AS AN OVER-30 SINGER JUST STARTING OUT, WHAT ARE MY CHANCES OF HAVING A SINGING CAREER?
WHERE DO I BEGIN?

 

There are a lot of factors that go in to determining your chances of a career, not the least of which is just plain luck. The first step is to assess your goals. What kind of singing career do you want? Do you want to be a big star at the Met? Do you want to have a solid career singing in regional houses? Would you be happy singing in the chorus of a major opera house and doing solo work on the side? Do you want to do mostly local stuff and teach voice on the side? Depending on how developed you are technically, how good your package is, and your voice type, some of these goals might be more realistic than others. Define for yourself your ideal, and what you'd be happy to settle for.

 

The next step is to assess your current skill level and package. Just having some vocal training and a lot of nice feedback from teachers and coaches does not mean you are ready for the big time. Before you can begin any kind of career, you have to have a solid vocal technique. The older you are (and look), the harder it's going to be to get started if your technique is not absolutely ready to go. Over 30 is a little late to start. That doesn't mean it's too late, but it does mean that you have some catching up to do, and some of the traditional aides/paths to a singing career might not be open to you (more on that later). So, take a good hard look at yourself. How close are you to technical solidity? What other training do you have? How are your languages? How is your musicianship? Do you have any stage experience? Have you learned any full roles? What do you have to offer an opera company right now? Why should they hire you right now?

 

These are questions you must answer for yourself first, because your potential employers will be asking them, too. I strongly suggest going outside your regular circle of teachers, coaches, and supporters for this kind of assessment, especially if you've been beating down doors for a while without much success. You may need a fresh perspective on your strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes the people we work closely with are no longer objective enough to help us.

 

What voice type are you? If you're a soprano who sings soubrette roles, for instance, you've got a lot of younger, fresher competition who more closely fit the "type". On the other hand, if you are a rare voice type --- a dramatic soprano, a bass, a contralto, a dramatic tenor, or a Wagnerian anything --- that might be a different story. I have a basso friend who never took a lesson before age 40. He did have extensive instrumental training and he speaks several languages fluently. He also had a successful business to support himself and his family. He joined an opera chorus for a while, then got himself an agent and started doing small local gigs, which quickly became bigger local gigs, then not-so-local gigs. Then he moved to Germany and worked his way up from the smallest houses to the biggest, where he is a regular. So it's not impossible to start late --- but you need to have other skills in place to help you along.

 

You also have to look at your support system, financial and emotional. Do you have commitments that might limit your flexibility, such as a home with an expensive mortgage, a partner who wants you there day-to-day, children? Do you have some money put aside? How are you going to pay for this very expensive singing career? Singing is NOT a high-dollar career, unless you make it very, very big. Most aspiring singers have a day job to help them make it in between engagements. Will you be able to do this with your current commitments? Do you have a supportive family and friends? You'll need them. What about your significant other? You should know starting out that some of the traditional roads to a career, such as Young Artist's Programs and major competitions, may be closed to you as an older singer. Pay-to-sing programs would be available, but can be expensive. All this can take an emotional toll. Do you have the personal resources and support system to withstand this, and other, hardships?

 

I am not in any way trying to discourage anyone from seeking a singing career. Only you can decide what's right for you. No matter how hard you think it's going to be, I promise you it will be harder. That may not ultimately matter, if you're truly "called" to the singing lifestyle. But you have to do some soul-searching and some major research before you can make an informed decision.