I Know...But...

Sunday musings...

How badly do you want to be an artist pursuing a career?

How hungry are you?

Do you know what you need to do, and how to do it, how to find it, how to evoke it, how to develop it, how to challenge it,  how to see it,  how to discover it,  how to claim it?

If you don't,  are you willing, able and ready to find out and actually DO it?

I see, too often, people who say they want a career, yet even when given the information, don't actually do anything with it, and then will say how frustrated they are.

As I get older, my shorthand gets shorter.   When I see that,  hear that,  my response is:  figure it out or do something else. 

And let me tell you a little secret:  it's okay to do something else.  Everybody isn't going to have a career.  How talented you are isn't really the issue.  Some people just cannot, will not, don't know how even if it is explained to them,  DO what I just asked above.  Period.

Not having a career doesn't mean you don't have artistic value, can't perform,  can't be involved in theatre or singing, or something creative.  It just means you don't make your money doing it.

That's okay.  Why pretend?  What's in the way?

As I have said many many times, delusion is a great protector against stress.  At some point, however, that protection is going to snap, and then what?

YOU are your product.   If you aren't honest about how you are seen,  what is seen,  what you have TO be seen, then how do you know how to sell it?

Your product needs to be known.  Honestly.  You need to be using the tools of the business in a way that gives you VISIBILITY.   Are you doing that?  Do you know how to evoke your type/your person/your product through your head shot?  Through your website?  Through your video and audio clips?

And as I ask this,  I hear:  "I know...but..."

Well,  my dear snowflakes, if you KNOW, then why aren't you DOING IT?

Procrastination,  excuses,  all the "buts",  are your way of stress management,  and preventing you for doing anything and coming to the honest truth of what you really want and why you want it.

I heard someone say last week "in the last 15 years of my career".   The absurdity of that comment as part of this person's narrative was astounding,  as there has been no career.  Pursuing a career?  Maybe, but very loosely as nothing has happened;  Actual career?  No.  That would assume making a living at it,  really knowing what you have to offer the business, and how to do it.

We all,  at different times, due to our capacity for self doubt,  make statements that aren't quite right.  It is a coping mechanism.  I get that, trust me.

HOWEVER...

Now it is time to shit, or get off the pot.

If you KNOW,  then do it.

If you KNOW,  then why aren't you doing it?

If you KNOW, then why don't you know?

If you DON'T know, then ask.

If you ASK,  expect some answers, or expect more questions that YOU and only you have to figure out.

If you ASK,  prepare to hear the truth, not what you want to hear.

If you WANT it,  you have to work for it.  Nothing is handed to you on a platter. 

If you WANT it,  how hungry are you?  What are you willing to do?  REALLY??

Where are you in the development of your craft?  How do you know?

What do you want to do with that?  Why?

Says who?

What are you passionate about?

Just because you did a BFA or a theatre degree or a BMus, or something in the arts, doesn't guarantee nor preclude you are having a career in that focus.

If you say you want a career,  why? 

Have you figured out what you NEED to begin that journey or restart that journey or get you onto the right path of that journey?

Have you started to pursue those necessary steps?

Or are you procrastinating?

Why?

Have the excuses started already?

I know...but...

But what?

YOU are the business.  If you want to be in the business,  your product has to be purchase-ready. 

You have to hone that product to make it purchase-ready.

The business of you doesn't have anything to do with the artistic you. 

This is business. 

There is an enormous difference. 

If you don't figure that out,  should you really want to pursue a career,  then the business will make a decision for you,  and will simply call   "NEXT!"

YOU have to know.  YOU have to hone.  YOU have to present it to them or you leave them making their own decisions or dismissing you.  That's up to YOU.

This means getting to work.  This means getting to nitty gritty of how you are seen;  what your energy reveals in a room;  what your voice does;  what characters you will be seen for and why;

Remember, there is ALWAYS a why.  Sometimes we have the power to change HOW,  when we learn the WHY.  However, you are never going to know the how or the why if you don't start asking questions instead of answering "I know..but..."

An excuse never got anybody anything,  except a chance to create more delusion and not move.

Free yourself to do your work - whatever that is - by dropping the excuses. 

Do the work,  or don't.  Claim it.  If you decide, you don't want to be bothered with all of this to find a career path in the business,  then find whatever you are passionate and DO THAT!!!!

Doing what you are passionate about is NEVER failure. Doing something because you think you have to prove it to someone,  or because you went to school for it you have to try,  is just going to drain you and cause you to put up more walls.  You will be miserable,  and chances are you will miss something you might really love doing.

If you have an answer for everything I have said,  as in,  an excuse of why you HAVEN'T done it,  then I would really truly consider what you are doing.  Life is short,  and you don't want to let it pass you by with excuses and "I know, buts".

If you feel motivated again;  if you KNOW where your passion lies;  if you are getting HUNGRY for that career;  if you can not only claim your fears or self-doubts, but realize what you need to do, and are willing to get on that path to do it,  then DO IT!

Start it.  One step at a time.  Create your business.  Develop goals.  Make a business plan. 

