On Habits, Breakthroughs, Practice, and Consciousness...

Pep talk time...

I see this happen all the time in the studio: we see a problem, identify a plan to fix it, consciously try something different, a breakthrough happens, and a moment of clarity is experienced. Victory! For the singer working to improve their technical abilities, it's a truly joyful experience - a window into a realm of greater possibilities... What follows the breakthrough is the really important stuff! It can either turn that breakthrough into something useful, or send it into a pit of self doubt.

What if we take a step back, and see the breakthrough as just the seed of a new habit or skill? We can frame the breakthrough not as a destination, but as a trail marker on the journey through your process. That seed takes conscious care, implementation, and practice to cultivate it into something useful and durable. Doing the work "behind the scenes", when nobody is watching, is vital to building consciousness and confidence with your new tools. You can observe and control what you do very clearly in your own laboratory/studio/workshop, and bring your findings into practice at your next lesson, rehearsal, performance, etc.

An unpracticed breakthrough can build into its own struggle, and has the added dimension of shame attached to it - since the person not practicing the breakthrough is at fault for their own lack of progress. That shame element makes the breakthrough itself seem more and more distant and unattainable the longer it is unpracticed.

Change is possible, though! It doesn't have to be overwhelming. Achieving your goals requires building and nurturing of good habits. This is done over time, in small and manageable ways.

Let me break it down for you...

Relying on a useless habit/Unconsciousness = No progress.

Identifying a useful solution, and consciously implementing it = Breakthrough.

Conscious work/practice/cultivation = Building a new, useful habit.

This concept fits in so many other areas: fitness, communication, productivity, relationships, and so on... It seems so obvious, yet it's saddening to see how little this positive consciousness is used. Most of us truly ARE creatures of habit. Why not build and nurture good habits? Sure it'll take some work, but that's where the magic happens.

Here's to cultivating new habits, and being empowered toward your goals!

ZG

Leave Beyoncé alone...

I want to elaborate on a facebook post I made this morning:

"Dear everybody, 

LEAVE BEYONCE ALONE! It's funny to me that some people are so flustered about a "RECORDING ARTIST" using a RECORDING for a performance... If you wanted a fully LIVE sung performance, you'd ask for a singer who does THAT for a living - fully LIVE singing. Not a singer who primarily does recordings, and mega-arena concerts with the help of a backing track (of her own voice) that the artist may or may not be singing along with. Apples and oranges, people. Feel free to discuss..."

Which leads me to the point... Why are so many of us upset by this? 

The pop music industry: American Idol, mega-concert tours, recordings, merch... It's based on recorded material and edited image - not live vocal performance. I'm a little torn, to be honest, as I chime-in to point out a subtle hypocrisy... On one hand, I'm an acoustic singer - always 100% live and never 100% perfect - I live for singing to be human and touch my listeners in real-time. On the other hand, I like other kinds of music and other kinds of musicians. Here's where it gets tricky: when people don't understand what they're seeing/hearing and react in a negative way. 

I think it's ridiculous that anyone would pay hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars to go see a pop star in an arena, somehow thinking all they are going to be hearing is the real-time voice of the artist they worship, a live band, get a lights/dance/multimedia extravaganza, AND NOT KNOW WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY SEEING. Ahem..., but you didn't buy an album of a live singer with a live band. You bought something that was produced and processed in a studio through computers. I say again, you're not buying a live singing experience - you're buying an incredible super-processed work of technological art. To be clear, I have immense respect for these artists, who work non-stop on their shows, their publicity, their careers, etc. They entertain the masses, and are important benchmarks of our modern culture. 

So, the fact remains, there's a difference between a singer that primarily performs LIVE (unamplified is yet another tier of this kind of singer), and a singer that primarily RECORDS. That doesn't mean the artist can't sing live, but doesn't spend the majority of their life cultivating the technique and the distinctive psychology to support the act of live vocal performance. Different products: apples, and oranges.

When you see a recording artist lip-sync, please don't act all stunned or self-righteous. If what you really want is a live singing experience, ask for it, and get it!

End of rant. 

Be good to each other. 
Z 

Happy New Year!!

SENDING LOVE AND GOOD WISHES - ALL AROUND!!!

Ten Healthy Changes Every Singer Should Make NOW!

Me and Shawnette Sulker, soprano - candid snapshot after a performance of Dido and Aeneas.

Yeah, I’m talking to YOU… I wanted to chime-in with ten easy ways we can positively affect our bodies and voices. Here you go!

