Here classical vocal soloist and educator Mabry (music, Peay State Univ.; Exploring Twentieth Century Vocal Music: A Practical Guide to Innovations in Performance and Repertoire) gives lessons gleaned from a lifetime of performing and teaching applicable not just to aspiring singers but also to anyone pursuing a career in the performing arts. With a breezy, easy-to-read style, she offers substantial advice on the training and maintenance of the vocal instrument, interacting with both the public and fellow singers, and-in a series of diary entries-maintaining professionalism despite malfunctioning equipment, inadequate venues, and every performer's nightmare of forgetting the lyrics in the middle of a lengthy oratorio. Equally valuable is the career advice Mabry shares about making informed choices between a teaching or performing career (or, as she did, a blend of both) and finding genres and styles that will both inspire and showcase a particular artist's talents. A very helpful bibliography at the book's end features more sources of information on the topics she raises. Verdict An enjoyable and also thorough volume that deserves a place in any collection that caters to students of the performing arts. Library Journal This important survival guide belongs in the hands of all singers aspiring to a professional career, and their teachers. Author, singer, pedagogue Mabry intimately and thoroughly understands what it means to be a performing artist, and, drawing upon vast experience, offers a comprehensive memoir, nuts and bolts how-to manual, advice collection, and inspirational handbook that strategizes how to tap into expressive flow through careful professional preparation. I wish that I had such a treasured resource when I began my singing career. -- Richard Dale Sjoerdsma, editor-in-chief, Journal of Singing Sharon Mabry's wonderful book about how to survive-and enjoy-a professional singing career is full of all kinds of pertinent information, from the importance of finding the right teacher, the right repertoire, the right lifestyle to learning how to organize, what not to say, wear, perform, how to develop a support system, and the importance of knowing how to manage your health. More than just information, however, she offers wisdom about the vital importance of self knowledge and the saving grace of humor in situations that go awry. She gives glimpses into her own career experiences in traveling, performing, teaching, and recording that alert the aspiring singer to what lies ahead. Warm, personal, and humorous, this book is a must read for those singers who think they want a performing career. -- Judith Carman, Journal of Singing Oh how I wish I had had this book as a young singer! Dr. Mabry has used a wonderful mix of practical advice and memoir to underscore her astute insights into the minefield we call performance. EVERY performer should read this 'performance bible' before beginning a career and whenever faced with new challenges in that career. Thank you, Dr. Mabry, for enlightening us all. -- Carl Swanson, associate editor, Journal of Singing Sharon Mabry's latest addition to the young singer's bookshelf, The Performing Life: A Singer's Guide to Survival, is a welcome introduction to the complexities and rewards of a life in music. Mabry's multi-facted career as an academic, master teacher, singer and recording artist of contemporary music provide an authoritative platform for her advice-driven book. She first encourages building a deep understanding of self and developing out of that grounded center, oneself as a singing artist. Articulating your distinctive niche, and effectively (and practically) navigating the early stages of a career are outlined in a manner that is clear, concise and helpful. A must for every undergraduate contemplating a life as a singer. -- Eileen Strempel, Syracuse University The Performing Life is the first-hand account of the thirty-five-year career of singer, music professor, and recording artist Sharon Mabry, who draws on personal experience to explore how professional singers survive in the face of personal and professional pressures, exorbitant expectations, illness, and the demands of their public. She details the factors that can change the course of a particular performance or an entire career. Mabry offers sage advice for how singers can bolster themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally in order to maintain their powers of performance. She illustrates how perseverance, organization, attention to detail, excellent training, strong planning, a resilient support system, and a good sense of humor can lead to a successful and satisfying career during even the most difficult times. IAWM Journal (International Alliance for Women in Music) Mabry uses her own development into a contemporary music specialist to illustrate how finding the right niche enhances the joy of performing. She underlines the importance of positive thinking, and the necessity of establishing practice and performance routines. Her most recent publication presents useful advice to prospective singers in an honest and open fashion. Journal of Singing Talented singer Sharon Mabry has created a unique volume that combines good advice with personal experience in the creation and maintenance of a performing career. She addresses the trials, travails, and joys of a singing career with carefully-chosen personal anecdotes and advice that transcends common sense. This book is a compilation akin to the guidance the best professors would give their best students. In fact, it is a perfect work for those students ready to begin graduate school or embark on a career. Journal of the IAWM
