Megan Ihnen
Host of Studio Class
Megan Ihnen is a mezzo-soprano on a mission to change the world through the commissioning, performance, and proliferation of new music. She has collaborated with individuals and ensembles around the globe including: International Contemporary Ensemble, Fifth House Ensemble, Great Noise Ensemble, Rhymes With Opera, and Synchromy. She is deeply committed to the belief that new music should be performed and loved in communities of all sizes. Megan’s advocacy for music and musicians extends beyond the performance stage. She also effects change as a non-profit arts coach and consultant. She is currently the executive director of the Live Music Project which advocates for connecting people with live early music, classical, and new music experiences in a way that strengthens community, celebrates listener agency, and amplifies local arts resources. You have also likely interacted with her work for Nief-Norf, New Music USA, and many individual artists throughout classical and new music. Megan’s work at the intersection of performance, creative placemaking, audience development, and music entrepreneurship is a delight to her clients and colleagues.
Megan Ihnen has hosted 93 Episodes.
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Episode 77: Micro Action Monday - Break the rules
May 9th, 2022 | 7 mins
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
“You are inhabiting information that may or may not be useful to you anymore. I want you to interrogate what you think the rules of the game are. That you can only “make it’ if you follow these rules, if you do all of the things on this checklist, then you’ll get what you want. I would love for you to dig into that and ask yourself, ‘Is that true?’ As your micro action today, I want you to identify all of the rules that you have come into contact with over time. Then, I want you to take the fattest red marker you can find and cross them out. Ask yourself, ‘What would my life look like, what would my creativity look like, what would my music sound like, what would my field and industry look like if I stopped believing this rule existed and I pursued what I really wanted it to look like?’ Because that’s it, divas, your creativity, your life force, depends on you knowing when to stop believing in the ‘rules’.”
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Episode 76: Micro Action Monday - Do the ideal client exercise
May 2nd, 2022 | 11 mins 5 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
"So ideal client exercise is this super charger of empathy. You’re putting yourself into the feelings, thoughts, desires, goals, and pain points of somebody else. This is somebody you care about because you really want to work with them. This can be anybody.” Divas, I really want you to ask yourself the questions in this episode so you can work with more people you absolutely love to work with! You’ll experience some really cool results if you do.
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Episode 75: Micro Action Monday - Conduct a SWOT analysis
April 25th, 2022 | 10 mins 57 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
“Divas, I want you to do your own SWOT analysis today: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats.
- What are my most unique skills?
- Where am I less skilled? Can I become more skilled in this area with more/better information? Or, should I abstain from this area?
- Where is there space for me to be more visible? Where is there space for me to really distinguish myself?
- What are the internal/external threats to my ongoing existence in this field… to my sustainable, thriving existence in this field?"
All of that, and more, in today's Micro Action Monday episode with Megan.
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Episode 74: Micro Action Monday - Communicate your offers
April 18th, 2022 | 14 mins 52 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
“I really want you to think about how you are putting yourself out there for the work you want to do. How are you communicating your offers? Let’s go through the list one more time: attracting and connecting with your ideal clients, being clear about what your signature service is, sharing the outcomes and results that people can expect from working with you, having a clear portfolio of previous work, sharing testimonials and reviews, being clear about your process, FAQs, strategic redirects to your other services, and a call-to-action on every single material you have.” Get the scoop on this whole list in today's Micro Action Monday episode with Megan.
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Episode 73: Micro Action Monday - Create a lead magnet
April 11th, 2022 | 12 mins 34 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
“Having an email list can be a really important tool in your toolbox for communicating with potential commissioners, clients, collaborators, students, fans, or whoever you’re trying to reach to share your offers. Just get started. Let it grow over time. The next step I want to talk about is ‘have a lead magnet.’ A lead magnet is basically a freebie they get when they give you their contact information. We’re gonna think about this in a community-building way. It’s a ‘community magnet’…” More on all of that with tips and tricks in today's Micro Action Monday episode with Megan.
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Episode 72: Micro Action Monday - Show up
April 4th, 2022 | 7 mins 25 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
“So, your micro-action for today is just… pitch somebody. It’s your responsibility to show up in front of the colleagues, collaborators, and commissioners you want to attract. Make a plan to pitch somebody and then take responsibility for showing up in front of the people who can make it happen for you.” Hear about this and more in today's Micro Action Monday episode with Megan Ihnen.
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Episode 71: Micro Action Monday - Ask deeper questions
March 21st, 2022 | 9 mins 9 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
"Use this as a template for asking better and deeper questions. Use this as a template for listening without defensiveness - because you really do want to actually hear the answers that people will give you. Recognize that you’re growing by taking an interest in their inner world. You’re saying, “I care. I want to keep working together so I’m going to invest in these deeper than surface level questions.” Be open. Be inquisitive. You got this!" Hear this and more in today's Micro Action Monday episode!
