Thinking about my professional inquiry and ideas behind it I am considering employment in the musical theatre industry and what is deemed as successful and unsuccessful.
The Musical Theatre industry is one heavily reliant on reflection not only from yourself but your tutors, peers and friends. Crictically evaluating one’s technique and performance be it in singing dancing and acting helps us as performers improve everyday. And however important feedback such as this is, I always have a hindering that it is also judgmental.
Anyone can be in the musical theatre industry but is it right to judge them on where they studied? if they graduated? before even considering talent?
Other questions that came to my head were about employment in general. To maintain my life in London alongside this degree, alongside auditions I have a full time job. To stay in London and continue to pursue my career as a performer I have no other option of affording to say in this wonderful city than work incredibly hard to pay my way.
People may see me as unsuccessful because I’m not working in the industry at the moment. However, in my full time job I have gained life skills that will impact my further career such as knowing how to deal with accounts and banking, also gaining further development in IT skills which have improved my confidence in techniques such as my blogging but further programmes on Microsoft, Windows and Mac programmes.
Am I deemed unsuccessful to be maintaining a normal job on the side of pursuing my aspirations in life? or alternatively am I a success, achieving more than I ever thought I was capable of (particularly in the form of time management and multi-tasking skills.
But I would further like to further discuss the ultimate word everyone hates, REJECTION.
How does rejection reflect on you in the musical theatre industry? how many times can one get knocked down and carry on? What helps you pick yourself back up and carry on and head to the next audition remaining positive. Is the love of what we do enough to keep us going?
The handbook suggests we look back to further work we did in previous modules to also come up with relevant questions and one question I would love to know the answer to and explore further is, Inspirations and Aspirations.
How did you know this industry was one that you wanted to work in? what Inspired you to get to where you are today?
I know for myself my family were a massive factor in inspiring me to get to where I am today. I have come from a very musical family but more instrumental than performing, my grandmother being my Piano teacher and my father also being a Pianist and a Violinist additionally to being in various bands and also being a Musical Director to his own Performing Academy. From learning Piano and Flute from a very young age I naturally fell into singing from my appreciation of all aspects of music from an early age, appreciating everything from Classical repertoire - Musical Theatre and pop. I think back most days about how grateful I am for my early life and how much I learnt so young about Music. If I hadn’t of achieved all I had before the age of 12 I know I wouldn’t of had as many opportunity to expand in Music as I have had. Attending the Royal Northern College of Music from 14 further developing me in my Classical Music but further into Musical Theatre which in turn led me to attending Italia Conti. Without my family and there own inspirations and love of music. I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Coming up with these questions I know leaves me still with a very broad topic of subject for my professional Inquiry. To narrow down ideas of questions I really want to discuss further I am going to come along with an online survey to share with as many people in the musical theatre industry as possible to try and collect as much data as possible to aid me further in the development of my professional Inquiry.
Thanks Victoria
ReplyDeleteI know we have discussed this ranges of topics - now it is time to review for feasibility and scope so you can begin to focus for your proposal draft:
1. "Anyone can be in the musical theatre industry but is it right to judge them on where they studied? if they graduated? before even considering talent?" how would you go about exploring this? who would you talk to? quite a large topic - I wonder if you could think about practice - maybe the audition process? or talking to people who have several strand to their career. the issues related to this line of inquiry seem to be talent and training and employment - so maybe look at people who have a single career path in performing arts and those who have dual careers and try to understand their experience? or do you need to consider the casting process as well?
2. "Am I deemed unsuccessful to be maintaining a normal job on the side of pursuing my aspirations in life? or alternatively am I a success, achieving more than I ever thought I was capable of (particularly in the form of time management and multi-tasking skills." - probably similar to number 1 - how do you want to explore this?
3. "How did you know this industry was one that you wanted to work in? what Inspired you to get to where you are today?" this seems to be the first question for either 1 or 2 really - influences and then experience of practice? Have you gotten more focussed on these?
Thanks Paula, well taking point number 1 into consideration, i have real thought about how I would go about exploring this but I feel in all aspects of people I could potentially ask about this they answers could be potentially biased, depending on where themselves have studied.
DeleteI cam up with a little survey which i posted on my old college group page on Facebook and also a SIG Musical Theatre group on Facebook too....
The responses were more of a surprise than I expected to be honest even though the questions were only yes or no answers.
All the questions Ive posted here are aspects I really want to explore within my proposal but getting my clear topic I am still in a pickle.
i have been researching aspirations and success but they are all very personal accounts by practitioners and not fact (which I appreciate they can't be) but I feel I may have dug myself in a little bit of a hole in terms of a clear view of where I see my proposal going.
I feel that maybe my dual aspect of career could be a point to focus on with my proposal and alternatively see how others within a musical theatre industry maintain employment and funding of there aspirations and career of choice.
DeleteHi Victoria ,, I trained in Musical Theatre and currently work professionally if you have any questions I would be more than happy to discuss. My inquiry is based on Transitioning from A career in Musical Theatre too acting. I would love for you to join my SIG to discuss this. I think we could really help each other out. Below is a link
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BERA-Ethical-Guidelines-2011.pdf?noredirect=1
Thanks Laura!
DeleteHow is your research in your enquiry going? Have you planned how many sections your going to explore within your transition or your work.
I'm still incredibly confused about the line which I need stick to within my enquiry. And how much I should make it personal about myself and my own journey or whether it should be based on data I collect from other sources. Are you personally looking at your own transition from MT to acting or focusing on others?
Victoria
Hi Victoria ,, I trained in Musical Theatre and currently work professionally if you have any questions I would be more than happy to discuss. My inquiry is based on Transitioning from A career in Musical Theatre too acting. I would love for you to join my SIG to discuss this. I think we could really help each other out. Below is a link
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bera.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/BERA-Ethical-Guidelines-2011.pdf?noredirect=1