Studio Class

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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 40@40 Project – will bring to life 40 songs by 40 composers. Find out more about her at https://www.laurastrickling.com/

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.”

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."

Episode 61: Micro Action Monday - Work with a coach

November 15th, 2021  |  12 mins 52 secs

acting coach, business coach, coach, voice coach

“It’s such a powerful relationship [between a voice coach, acting coach, or business coach and you.] They can really help you feel so much more prepared. Going into auditions or performances, you’ll know that you’ve worked this out. I really want you to work with someone who is going to give you that unyielding feedback. That means that you have someone on your team that is invested in your success. You’re both invested in your success.”

Enjoy this episode about how to get the most out of working with a coach!

Episode 60: Masterclass - Ariana Wehr

November 8th, 2021  |  1 hr 25 mins

auditions, classical singing, music business

Ariana Wehr, is a Brazilian-born soprano who has sung traditional operatic roles as well as contemporary repertoire. She has performed with Washington National Opera, Opera in the Heights, Brava Opera Theater, Naples Philharmonic, Opera Louisiane, and more. Ariana debuted the roles of Girlfriend #1/Nurse/Congregant in Blue at The 2019 Glimmerglass Festival and will reprise the roles at Washington National Opera in 2020. She also recently completed her MBA and we’ll talk about that beautiful intersection of music and business as well. I hope you enjoy this episode with the wonderful Ariana Wehr! Find out more about her at http://www.arianawehrsoprano.com/.

Episode 59: Micro Action Monday - Get the most out of a YAP or DIY YAP

November 1st, 2021  |  19 mins 23 secs

classical singing, music business, voice lessons, voice teacher

“These types of programs can be very powerful for that kind of learning, growing, challenge, and change. YAPs help you focus on your craft, technique, acting, being on stage in general, business of music, language study, diction - so many things. It’s an incubator of that experience. If you’re trying to really amp up specific aspects of your skills a program can be a great way to do that. It’s this condensed time to really focus on knowledge acquisition. With that in mind, remember how I said, 'you don’t have to go to a YAP to do this.' Let’s think broadly. Let’s think creatively for a second. If a YAP is a place where it is an intense, condensed incubator of skill and knowledge acquisition, am I able to give myself that in other ways?”