I’ll admit it — as of Monday morning (June 29th), only four people had RSVP’d for the schmooze, and I was mentally rehearsing my “well, intimate gatherings have their charms” speech. Then, somewhere between the freeway and the restaurant, my phone started buzzing. By the time we sat down at Pitfire Pizza in Pasadena — … Read more
This was originally posted in our private Facebook group, but I’ve been asked to add it to the blog for general information. The following is inspired by that original post: If you’re new to singing the Jewish High Holy Days, there’s one thing you need to understand before you say yes to a gig: once … Read more
Church Hiring series, Post 2 Since the first post in this series went up, the response in our community has been immediate and pointed. Directors, singers, and more than a few people who are both have weighed in with observations that deserve to be part of this conversation. What follows draws on those voices — … Read more
After a long search, the Los Angeles Philharmonic has announced the successor to the wildly popular Gustavo Dudamel — British conductor Daniel Harding, who will take the helm in fall 2027. While this seems a fairly safe choice and contrary to the rumors that the next artistic director would be from another underrepresented group (buzzes … Read more
There are teachers and colleagues who will always tell fellow vocalists that a professional never works for free — and that position isn’t wrong, exactly, but it ignores semantics and situational details. “Never” doesn’t account for passion projects, learning opportunities, family culture (!), or judgment calls that don’t fit neatly into a rule. Every singer … Read more
Church Hiring series, Post 1 Over the past year, I’ve heard a version of the same sentence from multiple church music directors: “We’re having a much harder time filling paid section leader positions.” Not volunteer choir seats or children’s choir enrollment — those are perennial struggles for many congregations. They’re talking about searches for paid, … Read more
As an OperaWorks alumna myself, I’m sorry to see this announcement from Ann Baltz, but fully acknowledge the number of singers this organization has nurtured over the years, with innovative and multi-skilled instruction, unforgettable performances, and an overall experience that lasts a lifetime. Thanks to all of you that make OperaWorks a reality, and best … Read more
I’m a little late to the party on the Timothée Chalamet opera-dissing fracas, but as enraged as I have felt (intermittently), the truly fascinating part of the internet drama has been watching the response from various corners. In the end, there are lessons to be learned about talking about the arts, on both sides of … Read more
It’s February, which means the first High Holy Day inquiries have begun. Over the next few months, we’ll receive requests from congregations across Southern California looking for singers for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We don’t contract these services or take a fee — we simply connect temples with singers who are likely to be … Read more
If it feels like everyone you know is rethinking something right now—career, schedule, genre focus, income mix, long-term plans—you’re not imagining it. The world is shifting fast, and the arts always feel it early. For singers, that often shows up as questions like: Do I double down? Pivot? Add something new? Let something go? Let’s … Read more
