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Modern Singer

Modern Singer

By Modern Singer, LLC

We know this business is hard and we are here to help! Modern Singer is a career-focused podcast aimed to inspire singers navigating the music business in today's world.

We provide free episodes and articles focused on singer self-care, audition resources, business-related entertainment, travel resources, repertoire suggestions, and more. Join us as we conduct interviews with established industry professionals to arm you with current, high-level knowledge, and download our free and paid resources to help you on your journey.

New episodes biweekly.
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23: Superstitions of the Opera World

Modern SingerOct 29, 2022

00:00
23:37
61: How to Keep Your Momentum Going When You’re Sick
Mar 24, 202405:55
60: What to do Between Gigs
Mar 17, 202407:46
59: Do you really need an agent?
Mar 11, 202412:01
58: It’s a Write-Off
Mar 03, 202406:53
57: Stop Sabotaging Yourself
Feb 25, 202417:57
56: How to Prep for Lessons & Coachings
Feb 18, 202414:16
55: Breaking Down the Basics of Arts Admin Jobs
Feb 11, 202418:15
54: Asking For References
Jan 27, 202406:42
53: The Basics of Making a Resume
Jan 20, 202414:21
52: Networking for Singers 102
Jan 13, 202409:54
51: What is a SMART Goal?
Jan 06, 202414:53
50: The Basics of Starting Voice Over Work
Dec 23, 202304:44
49: 7 Things My Voice Teacher Was Right About
Dec 16, 202309:22
48: Debunking 6 Opera Industry Myths
Dec 09, 202313:40
47: 7 Habits to Make Before 2024
Dec 02, 202312:47
45: Our Top 5 Social Media Tips for Singers
Dec 02, 202308:48
45: Organize Your Audition Season
Nov 13, 202337:53
44: Make Your Head a Nice Place to Live with Madeleine Dopico

44: Make Your Head a Nice Place to Live with Madeleine Dopico

Making your mind a safe space can be hard, especially during a busy audition season. This week, Alyssa sat down with licensed therapist Madeleine Dopico to chat about how to be kind to your mind during stressful times of your life. 

Don’t forget to check out friend of the pod Ashlee Waldbauer and her work on Nevertheless Schlee Persisted wherever you listen to podcasts!


Madeleine’s Information:

Website

LinkTree 

Instagram @iamdopico

Spotify

Apple Music

YouTube 


Madeleine Dopico, LMSW is a mental health therapist + musician/performer in NYC. Before her clinical training, she was the CEO of a mental health tech startup and recently launched “The Mental Health Party” - an organization aimed at fostering mental health positivity and community.

Madeleine is striving to weave mental and emotional wellness more seamlessly into our days, through efforts like the “Mental Health Integration” collaboration with Core Power Yoga UWS. A passionate CPY Yogi herself, she is exhilarated to be working with CPY teachers to bring a cohesive mind and body experience to all those interested in personal growth and exploration!


Resources:

Budget Bundle 2.0

Learn Your Music The Right Way Workbook

Goal Slaying Planner


Let’s get social:

Support the podcast

Follow us on social media

Search our website

Check out our Shop


Follow Ellen

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Oct 28, 202335:27
43: Budgeting for Singers 102: Audition Season Prep
Oct 01, 202344:28
42: 2023 Summer Rep Series - Putting It All Together
Sep 16, 202334:27
41: 2023 Summer Rep Series - Contemporary American Opera

41: 2023 Summer Rep Series - Contemporary American Opera

There are tons of new operas popping up throughout the United States right now! With that comes more opportunities to make new music happen which is so exciting! This week, Ellen and Alyssa break down five show options to choose from (including both of their favorites) when picking out your contemporary American opera rep for your package this year. Want some other options? Check out the list of honorable mentions below! Be sure to check out the summer rep series playlist to listen and follow along with all five parts of our summer rep series!


