My So-Called Opera Life: Recent Episodes
Elise Mark & Marcelle McGuirk
Welcome to My So-Called Opera Life, a podcast for opera singers by opera singers, where we work to connect, inform, inspire and empower musicians at all levels and stages of their career.
Each episode, Elise and Marcelle will explore a piece of the never-ending puzzle of the so-called “opera life," through interviews with inspiring singers who are making the career work for them, as well as segments with practical information about how the business works, all to help you on your journey to success, which we believe should really mean HAPPINESS!
Our conversation on this episode kicks off talking about an essay from David Taylor’s ‘The Future of Classical Music’. In the essay, David asks why the CEOs/heads of classical music organizations aren’t visible the way CEOs are in the business world?
It’s a provocative question that kicks off a conversation between Elise and Marcelle about fear. We often see fear leading the way at every level of our industry, which directly impacts visibility, for artists, administrators, and organizations.
How do we work with the very real fears we often face, and move forward despite them? One tactic that has helped Elise and Marcelle is finding their “Why?”, which can be a challenging journey in and of itself.
Connection, gratitude, and hope for the future of our art form is the “why” that guides our podcast and we are so grateful to close out season 4 with this important conversation!
Many thanks go out to our Season 4 sponsors:
EM2Connect - em2CONNECT is a small creative facilitation practice made up of the high-energy and ideas-driven duo of Emily Martin and Elizabeth McDonald. They specialize in rebranding, repositioning, and promoting flexible thinking around creative careers. Their work is centered on THE PROCESS - a collaborative support program where creatives (re)define their creative philosophy as a foundation for strategic career thinking.
Stagetime - Stagetime is the professional hub for the performing arts and is a growing community of 4,000+ opera singers and classical musicians, arts administrators, agents, production staff, and beyond. Set up a launch-ready portfolio in under 10 minutes -- a growing list of over 100 arts organizations accepts a Stagetime profile in lieu of a website URL. Unlike a static website, Stagetime allows you to connect with collaborators, showcase your skills, source (or be sourced as) the right talent, and center your creative practice. The arts industry is waiting for you on Stagetime!
The Sparkle Twins - We are thrilled to have The Sparkle Twins as continuing sponsors for season FOUR. Cherisse and Cherissia Williams are Identical twin sopranos from Brooklyn, NY. Their custom face masks for singers are BACK IN STOCK, so be sure to order one today, and stay healthy in style! To check out their full line of products, visit www.sopranotwins.com/shop and follow them on socials @thesparkletwins !!
And to our affiliates:
The Opera Dolls - Opera Dolls are plush dolls that sing opera when you squeeze their bellies! If you’re tired of hearing wheels on the bus on repeat during this time at home, bring culture to your living room or online classroom and snag yourself an opera doll! Use the code OPERALIFE20 for 20% your order!
Singing Straw - The Singing Straw is an eco-friendly, helpful tool for your practice sessions. Use the code mysocalledoperalife10 for 10% off your order and to support the podcast!
If you’d like to support the podcast, join our Patreon, Buy Us a Coffee, and follow us on Instagram!
Comments, suggestions, or have a story to share? Reach out at info@mysocalledoperalife.com We’d love to hear from you!
Music from this episode:
Basic Implosion and Too Cool by Kevin MacLeodLink: incompetech.comLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My So-Called Opera Life is produced and hosted by Elise Mark and Marcelle McGuirk and is edited by Joshua Wise.
Our conversation on this episode kicks off talking about an essay from David Taylor’s ‘The Future of Classical Music’. In the essay, David asks why the CEOs/heads of classical music organizations aren’t visible the way CEOs are in the business world?
It’s a provocative question that kicks off a conversation between Elise and Marcelle about fear. We often see fear leading the way at every level of our industry, which directly impacts visibility, for artists, administrators, and organizations.
How do we work with the very real fears we often face, and move forward despite them? One tactic that has helped Elise and Marcelle is finding their “Why?”, which can be a challenging journey in and of itself.
Connection, gratitude, and hope for the future of our art form is the “why” that guides our podcast and we are so grateful to close out season 4 with this important conversation!
Many thanks go out to our Season 4 sponsors:
EM2Connect - em2CONNECT is a small creative facilitation practice made up of the high-energy and ideas-driven duo of Emily Martin and Elizabeth McDonald. They specialize in rebranding, repositioning, and promoting flexible thinking around creative careers. Their work is centered on THE PROCESS - a collaborative support program where creatives (re)define their creative philosophy as a foundation for strategic career thinking.
