5 Ways Opera Roanoke Operates Differently

Working at Opera Roanoke has given me a fairly vivid perspective of how things are done in a nonprofit arts organization. I've learned what goes on inside and outside of the office. However, I've also worked for some for-profit, non-arts organizations. I think the general public would be surprised of the differences between these two dynamic ways of operating.

Here are 5 ways Opera Roanoke along with most nonprofit arts organizations are operating differently...

1. We thrive on donors.
We at the opera get excited in the office when we have a few donations come in, especially if it's a major check. Why do we get excited? Because they are such a significant source of income. Without donors and mostly individual donors, we do not go on. For a sole proprietor, for example, income is probably coming from a service or retail. Most nonprofit arts organizations' income is used for the art itself so that the show may go on, and is provided by the folks who want to see it go on.

2. "You had one job" says no one at Opera Roanoke.
Here in the office, no one has just one job. We have Scott and Liz full time and apprentice artist, Asherah, who works part time because it is impossible to run everything with just two people. The also have me until July 31. Scott is our artistic director, but he's also helping with operations and teaching. Liz is our director of operations, but she, as well as Scott, is also doing fundraising, marketing and promotions, social media, accounting, and anything else you can think of. Granted, we do have the Center in the Square's help with a lot of this, but initially it comes back to us. Why does this happen? Opera Roanoke has to take into consideration that we do not have the means to pay a large staff.  So, three people are doing the job of five or six individuals. This is becoming more and more common in the arts world.

3. Everyday is a learning experience.
Did I know how to do everything I've been doing at Opera Roanoke? Of course not. Did I figure it out? You bet ya. Because we don't have a full staff, we have to learn how to be self-sufficient. Even Scott and Liz must always be learning to keep things running and going smoothly. Nonprofit arts have a way of keeping you alert, on your toes, and forever learning. Personally, working at the opera has also helped me learn about opera, and how opera singers can have quite the eccentric personalities.

4. We can be ourselves, while being oh so professional.
I'm not saying that this is solely a fact of nonprofit arts organizations, but here at Opera Roanoke, we like to be chatty kathies and joke around and for some of us be nerds... It keeps the atmosphere alive and the work flow going. At the end of the day, we know what we're here for and how to get things completed.

5. We have apprentices instead of interns.
Apprentices are here to obtain real experiences in their careers. There are apprentice artists who perform and take lessons, and every summer there is an administrative apprentice on staff learning operations. Opera Roanoke does not have interns because we can get our own coffee.

**Bonus 6. We have a severed head.