Living the Dream: Building a Sustainable Career in the Performing Arts offers an accessible guide to understanding one’s arts career as a business.
INTRODUCTION
• About You
• About Us
PART ONE - DEFINING THE DREAM
Chapter 1 - Your Career as a Business
• What it Takes for a Career
• Adopting Best Practices
- Understanding the Roles You Will Play
- Vital Record Keeping
- Developing Self-Reliance
- Finding the Balance Between Your Outer Adult and Inner Child
- Performance Reviews
• Portfolio Careers
Chapter 2 - Mission
• Why Mission is Important
• Assets and Deficits
• A Mission Exploration
• Values
• Questions to Consider
• Elements of a Dynamic Mission Statement
• Vision
• Writing Your Mission/Vision/Values Statement
Chapter 3 - Branding
• Brand Identity
• SWOT Analysis
• Building a Branding Platform
• Competitive Landscape
• Final Thoughts on Branding
Chapter 4 - Creating Business Plans
• Strategic and Tactical Planning
• Short- and Long-term Goals
• Strategic Plan Statements
• Goals, Tactics, and Timelines
• A Business Plan Template
• Review, Assessment, and Revision
Chapter 5 - Support and Accountability
• Creating a Board of Advisors
• Working with your board
• Evaluation and evolution of your board
Information Classification: General
Further Reading and Resources on Defining the Dream
PART TWO - SHARING THE DREAM
Chapter 6 - Facing Outward While Grounding Inward
• Appropriate Professional Communication
• Getting Your Materials in Order
• Performance Resumés
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Work Resumés
• Bios
• Repertoire Lists
• Quote Sheets
• Pictures
• Audio and Video Files
• Websites
• Social Media
Chapter 7 - Business and Artistic Relationships
• Networking
• Setting Up Productive Professional Relationships
- Expectations
- Boundaries
- Chemistry
• What to look for in specific relationships
- Teachers
- Musical or Vocal Coaches
- Other Collaborators
• How to cleanly end unproductive professional relationships
Chapter 8 - Key Allies
• Mentors, Colleagues, and Role Models
• Collaborators
• Patrons and Benefactors
• Agents and Managers
• About Contracts
• Union Affiliations
• Philanthropic, Topical, and Developmental Support Organizations
Further Reading and Resources on Sharing the Dream
PART THREE - FINANCING THE DREAM
Chapter 9 - Budgets (ugh!)
• Fixed Expenses
• Variable Expenses
• Periodic Expenses
• Budget Templates
• Take on the World…
Chapter 10 - Liabilities, Assets, and Net Worth…oh my!
Information Classification: General
• Liabilities
• Assets
- Liquid Assets
- Illiquid Assets
- Personal Use Assets
• Net Worth
• Balance Sheets
Chapter 11 - Savings
• Reasons for Savings
- Emergency Fund
- Home Down Payment
- Children’s Education Fund
- Other Mid- to Short-term Savings Goals
- Retirement
• Different savings vehicles for a smooth ride to Financial Success
- Bank accounts
- Bonds
- Stocks
- Mutual Funds
Chapter 12 - Managing Your Risk
• What are Life’s biggest risks?
• The Risk of damage or loss
- Car Insurance
- Home-Owner’s Insurance
• The Risk of illness or disability
- Health Insurance
- Disability Insurance
• The Risk of dying too soon
- Life Insurance
• The Risk of living too long
- Annuities, retirement planning, and smart investing
• The Risk of being sued
Chapter 13 - “Nothing is Certain Except Death and Taxes”
• Taxes
• Deductions
- Above the Line deductions
- Below the Line deductions
• Retirement Savings Plans for the self-employed
- Traditional IRA
- Roth IRA
- Simplified Employee Pension
• Tax Credits
- Foreign Tax Credit
- Child and Dependent Care Credit
- Education Credit
- Child Tax Credit
Information Classification: General
Chapter 14 - Plan Your Estate / Leave a Legacy
• The Will
• Living Will and Advanced Directive for Health Care
• Durable Power of Attorney
• Legacy
Chapter 15 - Organizing your Dream Business
• LLC
• Partnership (General or Limited)
• S-Corporation
• C-Corporation
Further Reading and Resources on Financing the Dream
PART FOUR - AS DREAM BECOMES REALITY
Chapter 16 - Career / Life Balance - at Home
• Choosing a Home Base
- Life in the Artistic Hub
- Basing Your Career Elsewhere
- Working and Living Globally
• Supporting Yourself
- Day Jobs
- Expanding Your Portfolio
- Setting Boundaries
• Managing Daily Life While Working
Chapter 17 - Career / Life Balance - on the Road
• What to expect as a working performer
- Before you arrive
- Rehearsal Process
- Other Obligations
- Lodging
• Maintaining your health and well being
• Getting re-hired
Chapter 18 - Facing the Future
• Assessments and Benchmarks
• Reconnecting with Mission
• Stuff happens—cultivating resilience
• Is it time for a bigger pivot?
• Pivots within the industry
• Artistic Leadership Positions
• Artistic Support Positions
• Production Management
• Becoming an Ensemble Performer
• Administration
• Artist Management
• Teaching
• Pivots outside the industry
Information Classification: General
• Final thoughts on the future
Further Reading and Resources on the Dream Becoming Reality
CONCLUSION - KEEP DREAMING!
INDEX
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Kirstin Chávez has sung leading operatic roles on many of the world’s great stages, including the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, and the Sydney Opera House. In addition to her extensive performing career, she is Artist In Residence at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and a Certified Financial Planner.
Johnathon Pape is a stage director of opera, theatre, and musical theatre with numerous credits in the U.S. and abroad, including New York City Opera and HaBimah National Theatre of Israel. He has served on the faculty of the Eastman School of Music and most recently was the Director of Opera Studies at Boston Conservatory.
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