Your Singing Career
Practical stuff
The Back Stage Actor's Handbook: The How to and Who to Contact Reference for Actors, Singers and Dancers From Back Stage Books: 4th Rev&Ex edition (June 1, 2004)
How to Make It in Musicals: The Insider's Guide to a Career As a Singer-Dancer
Creating
a Life Worth Living: A practical courseAlthough this book is not specifically for singers, it's helpful for artistic/creative people who don't fit the work-a-day world mode.
Cabaret
Artist's Handbook: Creating Your Own Act in Today's Livliest Theater Setting
A handbook of practical tips.
Organizing
for the Creative Person
Anyone who is intuitive, right-brain dominant, or creative can benefit from this fun book. For example, right-brain people may not want to file things away where they can't see them, and so it suggests ways to file that are visually oriented.
Professional
Vocalist: A Handbook for Commercial Singers and Teachers 
From Library Journal: Library Journal Lebon's intentions are "to provide specific, practical suggestions that will prepare the student/vocalist for professional singing opportunities." Suggestions abound on vocal hygiene, performance preparation, microphone techniques, musical theater pedagogy, and, perhaps most importantly, preparation for success
A
hot seller for performers:
Making It on Broadway: Actors' Tales of... (opens to Amazon.com)
"MAKING IT ON BROADWAY (Allworth Press) goes beyond the glitz and the glamour to show what really happens both on a Broadway stage and in the personal lives of Broadway actors.
Letters from Backstage: The Adventures of a Touring Stage Actor
This collection of e-mails, letters, and musings will interest aspiring actors and theater fans as well as travelers. If you're considering tour acting, this book is a must read.
How to Succeed in the Music Business - from Musicnotes.com - Description says: This new edition of the 'bible' of the music business gives you all the advice you need. Based on the author's long professional experience, How to Succeed in the Music Business tells you exactly what problems and opportunities you'll encounter - and how to deal with them. Chapters include: recording sessions, publishing, contracts, copyrights, royalties and management.
How to Succeed in the Music Business
Get Attention for Your Resume
Try 1800Casting - Diprima Corporation
Acting and Singing Career Tips & inspiration
Backstage.com - Getting started in acting
Backstage.com - Types of careers
Backstage.com - Singing Careers -
Singing work falls into two basic types: performance and recording....
An essay on the Tao of Singing - Sing out Seattle website
Business Cards
Get premium quality, full-color business cards FREE! An $85.00 value!
Get ideas from professional singers' websites. Training and Technique for Singing in Musicals - Learn from the Great Singing Stars
Alison Franck, casting director for the Papermill Playhouse says, “If I get an actor’s name from someone and I know nothing about them, the first thing I can do is go to their website and learn all about them.”
Song Selection for Cabaret or Concerts
Choosing songs with guts - NYTimes article
Excerpt:
How do singers choose their songs?
For Ms. LuPone the answer is sharply contrarian. "I was always drawn to songs written for the second- banana female character or even the male lead; not Maria's songs in `West Side Story,' but Anita's; not Marion the Librarian's songs from `Music Man,' but Harold Hill's `Trouble.' Why? Because those are the songs with guts. The female leads always get the romantic melodies. But their songs are just too passive for me." . . .
"To choose a song, I always start with the lyrics," Ray Charles said in a recent interview. "The lyrics must capture my attention. The music complementing the lyrics is what makes the song work for me."
Organizations
ASCAP's new musical theatre pages
Includes career development info, news, workshop info, etc
Organizations links on NewYorkMusician.com
THEATRE AND CABARET | Professional Organizations
AMERICAN THEATER WING
250 W. 57th Street
New York, NY 10109
(212) 765-0606
http://www.tonys.org
Founded in 1917, this organization presents the Tony Awards and a wide variety
of programs, seminars, and scholarships, particularly in community service.
THE DRAMATISTS GUILD
1501 Broadway, Suite 701
New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 398-9366 / Fax: (212) 944-0420
http://www.dramatistsguild.org/
A professional organization for playwrights and lyricists, which develops standard
contracts for commercial and non-commercial productions of new plays, and provides
opportunities for networking and presents monthly lectures. The organization provides
several publications, including The Dramatists Guild Quarterly, The Dramatists
Guild Newsletter, an Annual Resource Directory, and an Annual Directory of Institutional
Theaters (see above).
MANHATTAN ASSOCIATION OF CABARETS AND CLUBS
70A Greenwich Avenue, Box 170
New York, NY 10011
(212) 465-2662
http://www.macnyc.com
The Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs is a not-for-profit organization
that presents an annual awards show; "Performers Seminars" on many aspects
of performing, writing and producing; and also co-produces with ASCAP the "Songwriters
Showcases," spotlighting new songwriting and performing talent. The organization
also produces a newsletter, MAC News, as well as a mailing list of performers
wanting new songs.
SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME
600 Madison Avenue, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10022
Tel: (212) 957-9230 / Fax: (212) 751-1515
http://www.songwritershalloffame.org/
The Songwriters Hall Of Fame is a membership association that sponsors quarterly
showcases and workshops. The organization also includes The National Academy Of
Popular Music.
Recording your music
http://www.cdbaby.com/ - sell your CD independently
Harry Fox - for "mechanicals" licensing
Everything Else
newyorkmusician.com/ - New York recording industry
Get ideas and resources: www.thebusinessofsinging.com/
Theatre News
Some top news sites that also have job boards:
Other theatre news sites: New York Times Theatre Section | Theatremania.com | nytheatre.com (non-profit site)
Crazy for musicals? Don't miss Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
See also links on the links page
To send suggestions, comments, or questions write to info@musicalsingers.com with QUESTION or COMMENT in the subject line.