One of the most frustrating obstacles for me is in learning music. Actually, it's not the music that gets me, so much as it is the words. There are so many of them! And especially in a strophic piece (a piece with verses and a chorus), the music doesn't help you remember anything.
And of course, memory is critical in a social industry like show business. One of the most impressive things you can do is to remember the name of someone you met briefly three years ago. I remember seeing a sponsor for the Vancouver Opera at a party, and having her remember my name, occupation and relevant details two years after I had met her. That kind of memory will get you many a point.
In contrast, at Central City I worked with an old classmate from IU - I had even been in a show with her - and it took me three weeks (and considerable embarrassment) before I recognized her and realized that I actually knew her already. I am actively working to improve my memory.
So how do singers do it? Some people just have a gift for memory. I had a gift like that once, but I forgot where I left it. Personally, I learned a bunch of tricks from a program I found on the Internet (how typical) called "Memory Master". This program is a relic from a bygone era of computing - the registration form asks you to specify if you prefer 5.25" or 3.5" floppy disks. But the program still works (no warranty from me though), and the things it taught me are valuable tools. At one point I managed to remember a list of 50 items - though I forget when that was.
I've attached memory master to this post for you to download and play with. To the best of my knowledge this program is still free to distribute, though if you can find the company that made it, I encourage you to register. I also found a website and a BBC program (you can watch it online) that seem to have a lot of the same information, though I haven't explored either of them very thoroughly.
Once you know the tricks, it's a question of applying them regularly enough that they become habit. I was impressed with myself that after the first meeting at Ash Lawn, I had learned the name of every apprentice artist. Next up: remembering my wallet and keys in the morning.... :)
