well well well

My busy-ness/business seems to have gotten some results and good responses.
It's nice to know that people in the "know" care about what you're doing and are genuinely happy to find out about how you're doing in your career.

Going back through old emails to find addresses and such, it's interesting to see the pattern of contact. Very high volume after summer programs. Saying hi to fellow singers, sending coaches and directors a thank you and an update about what the fall schedule will hold for you. And then of course during audition season everyone wants to meet up in New York.
Then it's a bit quiet- maybe a Happy New Year email. And next it's the big gig you just got a great review from, or one that's coming up as a debut.

End-of-the-year review and a wish for a stress-free summer (for those that are in year-round seasons), AND an especially stress-free summer (for those that run summer programs), and there you have it.

The way to keep in touch with contacts-
Politely letting them know what you are up to, what you look forward to, and somewhere in the middle offering to sing for them again during audition season in NY, inviting them to performances if they are local/regional, and being genuinely interested in what THEY are doing as well.
Knowing where conductors have gone in the past year, wishing someone a good production of Traviata if it's upcoming, etc.

To me it's more of a wonder that so many singers don't do this on a regular basis. They're scared to approach some people, they don't know what to say, they don't feel comfortable.
You know, after getting over the initial 'should I be doing this' jitters...it feels so DANGEROUS to send an unsolicited email to someone that ACTUALLY knows me and PROBABLY remembers my kick-ass audition from this season, or this past summer program, etc....it's actually pretty painless.

And when I start my real business of being a personal manager for people's lives and arts grantwriter, since I already to it for free for so many of my friends (well, not the grantwriting part, that's for a feeee!), I will put up somewhere on a sticky note or an actual bulletin board some sort of phrase reminding me that we are all PEOPLE.
As Borat would say, "I like-uh you peepulsss".

So who cares if you run an A opera house?
If you've conducted and coached at the MET?
If you're the general director of one of the top three summer residency programs?

That doesn't mean that I, singer number 42 on day 4 of the New York auditions, can't write you to say
a. Thank you and could I have some feedback
b. Hello and this is what I'm doing now
c. I wish you a continued successful season and I hope to sing for you again in the future
And CONTINUE to keep in touch with you!