Stagetime - Stagetime is the professional hub for the performing arts and is a growing community of 4,000+ opera singers and classical musicians, arts administrators, agents, production staff, and beyond. Set up a launch-ready portfolio in under 10 minutes -- a growing list of over 100 arts organizations accepts a Stagetime profile in lieu of a website URL. Unlike a static website, Stagetime allows you to connect with collaborators, showcase your skills, source (or be sourced as) the right talent, and center your creative practice. The arts industry is waiting for you on Stagetime!
The Sparkle Twins - We are thrilled to have The Sparkle Twins as continuing sponsors for season FOUR. Cherisse and Cherissia Williams are Identical twin sopranos from Brooklyn, NY. Their custom face masks for singers are BACK IN STOCK, so be sure to order one today, and stay healthy in style! To check out their full line of products, visit www.sopranotwins.com/shop and follow them on socials @thesparkletwins !!
And to our affiliates:
The Opera Dolls - Opera Dolls are plush dolls that sing opera when you squeeze their bellies! If you’re tired of hearing wheels on the bus on repeat during this time at home, bring culture to your living room or online classroom and snag yourself an opera doll! Use the code OPERALIFE20 for 20% your order!
Singing Straw - The Singing Straw is an eco-friendly, helpful tool for your practice sessions. Use the code mysocalledoperalife10 for 10% off your order and to support the podcast!
If you’d like to support the podcast, join our Patreon, Buy Us a Coffee, and follow us on Instagram!
Comments, suggestions, or have a story to share? Reach out at info@mysocalledoperalife.com We’d love to hear from you!
Music from this episode:
Basic Implosion and Too Cool by Kevin MacLeodLink: incompetech.comLicense: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
My So-Called Opera Life is produced and hosted by Elise Mark and Marcelle McGuirk and is edited by Joshua Wise.
Young opera singers are often advised to “make your own opportunities,” especially while getting their careers established. But what does that actually mean and how do you do that? Elise and Marcelle talk about the importance that collaborations have had in their paths so far, get into the nitty gritty of how they made their...
We’re so happy to welcome soprano Katrina Thurman (she/her/hers) to the podcast! Katrina is a fellow Philly-based opera singer and the founder and artistic director of one of Philadelphia’s newest arts organizations East Passyunk Opera Project (ePOP)! Katrina gives us a peek into her multi-passionate and multi-faceted life as a producer, opera singer, and arts...
Susan Eichhorn Young (she/her) joins us on the podcast today for an incredible conversation about developing the voice! A versatile singer, speaker, and teacher, Susan talks with us about the importance of collaboration between a voice student and their teacher(s), and how she strives to build a space of discovery and empowerment for her students. ...
Elise and Marcelle share the mic today to discuss a recent BBC Article, ‘Gen Z and young millennials’ surprising new obsession’. Spoiler alert: it’s classical music! 🥳 The real surprise is the vehicle supporting this “new obsession”: social media platforms. We take a deep dive on today’s episode into the article’s revelations and share our...
We are so excited to welcome fellow singer and voice-over artist, Nadia Marshall (she/her/hers), to the podcast! Nadia recounts for us how voice acting went from being a simple suggestion from a colleague into being a correlating career. Her story is full of practical advice on how to get started, and her commitment to creating...
Episode 33: Elly Kace’s Intentional Flexibility While Building A Label Defying Career Today’s episode features a thought-provoking and heart-opening conversation with Elly Kace. Elly is an opera singer, meditation practitioner, sound healer, and co-founder of Frisson Films. During the pandemic, she began to re-explore her earlier interest in composition and songwriting, which led to her...
We are psyched to share this conversation with Kerriann Otaño (she/her/hers), who self-describes as a ‘Former opera singer. Eternal opera hype girl.’ In addition to always sporting immaculate nails, Kerriann is working hard to change the vibe in opera. She envisions an industry where our humanness is welcome in the rehearsal room, where community engagement...
You asked for more of us chatting on the podcast and we listened! Marcelle and Elise share some updates about what they’ve been up to since we wrapped on Season 3 and also give their takes on the current news in the opera world. They talk about: Learn more about Marcelle’s work here and here,...
Season Four! Let’s Gooooooo! We’re back and so excited to kick off the new season with Jennie Moser, the creative mind behind Stagetime! As a singer herself, Jennie was often frustrated with how networking tools like LinkedIn don’t quite serve a freelancer’s needs, and saw how her colleagues struggled with their DIY websites. Having a...
Today we welcome a very special guest to the podcast: Erin Nicole Donahue, BM, MA, CCC-SLP, Voice Pathologist & Singing Voice Specialist. Erin is a voice pathologist and singing voice specialist at the Blaine Block Institute for Voice Analysis and Rehabilitation (BBIVAR – in Dayton, OH) and the Professional Voice Center of Greater Cincinnati (ProVoice...
