Blogging from the train – when friends are generous.

This weekend, I had the pleasure of attending a concert made possible by a grant that the Media Theatre received (theatres can only apply every 2 years) in order to put on a concert to feature an artist singing with their theatre. The artist for this concert was Elisa Matthews (www.elisamatthews.com) who has starred with them in My Fair Lady, Oliver, and an upcoming production of Showboat. I finally feel prepared enough to audition for them myself and hope to have the same opportunities one day!

One thing that people seem to hear (or think) is that the singing business is competitive and cut-throat. I know it’s competitive but in my several years on the east coast, I’ve never experienced this cut-throatness that people talk about. I’ve experienced friendly auditions and friendly singers in the waiting room, eager to trade information. Now sometimes there was a bad apple, but it was never the norm. The norm was friendly and outgoing people who were happy to help you. Elisa Matthews is one of those people. I first met her in the waiting room during an audition for the when we were both auditioning for the Philadelphia Opera Company and have sung with her for years when we both got in. She has always been very generous with information, helping when she could, and being encouraging at every step; even to the point of offering to help me write my BIO. Have I just been lucky? Is my experience not really the norm? Are people that are telling me that this business is horrid and brutal the same people that are happy with what they are doing? Are they bitter? Are they being “realistic” or just making themselves feel better by trying to make someone else uncertain? Notice this the next time someone is eager to share every horror story they have instead of being supportive and then run the other way. There is no point to that and not what you need.

I think the world is benevolent. People in general (and my music friends in particular) are supportive and generous. I’m happy to have those people in my life! Brava Elisa! And Bravi to all of us.