I am an opera singer.

EDUCATION | BA from Wellesley College, 2 professional performance degrees (Artist Diploma), one in voice, one in opera from The Royal Academy of Music and The University of Cincinnati's CCM respectively.

HOW TO GET STARTED | Don't do it. But if you must, seek out the best possible connections. Find a teacher who is not a charlatan. If you can't go to the "best" school, get the most out of the one you go to. You don't HAVE to go to Juilliard, but it might help to coach with someone who teaches there. Do your research. Build a website. Study the 4 main operatic languages, history, art history, theatre arts. Be open to criticism and seek honest opinions. Get as many "ears" on your side as possible, people whose opinions you trust. But above all, know thyself.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | An ear. Musicality. Ambition. Imagination. Resilience. Openness. Charisma.

how I got started | I am still getting started! My first 'professional' gig was in the chorus of Falstaff in Aix-en-Provence, France in 2001. I auditioned to be part of an apprentice program there while I was studying in England. That's how most of us get started, cutting one's teeth, so to speak, with smaller roles and chorus work. From then on it's been a lot of auditioning, and suffering rejection is the hardest part. You have to have a real understanding of your own self-worth as an artist and musician in order to keep going. It's a subjective career, for every 10 people who hear you, you'll get at least 10 different opinions about your voice. For every gig you get, you'll get 50 rejections. You just have to keep going. Young Artist Programs, Pay-to-sing programs, competitions (and there are many, especially at the 18-22 yr old level) are all good ways to get exposure.

why this job?| I had always wanted to sing, always wanted to be on a stage. It started with acting, then musicals, then, as my voice developed, opera was the only way to go. If I can create beauty for a living, rather than sit behind a desk, I'll be forever grateful.

why I love this job!| I love the way it makes me feel. It's a total high to sing well. I love researching and creating a character and the amount of imagination I can put into it. I love traveling to wherever the next gig will take me.

my typical day| When I am doing singing work, I rehearse about 6 hours a day or have performances at night. Time not in staging rehearsals is spent coaching roles/arias.

what they are | Rejection. Rejection. Rejection. Watching other (sometimes lesser) singers get more work than you. Feeling utterly worthless when you have no work around the corner, and trying to maintain a self-motivated momentum ever forward.

all about growth | The demand is pretty particular. The audience is limited, but I believe that there are ways to get people into the audience who might never have considered going to see an opera. It's an old, some would say stodgy, art form which needs to adapt to this fast-paced society to keep itself relevant. There is a steep ladder to climb, lots of competition, and ever new generations of younger, braver, more naive singers waiting to take the jobs.

my website| http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97eAFraMZGA