We are so thrilled to welcome two amazing creators to the podcast today! They are incredible artists in their own right, but also make a dream composer/librettist team! Bea Goodwin is a librettist and director, and Felix Jarrar is a pianist and a very prolific composer. They both wear many hats as producers, coaches… you...
We are so glad to continue our third season with this incredible conversation with Daniel Welch of Ideodyssey, New Classical Artist Management (NCAM) and the Opera Biz Podcast. Daniel is a multi-passionate mover and shaker in the opera industry, who is looking to marry modern marketing techniques to the opera biz! He shares his story...
Hello podcast listeners! Here’s a quick update from us about the short hiatus that we are on at the moment. Marcelle needs to go in for some vocal surgery which will prevent us from recording for a short while. In the update, she fills us in on how she’s feeling and what’s going on, and...
We are honored to welcome Veronica Chapman-Smith to the podcast today! Veronica is a Philly-based singer, who is a member of the Opera Philadelphia chorus and is also their Vice President of Community Initiatives. Veronica shares with us her thoughts on what building an equitable future in opera might look like. (Please note: Veronica joins...
We are SO delighted to share our interview with directors Brandon McShaffrey (he/they) and Rose Freeman (zie/zir)! Brandon and Rose share their thoughts with us about all things acting and stagecraft: What it means to be a Citizen Artist How to cultivate an intentional and brave rehearsal space Why it’s important to be a self-advocate...
We are so excited for today’s conversation with Patricia Westley and Joseph Lattanzi of OSSIA! Patricia and Joseph are two of the founding members of OSSIA: Op[era] Culture, a new media production company, consulting firm, and think tank committed to providing an alternate way to enjoy opera. They talk with us about how OSSIA is...
CW: there is mention of abuse/sexual assault in this episode. On today’s episode, we are thrilled to welcome bass Zachary James to the podcast! Zach is living the epitome of a multi-faceted career, with credits that include singing at the Metropolitan Opera and on Broadway, acting for film and television, as well as self-producing a...
We are so delighted to have one of our favorite podcasters on today’s episode – Tracy Friedlander of Crushing Classical! Tracy shares her amazing story with us: how she started her podcast to learn more about the musicians she saw forging their own way in the classical music world, how interviewing them helped her to...
Today we are so excited to welcome onto the show two incredible women making change happen in the opera industry- Adrienne Boris and Théodora Cottarel from Helios Opera! Théodora and Adrienne are co-founders of Helios Opera along with Julien Rohel and Rebecca Miller. They founded Helios Opera on the foundation of three core values- artist...
We are so excited to kick off Season 3 with an interview with the incredible Jordan Weatherston Pitts! Jordan is a tenor and the creator of the Young Artist Community Tracker or YAC Tracker. He started the community in 2018, and it’s current iteration on Facebook now has over 3,000 members. Jordan is a passionate...
In the Season 2 Finale, Elise and Marcelle reflect on the twists and turns of creating a podcast during a global pandemic. They share how working on this season has changed their thoughts on the industry, helped them to more clearly find their voices, and reaffirmed their commitment to advocating for all singers. Finally, they...
Branding. We’re all supposed to do it, especially with our work being pushed mostly into the digital realm. 💻 Many of us don’t know how to create a brand. Many of us hate the idea of it because it feels fake or pushy or too “sales-y.” Others, however, seem to find that perfect balance of...
“Opera singers need a better (or a new) union.” It’s a phrase that we know we’ve heard — or let’s be real, said ourselves– many times over the course of countless conversations about what’s f-ed up in our industry. Insufficient (or no) wages.Unsafe or unhealthy work environments.Exploitative and abusive practices.No health care. Those are just...
Elise and Marcelle are back on their own this week, and the TEA IS HOT. ☕️ As an industry, we’re facing a delayed audition season, and one that looks like it may be mostly virtual as per the Houston Grand Opera audition announcement (NOTE: in the episode, we incorrectly refer to this as a post...
Today we begin a new mini-series on the podcast, Opera Diaries, in which we will share first-person accounts from individual artists about their journeys, both professional and personal, in the operatic industry. Our first story comes from soprano Chantal Freeman, who shares with us her path as it relates to validation. Validation is a tricky...
🏳️🌈 Happy Pride! 🏳️🌈 On today’s show we sit down with the fabulous baritone Matthew Maisano to talk about his parallel career as the enchanting drag queen known as Balena Canto. During quarantine, Matthew and Balena have been incredibly active, exploring different ways to produce online concerts, contests, and drag shows. He shares with us...
