the goods

About a week and a half ago I sent an email to someone "in the know" who works with my current resident artist program, regarding agents in Italy and Germany. Asking this person if they could recommend anyone that I could sing for while I spend a month and a half there this summer.

I say "in the know" because in addition to their capacity in working with us as a coach in the program, this person is also connected to a pretty highly named European agency, and COULD pull strings if they were on your side and had seen your talent.

The response I got was something like:
"You can definitely send me a cd of your best recording and I
will give it to my colleague in Europe. I do like your voice and I loved
your doll in Hoffmann so I will say that, but because your voice is so
unique, you have to expect that people might have different reactions. if my colleague thinks that he can't sell a voice like yours, there is not too much I will be able to do from here. "

OK. I understand about being cautious. I understand that this person only heard me in the doll. I understand that my voice is "unique"(umm,,,thought that was a good thing!). So while the reply email (which was longer and offered much valuable information) was not NEGATIVE, and saying, No I won't send your stuff...it was not---YES, of course give me your materials I'm sure something can be worked out.
It was cautionary at best. The kind of- don't-get-your-hopes-up, but I guess I'll try and put your name out there just to see type of help.

Well, today I dropped off my CD and materials at said person's house.
2 hours later I receive an email of a VERY different nature.

Have you sung for so and so? I'm going out of town next week and would be happy to bring your CD along (So-and-so being 2 of the biggest opera companies in the US with very high level resident artist programs). My colleague in Italy wants to meet you and wants you to sing for them...can you arrange a trip to Italy while you're in Germany? bla bla bla...

OH REAAALLLYYY?

So my recording is either "that good" or showed off that I can do stuff WELL besides the doll... (meanwhile, it took me a WHILE to decide what to put on it..because I thought it would just be sent to that one person...)
I sent:
Doll, Queen (both with orchestra from my live recordings), and then I sent piano of DurchZ, A Zarzuela, and Zerbie.

Didn't realize I had 3 Germans on there until I dropped it off, but those really are my best recordings in terms of piano and I wanted to show that I could do "normal" Mozart/Soubrette stuff with the DurchZ, crazy coloratura stuff with Zerbie, and awesome Queen stuff with the orchestra recording.
And that I rocked at doll.
And then the zarzuela is the only LOW and LEGATO thing I have right now.

ANYWAY.
What is the moral of this experience?

Well, I'm not SO sure yet, but here is my idea about it. People can have very strong perceptions of what your voice can or can't do, who you are, what you sound like, and everything about you---before they hear you in anything, or after just hearing you in one role. How many people who have only heard me in the doll think that I can ONLY sing the doll?

I'm GLAD that my recordings (even though I've spent no money on them, and have used a minidisk or what I could grab from live performances with friends and family in the audience holding my minidisk) can prove othewise, but I also wonder how many people may have that general perception (even though they MAY receive regular updates about my roles sung, etc), that I am just the "doll" with freakish high notes.

Here's to proving them wrong and having the goods on the CD to show for it.