Where's My Freaking Dressing Room?‪!‬ Alexander Simpson & Helen Daniels

Where’s My Freaking Dressing Room?! hosted their first ever live episode recording as part of Opera Prelude’s OperaWorks conference day. This episode focusses on mental health in the opera industry, however, before getting into the heart of that discussion, the podcast wished to address the controversy surrounding diversity and inclusion and the OperaWorks conference. You can read the pod’s full statement here. As promised, we wished to promote the work of Music Master’s Diversity Audit Tool: I’M IN and we also wanted to re-share our
podcast research episode on the opera industry, Coronavirus and the 2020 resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

AUDITIONSVisualisation
The adrenaline that kicks in during an audition process can negatively impact mental health conditions such as anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder. To combat this Alex and Helen often use visualisation techniques. In the days leading up to an audition they will sit in a quiet room and run the audition process in their heads in great detail. Visualisation offers you the chance to experience as close as possible to the audition experience beforehand, allowing you to regain a sense of calm and control over the situation.
Journalling
For those with low self-esteem and depression rejections can be incredibly hard to handle. Alex and Helen suggest journalling straight after every single audition experience. In writing down exactly what happened and how it happened, you have a frank and objective account of the audition. In having written about the audition experience, when the result comes through (good or bad) you have an account of that day you can refer back to.
 
CONCERTSPre-gig
Often the hype of the dressing room before a concert can be difficult to process for those who are neurodiverse. Alex and Helen have learnt to take time for themselves before going onstage. In this alone time they practice small physical exercises, breathing exercises, and they run through the main musical/dramatic aims they hope to achieve for the oncoming
performance. Not dissimilar from visualisation, this alone time allows them the chance to focus which results in a better concert experience overall.
Post-gig
For those who suffer with distorted self-image, paranoia and insecurity, post-performance can be a nerve-wracking time as you worry that you haven’t lived up to people’s expectations. Alex and Helen recommend trying not to critique yourself until you’ve seen or heard a recording of the show. There’s no doubt that in this industry how we feel on stage and what people actually see and hear are two wildly different things. 
 
SOCIAL SETTINGS
 
Take a breath
For those with social anxiety, the various social engagements one is required to attend as a singer can be challenging. Alex recommends taking a moment for yourself before entering such an event, and asking how it is you wish to present yourself? In taking a moment you offer yourself the mental clarity to decide how you wish to behave.
Episode edited & produced by Daisy Grant Productions.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a brand new season comes a lot of new changes:
We are really specialising now, talking to that core audience (of approximately 2 people?!) about the world of OPERA and what things are like backstage. Episodes will be coming out EVERY WEEK!We’re delighted to be introducing a brand new podcast segment, ‘Breakdown of the Week’ where we share something that’s not gone quite as we planned and how we dealt with it. To ease us into that, we thought we’d start the season proper with a whole episode on breakdowns.
In this episode we discuss what we call three ‘red flags’ which are signs that we’re heading for a breakdown, and offer some tips and support as to how we can stop that from happening.
Unable to restOften we find that when our responsibilities are piling up and the to do list keeps getting longer it’s incredibly hard to rest. Any time we try to take a break our mind is filled with all of our unfinished jobs, all the worries we have for the future, and we can’t seem to sit still. When we’re unable to rest, this is a ‘red flag’ that a future breakdown may be on the way. How can we address this?

Schedule in your weekly diary restorative downtime and hold yourself accountable to this commitment.We have to be as disciplined with scheduling downtime as we do with scheduling practice and all of our other regular commitments.
Restorative downtime means taking a proper mental break; more often than not, this means no screens. You could go for a walk, cook a meal, read a book, go for a run, or even have a nap. In this day and age every element of our lives can be found on our phones. If your restorative downtime is watching a Netflix series while you’re on your phone messaging colleagues about rehearsals, scheduling room bookings or checking your emails, it’s not really downtime.

2. Communication issuesFor both of us, if our communication styles rapidly change it’s a sign that things are not going well and a breakdown may be on the horizon. For Alex, he finds himself unable to speak. For Helen, she develops an incredibly short temper. How can we handle these changes?
Practice self-awareness and find a sense of inner calmBoth Helen and Alex are big advocates of meditation and mindfulness. These practices teach us how to be aware of ourselves and how to notice when significant changes occur. This means when our communication styles change because we feel stressed, under pressure and close to burnout, we are able to step outside of ourselves, see what is happening, and manage this pressured behaviour. When we realise we are not coping well, we then try and practice good self care, prioritising things such as a healthy diet, a good sleep routine and regular exercise (Of course, all of this is a lot easier said than done!)

