- We're talking about the time
that it would take, I call it the arc,
of the period that it takes a singer to move
from schooling to a professional career in singing
and the sort of various guises
and levels that they could take on.
Of course a professional musician may not be working
at the metropolitan opera.
There are lots of possibilities.
And so we,
in a singer, we're looking
at a fairly significant amount of time
since most singers begin their formal study in college.
Usually we're happier
when they've begun their formal study in college
because so often if they sing, they've had instruction
that may not be the best before then.
Although it can happen that way.
But the voice matures at a much, you know,
a later date than a piano's fingers might mature.
So we're looking
at the period from say 22 to 30 or 32.
And typically by the mid thirties
if someone has an established a singing career
it's not going to come to that level anyway.
So,
it's a long time to stay viable
because once they've left school,
then what do they do?
Ideally, at least in America
they go into the young artist programs
and there are many levels of young artists programs.
Some programs are two or three months with an opera company.
Some are six months, some are nine months
and then they might also do summer festivals with that.
So usually you're looking at an extended period of time
that can be three to five years
beyond graduate school
where someone is working
on what everybody calls their training.
It's not really professional-level work.
Although in the large opera houses
they may actually have occasions to be on the stage.
And we're just talking about opera
not even talking about all the other possibilities
that there are for singing,
which could be concerts
and oratorical jobs with the orchestras.
There are many possibilities.
But the basic training
of the voice and musicianship takes
at least 10 years, 10 to 12 years.