined by special guest and old friend, Sam Cobb. As a freelance soprano, Sam regularly performs with acclaimed groups such as The Monteverdi Choir and alongside her singing work Sam is co-artistic director of the celebrated Echo Vocal Ensemble. Sam is no stranger to the madness of the Christmas diary and on the pod this week they discuss:

Preparation: How do you accept work? How do you say no to work? Do you take rest days? How do you manage your portfolio career during such a busy time?
Stamina: How do you keep your voice in a good condition? How do you avoid getting ill? To what extent do you embrace the social element of the Christmas concert season?
Peaks and troughs: How do you handle the big highs and lows of the Christmas season? How do you feel about the inevitable January blues?
Their top pieces of advice for coping with the Christmas season

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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Although we don't care to admit it, almost all artists experience crises of confidence. From panicking during the final minutes before you go on stage, to experiencing a few weeks feeling slightly under the weather, crises of confidence can affect us in many different ways. This week Alex and Helen share strategies and techniques they've used in the past to help battle their crises of confidence.

For the 'in the moment' Crisis of Confidence:

Practice mindfulness backstage: notice your feelings, acknowledge them, do not judge them and try, if you can, to allow them to pass.
Practice mindfulness on stage and use it to your advantage: if you become aware that your left arm and hand are unnecessarily tense, make the conscious decision to relax them.
Try the 'Zooming' technique, alternating your focus between external and internal stimuli. Use this technique to cultivate mental focus and clarity before going on stage.
To encourage confidence, try embodying the characteristics of a performer you admire. (We're not recommending this is something you regularly do in performance, but if you're feeling highly concerned in the hours leading up to a concert this technique can help cultivate a sense of power and confidence that can be highly beneficial.)

For the 'long-term' Crisis of Confidence:

Baby steps: try not to push yourself and set manageable goals. Expecting too much of yourself when feeling underconfident can be the catalyst for a downward spiral.
Take a break. Go to a concert, visit an exhibition, read a book, or practice other completely unrelated repertoire. Feed your brain in other ways in order to give yourself some breathing space and perspective.
Go with what you know. Trust your technique and what you have been taught.
Lean on your people. Talk to those who you trust and who know you best as an artist, seek out their support and advice.
Most importantly, remember that this mindset is a product of feelings and in time, all feelings pass.

Edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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With the Christmas audition season just around the corner Alex and Helen thought it was about time they revisited this topic. In this week's episode they discuss the advice they wish they'd been given before they started auditioning for music college. Alex and Helen talk about travel plans, how to handle seeing people you know, the dreaded rejections and a whole lot more in between.

If you've got an audition coming up soon, this is the episode for you.

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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To celebrate the first anniversary of 'Where's My Freaking Dressing Room?!' Alex and Helen decided to organise a dinner party and were delighted to be joined by their close friend and food and fine-wine enthusiast, Henrietta Gullifer. Having trained at Leith's Cookery School and worked at Berry Brothers & Rudd for over five years, Alex and Helen felt Hetty was the perfect guest for their dinner party.

For their anniversary meal Alex and Helen curated a four-course musical menu, featuring four of their favourite operatic moments. They then tasked Hetty with delivering a food and wine pairing to accompany the music.

Join Alex, Helen and Hetty for their one year anniversary dinner party, welcoming you in with a glass of champagne in the dizzying heights of Montmartre, moving on to a light crustini starter in Mantua, followed by a sumptuous duck main-course in Paris and closing the evening out with a chocolate bomb to accompany the richest of German romantic music.

If you like the sound of this music, food and wine menu and want more information then say no more:

We've loaded up a spotify playlist of our dinner party opera bangers for your listening enjoyment (including a few bonus additions, you’re welcome).
Check out Hetty’s step-by-step recipes for her four-course food menu.
All wines discussed are available to purchase via Berry Bros. & Rudd, for more information check out our website.

Our huge thanks go to Hetty for taking on the challenge and delivering such a delicious menu in the middle of the recording process. And our thanks, as ever, to the incredible Daisy Grant Productions for editing and producing this episode.

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There are three ps that come with a career in music and no, we don't mean pianississimo!

Practice. Performance. Pressure.

In every aspect of a musician's career there is an undeniable element of pressure. This week Alex and Helen dig into the different types of pressure musicians experience, from self-applied pressure to pressure exerted by colleagues and friends. They talk about both the bad and good effects of pressure, considering how in some cases performers can even benefit from a little pressure. They offer you their top tips on how best to deal with pressure, encouraging you to focus on the present moment and to trust that it's more about the entire artistic process than the end product.

Edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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Every September Alex and Helen get that same ‘back to school’ feeling. For Helen, it’s a period of excitement as she buys far too much stationery and looks forward to getting stuck in to a new artistic year. For Alex, it’s a period of dread as he realises the summer is waning and winter is on its way. In this episode they explore what September, and the start of a new artistic year, means to both of them.

During the episode they talk about hopes for the coming year, they take stock of the year just gone and they offer you some advice if you’re starting something afresh this September. Whether it be a new job, a new course, a new house, or perhaps nothing new at all, they encourage you to take time to reflect, assess, and positively move forward.

Edited by the fantastic Daisy Grant Productions.

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This week Alex and Helen discuss how to make the most of your contacts.

The classical music industry is a small, small world. No matter where you go or what you do, everyone seems to know everyone! Alex and Helen talk about both the pros and cons of this intimate and well-connected industry, but more importantly they give YOU the tools to make the most of your own contacts. They offer some simple and effective networking tips and they encourage you to get out there and learn to network with confidence.

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As musicians and performers we are trained throughout our careers to develop a critical ear, one that can assess the quality of a performance and decide what needs to be worked on in order to improve and progress. However, although this critical ear is a vital tool in our industry, it can also be our worst enemy. Present during practice sessions, rehearsals and even performances, the inner critic can often take over and attack our confidence and self-belief.

In this episode we discuss how we've experienced the inner critic during private practice sessions, rehearsals with colleagues, performances and even post-show events. We talk about how it's affected us but, most importantly, how we've learnt to handle it. Using mindfulness, journalling and objective assessments, we've found ways of controlling the inner critic, accessing it during crucial periods of self-reflection but putting it to one side when in practice, rehearsal and live performance.

Edited by the fantastic Daisy Grant.

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Most people think that football and classical music have nothing in common. Alex and Helen are here to debunk that myth, opening series 2 of 'Where's My Freaking Dressing Room?!' with an episode on the recent football-mania which engulfed England over the course of the Euros.

Helen was exposed to relentless hours of football coverage, Alex saw none; but together they use this episode to discuss the England football team, manager Gareth Southgate, and lessons they think the classical music industry can learn from football.

This episode sees them talk about:

Gareth Southgate's focus on the England team's mental health and wellbeing
The successful way in which the England team bonded
How the team and each player handled those dreaded penalties
Gareth Southgate's attitude towards subs, working tirelessly to make each player feel like a valued member of the team

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SPECIAL EDITION EPISODE!

This week Helen is taking over the podcast to present the research project she's been working on over the last year:

"As I hope many of our regular listeners know, one of the main aims of Where's My Freaking Dressing Room?! is to provide an open and honest account of what it can be like to be a classical musician in the UK. Since September 2020 I have been conducting a research project as part of my master’s degree at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. This research project has seen me conduct interviews with a cross-section of UK-based singers and opera companies to discuss the combined effects of the Coronavirus pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, two events which undoubtedly took hold of our country throughout 2020.

This episode takes the form of a round-table discussion with four very special guests:

Monique Foulger (Opera Holland Park Associate Producer),

Johnny Langridge (Garsington Opera Director of Development and Communications),

Annie Lydford (Nevill Holt Opera Managing Director)

Internationally acclaimed soprano Gweneth Ann Rand.

In this episode I ask my guests for their thoughts and comments on three themes that were highly prevalent throughout my research and I explore some of the work being done by these opera companies both in terms of supporting their artistic and administrative community during the pandemic, as well as their commitment to improving diversity.

The three overwhelming themes which dominated my research were:

A new sense of community which formed in the immediate months following the pandemic.
A lack of financial clarity as to how freelance creatives earned their living, brutally highlighted by the government's insufficient Self-Employment Income Support Scheme.
A fear that the industry would not have learnt any lessons following the pandemic, in particular the conflicting motives of needing to sell tickets and generate sales vs needing to promote creatives from underrepresented backgrounds in all areas of the industry.

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This week Alex and Helen tackle the mysterious topic of classical music agents. They discuss the unusual aura which surrounds agencies and artist agents, in particular how difficult it can be to contact them.

They talk about the need to be shrewd when entering into a contract with any agency, considering things such as the artist roster you're joining, commission fees and whether you and your agent are on the same page. They recommend, as an artist, having a secure team of confidents surrounding you, in order to help you make the best possible decision.

And they ask, in this post-covid era, whether we are in the position to be our own agents?

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With summer fast approaching Alex and Helen discuss a topic very much on Helen's mind, life after music college.

With Helen graduating from conservatoire this summer, in this episode she talks about her hopes and fears for the months ahead and Alex discusses his approach towards time management and self-motivation after he left music college. Alex and Helen encourage current conservatoire students to make the most of the regular tuition and facilities at their fingertips but they also consider how the conservatoire model only really works for a small proportion of students and they question the lack of guidance and support given to graduating musicians on life after music college.

