| Contents |
Preface: 2007, somewhere in Europe -- How good are your goods? Is a Fest contract right for you? -- Can you really live over here? Do you really want to live here? -- How old are you? Are you hot? How much do you weigh? -- Am I at an advantage or disadvantage because I am a native English speaker? -- It's all in the preparation. Alles auf Deutsch, Ami -- How about learning some German before you come? -- How about learning some German before your audition tour? -- The work climate -- Let's talk Fach, ohhhhh yeaaah -- Operetta -- Theater size -- When should I come? How long do I gotta stay? -- Me write agents and theaters real good with real neat publicity materials in German. Writing agents -- Writing theaters -- Publicity materials: cover letter, résumé, and biography -- CDs -- Web sites, e-mail, and fax -- When to send your materials -- I'm gonna need a sugar daddy. Passports and visas -- Finding a home base -- Finding an apartment -- Hotels: no, I didn't say hostels -- Audition fees -- Coaches -- Food -- Cash machines, banking, and travelers checks -- Health/travel insurance -- What to pack -- Planes, trains, and automobiles (and buses and bicycles and S-Bahns). Getting to Europe -- Before you choose an American-based airline -- Getting around Europe by train -- Public city transportation (bus/U-Bahn/S-Bahn) -- Ride sharing -- Air travel within Europe -- Auto rental -- Buy a used bike -- Your trip over and arrival to the Mother Continent. Pre-audition tour checklist -- Handy/mobile phone -- Üben/practicing -- Internet and your laptop -- Internet telephoning -- So, you're krank/sick -- Agents and theaters: they love you, they hate you, they love you. What to expect at agent auditions -- A note on what to wear and what not to wear -- Repertoire to bring -- Forms, etc. -- The agent wants to work with you! -- When will they send me to theater auditions? -- Follow-up and nurturing the singer-agent relationship -- So the agent does not want to work with you -- Theater auditions -- A typical theater audition -- You're hired (you like me, you really like me!). What do you do now? Negotiate the contract/Verhandeln. Fach classification and specific roles ; Duration of contract, salary, and per performance/broadcast fees ; Agent commission ; Pay ; Plane tickets -- Find an apartment/Wohnung suchen -- Registration/Anmelden -- Residence permit and work permit/Aufenthaltserlaubnis/Aufenthaltsbewilligung and Arbeitserlaubnis. In Germany ; In Austria -- Income tax classification card/Lohnsteuerkarte -- You have to put all that money somewhere, get a bank account and learn how to transfer money back home for free/Bankkonto -- Choose your health insurance/Krankenkasse and Krankenversicherung -- Taxes and Kindergeld (Money for the kids). Taxes in Germany -- Taxes in Austria -- Doing your taxes/Steuerkerklärung -- Kindergeld -- Pot luck dinner. Festing and guesting -- Jumping in/Einspringen -- Tipping with festing, guesting, and einspringen -- Teaching English during your audition tour -- Opera studios and young artist programs -- Chorus work -- Interviews: you think I'm full of crap? Then read what my colleagues have to say. Ellen Rissinger, American coach -- Angela Fout, American soprano -- Lina Lamont (not her real name), American soprano -- Thomas Schmidt (not his real name), European conductor -- Damon Nestor Ploumis, American/British/Greek buffo bass-baritone -- Robert Tannenbaum, American stage director and Oberspielleiter (chief producer of opera) of Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe -- NYIOPS: never heard of them? Where have you been? Interview with David Blackburn, CEO and founder of NYIOPS -- All in the family: life in an ensemble. Intendant, colleagues, and atmosphere -- Illness and vacation -- Musical preparation and stage rehearsals -- Plays well with others -- Stability -- Conclusion: Veni, Vidi, Vici -- Phrase book and dictionary. The very basic -- Publicity -- For the Résumé -- Musical terminology -- In the theater. Places in the theater ; Places on stage ; People in the theater ; Activities in the theater ; Miscellaneous in the theater ; Phrases to use before your audition ; Phrases to use during your audition -- On the telephone -- In sickness and in health -- Contracts -- Bureaucracy: permits, money, and taxes -- Transportation -- Finding an apartment -- Miscellaneous -- Web sites and documents. Embassies and Consulates General. Germany ; Austria ; Switzerland ; Foreign Embassies in Germany ; Foreign Embassies in Austria ; Foreign Embassies in Switzerland -- Visa applications and essential documents -- Opera studios/young adult programs -- Publications and documents -- Transportation websites. Airline search sites ; European airline/discount airline search sites ; Discount European airlines ; Traditional European airlines ; Eurailpasses, train travel, hotels, and travel/health insurance ; Local public transportation web sites -- Apartments -- Mobile phones/handy providers -- Practice spaces -- Audition websites -- German language schools -- Banks and money transfer service -- Internet -- Retirement, taxes, and finances -- Social services: retirement, health insurance, and Kindergeld -- Miscellaneous websites -- Resources. National holidays for 2008 -- Sample résumé -- Form letters -- Form e-mails -- ZBF audition invitation e-mail -- Opera and concert agents. Agents in Germany ; Agents in Austria ; Agents in Switzerland -- Six ways to soak in the language -- Ten things I love about Germany and Austria. |
