My Career: Soprano Jennifer Davis

Did you always want to be an opera singer?
No, I actually wanted to be an actress to begin with, and then I studied English literature with a view to becoming a teacher. Music was always a part of my life though, and I thought if I didn’t give it a go I’d always regret it. Still plugging away it at!

In college, I studied… English literature at undergraduate level and then completed a master’s in music performance/voice at DIT.

My most formative work experience was… my time as a Jette Parker Young Artist at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden. Every day was formative and a huge learning curve!

My first real job was… I worked in a newsagent and deli in my hometown. I started working when I was 14. I’ve always wanted to work and have my own independence.

The most invaluable thing I learned early on in my career was… to learn when to say yes and, more importantly, when to say no. As a young singer, you want to say yes to everything and experience everything, but that’s not always possible. Learning to say no and look after yourself is incredibly important.

A common misconception about what I do is… I think a lot of people think that it’s very glamorous, or that singers can instantly pick up a piece of music and be able to perform it.  More often than not, it’s me note-bashing on my piano at home, and reciting text over and over. There’s a lot of preparation that happens on your own, before you even take it to your teacher or coaches. There are glam moments, for sure, but they’re the cherry on top of a very time-consuming and rigorous cake. 

My main responsibility in work is to… show up prepared so that I am thoroughly in the room for my colleagues and able to be flexible and adapt to the ideas of the director and conductor. If I’m second-guessing myself and fretting over my next line, or not certain of the music, then I’m in my own head and that doesn’t help anybody. 

Do you have a career mentor or someone to look up to/seek advice from?
Yes, I have a few! Mostly colleagues who have been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Also trusted teachers and coaches who have known me for a long time, and can be honest with me… that’s hugely important. You need people who can tell you like it is and can support you. Opera is not an easy career, but it’s incredibly fulfilling.

The biggest risk I have taken in my career so far is… I’ve tended to play things a little safe, but I suppose the biggest risk was probably taking on the contract to cover Elsa in Lohengrin at Covent Garden. I was still a young artist at the time it was first discussed, and initially, I thought it was crazy! But the more I sang the music, the more I fell in love with it and felt that it was something I could do. It led to me performing the role and launching my career, and Elsa is now my most performed role. Risks do pay off, sometimes.

I wake at… whenever my tiny baby wakes me! This is a moveable feast at the moment, but I try to get up by 7am every morning with him. More often than not, it’s earlier.

The first thing I do every morning is… play with my son, feed him, and get him dressed for the day. If I manage to squeeze a shower in for myself, it’s a small miracle. If it’s a rehearsal day, I do try to look over the scenes that we’re working on that day, usually over a couple of mugs of coffee.

My morning routine is… if my partner and I are separated from each other, the first thing I do is say good morning to him, and wish him a good day.  It’s so important to touch base when you’re separated from loved ones! Then I deal with my son’s needs, eat something while he plays, check my emails or look at music, while I eat and drink something warm. I used to meditate and do yoga but there’s little time for that at the moment, with a five-month-old!

I can’t go to work without… water!!! It’s so incredibly important to stay hydrated, for anyone, but especially singers, as we need so much hydration to sing well and efficiently.  Also snacks. Lots of snacks.

I travel to work by… at the moment I’m spoiled and have my car with me, as I’m working in my home country. But usually, when I’m abroad, I try to find accommodation within walking distance of the theatre, so I can walk to and from work every day. It’s a lovely bit of headspace at the beginning and the end of busy rehearsal days. In bigger cities, like London, I use public transport which can also be a lovely moment to read, listen to an interesting podcast, and have a wee moment to breathe.

On an average workday I… get into work a little early so I can stretch and warm up my voice a little bit. Depending on how my voice is feeling that day I’ll either sing out in rehearsals or mark, and give myself a little breather. IIf a role is new to me, I try to sing as much as I can, without tiring myself out. I try to drink at least two to three litres of water on a rehearsal day, and more on performance days. Work is so different every day, there’s no ‘average’ really, but it would involve things like morning rehearsals, lunch, possibly a costume fitting, maybe a musical rehearsal with the conductor, afternoon rehearsals, and finding time with the language coach to make sure you’re precise with the text.

I start my working day at… every opera house is different, but rehearsals usually start any time between 9:30am and 11am. Mentally, my work day starts before that, as I try to look over things we are about to do or revise things that were rehearsed the previous day.

