I remember seeing a tweet a couple of years ago from Grammy-winning producer Finneas O’Connell about going to school for music production. He believed that it wasn’t necessary to succeed in the music industry. While he proves his own theory, my first instinct when I read this was to defend my own education. At the time, I was studying audio engineering at Berklee College of Music, and I knew it was one of the most valuable programs for audio education in the country. Now that I’ve stepped out of academia and into the professional world of audio post-production, I thought about O’Connell’s tweet again, and how my perspective on his opinion has evolved.
While many colleges had to switch to distance learning in the spring due to the rise of Covid-19, starting the new academic year in the Fall of 2020 was a very different obstacle. For most colleges, there was a sudden shift to utilize online tools to facilitate learning. What was thought to be a two or three week interim continued on through the rest of the spring semester. Students and faculty had no choice but to quickly adapt to the virtual classroom. Faculty had only a few goals in this transition: 1) continue regularly scheduled classes, 2) become flexible with virtual meetings, 3) keep up with new directions and requests from administration, and/or 4) decide the fate of current productions.
Every actor who has spent years going from supporting roles to guest starring appearances before finally booking leading parts has encountered one, so have ballerinas who have gone from the ensemble’s last row to soloist and the West End singer introducing herself on the first day of rehearsals: Newcomers.
As moms, we all have great expectations of our child’s first dance class. Visions fill our heads of our little princess in a sparkly tutu and perfect ballet bun gracefully moving across the floor. She will listen to every direction, stand perfectly at attention, and graciously thank her teacher at the end of class. And then the reality sets in…her tutu is itchy and she doesn’t want to wear it, the perfect ballet bun didn’t even last the car ride over, and our princess is standing, arms folded in the corner refusing to participate. As a mom of four, I’ve been there.
If you are about to start college and you’ve decided to become a theatre major, you might be feeling equal parts excited and apprehensive. Of course, you love the discipline and can’t wait to learn more about the art. On the other hand, you’re not sure of what the expectations are at the college level.
There is no doubt that the college audition process can be a daunting one. With the cost of application fees and travel for auditions, narrowing down your list is at times a financial necessity. But how can you slim down that list and make sure that you are not removing programs that might be good for you? Have no fear, there are a few things you can do to help you find the right programs for you and make sure that you are not wasting your time or money on schools that might not be the best fit.
The college audition process has become a crazy, highly competitive world over the last 10 years. Our team of professionals have been tracking the changes and demands that this process puts on young BA and BFA hopefuls for the last several years. Working closely, with not only our students but with the colleges themselves, we have heard about the challenges and headaches that face all sides.
We’ve all seen that little boy walking on the tip of his toes or noticed a young girl who loves to pirouette with her arms above her head. Many kids show a strong interest in ballet at a very young age and want to go see the Nutcracker every holiday season and feel a true calling for this art form. No one dancer goes through the same path, but horseback riding is definitely not the most conventional prologue to a life of pirouettes and piqués!
Pursuing a degree in musical theatre or acting is a process. It can also be very costly and stressful. There are increasing demands and requirements placed on students hoping to get into a top performing arts program. Each and every year the competition continues to increase.
Here are 5 tips to help you command the spotlight.
A career in the performing arts requires talent. This may sound obvious, but talent is only one of the ingredients in the recipe for success on the stage.
An aspiring arts student must train but how do you pick the right training studio and teachers? Training isn’t just about technique; it involves feedback, critiques, encouragement, support and most importantly trust.
Getting into college can be a stressful process for any high school senior. Between the applications and trying to raise your test scores, any senior can start feeling the weight of applying for college. To top it all off, those desiring to pursue a performance based degree in college have another set of hoops they need to jump through. Every year the demands for young performing arts majors gets tougher. Don’t panic, there is help out there!
I think most of us working in the entertainment industry, whether onstage or behind the scenes, all do it because we are passionate about it, about perfecting our respective crafts, always eager to learn, and enjoy the variety that it brings. When we all have to work while others get to go out and play, you simply have to be passionate about it. However, I would also venture to say that we all need to have passions in addition to our chosen career paths, and recently, I’ve discovered the importance of pursuing those interests outside work.
I know this is hard. I know you have your heart set on a particular role.
You aren’t the only one.
This business is crazy. It isn’t fair. Most of the choices are not in your control.
Get used to this. It is the way of our world.
So what should you do? Focus on what you can control.
