What is happening? Have any of you gone through this in your career?

I have noticed since I have been acquiring more roles and oratorio solo work, as my technique improves as well as my physical look, I am beginning to run into, well, mostly women who have been out of the way angry with me. Most of my friends will tell you I am one of the most down to earth people you will meet, but when it comes down to my work, I am going to be professional and on point. I will always be prepared. I will always dress to the best of my ability, because that's what a singer is SUPPOSED to do. I don't want to lack in any area. Whether it is vocal, physical, or stage presence.

I have had two run ins in two different situations where these women have had displaced anger against me. One was bombarded with compliments and praise from a singer about me whom I will be performing along side with. I found out he was pugging my name in as one of the best Mezzos around. She in turn, trashed my coach, the opera company, and me without knowing me or my work. She also trashed him.

What is happening? Have any of you gone through this in your career?comedy show

It's called jealousy. I'm a 54 year old guitarist who isn't working at this particular time. I've never heard anything on guitar I couldn't duplicate excluding "Flight of the Bumble Bee" and I'm sitting at home on weekends. Show biz is, to say the least, as corrupt as politics.

What is happening? Have any of you gone through this in your career?greek theater opera theater

just chalk it up to professional jealousy and envy for what you are accomplishing and move on NEVER EVER let it bother you ... most likely they are frustrated with their own career's direction and lack of momentum (I've heard it from big name mezzos in relationship to Cecilia Bartoli)

it does seem "when it rains it pours" just be as Marion Anderson was and Denyce Graves is centered, confident in yourself and be beautiful both inside and out and continue on ... gracious and generous but determined in your own goals!

I would like to say don't let it bother you but I know it will (just the nature of artists who care and feel deeply) Just try to let it go and be sure not to dwell on it after you find the answer you need to resolve this in your heart
What difference does it make what other women think of you. Unless they are the Director or MD then don't sweat it. Of course the real pros won't give a damn how you got there they'll only care that you can do the job now that you are there. The world is full of petty people and people whose own short-comings make them horrible to others. Keep doing what you are doing and showing your professionalism. damn the begrudgers, they exist in all walks of life and are no better than school-yard bullies.
Well, Ms Chick, you are so loving, so caring and very very knowledgeable in this field. On yahoo answers also people remember you a lot. Learners like me are desperate to get answers from you and other knowledgeable mentors, not mentioning the names. Your singing must be very soulful, i am unfortunate, i can not listen to you. So this will happen with you.. As you are an artist and must be very tender hearted, you take such people seriously. Just ignore them.

I know this is no reply to your question. But i could not prevent myself from conveying my feelings. Please dont consider this answer in deciding best answer, i only wished to express my emotions.

Best of luck. I care for you.
well, I have heard it said that women are like a bucket of crabs : as soon as one gets to the top the others pull her back down.

You will just have to deal with it. But always be nice to people. It is how you get along with others that will really define your career. Nobody wants to work with a b**** , so do not sink to their level.
Dear Ms. Chick,

This is a fact of life. It has to do more with their personal insecurities and jealousies than it does with you being a good or bad person, ( We who love you here on Yahoo Answers know you are one of the good ones) or a good or bad singer.

I have had the privilege of working with a lot of people during my 20+ years in the Stadttheater Aachen, some of whom have gone on to, and some of whom will go on to international fame. It's been my experience that the people who turn out to be the real pros stay humble, focused on the job, and refuse to consider petty issues as to who's the better singer ( sexier body, better dressed, sleeping with the boss, earns more money, etc). The wannabes are the ones who insist on putting on the airs ( sounds like your two examples?) and giving a great show without much substance.

From the conversations we have had, I know you are not in that category, but have the markings of a real pro. I won't say, harden your heart to this behavior, because that isn't right, and it's not you.

I will say, remember your loving heart, have compassion for these people in their pain ( because they are suffering), but don't let it affect you. Just as some people can sit in a drafty room and not catch cold because their immune system is up and running well, some people can also not let this jealousy virus also not infect them. Their psychic immune system is up and running: they are loving, they are loved, they have trust in their abilities without being egotistical and selfish about it.

God bless you, your family and your work. Don't let yourself get infected by such a little bug. Perhaps the message will get through to these individuals that their behavior is wrong in the mere fact that you are not ( visibly) shaken by it.

Don't let yourself down to that level, ok? Keep up your poise, and turn the subject to something else if you can. If you can't, excuse yourself and walk away from it.

All my best,

Lynn
I am not a singer, but from what I heard from the singers that I played for, things like this are just par for the course. get used to it and don't let it get to you.

Scots pines,

Is this endless comment really necessary??
I am happy to hear that you are doing so well with your career. Congratulations! You must be very happy, as you should be: your work is paying off nicely now.

Unfortunately, jealousy is one of the worst parts of becoming accomplished, hired, and attractive all at the same time. It is hard when it starts to come, and ~ all at once, so it seems.

There is no way in the world you either can or should ignore it. Anyone who would recommend such a thing has never been the brunt of it, and has never had to deal with it in order to keep a career going. It is urealistic in the extreme. The only people who can ignore it are those with natural armor. The rest of us who are sensitive, as you obviously are, those of us who are vulnerable to other people's jealousy must simply work out the problem. It is part of success. They should give us more of a warning! It is awful to run into it, especially if you are sweet, cheerful, and loving.