1. HYDRATE! Cultivate a drinking habit…

No, sorry, vodka doesn’t count… Our bodies require WATER to transport nutrients, keep our cells happy, eliminate toxins, regenerate, and keep our vocal tissues flexible and supple. I’m constantly shocked to find how poor some people’s water intake can be... Muscle soreness, headaches, tight chords, lethargy and so many other problems can have links to dehydration. The old rule of “eight glasses a day” simply isn’t enough for most people. I tend to go through 4 or more liters of water per day. Drinking more water also helps curb junk food cravings, and keeps you from passing out on hot days or during strenuous workouts. Carry a bottle with you as often as possible, empty it into your mouth often, and keep it refilled.

2. DO CARDIO! Happy heart = happy voice…

Cardio is short for cardiovascular exercise – which is essentially: getting your heart rate up with moderate exertion, requiring you to cycle more air into/out of your body, making your heart work at a higher rate. The benefits of adding some cardio to your life definitely trump the list of reasons to sit on a couch and watch American Idol outtakes, and it’s not just about burning fat… Other benefits include: reducing stress, improving sleep patterns, increasing bone density, strengthening your immune system, slowing the aging process, reducing the risk of heart disease, and MANY MORE! 20 to 40 minutes of moderate intensity cardio exercise, done 3-5 times a week is a great way to start.

3. RESISTANCE TRAINING! Strong is the new skinny…

Starting a resistance training program (yes, that means weights!), or adding resistance training to your existing fitness routine is a great way to increase stamina, gain strength, keep/get your body toned, and generally improve your mood and outlook on life. Ladies, you simply WILL NOT look like one of the Jersey Shore boys by adding moderate resistance training to your life. I promise! Guys, I’m sure there isn’t a stage director in the world that would fault you for cultivating a stronger physique. I’m pretty tired of hearing voice teachers talking about how lifting weights damages your ability to sing beautifully… and usually these are people who have never seen a dumbbell in real life. Learn to breathe in the context of the lifting process – just the same as you would on a phrase. I’ll dig into this topic on another article, but suffice it to say that the benefits of resistance training are greater than the risks.

4. STOP YELLING! Save it for the paying customers, baby doll…

I think most of us are guilty of using our instruments in damaging ways. Going to loud restaurants, nightclubs, parties, amplified concerts, shouting across the gym, and the list goes on… While there’s something magical about going on that first date at a trendy restaurant where you have to shout to have a conversation - only to wake up the next day with gravel in your throat – we should really try to preserve the instrument we strive so hard to cultivate and invest our time, money and energy into. I’m not saying stay in and live a silent life, but when you go out for a night on the town try to stay conscious of how and where you spend your vocal capital. Your voice will thank you. 

5. MEDITATE! Sit still, breathe, and be…

I’m not saying we all need to assume a contortionist’s pose, drink a shot of wheat grass, and be hell-bent on achieving enlightenment… but setting aside some time each day (or each week) to clear your mind and organize your focus is always a good idea. In addition to the act of adding calm and quiet to your life, I suggest you choose topics to focus on in your meditation. Whether it’s a mantra like “I will open my self up to my breath”, or drawing an “Angel Card” with a word like “Gratitude”, setting a focus for your meditation time is a great way to commit to the ritual. It also serves to clear your mind and heart of all the extra junk that tends to get in the way of our progress, purpose, and confidence.

6. READ LABELS! You are what you eat…

As singers we ARE instruments. No matter how you rationalize the things you eat, there is a direct correlation between how you feed your body and how useful it can be. Cultivating the habit of reading the labels on whatever food you buy (yes, actually read it before you put it into your grocery cart!) is a great way to look out for your health. Educate yourself on what is healthy and what is harmful. If something is made primarily of sugar, hydrogenated oils, or there are a ton of words that only a chemist can pronounce, you should leave it on the shelf. The simple act of consciousness around what your food is MADE OF will have dramatic positive effects on your health and your life.   

7. TAKE A PILL! Vitamin and mineral supplements for increased health…

I am pretty sure that none of us get ALL the nutrition our bodies need solely from the food we eat. Even if you’re paying close attention to fulfilling your daily nutritional requirements, eating several times a day, and planning meals that are nutritionally dense, you’re pretty much assured to miss the mark without some additional supplementation. This is especially true if you’re following steps 2 and 3, above. By adding something as simple as a specialized multi-vitamin, the effects on your immune system, mood, and overall wellness will surprise you. Read up, talk to your doctor or nutritionist, and start popping pills!

