Posts

Being a well-rounded performer means you ought to have a perspective of the classical music scene beyond the world of opera. Subscribing to blog feeds such as Around the Classical Internet (part of the terrific Deceptive Cadence site at NPR Classical) and checking them regularly is an easy way to stay informed.

Heading to Europe for an opera competition or summer program? Worried that your Polish or Portuguese isn't up to par? There are lots of apps to help: one we particularly like is iTranslate, and it's free.

We are very excited to be hosting Florida Grand Opera - 2013-14 Young Artist Studio - Application for Singers and Coaches again. Please click through for more details.

This application will be used for both FWOpera Studio auditions and non-managed auditions.

Think you'd be great at leading an opera production but lack the funding? Fractured Atlas is a great resource that can help you hone your development skills; an upcoming session on fiscal sponsorship on June 13 might be just the ticket to get you in the producer's chair.

Lost a day over the holiday weekend and finding it hard to get back in the swing of things? Why not make a habit of being productive in a more structured approach? What does Jerry Seinfeld have to do with opera auditions or the practice room? We'll answer these questions and more in this week's Tools of the Trade.

Coming up on your membership expiration date and want to lower your renewal fee? YAP Tracker has always offered $5 referral credits and new membership discounts for anyone using our refer-a-friend system; we now also offer an easier way to notify your friends and colleagues about our service: Facebook.

You asked for it, we delivered: the iPhone app is ready!

Have a favorite app, blog or podcast specifically geared to opera singers you'd like to share? Send it along and we'll be happy to feature it in our new weekly segment, the Tools of the Trade. This week, we'll share a tool for improving your sight-singing.

On behalf of vocal accompanists everywhere, may your opera and vocal scores that you use for auditions remain sleeve, staple and unnecessary marking free.

If you aren't already reading the blog of Jennifer Rivera, you should. Her thoughtful pieces are a great benefit to our industry; we thank her for representing the thoughts and viewpoints of young, working singers everywhere.

As opera singers, we're faced with many external challenges that can compromise a performance: an iffy audition the day before, a sick co-worker, a musty theater, a dry environment, too little rest. Have you ever felt, though, that your technique has simply escaped you for no discernible reason?

Are you a company administrator of an opera company or training program? If you already have a full membership account with us, you can use that account to easily post audition and application opportunities without the need for a separate company account.

Although auditions for most conservatory or university-based training programs have passed for 2012, it is never too early to prepare for 2013. We spoke with Thor Eckert, Professional Development Coach at the very highly esteemed Academy of Vocal Arts (among many other laudable positions) about preparing for auditions at the conservatory level, getting the most out of your vocal training experience and preparing for a career in opera.

In our latest Finding your path interview, we reached out to one of our newer European members, Ingeborg Børch, to ask for her feedback on whether or not YAP Tracker is a useful resource to opera singers in Europe seeking mainstage auditions, programs and competitions.

To share some of the new features of our new hosting service, we are highlighting some of the singer's already using the service. Today we are looking at Sara Sabag's new site.

We recently launched a new version of our hosting service, and over the coming weeks, we'll be highlighting some of the new features by showcasing a website created by one of our members. Click through to see Zachary Wilder's new site.

We love to hear about the successes of our members and thought you would, too. Kisma Jordan, long time YAP Tracker member, was the 2011 winner of the A. Grace Lee Mims Vocal Scholarship. Haven't heard of it? Read more about it on the site.

A "moment" in an audition leads to an offer from Opera New Jersey; Marshall Rollings shares his summer plans and why he chose to apply.

We've just added a new feature to help companies who use our online application processing service. Check it out!

More and more companies of late are requesting video submissions as part of their screening process or in lieu of a live audition. We'll describe the options for uploading your videos in an FAQ.

With tax time approaching, we're adding a new feature to make it a little easier to prepare for taxes for the year.

Houston Grand Opera announces their new training program aimed at undergraduate applicants, the Young Artist Vocal Academy.

With so many opportunities listed on YAP Tracker, it can be difficult to weigh one program against all available options. One YAP Tracker member, Dabney Ross Jones, shares her decision to participate in the Salzburg Voice Festival program this summer.

Why you should consider attending Carnegie Hall's, "The Song Continues..." vocal masterclass sessions with Marilyn Horne, Renee Fleming and Graham Johnson starting January 16, 2012.

Aren't sure whether you need to confirm an audition? Know you need to confirm but aren't sure how? There's an FAQ for that.

Audition season have you tied in knots? Ann Rodiger, Master Alexander Technique Teacher and Director of the Balance Arts Center, shares her tips for performing optimally in the audition room.

Although YAP Tracker was designed as a service for singers, many of our members use it as a research tool for other related jobs in the field of opera. YAP Tracker contains a component where accompanists can list their availability to play for singer auditions and find out about vocal accompanying positions and competitions, and those on the production side have found it to be a great place to discover new organizations for their own career path.

Considering a training program as an option for the coming summer? Programs abound both in the US and abroad with a wide array of features, faculty and potential. How can one discern the good from the bad from the downright ugly? While many opportunities may offer a positive experience overall (where others don't), choosing the one that is right for any one singer at their particular career stage can be the key to a summer (and your dollars) well spent.

Although YAP Tracker is primarily geared to singers and pianists, a number of directors and conductors use the site as well to keep abreast of companies and information. They often will be asked to write recommendations or serve as references using our customized tools. Here is a post from Heidi Lauren Duke, director, choreographer, audition coach, and YAP Tracker member, about recommendations for singers.

Last week, we shared Part I of our conversation with Chuck Hudson, stage director and master teacher, which covered Chuck's coaching philosophy and tips for success in the audition room. In Part II, Chuck shares his thoughts on putting your best foot forward in performance; he also provides tremendous insight into how best to cultivate your network and sustain your relationships with potential future collaborators and employers.

For those who haven't had the opportunity to work with Chuck Hudson, the following interview gives a glimpse of why he is one of the most sought after coaches and directors around; he has an incredible gift in helping both emerging and established professionals bring their physical presentation to life, both in the audition room and in performance.