The first thing I do at work is… find somewhere to stretch and warm up. If I feel like I’m in my body, and that my voice has already woken up a little bit, then I feel ready to get stuck in in the rehearsal room. It’s not always possible with life/public transport etc, but I aim to get there 45 minutes before rehearsals start. If my accommodation is somewhere I feel comfortable singing in, I’ll sometimes do this prep there, before travelling to work. I also say hello to everybody!

I usually spend the first portion of the day… the first session of the day is usually production rehearsals, with the director – though in the early days, it may be a sung musical rehearsal with the conductor and the full cast of principals.

I break for lunch at… this differs depending on the working schedule, but, at the moment, we are breaking for lunch at 1:30pm. I try to have something light, like a sandwich or a salad, as I don’t like singing on a really full tummy. Protein is the main thing I think about, so I’ll often have some boiled eggs or protein yoghurt kicking about.

The most useful business tool I use every day is… my iPad! A boring answer, but it is genuinely such a brilliant device for what I need it for. I have my music on there, my diary, emails, I can sign contracts on the go. I couldn’t be without it!

I save time by… preparing food the night before, if I get the chance!

I rarely get through my working day without… listening to music, whether it’s a current project or something that’s around the corner. 

The best part of my day is… coming home to my family.

The most challenging part of my day is… being apart or away from my family. It’s something that never ever gets easier with this job.

I know it’s been a good day if… I come away from work feeling energised. Rehearsing can often be very tiring and repetitive, so if I come away feeling like I’ve got some energy left, it’s a sign to me that I’m loving the process and the room. 

I usually end my day at… this too is changeable and depends on whether it’s a session in the rehearsal room or stage rehearsals, which can sometimes be in the evening. We’re currently finishing up at 5:30pm, so I go home, spend the evening with my son, and cook something yummy. I do try to spend a little time looking at music, once he’s gone to sleep. It’s hard when you’re self-employed to fully close down your brain.

I switch off from work by… I love getting stuck into a good television series or a book. 

Before I go to bed, I’ll… prepare things for the morning to give myself a head start, or to feel like I’ve given myself a head start! I’ll speak to my amazing partner, if we’re not together, and talk about each other’s days. 

I often prepare for tomorrow by… looking over the scenes that have been put on the schedule. Checking my emails and making myself some lunch, or boxing up some leftovers.  Filling the water tank on the coffee machine. This step is vital. If I have time I might do some yoga, vocal massage, steam or nebulise, just to help my voice to recover and relax before another day at work. 

After a long work week, I de-stress by… spending quality time with my family; also prioritising time for rest. It’s tricky to not spend the weekends working, and sometimes it’s unavoidable if you have a lot coming up in the diary. But I do try to give myself proper downtime if it’s at all possible. I like to go for walks, catch up with friends, have a yummy brunch, make that phone call you’ve been meaning to make!  Switching off the emails and just enjoying friends and family.

The accomplishment I’m most proud of is… at the moment, it’s honestly this current project, singing Marguerite in Faust for the Irish National Opera. It’s my first contract since becoming a mum, so not only were there physical issues to surmount (I had a C-section) but there were also time constraints I’d never had to deal with before. Preparing for a role with a newborn was a whole new level of stress, as well as the sheer organisation involved with moving my little family away from home, for a short amount of time. It takes an army!

If you want to get into my line of work, my advice is to… be curious, inquisitive and patient. There’s no one-stop shop where you learn how to be an opera singer, and there are so many routes to getting there. It’s training, it’s determination, it’s being able to laugh at your mistakes, and not give yourself too hard a time. It’s understanding that you’ll be away from home more than you’ll be in it, and that there is a lot of criticism – constructive and otherwise – that will be coming your way. If it’s something you really want, then surround yourself with trusted people; your teacher, your coaches, your family, colleagues and peers. You will learn so much from them, and their support will be everything. Also, I will say, you’re never done. Your voice is always changing, your body is always changing, you grow as a person and an artist. Pay attention to those changes and really care for your instrument, because it’s a delicate thing and you’ll be amazed at the things that can affect it.  

I’ve just finished working on… I’ve actually had a little time off from work, before starting rehearsals for Faust with INO, as I had my first baby in April this year. Next up for me is a return to Elsa in Wagner’s Lohengrin at Deutsche Opera Berlin, and then a role debut as Janacek’s Jen?fa with English National Opera next spring, both of which I’m very excited about!

Photography by Frances Marshall