What Opera Singers Know About Professional Performance

Professional singing, especially of the classical variety, requires a diverse set of skills above and beyond the very specialized craft required to create the artistry that makes theatre and concert magic.

Some of them will sound familiar to people in all walks of life.

Singers are entrepreneurs who run complex entertainment companies with potentially temperamental artists at their center. We learn to handle administrative support, accounting and financial services (not just bookkeeping and taxes), sales and marketing, and legal matters. We must also run the artist.

The artist needs exceptional communication skills in both written and spoken form. We learn to weave likability into our base personality. We invest time and energy into specific and exceptional training of the "instrument" — learning how our bodies work and what they need to function at Olympic level. We understand nutrition for the energy output required and build the stamina for the work. We also ensure our nervous system doesn't interfere with the voice because of imbalances between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic vagus nerve.

This means lessons, tutorials, teachers, legal (or management — or both), and potentially a therapist, nutritionist, and VA. This is an oversimplification for classical singing, but you can start to see how this ports over to your industry, especially in professions where you are the product or service. Even if you work 9-to-5 and voice use, presentational speech, or speaking are part of your work, you and that classical singer have more in common than you think.

What Opera Singers Know That Professionals Need to Know About the Voice

To get a functional sound, even in the speaking voice, requires sufficient base level supports: nutrition, hydration, sleep, and equilibrium in the nervous system so we can breathe freely and put the voice to work without nervous charge distorting the experience. We also need specialized techniques for producing the desired sound waves and interpreting the work for performance, but those are profession specific with one exception.

Opera singers practice process. There is nothing like repetition to make an action permanent. The practice must be methodical and modeled with mindfulness so we don't cement wrong or detrimental behaviors. Practice equals permanent (this phrase has been in wide use in performance communities for at least the last 30 years). Process is something people in every profession should embrace if they want to be exceptional at what they do.

5 Opera Singer Behaviors Adapted for the Professional World

1. Prepare for the week by mapping your vocal demands. Note all meetings on your schedule and what they require. Then schedule time to prepare any deliverables or notes for meetings where you're expected to, or may feasibly be asked to, contribute.

2. Warm up your voice and body before any meetings where your voice will be required. If you're feeling high energy nervous charge, take a minute for regulated breath work, such as a box breath. If you're feeling low energy or lethargy, do 10-20 breath accelerators with mobility in any limbs that will. For the more able-bodied, I recommend jumping jacks, but for those in a wheelchair, manual speed/directional work does the trick. There are adaptations for every body.

3. Listen deeply and watch for cues. Like a singer watches the conductor, focus as much on listening time as speaking time. This helps you blend seamlessly with your team and deliver your content with deep connection to your audience.

4. Know when and how the meeting, presentation, or speech will resolve. Often, especially when speaking isn't "official," we neglect to consider the ending of the experience. How you leave people is just as important — sometimes more important — than the beginning or middle. Even in the most basic meetings, knowing how to resolve your comments so everyone understands your meaning and intent is crucial.

5. Debrief your "performances." Record yourself whenever possible, even if it makes you cringe thinking about it, and listen to them. Recording review is one of the single most important traits shared by the most employable singers in classical music. Go to the tape and listen with kindness and a true desire to improve. Take notes, whether audio, video, or written. Keep a journal of experiences with your voice and presentation. This provides your future self with a wealth of information and a sense of how far you've come.

These techniques have transformed how professionals show up in their most important moments. If you have questions or comments about applying these opera singer strategies to your work, I'd love to hear from you at gina@growvoice.com. For more insights on developing your professional voice and presence, visit growvoice.com to explore our blog and learn more about what we do.

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