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We've gone niche this week and we discuss a divide in our industry that we are both acutely aware of: the world of choral singing vs the world of solo singing.

As two singers who were raised in the choral tradition we both love performing in choirs and understand the variety of skills needed to be a successful ensemble singer. However, we are also two singers that have made the decision to pursue professional careers as solo singers because we also love the world of opera and song.

Today we take a look at the skills needed to be a good choral singer, the skills needed to be a good solo singer and how these two worlds often look down on one another. We question if there might be a better way for these two worlds to support one another, we discuss the conservatoire's fickle approach to choral singing and we look at some highly successful British soloists who take pride in their choral background.

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(Warning: strap in for this one. We had a lot of caffeine before we recorded so things move pretty quick!)

Throughout the course of the pandemic we've been aware of friends and colleagues reflecting on their careers and re-assessing their lives in the creative industries. As a result of that, we've noticed people making different choices based on what we feel are their new personal boundaries.

In this episode we discuss a few of the boundaries we've been coming across:

'The Litmus Test' - i.e. deciding whether or not an offer of work is worth accepting
Social Media - deciding how and when to use social media, and finding a way to make social media work for you
Time - respecting your own time, not working all hours every day and appreciating the value of rest
Relationships - considering the boundaries in work-relationship environments, both in terms of how you treat others and how others treat you
Asserting Your Boundaries - considering how people react to those who choose to assert their boundaries in the creative industries

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In this episode Alex and Helen discuss the benefits of having a portfolio career.

Alex explains how he developed his career; starting off as a singer, building a stable career as a tutor whilst at music college and then launching his life coaching business during the 2020 lockdown. Helen talks about how her career has been the reverse; working in arts administration whilst recovering from injury, slowly building a body of work as an ensemble singer, and now about to finish her master's degree in solo performance.

Alex and Helen chat about how a portfolio career gives you, as an artist, a sense of creative control which can feel immensely satisfying, but they also discuss how often the industry looks down on those who promote a portfolio career lifestyle. Yet, given the impacts of Coronavirus and Brexit, Alex and Helen aren't sure how they would have survived over the last year had they not been able to rely on their portfolio careers...

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We are BACK and this week we discuss what we think the future of the arts might look like as things re-open following our winter lockdown.

To no one's surprise, Alex has compared this time to 'The Great Depression', worrying that with fewer organisations able to put on concerts and events, opportunities are becoming more competitive. He’s concerned that this climate, compounded with Brexit, has the potential to further damage the careers of many artists in the UK.

Helen takes a more positive approach and argues that there is the potential for a revival of the roaring 20s. She discusses how small independent arts organisations have the potential to quickly adapt to the changing circumstances and she believes that there are plans in place which will result in impactful and challenging work.

As well as this scintillating debate, Alex shares his new mantra 'go forwards, not backwards', encouraging us to take what we've learnt over the last year into our new working lives as opposed to slipping back into bad habits.

Finally, we talk about how excited we are to see and hear live music again!

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Alex and Helen tackle a topic which is incredibly important to them both.

Injury and illness are inevitable in the career of a professional musician, however, the music industry can be known for adopting an insensitive approach when artists become unwell.

Alex and Helen use this episode to share their personal experiences of illness and injury, to talk about the industry culture surrounding injury, and to sit down with Dr Alex who explains the basic illnesses most singers get and whether they are safe to sing on.

Most importantly, Alex and Helen hope this episode will act as a campaign for change in the classical music industry's approach to injury. Injury should not end careers.

Support organisations and voice professionals which are mentioned in this episode:

Help Musicians UK
BAPAM (British Association of Performing Arts Medicine)
Royal Society of Musicians
Mind
Declan Costello (larynologist)
Julia Selby (speech therapist)

If you want to speak to either of us about anything following on from the episode, please get in touch.

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Alex and Helen both understand how crucial the right teacher is to any singer's career, no matter what stage. This week they discuss your experiences and stories (told anonymously, of course) with regards to the tricky world of singing teachers. They explore the cult-like behaviour which can surround some teachers, the precarious nature of the teacher-pupil relationship and how difficult it can be to change teacher.

Thank you to everyone who sent in their thoughts and stories on this topic. Your opinions and experiences made for one of our most thought-provoking episodes and has given us a lot of material for the future!

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Alexander and Helen have realised that being a classical musician in 2021 means having to face those things they've been desperate to avoid: 'The Online Package'.

This week Helen and Alex chat about how they curated their headshots, how they designed (or have avoided designing) their websites and how they approach social media. They share artists whose twitter accounts make them laugh, artists whose instagram accounts they find informative, and, as two cynics, they take a little time to question the social media machine.

