The Aria Ready blog contains over two decades of monthly posts aimed at teaching emerging professional singers how to become a fully-formed artistic professional in today's world of Opera.
Technique got you here. Presence will take you further. When preparation is complete, the real work begins: letting go of control and stepping fully into the moment. Discover how to quiet the thinking mind, trust your training, and become not just a singer—but a performing artist.
Thank you all for being part of the Aria Ready community. I have truly enjoyed your questions, career concerns, and suggestions for new posts this past year. Many of you have inquired about when the workshops will be available. We have reviewed several online formats and aim to have the first one ready for beta […]
When I first sat down to write our blog post for December, my goal was to make it short. To the point. And to thank you for being part of the Aria Ready Family in 2025. In fact, the first draft was only five hundred or so words. After running it by my fellow AR […]
This post, like many of the AriaReady teachings, is designed for singers just beginning their professional careers. However, if you're further along and still not achieving the success you hoped for, this guide can help you refocus and regain your confidence. If you feel you’ve already mastered these concepts, please "pay it forward" by sharing […]
Whether you’re actually doing auditions this season or not, you’ll still feel a certain way about it. You’ll have a belief about who you are. About just how ready you are. And what will you say to others when they ask you about the final quarter of 2025. So, what’s your mindset as you face […]
Before we get into our next blog episode, I’d like to thank Jack Swanson for his time and expertise in helping me update this copy. Especially on Stage 5, the Maintaining Stage. “Thank you, Jack!” Carol Kirkpatrick created this list over twenty years ago. She had a couple of things in mind when she did. […]
Hello! David here… Before I begin this blog, I feel I owe each of you an apology. My efforts to rebrand AriaReady after Carol's death were guided by my promise to “do my best to prepare this business for the next generation of aspiring singers." Last year, I accomplished very little toward keeping that promise […]
Twenty years ago, the first edition of “AriaReady: The Business of Singing” was written by Carol Kirkpatrick. It was created as a workbook, resource, and guide for aspiring singers. It was an instant success. Ten years later, she expanded upon her work, and the second edition also became a best-seller. Carol's original goal for the […]
Whatever one wants to call it — meet and greet, mingling, networking, exchanging ideas, schmoozing, chitchatting, making conversation, etc. — it often becomes a road block because you feel awkward about joining in a conversation or taking the initiative in starting a conversation with just about anyone you don’t know. Until I learned to use […]