You need at the very least down talk it out with yourself. Realize, as you must by now, that you are running into professional jealousy, and as usual, it is none too cleverly disguised, which actually is good. I say that because one time before I caught onto the situation, I was sabotaged by a jealous female conductor who not only envied me, but she wanted to be 'friends' and she was barking up the wrong tree. It made her angry and I paid the price. It was most unfortunate. But, this is the sort of thing that *does* happen as we work our way up. I even ran into it with my mother, of all people.

The *worst* thing you can possibly do is to just let it go, just to ignore it. You MUST to develop the skills for dealing with it as you go along. It is not going to stop. You need the strength that comes with fighting each battle as it comes up. Please please please understand that to fight each battle does *not* mean to bring it out into the arena of personal confrontation. It is amazinly affective to keep it under wraps ....either in your conversations with yourself, or your entries into your diary / journal if you keep one, or with your conversations with your advisors, or last but hardly least, in your prayers ...They say that the best fighters never fight. I am *sure* it is true.

The trick is to be a jump ahead ....so, if you will forgive me for mixing religion and art, you must ask for protection ahead, you must ask that people deal with their jealousy in such a way that it is neutralized, and you must ask that you be forewarned AND forearmed: that you know how to deal with situations as they arise....and HOPEFULLY, if you have gotten your words in edgewise, they will NOT arise...peace will be the reward of all your faith and openness in your conversations with the divine...

Sometimes it is the teachers, the coaches, the conductors themselves who are jealous. Jealousy hurts. Not everyone is jealous. But those who are are scorched and burned by it. It hits them and it overwhelms them. I have even had friends turn into cold aquaintances in the twinkling of an eye when they learned where I went to college: so ..... I never mention it any longer (unless ~ much to my utter dispair ~ they wrench it out of me .....in which case I have to admit defeat because they beat me to the draw ~ so I just pray harder: I say: God, they got ahead of me....please forewarn me, make me firm in my resolve, and protect me ~ and them, too ~ from such problems.

I have among my acquaintances some who are very successful performers, and I want to tell you something: those people, for all their musical and histrionic sensitivity, for all their great development as artists, for all their attractiveness .....those people are something else! They have personal defenses, personal armor, and strengths that the normal man in the street does not DREAM about. People underestimate what it takes to be a professional.

As you will find out, if you have not already found out, many of the people you will deal with are nastier than a pile of fire ants, and you have to be ahead of the situation in SPADES. Especially if you are pretty, a good singer, a good musician, a good performer, and alas, dark-skinned. And people go mad at the scent of money. Mad.

There *is* no excuse for their behavior, but there is a reason: they are simply not so fortunate as you yet, and they hurt from it. It is perfectly human. So, you must forgive them ...and the way to forgive them is to understand them, and the reason they are behaving as they are. They can't help it yet.

Before I get off my soap box, I wish to say a couple more things. Being down to earth is not going to deflect their jealousy. It is a wonderful quality; and how else are you to keep your feet on the ground? Those people are flat out jealous, regardless of your good qualities. And of course, people sometimes speak ill of others because they have not been taught to love and appreciate others. It is a very bad habit, and very very unprofessional of them.

There is nothing new about it. The tales of jealousy throughtout history include those of ballerinas who have found crushed glass in their toeshoes, stage actresses whose stage drinks were laced with alum to make their tongues fuzzy so they would not be able to speak clearly ...all sorts of nasty stuff.

I do not think you need to worry about becoming a B. I think that rather than thinking of others' problems, I think you should center on yourself, the gifts you have been given: your good looks, musicianship and your acting ability and thank the Lord for gracing you .Don't come out and say anything to people, it will just make matters worse. Keep things to yourself, in the area of prayer. People take too much of your attention, too much of your time, too much of your energy .....you have all you can do to keep your career and your personal life in order. But; don't forget them: they will always be with you. Wait until the public gets you! Then you will really find out how to wrench them people into positiion. They want it ALL! Give it to them, just make sure they do not hurt you.

God cuts some artists from beautiful stone and beautiful stone is often loving, optimistic, and fair minded. You said, you fair-minded creature: "I didn't care who sang what, because it didn't matter" ..... what a darling! But make sure .... make sure, sure, sure....that no one hurts you.

The very best of luck in your career

Oh, one more last thing .......don't get too cozy with anyone ..... they will just punish you for it. Just keep to yourself, be gracious, sweet and kind, always beautiful, always well-prepared, always there for everyone, always knock yourself out for your performances, .but do not let people into your " house" ... let them know by your attitude where they stand. In other words, you do have to be sweet and kind, but underneath, made of brick ... ok? Otherwise, how are you to function? Best of luck
I wonder why some people think Classical artists: pianists, violinists, cellists and singers are some dull class of persons with a heart of ice and a life devoid of interest. Classical music as any other high art form has some of the most interesting people who get in the damndest situations. The music business is cutthroat in any genre but Classical more than any due to the enormous egos involved. Singers tend to be the most egotistical and vicious of the lot.

Just like figure skating, that most beautful and artsy of all Winter Sports, had two serious Olympic Scandals, one where Nancy Kerrigan was attacked to destroy her chances for Gold and the French/Russian rigging of voting.

The world of High Art probably has more scandal, even murder than any other field due to the firey personalities involved. Classical music has never been a dull part of culture. Viz: Salieri ended up in an Asylum and confessed on his deathbed to the murder by poison of Mozart out of jealousy. His confession was basically ignored as the ramblings of a madman. Why? My own researches actually indicate that Salieri was very likely telling the truth!

As a pianist, I've backed up quite a few singers, but really don't like to, since singers think they are above ALL musicians and even more egotistical than we pianists are!