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Auditioning for Cantus

Every year hundreds of young men graduate from universities across the country with degrees in vocal performance. Most of them dream of stardom, but as we all know few ever actually find it. Very few even find themselves making a living as a singer, but there were some guys here in Minnesota lucky enough to get something started that now provides full-time employment for nine of us. We all have a different story of how we found out about Cantus and what auditioning was like...here’s mine. I was in my first year of graduate school for Opera Performance, and like most vocal students was completely caught up in how “amazing” our latest performance was (if it were actually true, every school in this country would be giving the Met a run for their money). In the elevator on my way to class one day, the chairperson of our department mentioned a new audition notice that she had posted outside her office. I said, “Thanks,” and continued on my way to class. A couple of months passed (of course during which I gave “groundbreaking” performances of various repertoire) until one day, while waiting to have an add/drop form signed, I noticed the aforementioned audition posting. “I wonder if they are still searching for people,” I thought, as I most intrigued by the tag line, “Want to make singing your full time job?” After all, that WAS why I was paying thousands of dollars a year to go to school! After writing down the information and getting my form signed, I went on my way. Checking the Cantus website I saw the audition requirements and also noticed that Cantus was coming through Baltimore very soon (I was in school at The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore). Instead of rushing to record the required materials, I called the phone number listed. Amazingly, former Cantus tenor Brian Arreola answered (Brian is notorious for not answering his phone) and after a brief conversation I learned that Cantus was on its way into Baltimore AT THAT VERY MOMENT. We made arrangements for me to sing for them the following day at a school where they doing some educational outreach. I went, sang low notes, sight read a piece with them (which luckily I had sang just a few months earlier...that isn’t cheating is it?), chatted for a while (during which Cantus Executive Director Michael Hanawalt and I realized we were the only two golfers in the room) and went back home to get ready for another rehearsal that night. *I should add that Cantus has since stopped the practice of spur of the moment auditions to avoid hearing singers who aren’t serious enough to get the required materials out the door.* A few days later Michael called and offered me the job. WHAT!??! I am a full-time student half way through his first of two years of grad school...I have an opera next month and another one after that...where is Minnesota anyway?? After decompressing for a while I started calling and emailing my mentors to seek advice on the situation. I was not excited when all of them discouraged me from accepting the position. The strange part was that none of them gave a reason. Like a good little student I took their advice and turned down the offer. After a conference in which he tried to convince me otherwise, Michael finally offered to have me join them for recording that summer to which I said, “Absolutely!” I spent a month or so working with them that summer and then went back to grad school. A year later, Cantus had another bass opening and Michael called again offering me the job. I again sought the advice of my mentors and this time heard a resounding, “Yes!” When I asked them why, they all said the same thing: “We wanted you to finish school.” The rest of history...it has been three years, four recording sessions, a few hundred shows, and countless hours of driving around in the vans all due to my chairperson saying, “Hey, there is a new audition notice outside my office.” Get that guys? There are jobs out there, go and find them! Tom McNichols, Bass