How can a child persue a carrer(or a job) in vocal performance(opera) in Chicago

Question:

How can a child persue a carrer(or a job) in vocal performance(opera) in Chicago, IL?

I am 13 and I want to persue a carrer in vocal performance. I know I am young but I think I am ready for the stage. I need places in Chicago, IL. Not New York, not Los Angeles. CHICAGO!!!

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: first of all, keep in mind that if you want to pursue an opera career you have a lot of time, work, and sacrafice ahead of you.

next, find a good teacher and a good coach. people that are experienced in opera and that you are comfortable working with. eventually finding a good stage acting coach will also be beneficial. chances are this will all be expensive....ah, alas. one of the many sacrafices you will make for music.

work on age appropriate repetoire. your voice is young, VERY young by opera standards, and is very suseptible to damage. make sure that you are not pushing yourself too hard or choosing repetoire outside of your capabilities. choosing and performing an aria too early can potentially damage your voice and any auditioner who hears it will remember it, and it could potentially damage your chances in the future due to a poor impression. not only that, but you can learn bad habits that will be really hard to fix in the future. start with lighter stuff, even broadway and musical will be good now. there is also a book of arias commonly known as the "24 italian hits" that are a very, very good starting place.

joining the school or community choirs will help you out. and they will give you a network of other singers to learn from.

audition for anything and everything that has an open call in your age and voice category. it doesn't matter if you're only going to be in the chorus of a small theatre musical. stage experience is stage experience. get as much as you can. the more you get the more comfortable you will be auditioning and on stage, and the bigger your resume. the more on your resume, the more likely that you'll get work. this is going to be super important in the future.

living in the chicago area, i am sure that there are local arts oriented magazines and newspapers. these are good places to look for listing for open calls and singing groups. also they will be good reference for you to keep on top of what's happening in and around your community.

study. study music history and theory. this is going to give you much needed context and background on what you are singing. it will also build and maintain your credibility as a singer. even if you are young, you will gain respect if you really know what you are singing and talking about.

keep in mind that the average opera singer starts serious training in their teens, gets small roles (and lots of chorus work) in their twenties, and starts a "career" in their early thirties. this is because the human voice, while it goes through the vast majority of it's changes in your teens, does not fully "settle in" until you are in your mid-late twenties. women's voices settle earlier than men's. so if you are a soprano now, don't be surprized if you turn out to be a lyric mezzo or something.
this isn't to say that you can't have a career when you are younger, but it will take a lot of work.

i really hope this has been helpful to you. you are in for a very fun and rewarding journey. just a few last words of advice:

practice, practice, practice.
don't get discouraged.
believe in yourself and don't let anyone tell you that you're not capable of this.
practice and study more.
love what you are doing, love the music, love the stage
practice.

good luck!!