RESOURCES: 

Summer Rep Series Spotify playlist

Learn Your Music The Right Way Workbook

Summer Reset Bundle


MUSIC RESOURCES:


Let’s get social:

Support the podcast 

Follow us on social media

Search our website

Check out our Shop 


Follow Ellen 

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REP LIST:

SOPRANO

My Darling, Jim - Glory Denied

Leave it in the road - Fire Shut Up in My Bones


MEZZO-SOPRANO

This Journey - Dead Man Walking

Minskwoman’s Aria - Flight


COUNTERTENOR

Dawn, Still Darkness (or the Refugee’s Aria) - Flight


TENOR

Last Night - Fellow Travellers


BARITONE

Catalogue Aria - Glory Denied

Everybody hear that? - Dead Man Walking

Our Very Own Home - Fellow Travellers


BASS-BARITONE

Peculiar Grace - Fire Shut Up in My Bones


HONORABLE MENTIONS:

  • The Little Prince

  • Dark Sisters

  • Marnie

  • Akhanatan

  • Billy Budd

  • Ghosts of Versailles

  • Fantastic mr fox

  • Little women

  • Shining Brow

  • Amelia

  • Emmeline

  • Handmaid’s Tale

  • Everest

  • Dr. Atomic

Sep 02, 202332:13
40: 2023 Summer Rep Series - Obscure Operas

40: 2023 Summer Rep Series - Obscure Operas

The standard opera rep is no longer all that companies are looking to see in your audition package. They want to see your creativity in your music selections! This week, Alyssa and Ellen dove deep into their music history knowledge and beyond to bring you options from some operas that are still done, but not as often. Be sure to check out the summer rep series playlist to listen and follow along!


Resources:

Summer Rep Series Spotify playlist 

Learn Your Music The Right Way Workbook 

Summer Reset Bundle 


MUSIC RESOURCES:

JSTOR Musical Scores

IMSLP 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amahl_and_the_Night_Visitors#cite_note-5

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Huguenots

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar%C3%ADa_de_Buenos_Aires

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mefistofele

https://medicine-opera.com/2014/07/ecco-il-mondo/


Let’s Get Social:

Support the podcast 

Follow us on social media

Search our website

Check out our Shop 


Follow Ellen 

Follow Alyssa 


THIS WEEK'S REP LIST

SOPRANO

  1. Wohl denn, Gefaßt ist der Entschlüss (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor - Nicolai)

  2. Air: "Parmi les pleurs mon rêve se ranime" (Les Huguenots - Meyerbeer)

  3. En proie à la tristesse (Le comte Ory - Rossini)

MEZZO

  1. All that gold (Amahl and the Night Visitors - Menotti)

  2. Milonga de la Anunciación (María de Buenos Aires - Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla)

  3. De grâce, encore un mot (Le comte Ory - Rossini)

CONTRALTO

  1. Marta (Marthe) - (Mefistofele - Boito)

  2. L’ultima del gioir (recit) Lusinghiera mia speranza (aria) (Agrippina - Handel)

  3. Coronato il crin d'alloro (Agrippina - Handel)

COUNTER TENOR

  1. Chiamo il mio ben (Orfeo ed Euridice - Gluck)

  2. Come nube che fugge dal vento (Agrippina - Handel)

TENOR

  1. Horsch, die Lerche! (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor - Otto Nicolai)

  2. This is my box (Amahl and the Night Visitors - Menotti)

  3. Romance: "Plus blanche que la blanche hermine" (Les Huguenots - Meyerbeer)

BARITONE

  1. Conjuration:"Des troubles renaissants" (Les Huguenots - Meyerbeer)

  2. Miserere Canyengue de los Ladrones Antiguos en las Alcantarillas (María de Buenos Aires - Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla)

  3. Al soave raggiar di primavera (Mefistofele - Boito)

  4. Onegin’s Aria (Kogda bi zhizn domashnim krugom) (Eugene Onegin - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)

BASS-BARITONE

  1. Oh, Woman, You Can Keep That Gold (Amahl and the Night Visitors - Menotti)

BASS 

  1. Als Büblein Klein (Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor - Otto Nicolai)

  2. Ecco il mondo (Mefistofele - Boito)

  3. Veiller sans cesse (Le comte Ory - Rossini)

  4. Prince Gremin’s Aria (Eugene Onegin - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky)

Aug 19, 202346:22
39: 2023 Summer Rep Series - Musical Theater

39: 2023 Summer Rep Series - Musical Theater

More and more companies nowadays are adding musical theater and operetta to their seasons. Now is the perfect time to add something new to your package! This week, Alyssa pulled together a list of shows that are easily accessible for singers who are new to musical theater or have been singing it for years. Stand out from the crowd this season by adding some variety to what you sing!


Resources:

Summer Rep Series Spotify playlist 

13: Breaking Down Musical Theater Auditions

Check out this article for The Mikado with an AAPI cast

Learn Your Music The Right Way Workbook

Summer Reset Bundle


Let’s Get Social:

Support the podcast 

Follow us on social media

Search our website

Check out our Shop 


Follow Ellen

Follow Alyssa


TODAY’S REP LIST!

