The CVH Podcast

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Most of us spend years learning how to sing... and almost no time learning how to build a career.
For Podcast #314, tenor Ben Bliss came all the way to my home in Virginia to sit down and talk about both.
Ben's new book, Making It Work: The Practical Guide to Financial and Entrepreneurial Literacy for Freelancers in the Performing Arts, tackles the side of this profession that rarely gets taught—money, contracts, business, long-term thinking, and how to make a life in the arts that's actually sustainable.
We also talk about his own career, the realities of freelancing, and the lessons we both wish we'd known much earlier.
If you're a singer, musician, actor, or anyone making a living as a freelancer, I think you'll get a lot from this conversation.
Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

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Why do singers cancel?
Episode 313 of the CVH Podcast is a conversation about something audiences rarely see: the importance of stepping away. Life on the road is a privilege, but staying healthy, recharging, and remembering why we do it all matters just as much as the performances themselves.
I also share an update on the upcoming album and everything happening in CVH World.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts, and join the mailing list at christianvanhorn.com for exclusive album updates, behind-the-scenes content, and music you won't find anywhere else.

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Episode 312 of THE CVH PODCAST
The classical recording industry is broken.
Streaming has transformed the way we listen to music—but for many classical artists, it has also made traditional recording projects financially unsustainable.
In this episode, I explain where the money actually goes, why major label recordings often generate surprisingly little income for the artists themselves, and why so many singers simply stop recording altogether.
I'm also making the case for a different future.
Instead of waiting for permission from a record company, I chose to produce and release my own album independently. It's a massive risk, but it also gives artists something they've largely lost: ownership.
Maybe the future of classical recording isn't fewer albums.
Maybe it's more artists betting on themselves.
I'd love to hear your thoughts after listening.

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Episode 311 of the CVH Podcast is out now.
When the curtain comes down and the applause fades, road life gets very quiet.
The days are filled with rehearsals, performances, airports, hotels, and constant movement. Then suddenly there’s nothing but silence and another unfamiliar room. That's often when the mind starts wandering.
Lately I've been having the same recurring dreams, the kind that seem to follow you from city to city. Maybe it's just the miles adding up. Maybe it's my subconscious counting down the days until this tour finally comes to an end.
Life on the road can be extraordinary, but the quiet moments are where the real conversations happen.
Episode 311: When It Gets Quiet is available now.

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The great Christopher Maltman joins me for Episode #310 of the CVH Podcast.
We discuss what happens when the entire world has seen your ass, the challenge of moving into Wagner repertoire later in a career, and a fascinating conversation about Don Giovanni that opera lovers won't want to miss.
One of the smartest, funniest, and most thoughtful conversations I've had in a long time.
Available now wherever you get your podcasts.
#Opera #Wagner #DonGiovanni #ChristopherMaltman #CVHPodcast