Now that the "New Year, New Me" energy has started to fade, it can be difficult to keep up with the goals we set for ourselves. One of my resolutions this year is to read more books that will support my musical career! We've cultivated a list of books in three categories: For Fun— books that have been turned into operas, For Music— books about music and the industry, and For Learning— to learn something outside of the music industry we can all get so wrapped up in. This month, we're focusing on setting up for success.

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For Fun

Manon Lescaut by Antoine François Prévost

"The sweetness of her glance - or rather, my evil star already in its ascendant and drawing me to my ruin - did not allow me to hesitate for a moment..." The first line of Manon Lescaut tells of all the passion to come. "...a tale of passion and betrayal, of delinquency and misalliance, which moves from early eighteenth-century Paris - with its theatres, assemblies, and gaming-houses - via prison and deportation to a tragic denouement in the treeless wastes of Louisiana...This enigmatic story raises many questions. How reliable a witness is Des Grieux, Manon's lover, as he narrates her tale? Is Manon a thief, the image of love itself, or a thoroughly modern woman?" (Penguin Classics) Find the answer to all these questions and more as you get lost within the pages of this gorgeous story that has inspired many, including Massenet's most famous opera and one of Puccini's greatest works. It's an important read for all opera singers!

For Music

A Wellness Handbook for the Performing Artist by Alena Gerst

Celebrity, fame, wealth, the big time - for many people, a career as a professional performing artist conjures up these images. However, for the hundreds of thousands of active professional performing artists in the United States, “the big time” matters far less than “all the time.” In other words, your health needs as a performer (using your body, voice, and emotions in your work) far outweigh mainstream recommendations for optimal health. In A Wellness Handbook for the Performing Artist: The Performer’s Essential Guide to Staying Healthy in Body, Mind, and Spirit, Alena Gerst examines issues that go beyond the importance of training or navigating the business of performing. Using this book as a lens, many have worked to find the keys to a long and satisfying career.

For Learning

You Are a Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth by Jen Sincero

“This book truly crystallizes the concept that financial abundance is an inside job—in that it all begins with your mindset—and Sincero gets serious (in the funniest ways possible) about helping you identify your particular limiting beliefs surrounding money.” —PopSugar

Launch yourself past the fears and stumbling blocks that have kept financial success beyond your reach. Drawing on her own transformation from living in a converted garage with tumbleweeds blowing through her bank account to a woman who travels the world in style, Jen Sincero combines hilarious personal essays with bite-size, 'aha concepts' that unlock earning potential so you can get real results! Money can be a real stressor for musicians, but facing your fears head-on can change your perspectives and give your mind some ease.

Welcome to the book club! Want to see one of your book picks featured next month? DM us on our social media platforms @modernsingermag!