Living in New York City comes with great one-dollar pizza and interesting coffee shops. It also comes with long commutes spent on busy trains and packed buses. To fill the time, I read books and listen to audiobooks in the hope of improving myself and my singing life. Here are seven books that have really helped me this year. 

1. 21st Century Singer by Susan Mohini Kane

If you need ideas on how to expand your performance possibilities, this is definitely the book for you. In this extensive and thorough volume, Susan Kane discusses every part of growing a substantial singing career - from mindset to repertoire to alternative ways to earn an income while performing. The book is geared towards recent graduates of opera programs. However, as a veteran of the industry, I still found her information extremely helpful. This book even includes interactive sections for self-reflection. Even though I have been out in the real world for a number of years, I found many new ideas to fuel my creative career in this book. 

2. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown

Daring Greatly is one of my favorite books of all time. Brene Brown is a professor of social work, with her main research being shame and vulnerability. She is best-known for her two viral TED Talks on the subject. This book talks specifically about having the courage to be vulnerable in a world where such actions are often not encouraged. Singers are in a unique position, in that we are constantly facing vulnerability in our careers. I re-read this book often, and everytime I re-read it I gain a different perspecive. 

3. The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

Amanda Palmer is a cabaret performer and performance artist. She was one of the first artists to produce a completely grass-roots supported album by raising one-million dollars on Kickstarter. In this incredibly heartfelt, vulnerable book she discusses how she created her fan base, and how she conquered her fears about asking for help. Even though Amanda is not an operatic performer, I find her ideas and courage extremely inspiring. I think she has a lot to teach us as classical musicians. 

4. The Spender’s Guide to Debt-Free Living by Anna Newell Jones

In an expensive industry it is important to know how to survive the tough moments. Anna Newell Jones gives extremely practical and easily understandable financial advice in this accessible book. She also discusses her own journey on the way to debt-free living. She details her woes of student debt, and how she found innovative and creative ways to make more money. I found a lot of really helpful money saving ideas in this book. 

5. Self-Compassion by Dr. Kristin Neff

The world of opera is a world full of criticism, but the greatest critic most singers seem to fight is themselves. Dr. Kristen Neff’s book is fascinating and well-researched. She discusses how it is worth the time and energy to learn how to be compassionate towards ourselves. She also outlines exactly why this way of thinking is far more productive than rampant self-criticism. This book is extremely thorough and covers almost every major subject of life. Dr. Neff uses many examples of her own life that are extremely heartfelt. 

6. Grit by Angela Duckworth

Grit is a book of extreme empowerment. Angela Duckworth’s research indicates that talent is only a small piece of the puzzle in the world of success. According to her research, people who are extremely successful only have one thing in common, grit. In this book she outlines what that looks like and how we can build more grit for ourselves. She also boasts a TED Talk about the same subject. This book redefines talent in a way that leaves the reader feeling extremely empowered. 

7. Presence by Amy Cuddy

Amy Cuddy’s research centers on how body language informs confidence. In this fascinating book, she describes how to build more confidence, simply through improving one’s posture. This one is great for Alexander Technique junkies. Cuddy's emphasis on body-mind connection and extensive research make this a worthy read. I have definitely taken her work and used it in both the instruction of my students as well as before auditions and competitions. 

I am always looking for ways to improve myself as a person and artist, and all of these books have helped me do that. We are all looking for ways to improve, and I have found that reading is one of the best ways to open our minds to new possibilities as artists. I will continue to look for new, inspiring books to add to my collection.