Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dana Varga. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Dana , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

Higher education in particular is riddled with issues when it comes to preparing classical singers for a career in the classical vocal industry. Over the past 30 years, approximately 70% of voice and opera degrees have been awarded to women. Meanwhile, out in the professional opera world, approximately 70% of the available singing roles are designated for men (in the top-most-performed operas). Women get less scholarship than their male classmates, paying more money for school while getting fewer performances opportunities while studying. This is unacceptable. Higher education needs to employ something similar to Title IX in sports; equal opportunity in scholarship and opportunity. Additionally, singers need significantly more education on entrepreneurship, self-management, taxes and financial savvy and other real-world skills in academia. Without these skills, their music careers are over before they have even started.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Founder and CEO of The Empowered Musician, Dr. Dana Lynne Varga brings extensive experience as a successful performer, entrepreneur, voice teacher, career coach, lecturer and writer to her life’s work of empowering classical musicians, particularly singers. Dana draws on her breadth of experience and deep industry knowledge to help musicians find and embrace their own authentic career path. She encourages people to say no to the status quo and create a sustainable and fulfilling life, free of “shoulds”. Dana regularly performs as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, and recently appeared in a principal role with the Boston Lyric Opera. In addition to The Empowered Musician, she is the Founder and Artistic Director of MassOpera, a 501c3 non-profit in its sixteenth season.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

During the pandemic, nobody really knew how to have voice lessons online. About half my income comes from teaching voice, so I, like many, had to figure it out. I worked hard to learn about the best set-up for singers to work online. I enjoyed the process and started acquiring students from all over the country. I started working with a former student of mine who had moved back to China. We had an epiphany during a lesson that we could partner and start offering voice lessons to others in China. I created several video series with my technique methodology and we built a following via We-chat. This generated fantastic passive income when I needed it most. Then we decided that the subscribers could be eligible to apply for voice lessons with me. I would screen them to see if we would be a good fit and accept a select group for online lessons. It took some getting used to, teaching at 7 and 8am in the morning (there is a 12-hour time difference), but I am a morning person so it isn’t so bad. To this day I have a studio “in” China and I have learned so much about the Chinese culture. It has been a fantastic addition to my portfolio career.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

While I stay relatively active on social media, it hasn’t been my primary focus. I publish articles on subjects that get at the heart of what folks in my industry are struggling with. Gender disparity, student loan debt, rejection, balancing a correlating career with a music career, creating your own opportunities, calling out toxic behaviors in the arts, etc. These articles speak to people in a real and raw way, and they get shared like crazy. I regularly take the pulse of the industry and what folks need help with and write accordingly. This has had a very significant impact in building my reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theempoweredmusician.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theempoweredmusician/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theempoweredmusician
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-empowered-musician
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_9mVNGmEY1JuOPcShQC5Dg

Image Credits
Stephanie Scarcella