8. LESS SUGAR! MORE PROTEIN! Out with the fluff…

As singers we are often in our higher mind, discussing interpretation, nuance, drama, and where to get the strongest drinks for the fewest dollars… But remember, we are just animals made of muscle. This muscle tissue helps us get around on stage, supports our superhuman breath, and helps to keep your understudy in check! By monitoring your protein intake, and aiming for 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (adjust this number to reflect a good lean body weight if you are on a quest to loose more than 50 pounds), you will be helping your body repair from stress, workouts, and you’ll be building precious muscle tissue. Sugary snacks and drinks provide lots of calories, but none of the sustaining nutrition you need to sing Lucia’s mad scene, or any Handel role…  Pack food to bring with you on your day’s journey, especially when you aren’t sure you have access to healthy options. Things like tuna packets, a baked chicken breast (keep it cold!), protein bars with reduced sugar, and even vegetarian/vegan protein items if you follow one of those diets, are incredibly useful to have on hand. You’ll start to crave less junk, have more energy, and get more done with fewer diva fits. Your family, colleagues, and stage directors will thank you.  

9. MAKE LISTS! Write it down and get it done…

Grocery lists: plan it before you make an unhealthy impulse purchase in the candy aisle. If you stick to planning ahead and only buy what’s on the list, you’ll be less inclined to put junk food in your mouth.

Career administration lists: auditions, contacts, repertoire to buy/download/learn, competitions, etc. learn to incorporate these lists into a CALENDAR. Yes, I said it… You’ll forget deadlines unless you set up the ritual of using a calendar. That means putting stuff IN the calendar - even reminders - and checking it DAILY! It’s my morning ritual, along with answering emails.

One helpful hint I got from an incredible person: “don’t WAIT to take care of something you can do right NOW!” See how you can incorporate that concept into your daily life and business routine. Great things will happen…

10. FOCUS! Nobody is going to do it for you…

It’s your career, and your life. Show up for yourself, and see that your needs are met so you can be a happy and healthy colleague. Success is found in accomplishment – so concentrate your efforts and GET IT DONE!!

Here’s to your success!! ZG

SINGERS and MANAGEMENT: What you need to know...

I've lately found myself listening to all sides of the management/artist relationship conversation, and one phrase keeps coming up. I feel compelled to share some thoughts about this phrase from my perspective:  an artist who is managed by a capable team, business savvy, has been involved in administration and leadership on the regional opera level, and has served as an artists representative for other singers.

Singer: "I have an agent, but they don't do anything for me..."

I hear this complaint on a pretty regular basis. I'm sympathetic to the position of a singer who may have spent many years in Conservatory or University, training and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars for the privilege. I understand all the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into molding and polishing a great artistic package. I understand the complications of the singer's ego... What I don't understand is why so many singers feel that management is like a magical pill you take to give you an instant high-profile career. I blame (among other things) schools that hire voice teachers, who students are taught to idolize and utterly depend on, that never had the experience of a modern-day career and all the work and responsibility it brings. The fact is, the industry has had a huge shift, and what was normal 15 or 20 years ago is just not the way business is done. This just won't do.


The reality is that as a singer, you are CEO of your company. You make all the final decisions for your financial well-being, artistic development, branding, engagements you accept (should you be so lucky to have offers), network you build, etc. It is not the job of management to hand you a crown on a silver platter - as romantic (or appropriate) as that sounds... If you want something you have to learn about it, enlist the help of others, and make it happen! As a professional singer, you really are running a business.

The singer is responsible for supplementing the Manager's contacts and relationships with new ones. If you want to work, you have to make sure that people know who you are - in addition to having something special that is worth showcasing. Sitting at home and waiting for the phone to ring, or an email to come in, is a nowhere road! So much of the entertainment industry, and opera in particular, is rooted in personal relationships. Artists can be tricky folks to deal with, so artistic administrators, general directors, conductors, etc. are interested in how you interact with your colleagues, how you present to donors/patrons, how you engage your personal network/fan base to help publicize performances, etc... Being a high-profile singer is not about wearing Gucci and Chanel, big diamonds, big sunglasses, photo shoots, interviews, etc... (I know - I shouldn't talk...). It's a much more gritty - get your hands dirty - job these days. It's a result of the audience expecting connection to artists (one reason I think tabloids are so successful...), and of companies needing to be innovative and engaging JUST to survive financially.

I'm always surprised when an administrator for an orchestra or opera company I'm singing with will approach me and thank me for all the work I do on social media (facebook, twitter, blogging, etc...) to help bring an audience. I firmly believe that it is MY job to tell the people what is going on in their community, and to let my friends, colleagues, and fans know what I am doing, and that I want them to be a part of that experience. It is the artist's job to have interface with his/her community, just as much as it is to bring 150% to every rehearsal and performance. The more noise you make, and the more you create contact with your fan base, management, artistic organizations, etc., the more people will think of you when it is time to cast an opera or concert.

To bring it all home: building a successful career is much more likely if you work hard - as if you were self-managing - but stay in a constant conversation with your management, your contacts, your fans, and your whole network. THEN, you have to save some room for study, vocal work, and always presenting your craft in the best possible way. Not a job for the over-entitled, or the faint of heart... That's why so many great voices fall off the map. It's not just about singing anymore! So, tweet, blog, share, post, and ENGAGE your public and the people who are going to hire you!!

