1st Edition
Living the Dream Building a Sustainable Career in the Performing Arts
Living the Dream: Building a Sustainable Career in the Performing Arts offers an accessible guide to understanding one’s arts career as a business. This essential companion to the inner workings of the arts world begins with defining the dream, including how to conceive mission statements, branding and business plans. Part II covers sharing the dream with others through social media, networking, and working with agents or artist managers. Part III offers an overview of the financial aspect, including budgets, taxes, and managing risks. Part IV concludes by discussing the realities of an arts career, including work/life balance, preparing for the future, and managing mental health. This practical and insightful overview is a must‑have companion for aspiring and early career professionals in the performing arts, as well as students on a range of arts courses, including Music Business, Entrepreneurship, and Career Skills classes.
Introduction
- About You
- About Us
PART I :Defining the Dream
1 Your Career as a Business
- What it Takes for a Career
- Adopting Best Practices
- Portfolio Careers
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
3 Branding
- Brand Identity
- SWOT Analysis
- Building a Branding Platform
- Competitive Landscape
- Final Thoughts on Branding
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
5 Support and Accountability
- Creating a Board of Advisors
- Working With Your Board
- Evaluation and Evolution of Your Board
Further Reading and Resources on Defining the Dream
PART II: Sharing the Dream
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
7 Business and Artistic Relationships
- Networking
- Setting up Productive Professional Relationships
- What to Look for in Specific Relationships
- How to Cleanly End Unproductive Professional Relationships
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 III: Financing the Dream
9 Budgets (ugh!)
- Fixed Expenses
- Variable Expenses
- Periodic Expenses
- Budget Templates
- Take on the World…
10 Liabilities, Assets, and Net Worth…oh my!
- Liabilities
- Assets
- Net Worth
- Balance Sheets
11 Savings
- Reasons for Savings
- Different Savings Vehicles for a Smooth Ride to Financial Success
12 Managing Your Risk
- What Are Life’s Biggest Risks?
- The Risk of Damage or Loss
- The Risk of Illness or Disability
- The Risk of Dying Too Soon
- The Risk of Living Too Long
- The Risk of Being Sued
13 “Nothing is Certain Except Death and Taxes”
- Taxes
- Deductions
14 Plan Your Estate/Leave a Legacy
- The Will
- Living Will and Advanced Directive for Healthcare
- Durable Power of Attorney
- Legacy
15 Organizing Your Dream Business
- LLC
- Partnership (General or Limited)
- S‑Corporation
- C‑Corporation
Further Reading and Resources on Financing the Dream
PART IV: As Dream Becomes Reality
16 Career/Life Balance—At Home
- Choosing a Home Base
- Supporting Yourself
- Managing Daily Life While Working
17 Career/Life Balance—On the Road
- What to Expect as a Working Performer
- Maintaining Your Health and Well Being
- Getting Re‑Hired
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
- Pivots Outside the Industry
- Final Thoughts on the Future
Further Reading and Resources on the Dream Becoming Reality
Conclusion: Keep Dreaming!
Biography
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 US 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.
“Living the Dream: Building a Sustainable Career in the Performing Arts is an indispensable guide for aspiring performers. This book covers all aspects of post‑graduation life, equipping readers with essential business skills and professional strategies. The emphasis on financial management fills a critical knowledge gap often overlooked.”
Jenny Coyle, Course Leader, BA Hons in Professional Practice 2023, Italia Conti
“This is a must‑have book for every artist at any stage that offers practical guidance and perspectives about both your career and your life that is rarely discussed or taught in most training programs. The authors vividly illustrate each part of the career both on stage and off, but most importantly remind you that this is your dream. Dreams are real, and they can be shaped in many ways. Building a career, your career, is up to you. You are in the driver seat of your future, and only you choose where to lead it. What you build must fulfill and sustain you, and this book reminds us all not to be afraid to fashion your own beautiful tapestry, one that embodies and illuminates every unique part of who you are from home to stage, and everywhere in between.”
Eric Ferring, Operatic Tenor, Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago; Executive Director, Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago; Project Curator, Lexicon Classics; Soloists Vice President, American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA)
“At last! A book that offers practical guidance and invaluable perspective to artists in the early stages of building a career. Whatever your creative pursuit, you will find information here about the additional skills and tools needed in the highly competitive field of the arts. Nobody does it alone! Kirstin and Johnathon cover broad and unexpected territory with clear, pragmatic suggestions, allowing room for each artist’s personal journey. It is an invaluable guide and resource. If only this book had been around when I was a student!”
Jake Heggie, composer
