The argument for artistic cross-training
Brooklyn-based interdisciplinary argues for seeing oneself as a multi-faceted artist through experiences rather than solely through one’s craft.
By Sarah Daniels | 4/1/24
I am an opera singer and an artist. Some people find it funny that I come from a family of Olympic athletes and exercise scientists, but I think this background may be the reason voice was my instrument of choice growing up. Especially within the realm of opera singing, the required level of physical training, self-care, and familiarity with one’s body is akin to that of a professional athlete. The “craft” of what we do as opera singers, the actual physical feat of it, requires some physical and athletic cross-training –– this is already very much accepted within the classical singing community. We see it everywhere, with all the yoga classes offered at summer YAPs, the love of the Alexander Technique, and even running clubs for performers. But I’d like to make a case for artistic cross-training, which can be applied to all musicians, both singers and instrumentalists, and I think to artists across all mediums.
First I must address craft. A lot of young musicians get hung up on the craft of music-making, on perfection, and get panicky about “wasting time” when they’re not in the practice room. It’s true that we are all pursuing the technically immaculate production of sound, but that can’t be all we’re pursuing. Most musicians, myself included, got into music in the first place because they are creatives at heart, not interpreters. I can guarantee as a 10-year-old wannabe rockstar that I did not start singing or pick up the guitar because I was dying to analyze music, translate libretti, and interpret poetry. The craft of what we do requires us to do those things, especially as we find ourselves farther down the path of professional musicianship. But those are not usually the sirens pulling us to shore — they are simply the realities of the job. So, how can we add to our technical practice in a way that nurtures us as creatives?
Dabbling in other forms of art alongside one’s “main” artistic practice, whether or not it’s ever monetized or publicly shared, is artistic cross-training, simple as that. Any level of dabbling is perfectly valid. And I don’t mean, “I dabble in acting as cross-training for my professional artistic practice as an opera singer”. No — acting is a base requirement of opera singing. I mean I dabble in ink drawing as cross-training for my opera singing. I dabble in writing prose poetry as cross-training. I dabble in creating painfully amateur beats on Froot Loops. And much like in athletic contexts, rest is a part of training, too. I take myself on art dates to museums, see films at theatres alone, and press flowers in my notebook. No product from any of these creative practices ever has to see the light of day to generously aid in my pursuit as an opera singer and in my fulfillment as a creative. So, I recommend artistic cross-training to all artists. It will add depth to your professional work. It will benefit your career both directly and through avoiding burnout. And it will keep you well.
About the Author:
A classically trained singer with both traditional and experimental training in theatre, Sarah Daniels is a performing artist who can comfortably jump into any project in the musical and theatrical realms. Sarah has a particular passion for contemporary opera and experimental theatre, and with these foci she has been creating theatre as a singer, actor, writer, and producer in New York City for over a decade.