Musical Artist: Opera Singer

Introduction
Singing for a living is purely a personal choice. My bigggest advice to young singers who are considering a career on the operatic stage is this: If there is anything else in your life you can see yourself doing, then do that! A career on the stage is a difficult one full of competition. Only about 5% of those with degrees from college in music actually have careers in the field. BUT, if singing is your number one passion, then by all means...GO FOR IT!

Job Function
The best asset for me is clearly the applause I get for a job well done. I love to entertain, and the appluase is the way my audience rewards me for entertaining them. The worst aspect is the grind of doing auditions and waiting for results. I usually get about 1 job for every 10 or 12 auditions...which is I think, about average. If rejection and other people's judgement of your talent is going to be an issue, then don't try to sing for your profession. Lifestyle
For me, singing is a good balance of work and play. I happen to love traveling, and singing in varied locations around the world is, for me, it's own reward. I know many singers who look at what they do purely as a job, but to me, singing is so personal that I can only find the enjoyment side of it. Getting paid is truly a bonus.

Additional Information
There are careers in music on a multitude of different levels...the very TOP stars in the field all the way down to the folks who sing in the chorus or avocationally. Not every level is right for every person. The smart singer is the one who figures out early in their career at which level they will prosper. Finding that "niche" is the answer to a long and rewarding career in singing...and it can be done. Hard work and dedication to seeing it through will bring the desired rewards!