For the final episode in Series 2 (can you believe it?!) Alex and Helen are honoured to be joined by good friend and esteemed colleague, Richard Robbins. Richard is an in-demand tenor who has soloed with ensembles such as The Southbank Sinfonia and the Academy of Ancient Music; he is a City Music Foundation Young Artist for their 2020-2022 season and he has also been a young artist for Handel House, Leeds Lieder, Oxford Lieder, and Brighton Early Music Festival.

Most importantly, Richard studied at the Royal Academy of Music for his master's degree in 2015-2017 which was where he met Alex (and through Alex, Helen) and their friendship was born.

Alex and Helen invite Richard onto the Dressing Room Pod to discuss how, following his studies at conservatoire, he has built his career in classical music . The chat covers all kinds of topics, not least:

Music College

• How it is the people, not the institution that will define your music college experience.

• How conservatoire can help you understand the next steps you need to take to build your career, although it may not directly lead you there.

• How the music college experience is not egalitarian, which seems unfair. As a place of education should conservatoires not be able to offer all students equal opportunities? Of course, equality of opportunity can never mean equality of outcome, but each student deserves to feel that their institution believes in them and is working to channel their energy into a successful future career.

• Our tips for those at music college: be brave, ask for what you want, and develop the self-knowledge to take from the experience what you need and leave what you don't.

Career path

• How in 2022 we are not able to identify solely as singers. We must build a patchwork quilt career, a smorgasbord of work opportunities. Now having many strings to your bow can be perceived as a strength.

• To what extent can we manifest our next steps? Richard feels his career happens somewhat in retrospect, whereas Alex and Helen are more inclined to feel that they set goals and work towards them.

• 'The industry wants you but doesn't need you, and you've got to want it but not need it.'

Episode edited and produced by Daisy Grant Productions.

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