SOPRANO 

Legit 1 - Poor wand’ring one (Pirates of Penzance)

Legit 2 - Green finch and linnet bird (Sweeney Todd)

Belt 1 - On the steps of the palace (Into the Woods)

Belt 2 - The Beauty Is (Light in the Piazza)


MEZZO-SOPRANO

Legit 1 - Hail! men-o'-war's men (HMS Pinafore)

Legit 2 - Moments in the Woods (Into the Woods)

Legit bonus - The Miller’s Son (Little Night Music)

Belt 1 - Home (Beauty and the Beast)

Belt 2 - Statues and Stories (Light in the Piazza)


CONTRALTO

Legit 1 - Alone and yet alive (The Mikado)

Legit 2 - Send in the Clowns (A Little Night Music)

Belt 1 - Easy as Life (Aida)


COUNTER TENOR

Legit 1 - The Contest (Sweeney Todd)


TENOR

Legit 1 - A maiden fair to see (HMS Pinafore)

Legit 2 - Passeggiata OR Il Mondo Era Vuoto (Light in the Piazza)

Belt 1 - Giants in the Sky (Into the Woods)

Belt 2 - It all fades away (Bridges of Madison County)


BARITONE

Legit 1 - I am the very model of a modern Major-General (Pirates of Penzance)

Legit 2 - My Friends OR Epiphany (Sweeney Todd)

Belt 1 - Me OR If I Can’t Love Her (Beauty and the Beast) - could also work for basses with a higher register

Belt 2 - Were thine that special face OR Where is the life that late I led (Kiss Me, Kate)


BASS OR BASS-BARITONE

Legit 1 - If I loved you OR Soliloquy (Carousel)

Legit 2 - Johanna/Mea Culpa (Sweeney Todd)

Belt 1 - You should be loved (Sideshow) - definitely a higher extension

BONUS - Frollo from Hunchback (or literally anything else Patrick Page sings)

Aug 05, 202330:31
38: 2023 Summer Rep Series - Standard Operas

38: 2023 Summer Rep Series - Standard Operas

Summer is in full swing and now is the PERFECT time to revamp your audition repertoire! Not sure where to start? Ellen and Alyssa have you covered across this five-part series! Today, we’re covering standard operas with rep suggestions from each show.


Even more exciting? They made an entire playlist on Spotify! Be sure to check it out if you’re in the market for some new rep this year.


Resources:

Spotify playlist 

Learn Your Music the Right Way Workbook

Ep 23: Superstitions of the Opera World 


Synopses Resources: 

https://www.operagr.org/cosi-fan-tutte/cosi-fan-tutte-synopsis/#:~:text=In%20the%20delightful%20aria%20Una,the%20queen%20of%20

their%20kingdom 

http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?sid=f979a4f536db9c295fdaa60e41e3a73c&X=1&dT=Full&fC=1&searching=yes&t0=all&s0=Cosi&f0=keyword&dS=arias

https://www.opera-online.com/en/items/works/cosi-fan-tutte-mozart-da-ponte-1790 

http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?sid=f979a4f536db9c295fdaa60e41e3a73c&X=2&dT=Full&fC=1&searching=yes&t0=all&s0=boheme&f0=keyword&dS=arias

https://www.operaphila.org/whats-on/on-stage-2017-2018/carmen/full-synopsis/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_bohème

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen

http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?sid=0193292b23161b0810d34a1c2921515f&X=2&Opera&sort=Opera&startResults=0

https://www.metopera.org/discover/synopses/le-nozze-di-figaro/

http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?sid=0193292b23161b0810d34a1c2921515f&X=3&dT=Full&fC=1&searching=yes&t0=all&s0=le+nozze+di+figaro&f0=keyword&dS=arias

http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?sid=0193292b23161b0810d34a1c2921515f&X=4&dT=Full&fC=1&searching=yes&t0=all&s0=Tosca&f0=keyword&dS=arias

https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/tosca-in-a-nutshell/

https://www.operanorth.co.uk/news/the-magic-flute-in-a-nutshell/

http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?sid=0193292b23161b0810d34a1c2921515f&X=7&dT=Full&fC=1&searching=yes&t0=all&s0=die+zauberflote&f0=keyword&dS=arias

http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?sid=0193292b23161b0810d34a1c2921515f&X=7&dT=Full&fC=1&searching=yes&t0=all&s0=die+zauberflote&f0=keyword&dS=arias

http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?sid=0193292b23161b0810d34a1c2921515f&X=7&dT=Full&fC=1&searching=yes&t0=all&s0=die+zauberflote&f0=keyword&dS=arias

https://www.metopera.org/discover/synopses/don-giovanni/

http://www.aria-database.com/search.php?sid=0193292b23161b0810d34a1c2921515f&X=8&dT=Full&fC=1&searching=yes&t0=all&s0=Don+Giovanni&f0=keyword&dS=arias