N.B. The sound quality of this episode isn't as high as we would normally like, but, it is a nationwide lockdown and we're doing the best we can with our ropey internet so please do bear with.

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This week Helen and Alexander dive into the world of auditions and competitions, in particular the new frontier of recording audition and competition videos. They talk about becoming audition video director, producer, sound engineer and editor and the new set of challenges audition videos present.

Of course, they can't possibly cover auditions and competitions and not discuss live audition difficulties such as what to wear, having to introduce your programme, working with an accompanist you've never met and the audition panel.

N.B. The sound quality of this episode isn't as high as we would normally like, but, it is a nationwide lockdown and we're doing the best we can with our ropey internet so please do bear with.

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Alexander and Helen are back and starting the new year by sharing their New Year resolutions. No, they're not talking about losing weight or learning a new language, instead they discuss how they're trying to make the most of things in these difficult times.

Where's My Freaking Dressing Room?! 2021 Resolutions:

Let It Go
Stop worrying, stop trying to control everything and Let It Go. Nervous about performing a difficult aria? Worrying and overly controlling will not help: Let It Go and just give it your best. Anxious about uploading a performance on social media? If you're proud of it then that's all that matters: Let It Go and share it with the world.
Get It Done
If you're the kind of person that has to-do lists then this is one for you. If there are certain daily tasks (like going for a run or sending an email) that hang over you then schedule your day to work for you, decide to do those things first and simply Get It Done. If you know you practice best in the afternoon then organise your admin for the morning and your music-making for the afternoon. Set your day up so you can make the most of it, enjoy it, and Get It Done.
Feed Yourself
No, we're not recommending you eat all the leftover Christmas cake! We're suggesting that in these difficult and unusual times why not explore your hobbies, maybe even find new ones and feed the other parts of your life that bring you joy. It hurts not to be able to make music right now, but perhaps you can find enjoyment in the things that you are able to do, whether it's reading, painting, yoga or just a simple lie-in!
Don't Make Resolutions
IRONIC HUH? For our fourth and final resolution we recommend not expecting too much of yourself at this time. There is no doubt that we are all in crisis mode and the effects of that will be many. Setting yourself high goals and imminent deadlines at this time has the potential to set yourself up for failure and that is unhealthy. If you have targets, perhaps they don't have to have fixed deadlines? If you're keen to make progress, perhaps the goals you set yourself are small and can build week upon week? Essentially we're saying now is not the time to tell yourself to learn every Brahms song by the end of February.

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An episode that needs no description nor introduction. Alexander and Helen love everything about Christmas: the mulled wine, the carols, the parties and of course, the Christmas cake! Join them as they talk about some of their favourite (and not so favourite) Christmas experiences.

Don't forget to head over to twitter and vote for your favourite advent carol between:

Lo! He Comes with Clouds Descending
and
Of the Father's Heart Begotten

Make sure to tag us: @dressingroompo1

Another highlighted piece this episode is Richard Marlow's Advent Responsory, make sure to take a listen.

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Helen and Alex couldn't make a podcast about being musicians without tackling the big bad topic of PRACTICE. In this episode they discuss ideal schedules for practice, the awkward experience of listening back to yourself, the hours they've wasted doing pointless practice and strategies for mental practice.

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Having delved into the depths of their bad performance experiences, it's only right that Alex and Helen now sit back and celebrate their good performance experiences! From enthralling operas to exciting concerts, Alex and Helen discuss what it is that made their top performance experiences unique.

In an industry where we're criticised at every turn, Alex and Helen encourage listeners to celebrate occasions where you feel you've given your best. As musicians we must be able to critique ourselves and recognise areas for improvement, but we also need to be able to congratulate ourselves and recognise our achievements.

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Alex and Helen delve in to the world of bad performance experiences, discussing concerts where they feel they haven't given their best, concerts where others have affected their performance experience, projects where they haven't felt comfortable in themselves, as well as that all important question of when is the best time to eat before a performance?!

Most importantly, they talk about how best to turn a negative performance experience in to something you can learn from. They find that it is often in their toughest performance experiences where they learn the most.

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Alex and Helen waste no time getting down to the nitty-gritty stuff. In this episode they chat about the impact of Coronavirus on their careers; what it feels like to practice at home, what they miss about live performance, how Coronavirus has forced them both to slow down and potential positives (if there can be such a thing!) that might come out of this seismic shift in the classical music industry.

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It's time to meet the team behind this brand new podcast series. Join Alex and Helen for this taster episode as they reveal who they are, how they know each other, and why they've made this podcast.

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Where's My Freaking Dressing Room?!: Recent Episodes

Alexander Simpson & Helen Daniels