Taking the reigns on your career is the surest way to a successful journey.

Wishing you love and luck!!!
ZG

Leap Day Update!!

It's been too long... again!

Working backwards... I was just in Sacramento Opera's final production of the season (I'm 3 for 3 productions in the company's bounce-back year!), singing Count Monterone in Verdi's RIGOLETTO. What a great cast, lead by David Small (Rigoletto), Katrina Thurman (Gilda), Scott Ramsay (the Duke), and directed by the incomparable Chuck Hudson. It's always a great thing to spend time in such close quarters with your colleagues, doing great work with great artists, telling stories, learning about each other's lives, sharing many laughs, feeling supported after getting a drink thrown on you by a random drunk guy at the hotel bar... The sad part happens when it's all over, and we go back to our respective homes, or to the next gig. This opera community is a small world, so I'm sure we'll cross paths again soon, but it's still a bit sad to part ways. Just another occupational hazard...

Here are a couple shots from the production

While in Sacramento, I was asked to give a workshop on vocal technique to the Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus. It was a thrill to impart some new insights to the group, and to get to work with them as a conductor for a while. Making music in a choral setting - with many voices blending into one mass of sound - is something I haven't been part of for a long time. I'm excited that I'll have more opportunities to work with this fine group in the future!

Before that... I had the most EPIC concert experience! CARMINA BURANA with the combined forces of the Oakland East Bay Symphony, Oakland Youth Orchestra, Oakland Symphony Chorus, and Oakland Youth Chorus. Soloists were yours truly, Carrie Hennessey (Soprano), and Brian Thorsett (Tenor). Michael Morgan, Bryan Nies, and Lynne Morrow shared the helm for this grand celebration - the merging of the two symphonies and chorus as "East Bay Performing Arts". Here's a photo, which couldn't contain everyone on stage...

And another, with Maestro Bryan Nies, and Soprano Carrie Hennessey at the reception.

On to the next!! Lots of things are in the works... and it's turning into an exciting year ahead! BIG THANKS to my wonderful team at Cadenza Artists for all the love, energy, and support they put into my career!! Stay tuned for more news...

Z

PAGLIACCI at Sacramento Opera. An Opera Company Re-born!

It's day two of being home from a glorious production of Pagliacci, announcing the revival of Sacramento Opera. Being part of such a strong cast was a real treat, but we all had the added energy and resolve of making a real impact with our work. This Pagliacci was the first staged production by this wonderful company since it had to suspend operations last year - another casualty of the depressed economy. The end result was a performance (overseen by Rod Gideons, shaped by stage director David Bartholomew and conductor Michael Morgan with the Sacramento Philharmonic) which was a truly vital, human, and engaging experience.

All this, with the curve-ball of losing our Canio (Roy Cornelius Smith, who is a consummate artist and a generous colleague) to a dream job doing the same role at Royal Danish Opera - while only a couple days into rehearsals. We wished Roy farewell, and had the good fortune of Eduardo Villa stepping in for him, and just enough time (9 days) to re-build the incredible bond that the cast had with Roy. Everyone: cast, chorus, crew, really pulled together like a tightly knit tribe. A clear indicator that our "tribe" has a deeper purpose. Seeing this happen around me, and being such an integral part of it was truly awe-inspiring. 

Among the rest of the cast was the singular Shana Blake Hill, as Nedda. It was such a joy to hear her sing, to act with her, watch her process, and to bond as cast mates and as dear friends. Side note: I have been so lucky to have such great leading lady counterparts, and have kept in touch and made true friends of all of them!    It was really comforting and invigorating to be in the company of colleagues that truly cared for their craft, and gave of themselves so completely to the work. Igor Vieira, our Tonio, was another shining example of that. His character gestures were so completely integrated (even in rehearsal!) that he would need to spend time stretching and doing physical therapy so the contortions wouldn't actually injure him. Then there was Daniel Ebbers, who was so definitive (and imparted great vocal beauty) in his Beppe that I really can't imagine anyone else doing that role. 

The audience was another triumph: people from many different ages and backgrounds, and many first time opera goers. This form of expression really does cross all boundaries, and can speak to everyone. 

So I, at once humbled and energized, now turn my thoughts to the next phase... Auditions and meetings in NYC, as part of the annual "audition season" AKA: singer's meat market... or slaughter house - depending on who you ask. Many exciting projects are in the works, which I'll let you all know about very soon!

Tre stelle: Eduardo Villa (Canio), Shana Blake Hill (Nedda), Zachary Gordin (Silvio).