Sweatpants and Green Sneakers

Posted by Alexandra Loutsion

As I write to you all, I find myself in a very familiar situation of which I am sure many of you can relate. I am in my bed, covers pulled high, ready and waiting patiently for much needed slumber. Instead, I am tossing and turning, thinking about the audition that waits for me in the morning. I think about my audition ritual that varies depending on location, but is extremely reliable. Wake up early, take a forty minute walk around whatever city I’m in, shower, vocalize, put my hair in curlers, vocalize more, do some stretches, look through all my music again, triple check my materials, put on the makeup, take out the curlers, put on the dress, slip on my black sweatpants and green sneakers, heels in my shoulder bag and head out the door with too much time to spare. Then I promptly worry that I have forgotten something, causing me to rifle through my bag and pull out my binder while I am crammed on a subway, speed walking, or driving to my destination, effectively angering anyone who I am in close quarters with as I elbow them in the face. Once I arrive, I find somewhere to hide so that no one will see me in my sweatpants and green sneakers, and I get totally ready to make my grand entrance into the building wearing my heels, pretending that I either trekked 150 blocks in them from the upper upper west side, or that I drove 90 to 400 odd miles in them, and just happen to show up looking perfect, feeling confident, and pretending like its just another day.

In truth, I guess it is. Another day in the life of a working (or trying to work) young opera singer.

I hope that you are all laughing, thinking on your own experiences of neurotic preparation. Of course, can anyone blame us? After the hours of practice, language study, coaching, dramatic work, and searching for the perfect audition outfit, we venture out into the world, hoping and praying that at least some of what we have learned along the way sticks with us. Right now, most people are preparing for the holiday season; we as opera singers are preparing for what I affectionately call “The Month”: audition season in New York City.

For the months of November and December, I will join the masses in NYC doing a series of young artist program auditions, as well as singing “Second Woman” in The Dido Project with the Sybarite Chamber Players. This is the first time that I will be pairing a gig with the audition rounds this year, creating a very busy two months full of singing and running around all corners of Manhattan. With the aid of my fabulous teacher and coaches, I have come up with a somewhat eclectic list of audition arias, all of which I absolutely love singing. My prep is done, and now its time to get out there and do it! So…(I ask myself, my heart starting to pound)…what does that mean exactly?

It is easy to dread this time of year. Auditioning is not easy. Out of towners (like me) are generally couch hopping with very understanding friends, (I myself will be in Harlem, Queens, and Innwood for the duration of my stay) warming up in subways or bathrooms, all the while trying to keep the outfit looking fresh for a month and asking ourselves why we signed up for this in the first place. However, the season also brings new excitement-the joy of discovering parts of the city you never knew about, the pleasure of meeting up with friends unexpectedly at audition sites, and of course, singing the arias that you love. I am not an expert, but the one thing I will say is always sing something that you can embrace and truly believe in with everything you have to offer. The audition process is so rewarding when we realize that a big part of it is about sharing what we love to do. As Ken told me the other day, “continue to sing for the joy of singing.” With all of the stuff I mentioned previously, sometimes that can be hard to remember, but we have been given one of the greatest gifts imaginable. We get to share in the beauty of humanity through melodies that journeyed from composers’ minds to the inner reaches of our bodies, letting them out in beautiful tones that are uniquely ours. We allow people to feel in a society that doesn’t always welcome grandiose emotions. We allow people to sit quietly in a think in a media driven world where fluff is praised. Most importantly, we allow people to connect in ways they never imagined possible. I ask you, what could be better than that?

So, I suppose another audition season will come and go. Hopefully, The Dido Project will be well received, and I am looking forward to seeing my friends from the east coast. But one thing I will keep in mind this time around is the joy of this art form, something that has been instilled in me because of my work at USC. The instruction, support, and encouragement we receive is truly life-altering. I consider myself extremely lucky to be a part of this eclectic and passionate group of people, who are not only rooting for what I’m about to do, but will share in the result because of all of the hours they have given to me.

To all of you auditionees out there: be strong, have fun, and enjoy every moment. This wild ride is about to begin!

Alexandra Loutsion has completed her Masters Degree in Vocal Arts at the USC Thornton School and is in the first year of the Graduate Certificate Program.