Nobody does it but you.  However, utilize the assets around you to help enhance that plan so you can hone it as expertly as you would hone your craft and artistic temperament. 

What is holding you back?

YOU.

Shhhhh.

 The answer is NOT "I know...but."


The answer is a nod, a quiet acknowledgement.  Now GET TO WORK ON YOU!

You are the Product!

Sunday musings...

Do you recognize YOU are the product you are selling?

If you choose to be a developing artist or performer in the business,  are you aware of your product?

If you are making excuses,  frustrated,  and simply not focusing on what you are offering, or have to offer,  then it's time to get your shit together NOW or find something else to do.

Is that harsh?  I don't think so.  Why?  Because there are simply too many people saying they want to work in the business.  There are way too many people given the number of jobs available. Why should someone hire you if you don't really know what you are doing or what you have to offer?

If you don't know the product you want to sell,  and more importantly HAVE,  then don't expect the business to figure that out for you.

GET TO WORK!

Several casting professionals have spoken to me over the last few weeks about the lack of understanding an actor/singer has when finding a great head shot to submit,  and even the quality of a video or audio clip.

So let's talk about that shall we?

If you want to work,  you have to be prepared.  Two KEY ways to reveal yourself are through your head shot,  and through your reel or clips.

Why are you not committed to making those things sizzle?

You don't have to sell a kidney or your first born to find a great head shot photographer.  You DO have to do your research. 

The research starts with you.

Again, I quote the great choreographer/director, George Faison: "What are you doing?"

(those of you who know or have worked with George know EXACTLY what I am talking about!)

Your head shot needs to reveal YOU.  Who is that?  It needs to look like you,  and it needs to evoke an energy that draws the person looking at it to pause for a minute and take you in. 

You need to know what you are evoking.  You need to figure out what you are going to be called in for.  You need to find a way of showing us that in a head shot through your EYES.

The set up of a photo can be spectacular but if the eyes aren't saying anything, then the head shot is thrown in the "no" pile and never looked at again.

What are you saying? 

Figure it out! 

An head shot is NOT artsy fartsy.   A head shot is often the first thing a casting director or director sees and responds to or fails to respond to.  How are you going to get the right kind of attention?

Know your product.  YOU are the product.  Do you know what you have and what you wish you had and do you know the difference?  Wanting to reveal something that isn't there is not helping you. 

What are you saying in that photo?  What are your eyes saying?  "I want you to call me in"  isn't enough.  So does everybody.  Next...

What are your eyes saying about YOU?

You can't be ambiguous.  You have to figure out who you are, why you are, what you are, and evoke that.  Simplify. 

What are you singing?  What roles are you suited for vocally, dramatically? 

Make a list of your repertoire.  What does it suggest? 

Make a list of possible "types" within your repertoire.  Start to hone in on adjectives to evoke those types.  Do those adjectives connect to your personal energy?  Can you reveal a combination of those in how you look at the camera?

Vacant, scattered,  disassociated and confusing head shots just don't sell a product.  They dismiss it.  Why take the time, energy and money to do a photo shoot if you ultimately don't know what you want to say? 

Talk to photographers.  Interview them.  See how they respond to you and how you feel with them.  Look at their portfolios.  How are they capturing that energy? 

And what about your reel?  Do you have one?  What are you making public on YouTube and can you actually use anything to submit with?

Again,  with electronic submissions you need a reel.  Period.  You need clips of you doing what you say you do.  Those clips need to reveal what you DO WELL.  You would think that would be a no-brainer, but sadly,  again,  several casting professionals have told me recently that I wouldn't believe what is sent in for them to view and consider for a personal audition.

And I then quote my niece Ruby:  "Seriously you guys?! SERIOUSLY?!"

If you don't know what is good enough or exceptional or is going to catch a CD's attention enough to listen to the full clip or want to hear more of you,  then you have to figure that out.  Sending out a poor video is worse than not submitting at all.

Commit to making a reel or recording a few short clips that show what your voice does well, and  reveal the possibilities of what roles you would could be seen for!

YOU are the product.  If you want somebody to stay interested, you have to have something to sell!

You need to sell your product CURRENTLY.  CURRENT head shots.  CURRENT clips be they audio or video. 

If you believe you are continually evolving as an artist and performer, then you have to show that through your head shot and reel.  What are you CURRENTLY evoking, revealing & discovering.

This is part of the business of show.  This is part of how you market and produce your product for others to get a glimpse of. 

Given that those you are sending these things to only have a second to make a decision,  it has to be a strong glimpse,  enough for them to take an extra second to pause,  not to wonder what you are doing, but to be intrigued enough to call you in. 

So no more excuses.  Figure it out.  Ask questions.  Prepare for honest answers so you can get it together to package a strong, clear, concise and REAL product.  YOU.

What do you need to know?

Every aspect of the business - from opera to music theatre to straight theatre to film & TV - has its own land mines, its own process, its own game.

It's up to you, should you find yourself in one or more of those games, to figure it out.

However, ultimately, what do you need to know?

It all comes back to YOU.

