I'm reading a bio on Lenny Bernstein, and it scares me in some ways--he was in love with music, and pursued it like a mad obsessed man. For me, it feels clear that music is something simply part of my genetic make-up; I have no choice about it, I sing every day because I have feet and walk everyday.

Method

"The general capacities required of a singer of avant-garde music do not differ from those of the good recital singer:

Imagination,

vocal ability,

research capacity,

cultural background,

personal control,

curiosity, and

the ability to organize and control the raw materials."

-Cathy Berberian

Obviously excellent life criteria as well. Vocal ability included.