Every time I post something related to singing on social media, I always get loads of comments that say something along the lines of “Congratulations on following your dreams!”  At first, these comments always motivated me; after a few years, however, I realized that my excitement about my accomplishments had transformed into excitement about what my next Facebook or Instagram post would be. What does "following your dreams" really mean? “Dream” seems a little too romantic to describe something that requires five hours of rehearsal followed by an all-nighter to prepare for a music theory exam. Sure, most of us fantasize about that moment when we are on a big stage somewhere, but there is more to this career than just fulfilling our fantasies. Singing takes sacrifices of time, family, friends, and money. Dreams require responsibility to keep us from falling into the hype of constantly posting what seems like huge accomplishments and to keep us aware of our daily surroundings.

First, let's define what dreams are. A dream is the hope that the fruition of many actions will bring you to one euphoric moment. Dreams, like goals, are definitely important and valuable. However, if your dream is your only motivation, you can find yourself in one of two situations. The first is when you find yourself lost in anxiety and jealousy as you watch your colleagues accomplish their own dreams. After all the time and money you have put towards this career, it just doesn’t seem fair. The second situation is when you actually do accomplish your dream. Congrats! - now what? You’ve worked so hard to reach this one moment, but what’s next? You never get to sing on the Met stage for the first time again, or teach your first student for the first time, or sing that dream role for the first time ever again. Aside from being dream-focused, all of these situations have one thing in common: they are centered around you. Of course, there are many times you have to put yourself first, but you must realize this career isn’t about you. Your career is about the teachers who have worked so hard to get you where you are now, your colleagues and directors who depend on you to be prepared and flexible for rehearsals, your audiences who need a plethora of different things, your future students who will need your guidance and attention, and your family who has made your dream theirs. There is more to your dreams than living up to conventional successes. Your dream, whatever it may be, does not work without responsibility.

It's time for you to evaluate your dreams so you can figure out how to pursue them responsibly. Dreams, or goals, keep you focused, but obsessive concentration on dreams can cause you to be self-centered and lose sight of practical things. Responsibility keeps you working towards the bigger picture of helping others, but there is also the danger of losing yourself in their desires. The solution? Make your dreams your responsibility. To start defining these things for yourself, write a list of your dreams. First, distinguish one main dream. Second, make a list of everyone who is and will be involved in accomplishing this dream: friends, colleagues, teachers, family, etc. Third, jot down ideas of how you can make your dream stronger as well as improve the experience of everyone else involved. Where can you go the extra mile? Can you fit in more practice time, are there more resources you can give your students, or can you say “thank you” more often? You can always do more or less of something. These lists are a starting point for you to start working even harder in your daily life towards your dreams. 

How do we live up to our responsibilities every single day? Sometimes, your responsibility is to take care of yourself so you can be at your best, whether you take some time off, set some new boundaries for your teaching studio, or reorganize your priorities. If you are sick, rest so you can return to teaching and rehearsals faster. After understanding how to prioritize yourself, it's vital to address how to responsibly work towards your dreams every day. Many singers get stuck in the rut of just going through the motions of being a singer. If you go to every lesson, take all the classes, watch all the videos, and read all the famous books, why shouldn't you be advancing? This routine is simply not enough. When you are finished with a lesson or practice session, you need to think about what could have been different to improve for next time. If you are in a Masters program and are taking the max number of credit hours possible, you need to work on applying the knowledge you are learning to your career instead of just getting a good grade. Question and practice every principle and exercise from your courses. This is creating your potential and living your responsibility.

As we go into the beginning of another school year and audition season, you must take some time to define these things for yourself. Know that dreams grant you validation, but responsibility defines your impact and legacy. As Aristotle said, “Where the needs of the world and your talents cross, there lies your vocation.” Take responsibility so you can be the artist you were meant to be and not the one you dream to be.