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Episode 70: Micro Action Monday - Book more gigs
March 14th, 2022 | 10 mins 20 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
People want to be sure they're making a good choice in hiring you, buying from you, or commissioning you. Customer objections are the concerns that a potential client, commissioner, presenter, or director has which cause them to hesitate (at best) and abandon (at worst) a project or contract with you. This Micro Action Monday episode explores some of the ways that you can think through customer objections in your professionally creative life to book more gigs, get more students, or sell your offers to your ideal clients.
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Episode 69: Micro Action Monday - Grow your Instagram
March 7th, 2022 | 7 mins 39 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
“Divas, if you are on social media, I want you to recognize the powerful tool that it is and avoid the mindless scrolling and self comparison trap that can come with it. Social is an incredibly powerful tool, but it can also be a very negative experience. Here’s one way to use social, especially Instagram, to use it for your best self - for your best life.” Listen for a short burst of Instagram inspiration in today's Micro Action Monday episode.
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Episode 68: Micro Action Monday - Do your Eisenhower Matrix
February 28th, 2022 | 9 mins 29 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
“Make a list: these are all of the things I’m actively engaged in that are not urgent and not important. Then, practice letting them go. You might be convincing yourself that they are urgent or that they are important. That is sabotaging what you really want to do with that time. I don’t want you to hear me saying that you should be a “creative business robot” - that’s not what the Eisenhower Matrix is about. We sometimes allow non-urgent and non-important things to take over because we think somehow it makes us more worthy of the gold stars but I promise you that it doesn’t…” That and more in this Micro Action Monday episode on Studio Class.
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Episode 67: Micro Action Monday - Determine KPIs
February 21st, 2022 | 15 mins 41 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
"As creative professionals, having your own KPIs (key performance indicators) can be the difference between wild insecurity/uncertainty and feeling like you’re on your own path - you’re in your lane. I promise you that having these things will level out some of those ups and downs we feel because you’ll feel like you’re doing your work. Not somebody else’s work. Not somebody else’s dream. Your dream. Your goals. Your work. I want you to set up your own KPIs so that you can look at the progress you’ve made toward your own strategic goals." That and more in today's Micro Action Monday episode!
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Episode 66: Micro Action Monday - Build your board
February 7th, 2022 | 8 mins 36 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
Megan discusses how you can think about building a board of directors for your creative career and why you’ll want to set up meetings with your board members today!
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Episode 65: Micro Action Monday - Have a content strategy
January 31st, 2022 | 6 mins 49 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
Before you even start your content strategy, "What's the overall thing that I'm an expert at? And, what does my community care about? What do they want to know more about?" That and more in this Micro Action Monday episode.
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Episode 64: Masterclass - Laura Strickling
January 24th, 2022 | 58 mins 48 secs
classical singing, masterclass, music business, opera
Grammy™ nominated soprano Laura Strickling was praised by The New York Times for her, “flexible voice, crystalline diction, and warm presence.” Celebrated for her work on the concert and recital stage, she has performed at Carnegie Hall, Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, National Sawdust, Trinity Church on Wall Street, Washington National Cathedral, Tanglewood Music Festival, Ravinia Music Festival, and so, so many more! A specialist in new music, she has collaborated with composers Libby Larsen, Tom Cipullo, James Matheson, Juliana Hall, John Musto, Reinaldo Moya, and Glen Roven. Her upcoming commissioning initiative – The [email protected] Project – will bring to life 40 songs by 40 composers. Find out more about her at https://www.laurastrickling.com/
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Episode 63: Micro Action Monday - Set your intentions
December 6th, 2021 | 11 mins 42 secs
arts coaching, classical singing, micro actions, music business
“If this, then that… Right? What kinds of things do you want? What are your biggest goals? Then, what kinds of ‘if this, then that’ statements can you set up so that they’re helping you get closer to it? This is such a core ‘micro action activity’! It’s just these little things in which you set up cause and effect statements for yourself.”
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Episode 62: Micro Action Monday - Take the leap
November 22nd, 2021 | 11 mins 59 secs
classical singing, music business, risk taking
"You don’t have to have the career you thought you were gonna have when you were 18. You don’t have to have the career where you perform at La Scala by 28 and if you don’t then it’s a failure. You are creating the career that YOU want to have. If your career leads you to directing, producing, teaching, being a creative person in multiple modalities, you have not failed yourself or anyone else. I am giving you permission to be successful and happy in the version of you that you want to be. You are going to be a light and empower the people around you because you have done your own discernment process. Where do you feel called, divas? I want you to take this permission slip and leave all your fear and regrets behind. You are allowed. It is available to you. I want you to take the leap."