“Do you have a manager yet?” In opera, we’re often led to believe that management is the Holy Grail, the sign that you’ve “made it” as a singer. Yet, we’re all mystified by the process: How do you get a manager? What does a manager do? How do you know when you’re ready for management?...
As quarantine drags on, we’re faced with a lot of questions as artists and as people: What do I do now that my work is on hold? Who am I when my daily patterns are interrupted? How do I navigate relationships when anxious and stressed out? We are joined by Dr. Glenn Doyle, a licensed...
On today’s show we talk to conductor Anthony Barrese, who is the artistic director at Opera Southwest and the music director at OperaDelaware. From the other side of the orchestra pit, he shares his thoughts with us on application fees, audition strategies for singers, and why he sometimes only accepts baked goods as payment for...
Season two begins NOW and we’re hot off the presses in our first episode, talking to Zach Finkelstein, a tenor, a research analyst, and the independent journalist behind the Middle Class Artist blog. He is passionate about arts advocacy for singers, and he’s been on the frontline of reporting just how the COVID-19 pandemic is...
10 days later…. And all sense of time has evaporated. 🤔 We check back in with each other after Philadelphia’s “stay-at-home” protocol goes into effect to talk about how things have changed professionally, personally, and emotionally. We also announce the release of the first episode of Season 2: April 10th! 🎉 We talk about how...
We’re back and podcasting in the time of COVID! First up on this bonus episode, we share some updates for the podcast! Most importantly, Season 2 is COMING SOON! We’re so excited to be recording again and we can’t wait to share the new episodes with you all. A release date for our first episode...
To celebrate the completion of our first season, we invited some opera singer friends to join us for drinks and conversation around some of this season’s topics. We were curious to hear other viewpoints on the opera business and to have a little fun, too! We dig back into rejection, application fees, creating community, and...
On today’s show we interview Jessica Fishenfeld, a soprano who isn’t afraid to make things happen! In addition to building her career in opera, she has a branded parallel career in personal training — JecaFit — where she helps clients to discover and achieve their own health and fitness goals. If that wasn’t enough, she...
Day Job. Parallel Career. Side Hustle. As creatives, we’ve all heard about them and probably have had one (or many). However, we can often be made to feel like we’re not serious about our art if we have to take a day job. A successful singer should be able to make a living only with...
Sometimes our dreams can seem impossible to achieve. Sometimes we’re working hard to achieve them and we’re still feeling like we’re just running in place. So, how do we get off the treadmill and actually join the race? We pull back the curtain in today’s episode and reveal the nitty-gritty of our daily routines. Prepare...
Not ones to feel defeated by rejection, Marcelle and Elise have a candid conversation about the problems with the current YAP application process and share their ideas for how it can be revised. Opera America’s Guide to Choosing a YAP Are you someone on the other side of the table (admin, artistic director, etc.)? We’d...
Audition season can be an exciting time of year, but it also comes with a lot of rejection. And let’s face it, while rejection in any form sucks, somehow form-letter rejections (aka PFOs) double suck. 😩 So let’s get down and dirty about REJECTION: (00:50) What is a PFO anyway? (02:25) The many forms of...
Kristen Seikaly is a blogger, content writer, and creative writer. She also happens to be an ex-opera singer. She’s got a MM from Westminster Choir College in Voice Performance and Pedagogy and has performed in venues such as the Kimmel Center and Academy of Music, and has participated in operatic productions with companies such as...
The hardest part of audition season can be making those pesky pre-screening recordings! How good does the audio have to be? Do they need to see my shoes? Should I spend hundreds of dollars on them? Short answers: good enough that it sounds like you; yes, if they’re fab; and NO. On this episode, we...
On today’s episode we chat with the amazing Eugenia Forteza! In addition to being a fabulous soprano, Eugenia runs 360 of Opera, a blog where she highlights the many facets of the opera world. She’s passionate about sharing her love of the art form, but also works to prioritize her own artistic voice and dreams....
Audition season is gearing up and application deadlines are fast approaching! On today’s episode we chat about how we sift through the mounds (a literal f*ckton, amirite?) of audition notices on YAP Tracker and find the opportunities that are right for us. Mostly, we geek out over the spreadsheets we use to collect audition data...
On today’s episode we talk about a blog post on the Wolf Trap Opera website that addressed what singers “should” wear to an audition. It caused quite a stir in the opera community recently, though the post was a few years old. We, too, had some strong reactions to the post and discuss the problems...
Welcome to the My So-called Opera Life Podcast! In today’s episode, meet our hosts, Elise and Marcelle, and learn a little about all the operatic realness to come in future episodes! They talk about their musical backgrounds and their hopes to build a supportive community for opera singers!