3. Physical symptomsBoth Alex and Helen find that certain physical symptoms highlight when things are not going so well. Alex becomes unusually over-emotional and Helen often experiences stomach cramps and heart tremors. Of course, each person’s symptoms are unique and personal, but how can we deal with this?
Listen to your body and communicate with those around youDepending on your physical symptoms, our advice is simple: treat it! If you have stomach cramps, make yourself a ginger tea and adapt your diet to include gentle and soothing meals. If you have heart tremors, perhaps practice familiar breathing exercises. If you’re feeling emotional, be kind to yourself. Allow yourself to express your feelings.
If you feel it would help, tell those you’re working with that you are going through a difficult time. More often than not, those around you will support you and want to prioritise your mental and physical wellbeing.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alex and Helen each share two personal stories where they made a decision to stand up for themselves in the industry. These stories discuss issues of pay, issues of respect/disrespect and issues of sexism.
Alex and Helen hope that in sharing these stories, they can encourage you to stand up for yourself. Setting your boundaries and knowing when your boundaries have been crossed is very important in this industry.
There are ways of stating your limits and expressing when things are unacceptable in a calm, clear and respectful manner. No one should be afraid of speaking out for fear of losing favour/future work/connections.
If we want to see the opera industry improve and foster better working conditions for those in it, it is our collective responsibility to make that happen and speak out when required.
Epiosde edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Alex and Helen discuss five main points surrounding an age-old controversy: how being a singer is much harder than it looks.

Encouraged to make it look effortless
Singers are constantly encouraged to make their performances look as elegant and graceful as possible (a particular gripe for upper voices!!). Perhaps audiences don’t want to know how much effort goes into singing a full 3-hour role on stage, but being asked to sing 28 bars of coloratura whilst looking like you’re enjoying yourself is not an easy feat.

The practice problem
To make difficult singing look effortless takes hours and hours of practice but, as we’ve discussed before, singers have to be incredibly careful with practicing. The voice box is a precariously balanced set of muscles and every singer has to know their own limits and how much they can practice without doing injury or damage. As we’ve discussed before, mental practice, libretto translation and repertoire research are all important parts of the practice process without tiring out your vocal cords.
You can’t SEE the thing!
It sounds pretty obvious but not being able to see the voice is another difficulty singers have to deal with. If you have a bruise on your leg, a swollen wrist, or an injured hand, these are things you can tangibly see which consequently helps you understand when things are getting better. With the voice, it is not so easy. In addition to that, an appointment to have a vocal scope check up often costs hundreds of pounds. As singers we have to rely on sensation and having a detailed understanding of how our voices feel. If something isn’t right, it’s vital we put ourselves and our voices first.

Singing takes over every element of your life
Lots of things affect the voice - sleep (or lack of), diet, exercise routine, illness, natural speaking voice and so much more. As singers we have to take all these external factors into account. It’s not an easy thing to do!

Shelf-life
Often singers feel as if they’re working against the clock, and if they haven’t established a significant career by the age of 30 then it’s not worth continuing. This is a horrid pressure to contend with alongside everything else which works against you in this industry. It’s crucial we remember that the voice is constantly changing, growing and developing. For some singers they might hit their stride in their early 30s as their technique and physiology are now working in tandem. What is more, the industry is not the same as 30 or 40 years ago. Singers are not scouted at the age of 18 to stand on the Covent Garden stage. In addition, what is required of singers is far more taxing, exhausting and demanding. To have the ability to withstand all of that takes many more years of training.
Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex and Helen were delighted to welcome esteemed colleague and old friend Keval Shah onto the podcast to discuss the similarities and differences between singers and instrumentalists. Keval is an internationally recognised pianist who has worked with many world-renowned singers, making him a perfectly positioned guest for this week’s conversation.
In the episode they discuss the physicality of singing vs playing an instrument; how instrumentalists could learn from singers and their use of text; how singers could learn from instrumentalists and their understanding of a musical score; and, most importantly, how we should all think of ourselves as musicians first and foremost.
Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We all want to try and pretend nepotism doesn’t happen in the opera industry but, let’s face it, it does. So, how can you use nepotism to your own advantage?
Make your own connectionsIf you’re in a room with someone you want to work with, what’s the harm in having a chat? You don’t have to directly ask for work, you don’t even have to directly ask for an audition, instead you can discuss an opera you saw recently, or something you read in the news, whatever! In making the initial connection it’s about making simple conversation and making an impression on said person.

Make connections in a way that works for youPerhaps you’re not used to making conversation with people you don’t know, or perhaps you’re a socially shy person; if that’s the case then maybe you can use social media to your advantage? Sending a tweet to a casting director or agent in an attempt to make contact can have a lot of value. Form connections in the way that works best for you. You should never have to feel uncomfortable when making connections.

Use a business brainBuilding relationships with people takes time. As with business relationships, you have to prime people in order for connections to prove fruitful. Take your time - calls, emails, tweets, meetings - it all contributes to the end outcome.

Create your own luck!Based on a book Helen read over the summer, here are five ways of thinking that could improve your own luck:

Be more relaxed (ha!) If you’re open to the situation in front of you, rather than desperately trying to achieve one single thing, you can be more open to new situations and ideas, and form new connections.Be open to new things and new experiences. The more people you meet, the more things you do, the bigger your chances are to create your own luck.Build and maintain a social network - create new connections, sustain old ones. (N.B. this can be tiring so make sure to schedule to appropriate rest time in response to this kind of work.)Expect good luck. Many people walk into auditions telling themselves that they WILL get this role. Can you do the same? Often people that expect good luck are able to turn difficult situations on their head and see the positives - is that something you can try?
Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.