During the last few weeks, I’ve overheard some folks misusing terminology, so I thought I would offer an informal glossary for all to reference.
agent: an individual who, through contractual agreement, is empowered to act on behalf of another such as an actor, singer, dancer, writer or other talent, and who coordinates auditions, call backs and meetings with casting directors, producers and production companies, serving as a representative on the part of the individual signed to the contract. The agent often collects a percentage of the earnings of the individuals whom they represent.
casting director: the person responsible for identifying and selecting actors, singers, dancers or others for roles in a film, play, television show, commercial, or other production. S/he is typically hired by a producer and/or production company to conduct auditions of talented individuals and suggest or appoint people for those roles to be filled.
casting agency: a company, often a collection of individuals, that specializes in identifying people with specific talents in various fields, including … Read more »
 A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to perform two of the three little-known songs from Douglas Moore’s song cycle Three Sonnets of John Donne. Originally, I had prepared the entire set for the March Contemporaries | Contemporary concerts. A last-minute change in programming found me striking them in favor of some world premiere settings of John Donne, instead. So it was wonderful serendipity that another door opened, giving me a chance to sing them for a grateful audience.
Preparing the program notes was a wonderful study in research. You see, there was no information on these songs to be had. Anywhere. Not on the Internet, not in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, not even in the score (aside from the original date of publication and the name of the soprano to whom the songs are dedicated). In fact, the cycle is even out of print. Where did I find it, you ask? It … Read more »
 I was socializing at a dinner party the other night when someone inquired what I do for a living. I stated that I am an actress and musician.
“What do you play?”
“I’m a soprano,” I replied smilingly.
“Oh, you’re a singer…,” came the lackluster response.
Ugh. I’m sure my eyes rolled.
What is it that causes people to classify singers in an order separate from instrumentalists?! Whenever a person hears the term “musician”, s/he immediately–and only–thinks “instrumentalist”. The consistent dissociation of “singer” from the superset of “musician” is baffling to me. As singers, do we not read music? Do we not interpret what the composer has set upon on the page? Do we not use an instrument to produce sound? True, our instruments are embedded within our bodies, but this makes it no less of an instrument. In fact, studies have shown that the act of singing engages more regions of the brain than does the playing of any instrument. Perhaps we, as singers, are … Read more »
As many of you know, this past weekend, I performed in benefit concert Scared for Good, which raised funds for FriendshipWorks, Habitat for Humanity Haiti, Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts, Women’s Lunch Place, and YMCA Training, Inc. While I’ve never performed anything composed by Richard Wagner before, I was happy to make my first attempt for a good cause–or in this case, five. To my pleasant surprise, today, someone emailed me a link to a review of the concert by blogger A Proper Bostonian. While I had a great time, it is nice to read others enjoyed the concert just as much. The paragraph pertaining to the “Ride of the Valkyries” was appropriately humorous:
Finally, he [organist Harry Huff] pulled out a horned helmut for Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries. Having spent too much of my life managing a well-bred chamber-music series, I always think of this piece as Kill the Wabbit. Usually it’s instrumental in the versions we hear on TV and elsewhere; we don’t get to hear the Valkyries’ vocals. But four black-robed and horn-helmeted sopranos marched stone-faced to the altar and gave us their battle cry. Three of them were robust and looked the part. The fourth was petite, with short braided pigtails under her helmet. But her fierce expression — as the quartet tried repeatedly to burst our eardrums — made hers the scariest song of the evening.
Can you guess who the one with the “short braided pigtails” and the “fierce expression” was? I’m not telling.
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