living on the road
The Cardinal's Nest

Lady Bathrobe

March 26, 2011 03:12 PM
Thinking back to my university days, I can only recall one

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

session with a Gal in THE BIZ. This woman was the agent of a diva who happened to be debuting a big role in my home city before heading to the MET. (Winnipeg would be her dress rehearsal.)

We all huddled into the darkest room that the Continuing Education Building had to offer (no windows, lots of BROWN walls & ORANGE carpeting) and waited for a little taste of NEW YORK CITY. I was fully prepared to confront her with my biggest, burning question:

"Should I keep my hair short? I am a mezzo after all...."

(Yes, I was that ridiculous....but I digress...)

In the end, the meeting was a bust. She was an elegant, uninterested woman, whose only real words of advice were (if you are already RENÉE FLEMING) 

"Make sure you have a lovely robe in your dressing room. You don't want pictures taken of you in your underwear when costumes and wigs fly out the door." 

REALLY? WELL, I ALREADY HAVE THE ROBE..... 

I put that little gem in my when I am famous binder and continued blindly into the world of the classical stage. 

Now, I'm no big agent from New York. I'm certainly not Renée Fleming (she doesn't need advice from me) but, I am a singer who finds herself on the road and, hopefully, I can offer a little more insight into the reality of being a traveling singer than Lady Bathrobe from New York City.

  • KNIVES
Expect to live a life with DULL KNIVES in every hotel/apartment you stay in. No matter how fancy the digs, the knife will be dull. YOU WILL BUY A NEW ONE upon arrival if you didn't already pack one in your checked luggage.... though, in the past, I've tried traveling with one and it has always disappeared....along with my alarm clock. 

  • LODGING
For the most part (with opera gigs) you pay for your lodging. If you don't have a friend in that particular city you will be paying - UP FRONT. 

(Lord help you if you have a small role in an EXPENSIVE CITY.)

Most hotels* want the whole SHEE-BANG on your credit card the second you arrive. So, before you have sung a note you have spent anywhere from $900 - $2300 before you've even seen the dull knives that they will be providing.

Concert gigs, in my experience, give a 50/50 chance of being offered lodging in your contract. It varies.....oh, and don't forget your rent/mortgage that you are paying at home. Yeah, they didn't talk about that particular tid bit at my professional development seminar; a.k.a. What not to wear when you are FAMOUS.

  • SLEEP
I miss my pillow the second I lay my head down in a new place. If you travel by train, well, you can get away with it but, you know as well as I do how much fun it is to travel with a full sized pillow, your carry on, your laptop...etc....etc....strip search....

Don't get me started on the mattress situation. Sometime's it's better than home...this month, I actually bought a foam cover for the mattress; it's that hard.

Noisy neighbours: the bane of my apartment existence.

  • OUTERWEAR
If you are heading to a city known for snow and cold and you do not bring large, cumbersome boots and a parka, IT WILL SNOW. If you go to a city known for snow and cold WITH your big, dumb ass boots and parka....it will be sunny and dry til' the day you leave. : ) I'm from Prairies. We just know these things. 

  • FOOD PRICES
I am always amazed (in Canada) how different the prices are from region to region when you do the first big grocery shop.

Broccoli in Toronto can be as little as .79 cents a pound. Calgary? $500 per crown (not exaggerating...well....maybe a little...)

2L of Milk in Winnipeg is $2.69...Vancouver? $4.99.

It's no wonder, really; our growing seasons and access to certain foods is limited, or abundant, depending on the region. The long and the short of it is: even the most frugal shopper will spend more on the road then at home.** (the cleaning staff in the hotels must make out like Bandits when we leave; Olive oil and Peanut butter anyone? 

  • EXERCISE
I learned a long time ago that YOGA was the key for me. I don't have to hunt down a gym, or find myself working out next to the conductor (AWKWARD!!!) If you don't have an exercise regime that you can do in your room then, once you find a gym, find the fittest person in the cast and work out with them. You'll be more vigilant and it's more fun. My fiancé has trained many cast members, and I have had more than a few singers join me for a yoga session or two...though there was usually a lot of swearing and "are you serious?" when I'd show them a few of the poses. (You know who you are : )))))

  • COFFEE
I only started drinking coffee after hanging out with my first big cast on the road. I confess, I have been hooked ever since. I always travel with a little Neopolitan coffee maker that weighs 6oz and fits in my suitcase.
tumblr_likosfHndT1qdrxdl
Most colleagues just scope out the Starbucks or local FYXX. I once worked with a Baritone who would ship yes, SHIP his espresso MACHINE (like, the HUGE, HEAVY monster that will froth milk) to himself at various locations.
Coffee: don't mess with routine.