Or what a dear friend and famous choreographer has been known to say,  "What are you doing?!"

Yes, you have to figure out the game,  learn the rules, learn how to bend those rules, learn how to navigate the landscape but more importantly,  you have to learn about YOU.

There is you the artist and the discovery.

There is you the craftsman and the development of said craft.

There is you the business person and the marketing of said business.

SO, here are the 2 questions for you:

1.  What do you need to know?
2.  What are you doing with that knowledge?

Do you know what you are working with as far as ability, craft, practical application is concerned?

Does your study and your athletic development allow you access PAST the 16 bar cut?  Could you actually do that role 8 shows a week?  Could you actually sustain that role on an operatic stage with a full orchestra?

Are you training vocally, musically, dramatically to access that possibility?  Do you really understand what that takes on all levels?

What about the business aspect of you?  Do you know what you are selling?  Do you really see what you have to offer and can you reveal that fully in a head shot?  In a video clip?  In a slate?

Do you have a really clear sense of what you want to reveal, and is that honest and true or is it just what you are wishing for?

These are hard.  For all of us.  A reality check is necessary on a regular basis.  It's not always easy or comfortable,  but real growth isn't;  thus growing "pains". 

We don't always want to hear what we absolutely HAVE TO HEAR.

This is why the team of professionals around you is so crucial.  You need to have people who will be honest,  challenge,  question,  and give you reasons to find the next.  You do not need people around you who just tell you what you want to hear.  That doesn't encourage growth, originality, reality or passion for the next step.

So, what do you need to know?

The truth.

About what you reveal;
Where you are;
What you want;
What is realistic;
What is wishful thinking:
What is downright wrong;
What is downright delusional;
What is absolutely worth exploring;
What is absolutely worth taking a risk for;
What is coming across;
What is not being claimed;
What is ready;
What is not;


The more you know,  the more you need to know!  The more you know, the more simplistic things can become, because the clutter around you can be cleared, and the reality of what you have, what you are claiming, what you are honing, what you are developing starts to emerge with force and reason.

And the most important thing:  it's up to you.  It demands you.  It holds you accountable.

It's not the pianist's fault if you sing out of tune or come in at the wrong time;
It's not the photographer's fault that your head shot isn't working;
It's not the voice teacher's fault that you aren't booking;
It's not the gym's fault you aren't losing weight;
It's not the coach's fault you didn't figure out how to sing that cut or that aria in the right style;

YOU have to find what YOU need.  YOU need to figure out what you are, what you have in order to figure out how to develop it, and what you need to know to develop it further.

You need to know what is going to make you noticed: for the right reasons.

It's all up to you baby.  ALL of it is up to you.

MT Singers: What's in your book?

What's in your audition book?

What's supposed to be in your audition book?

What are you doing????


Well, if you book weighs about 7,000 pounds, you are probably a MT student freshly graduated from a program.  A dead giveaway.

I am going to let you in on a little secret:

In the real world,  you do not have to micro-manage your audition repertoire.  You learn how to do that in school in order for you to LEARN what is being written,  who is writing, who wrote, what they did, why they did and actually have some knowledge of what the overview of music theatre is;  but in the real world?  For your audition book?

NO WAY.

First, and foremost,  how are you singing?  Where is your technical development at?

You can't sing something that doesn't fit.  Period.  You may LIKE to sing it, but if it doesn't fit, and doesn't reveal YOU in a positive and intriguing way, or allow you to tell a story without us seeing flaws and misunderstandings in technique both physical and stylistic,  then do not sing it.  DO NOT SING IT.

Another little secret: in the real world, you don't go to EVERY audition.  Just to be seen.  You only go to the auditions that you are right for. 

If you know the shows and kinds of shows you are right for, then you know what you need to look for within the massive repertoire of music theatre and other genres that reveal YOU and YOUR STRENGTHS.

You can have binders and binders of music at home on a shelf that you are perusing, that you love to sing,  that no longer fits, that may someday fit,  that you want to try.

Then you have your audition book.  Everything in that book should be ready to sing, if asked for.  EVERYTHING. 

Uptempos, ballads,  different genres, different eras, but everything that's in there you have to sing.

If you think you can sing all genres - give your head a shake.  

You need to figure out what you do WELL.  What your voice is doing NOW.  What you could be seen doing realistically.

Then figure out what repertoire reveals that fully without question.  Don't make them try to figure it out.  SHOW THEM what you DO.

If you aren't clear, they aren't clear.  If they aren't clear, you don't get a callback, or consideration, or a second thought.

Know what you do.  Figure out what you CAN do.  Do it.

You shouldn't need a forklift for that audition binder.  It should be light and easy to access. 

When you sing what reveals you and those at the table say "thanks, what else do you have?"  you should be able to easily reveal another aspect of you immediately.

If you can't, you aren't ready yet.

Get ready.  Make it your mission to discover what your voice does,  how to make it more accessible, and how you can reveal your strengths in the room IMMEDIATELY.

YOU.  YOUR book.  Make it personal,  and make it accessible.  Make it comfortable.  Make it real.