Career Advice for Performers Archives - Page 5 of 6

How to Know When You’re Ready for Management

Here’s a difficult truth: most performing artists aren’t ready to be managed, even if they think they are. So, how can you know when you’re ready for management? There are a few key signs we’re going to share. But before we do, here’s some background about why we here at iCadenza are so familiar with … Read more

From Performer to Academia: Is It the Path for You?

by Guest Author

Aaron Dworkin is one of the most inspiring individuals we’ve encountered on our path. A rapid thinker, he has a way of inspiring us (and everyone else around him) whenever he utters a sentence. He’s a man who lives and breathes his passion — and it’s contagious! Few individuals have had a more visible impact … Read more

Do You Love Music Enough to Conquer the Ups & Downs?

by Guest Author

When we first started our talent agency Cadenza Artists (about a year and a half after starting iCadenza), one of our early challenges was building up a roster of artists. Thanks to a referral of a mentor, we were introduced to mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin and were immediately blown away. Her artistry and musicianship were astounding … Read more

On Graciousness: Words of Wisdom from an Opera Legend

by Jennifer Rosenfeld

Our work with iCadenza and Cadenza Artists has given us the honor of getting to know many exceptional people in the field. A particular standout is opera legend, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade. Flicka, as she as known by friends and fans, collaborates with another astounding mezzo-soprano that we work with, Laurie Rubin (who, for countless … Read more

Get out of Your Comfort Zone: Lessons from The Savvy Musician

by Jennifer Rosenfeld

Julia and I have attended so many conferences over the last several years that we’ve lost count! Most of them have a pretty similar format: lectures and panels in rooms of various sizes, often with a marketplace where presenters, artists, and managers/agents congregate and do business. There are lots of ideas exchanged and talking, but … Read more

How to Get Noticed as an Artist: 1 Easy Technique

by Jennifer Rosenfeld

In our work with musicians and performing artists, one question we get asked a lot is: How do I stand out? The competition feels tighter than ever. Opportunities seem scarce. And you want to set yourself apart from the pack. There’s one simple way to get noticed as an artist—and it doesn’t require you to be … Read more

What’s more important: “winning” or getting what you want?

by Julia Levitan

I negotiate every single day. I negotiate with venues on behalf of the artists we represent; I negotiate with partners about how our relationship (financial and otherwise) will be structured; I negotiate with the artists we represent about how we will achieve our common goals; I work with prospective clients to negotiate their expectations to … Read more

Making Time for Your Career Development Practice

by Jennifer Rosenfeld

A few posts ago, I made an analogy between the regularity of a daily flossing habit and an ideal career development practice. I should emphasize that this was not to suggest that one must devote significant time to career development every single day, but to find a schedule that is regular enough for you that you can maintain some continuous thread of effort and thought, so that each session doesn’t feel like starting from square one. At the same time, finding ways to incorporate threads of your career development work into a daily practice in extremely low time-commitment ways.

Here’s an example of what I mean.