What do you mean no one will hire a fat opera singer anymore?!

[Upchur09]

Hi Everyone,

I am a student at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, UK training to be an opera singer. As the title implies the days of fat opera singers is over and I have been told that I NEED to lose weight. At my biggest I was 260lbs, i am now 220 and have kinda been stuck there for a while. I found nerd fitness a few weeks ago and have decided its definitely my kind of style. I have, however, decided to do the attribute system a little differently, I have incorporated fitness goals with my bucket list and assigned relevant attributes to each thing on the list according to difficulty so that I can gain points that way as well as the 6 week challenges. The bucket list/fitness goals count as quests and the 6 week challenges are like training periods. I have never been part of a fitness community before and am itching to try my first 6 week challenge!

[DeathDealer]

Welcome to the fray!

 

I agree it's a good idea for your health, but why specifically do they feel you "NEED to lose weight"?  More importantly, what basis do they have for dictating such a thing to you?

 

I'm genuinely curious because the trend in U.S. entertainment has been to add more overweight people as part of their "diversity" initiatives.

[Upchur09]

Thanks for the warm welcome. The guy who told me I need to lose weight sung at the Royal Opera House for years. To help bring in new audiences Opera companies are hiring thinner and more attractive singers these days. Also because I am the highest and most agile type of Tenor (a Leggiero) the tiny movements needed in your core muscles for support on the quick runs are massively hindered by any extra fat weighing you down so I literally can't sing the things my voice is best at until I have lost a lot of body fat.