Let’s get social:

Support the podcast

Follow us on social media

Search our website

Check out our Shop 


Follow Ellen 

Follow Alyssa

Jul 22, 202352:25
37: What to do when you’re not in a summer program - Part 2
Jul 08, 202321:52
36: What to do when you’re not in a summer program - Part 1
Jun 24, 202319:45
35: Networking for Singers 101 - Building Connections
Jun 10, 202327:04
34: Motivating yourself when school isn’t there to do it for you
May 28, 202338:20
33: Toxic Positivity
May 15, 202332:51
32: Coping with Artistic Burnout
Apr 29, 202328:03
31: Traveling International Waters with Mack Wolz
Apr 03, 202327:10
30: Navigating Long-Distance Relationships
Mar 19, 202322:03
29: Healthy Habits for When You Feel Stuck
Mar 04, 202322:51
28: Yoga for Singers with Alyssa
Feb 18, 202324:46
27: 12 Ways to Deal With Impostor Syndrome
Feb 04, 202338:11
Trailer: Season 2
Jan 26, 202300:56
26: How to Pair your PFOs This Season!
Dec 10, 202234:28
25: Ways to Support Your Mental Health During PFO Season
Nov 26, 202241:01
24: Getting Organized with Kay at The Organized Soprano

24: Getting Organized with Kay at The Organized Soprano

If you know you know, but if you don’t, Ellen and Alyssa LOVE organizing! So, who better than to bring onto the podcast but Kay from The Organized Soprano?! We’re talking all things about how to live your most organized life as a singer today in a busy world and some priorities and advice straight from Kay.

Don’t forget to submit your PFOs for our last episode of the year! Email your PFOs to info@modern-singer.com OR submit your stories HERE!

Have questions you want answered? Shoot us a DM on Instagram or submit a topic request on our website.


Resources from the Episode:

The Organized Soprano

Check out Kay’s YouTube


Let’s get social:

Support the podcast

Follow us on social media

Search our website

Check out our Shop

Modern Singer book club

Join our newsletter


Follow Ellen

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MORE ABOUT KAY:

I am Kay also known as The Organized Soprano on YouTube! I make fun videos about home organizing, cleaning and my life as a professional classical singer in Boston, Massachusetts! I am also a professional home organization and clutter coach. My YouTube videos inspire others to live a more organized life by showing them practical and creative ways to organize every room in their home as well as change the way they think about their living space. My co-star Clover, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is the most organized dog in America.

As a former long-time Container Store employee and contract employee, I am familiar with many fantastic home products and brands. I have worked with great brands and publications such as Marriott, HomeChef, Shark, Real Simple, Extra Space Storage, Better Homes & Gardens, Cricut & ZEP. As a family-friendly lifestyle brand, I make fun and informative content about the best home and organization products on the market.

Holding two degrees in Classical Vocal Performance from Boston Conservatory and Longy School of Music, I still have an active singing career in the Boston area. I have performed with groups such as Connecticut Early Music Festival, BMOP, Opera Providence, Cantata Singers, Back Bay Chorale and Odyssey Opera.


Let me inspire and entertain you and help you live a more organized life!

Nov 12, 202233:18
23: Superstitions of the Opera World
Oct 29, 202223:37
22: Audition Season Breakdown - Navigating the NYC Train System
Oct 15, 202207:10
21: Audition Season Breakdown - Planning Your Audition Tour
Oct 01, 202243:34
20: Audition Season Breakdown - What is a YAP?
Sep 15, 202230:02
19: Organizing Your Audition Season: Prep for Success
Sep 02, 202239:45
18: Preview - Learn Your Music the Right Way Workbook
Aug 05, 202218:27
17: Life Chats & Organizing Your Music for Auditions, Teaching, and Beyond
Jul 08, 202201:07:55
16: Singer Wellness is more than just Physical Wellness
Jun 23, 202226:24
15: Questions to Ask A New Voice Teacher or Coach
Jun 09, 202223:18
14: Setting Your Voice Studio up for Success
May 26, 202226:10
13: Breaking Down Musical Theatre Auditions
May 12, 202244:02