Even before the pandemic, there have been a lot of posts and ads about masterclasses and why you should take them. Famous people have been offering masterclasses on acting, writing, comedy, singing (some with stronger credentials than others) and people have been signing up for them and saying, “TAKE MY MONEY.”
But what isn’t a masterclass? What shouldn’t you expect when you take one?
A masterclass is not a place where:
- Someone will teach you the music if you don’t already know it
- You’ll show everyone that you’re the best performer there
- All your technical problems will be fixed in fifteen minutes
- You will be discovered and all your dreams will come true
- Your technique (and self-esteem) will be shredded and you’ll be told to rebuild everything from the ground up (and if that happens, that is the sign of a bad clinician)
What you can expect from a masterclass is that:
- The clinician will focus on a particular aspect of your piece that could be enhanced or improved
- You will hear other performers who are more advanced than you in both technique and career who still have things to learn and are willing to accept direction and change
- You will hear other performers who are not at your technical level who are willing to accept direction and change
- Even if you’re not the one performing (or you’re not performing at all), you might hear something in another person’s piece that may inspire you to try it in a piece that you’re working on
- If the clinician does address a technical issue, it may not be the most obvious one; it might be a lesser one that can be addressed in the allotted time that they have (and one that might, indirectly, contribute to solving a larger technical problem)
All performer slots in the Richard Carsey masterclass this Friday are filled, but there are still auditor opportunities available. Come on and listen to 7 singers, from pre-professional to established artists, sing for Maestro Carsey. You can register here or message me for more information.
