Opera Offstage: A Podcast for Classical Musicians

What We Are And Who We Help:

Opera Offstage is an educational podcast and Youtube channel exploring the challenge of being a classical musician in the modern world. There is a lack of representation for classical music in online spaces, especially for young musicians. We are a multimedia platform dedicated to bringing light and humor to the grey area between music school and transitioning into a professional career.

Many graduates leave music school without the proper life or career skills to propel their career from the academic to the professional level. These include everything from fitness and mental health to finances and networking. While Opera Offstage caters to musicians specifically, these are topics of interest to everyone.  We strive to create content that relates to both the musician and non-musician, ultimately fostering a space where the future of classical music can thrive and develop. 

Opera Offstage is for music students, teachers, professional and amateur musicians, and anyone who enjoys classical music. Music schools and conservatories are very costly which is why free resources like podcasts and Youtube videos can be so influential and helpful. Opera Offstage allows us to take the wealth of knowledge and resources that we have at our disposal and share it with people who may not currently have access to formal music education.


Listen to a Highlight of our Episode Discussing the Importance of Self-Advocacy:



What The Funds Will Be Used For: 

The donations of this fundraiser, combined with our own personal investment and  grants will allow us to fully launch all branches of Opera Offstage, covering immediate operational costs and future scheduled projects. These funds help cover maintenance fees such as podcast and website hosting as well as marketing costs to help widen our audience. They also allow us to properly pay the certified mental health, fitness, and music instructors we are scheduled to interview this year. We strongly believe in the importance of consulting experts and paying them for their time and input.

With the help of our amazing community, our goal is to fundraise the total amount within a month. This aligns with the launch of our first full length podcast episode covering the importance of self-advocacy for musicians. New podcast episodes will be published weekly with additional resources and discussion posted daily on our social media. 


Why We Started Opera Offstage:

The founders of Opera Offstage, Michelle Pina and Jessie Ragsdale, are both professional musicians with their Master’s Degrees from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee and The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. We believe in the importance of supporting the future of classical music. This begins with giving the rising generation of singers, instrumentalists, conductors, composers, directors, and designers the skills they need to have a stable career in music. Opera Offstage is our way of supporting our fellow artists while also allowing us to pave the way for classical music to continue to thrive in the world.


We are so grateful for your contributions, please know that your donations directly support accessible and affordable music education.