This month, we spoke with singer, photographer, and manager Daniel Welch with New Classical Artist Management. From how to get a manager to notice you to how to prepare for a photo shoot and more, check out what Daniel has to say!

Questions:

1. What is the first thing that catches your attention when you first hear a singer?

2. When you're auditioning someone new for your roster, would you prefer to hear standard canon first or something new and contemporary? Why?

3. What are 1-2 things singers can do to stand out in an audition?

4. On top of founding a management company, you're also a photographer. What's the biggest piece of advice you can give to singers when they're going to get new headshots or press shots?

5. If you could give your college-self one piece of advice to better prepare you for where you are now, what would it be?

Daniel Welch combines his eclectic backgrounds in the music industry, marketing, and media production to help professional artists build their careers and develop their brands. He launched NCAM with Keith Chambers to facilitate the modernization of the opera industry, and to help singers fill the gaps in their educations and experience. The result is a hands-on boutique agency focused on a small number of artists to achieve long-lasting impact.

Mr. Welch’s photography has been published world-wide. During the pandemic closures, he has created an editorial portrait series dedicated to telling the stories of artists and how they’ve been affected by COVID-19 shutdowns. This project, involving 50 artists, will go live later in 2021.

Daniel hosts This Artistic Life: a podcast for emerging artists with guests from all artistic disciplines who share their wisdom as a professional in their field.

Daniel has his Bachelor's, Master's, and Performer's Certificate in vocal performance from Roberts Wesleyan College and UMKC, and continued professional development in marketing (The Wharton School), visual storytelling (FIT), and social media management (HubSpot, Google, Hootsuite Academy, Creative Mornings, and Artists Inc.).

He can be found online at:

NCAM: newclassicalartists.com

Images: danielwelchmedia.com

Consulting: ideodyssey.com

Podcast: thisartisticpodcast.com

PHOTO/MARKETING/PERSONAL Instagram: @thebeardandlens

NCAM Instagram: @NCAM_opera