  • LAUNDRY
This one is a hit and miss topic. Sometimes the suite will have it's own washer/dryer. Sometimes, it's in the basement. In one particular suite-hotel in Ottawa you have to:
  • go to the lobby 
  • cross to the other tower
  • go down to the laundry room
  • only 4 machines for BOTH towers 
  • 2 are out of service. 
Laundry card, loose change, it depends. Excellent! Some fun times on your EQUITY day off.

  • DRYNESS
This has never been a problem for me (except in the mountains) but I know a lot of singers who cannot function without a humidifier in their room. Most companies have a few on hand for thier traveling singers ... quite often it's off to the Shoppers Drug mart.

  • PRACTICE SPACE
You never know what kind of practice space you may find in your new host city. Some hotels don't mind you warming up during the day but, not always. Sometimes the opera will have spaces within their facility; they may point you toward the conservatory. I've always been pretty good at convincing the nearest church to let me practice in their space (and they RARELY charge). You won't know til' you get there. 

  • GREEN
I find it very hard to be green on the road. I live in a city where the garbage bins separate the green, recyclable, and garbage products for you. It's not like that in all cities. The tendency to "pick up a few things" that you will only use for the month (then waste when you leave) is quite common. I know singers who buy a new Brita filter in each city. One colleague stopped because he was tired of the waste that he knew he was creating. If this is a topic that you're passionate about, I'd love to hear what you do to curb the carbon footprint on the road.

  • MONEY
Ok. This was the BIGGEST fail for Miss NYC's professional development talk. Not a single word was mentioned about MONEY. FEES. EXPENSES. EXPECTATIONS.
When I first went out for a big-ish gig on the road, I didn't have an agent and was still doing things entirely for myself. Chatting with my leading ladies & men (who had been at it a lot longer than me) I could see that there was more to it than what I was experiencing at the time.

Miss. NYC Agent Lady didn't mention that on top of paying for where you stay, there's the AGENT FEE, PUBLICIST (if applicable) UNION DUES, all of your AT HOME BILLS, EATING OUT, CITY TRANSPORTATION, TRAVEL INSURANCE, possibly CHILD CARE and extra lodgings, and the most fun of all: TAXES

If you are not in your home country, there are some lovely TAX provisions that you need to pay attention to. I have one friend who had to account for tax laws in 5 different countries in a single year. One country took 30% off her cheque before handing it over. Needless to say, she has a very specialized accountant... "CHA CHING!" 

  • LONELINESS
This is not a business for the faint of heart. It can get pretty lonely in your hotel room and if it's not a fun cast, it can be a really long stay. You may be preparing another role in between rehearsals but, you can only look at your music for so long. This business is glamourous when you are actually on the stage. Hands down; it is AWESOME. On the 10th floor of your ump-teenth hotel room? Mmmm, not so much. Thank goodness for skype and online tv.

I know I am missing many little things that are more specific to different personality types (another mezzo and I turned Toulouse, France up side down for a single dollop of hummus and pita crackers; we were that homesick for our comfort foods) but, I hope that if you are a singer starting out, today's blog will give you a better look into the more practical side of life on the road.

Thanks for reading! 


*HOTELS- Craig's List and Sublets for Gypsy's are just 2 of the many other options in North America that might be better than a hotel stay, or couch surf at a friend's. I only know a few people who have taken this route but, it may be a great option for you.

**FOOD- Yes, there are those who can live on cereal, PB&J, pasta and rice. I'd save more if I were that frugal, but, I choose the fresh food route - ALWAYS - so, $500 broccoli it is. : )

BOOZE - I was *reminded* by a colleague to make sure I mentioned the fact that, since we are such social creatures, there will be a few drinks every now and then....
$$cha-ching$$
so, prepare according to your needs. (*thank you, oh wise peanut gallery*)

Please click (below) on COMMENTS to share your thoughts.


Comments