AT TWENTY-THREE, THEY SAY I'M "TOO YOUNG" FOR A YAP -- BUT I 'M READY TO SING *SOMETHING*!

If you have done a number of auditions and have heard the same feedback from several people, not just one or two, you know you need to pay attention to the criticism. Always look for a consensus of opinion. It's impossible to make a "diagnosis" without hearing a singer, but for what it's worth, here's my two cents. While twenty-three is young as singers go, it certainly isn't too young to do an apprenticeship. In fact, many YAPs have multiple levels of participation, with a sort of junior level for people in or right out of college (generally you do chorus, cover comprimarios or leads, maybe get to sing a small role or a student production, and do lots of concerts and scenes programs). This leads me to wonder whether the YAPs you have sung for are really saying that you aren't quite developed enough as a singer to handle their programs, which can be very vigorous. Having studied roles is not the same as having performed them. I know, it's a Catch-22! Have you discussed the results of your auditions with your teacher and with the YAPs? If not too much time has passed, you could write a very nice, brief letter asking for feedback, specifically, why they think you are too young. Avoid being confrontational; thank them for their encouragement. But try to find out what it is they find lacking.

If you don't already have them, it's time to get some full role performances under your belt. Have you done any pay-to-sing programs which allow you to sing full roles? Perhaps that's where your focus should be. Application deadlines are usually in the fall and auditions are often in November-December-January for programs that start in the summer. Look at www.classicalsinger.com and www.operaam.org. In the event that you can't get into a reputable pay-to-sing (and you MUST research them carefully, as some are a rip-off), how about getting your singer pals together and presenting an opera showcase this summer? Find a coach and create your own pay-to-sing. Pick an opera YOU really want to do and put together a modest staged production; or a scenes program (do one act from each of three different operas --- gives everybody a chance to star).

The point is --- and this goes for singers who are past the YAP stage as well --- if you can't sing for pay, pay to sing, and if you can't pay to sing, make up your own "program"! Organize church recital series, opera scenes programs, and showcases. Put together a short version of an opera and tour nursing homes and schools. (See *How to Make Money Touring in Schools*, available through www.classicalsinger.com --- although I'm not sure how, since they don't list ordering information on their website). Audition for community theater musical productions. Form your OWN community theater. Organize benefit concerts for your favorite cause and get all the publicity you can. Get your experience in any way you can, and when you've got something on your resume, try to take the next step up. Even if you're not making money, you are adding to your experience and your resume, and this may help you land a paying engagement, or show you a new direction you'd never previously considered.