LEAVE THE PARTY EARLY
Your voice is your instrument, and it must be looked after and cared for. Be prepared for a life that may be more puritanical than you expected. Diet and lifestyle affect your voice. Red wine dries out your mucous membranes, and fatty foods cause stomach acid, which wears down your vocal cords. Plenty of sleep is crucial to your technical ability.
TALENT IS NOT ENOUGH
It takes many years of training to become a good opera singer. It is not enough to have a beautiful voice and good musicality. You also need to be able to develop a big voice that is strong enough to penetrate a symphony orchestra and be heard in the back rows.
YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO PERFORM
You must be prepared to expose yourself as a fool in front of a large audience. If you are a soprano, you have to die night after night. Alongside your training as a singer, you must develop your dramatic skills and cultivate your acting technique. Opera singing is much more than just singing.
DO YOU HAVE THE MENTAL STRENGTH?
You are not the only one who wants to be an opera singer. Throughout your career, you must be prepared to compete for every single role you may get. Even renowned opera singers have to travel around the world to sing at auditions. It is a battle to the finish. Do you have the mental strength?
BE ADAPTABLE
You are expected to bring your own musicality and contribute to your role. Your ideas are great, until the director tells you how you should rather portray the character. The conductor has the final say on tempo, dynamics and musical expression.
