Ultimately, we want to work.

Dallas Travers

As I’ve said before, I love the Everything Acting Podcast, as they ”de-mystify the actor’s journey” by presenting podcasts about casting, auditions, creating your own work (one of my favorites), and running your career as a business, which I truly believe is a key to success.  The latest podcast is an interview with Dallas Travers, who’s advice is already causing a hand cramp from my frantic note taking.  This podcast interview touches on phone scripts for finding agents, email marketing, one sheets, and other tasty tips and processes too abundant to mention.  Her website offers much, much more!  Thank you, Dallas!  I’ve already signed up for the Free Thriving Artist Starter Kit and I’ll be perusing her website in detail.  As she says, she helps actors, “step out on a bigger stage” and calls herself the “actor’s advocate.”   I appreciate it!

The cattle calls are calling…

I love cattle calls.  Not the ones in West Texas, but the ones that singers go through on a regular basis; especially those auditioning for musical theatre.  For me, these types of auditions help to keep me on my toes, keeps my head in the game, keeps my chops up and gives me a chance to perform.  Plus, I get to add more people to my contacts list with some nervous networking.  You know what I mean by nervous networking don’t you?  When you are so charged up and nervous before an audition that you chat everyone up – or maybe that’s just me.  If it’s an open call – even better.  Having everyone see you gives you an extra charge and nervous energy.  Seeing everyone else gives you some great ideas and, of course, helps you size up your competition.  With any audition, but especially open ones (for me) helps me learn to deal with the extra adrenalin and still be able to breath, perform, etc.  Plus, you get heard, sometimes you get feedback, you get to find out things about your chosen material that you couldn’t possibly have anticipated in practice (some good, some not so good)….. and did I mention you get heard?  I’ve just started scheduling auditions for the next round of shows coming up in the Spring, Summer and Fall and I know that the more I do this, the better I will get.  This time, I’m armed with some good audition coaching I received and an adjustment in my mindset about how this is an opportunity for me to sing.  The point is this:  Go and audition as it might be (hopefully not) but might be the only time you get to perform in the next 6 months.  Look at it as a way for you to get better, to fine tune and to hopefully enhance your resume with an offer.  Get out there and be heard!

Friday Fermata

Networking.  Does it ever stop for the singer or anyone trying to promote themselves for that matter?  Because of travel and other obligations, my networking has taken a back seat.  This week, as I enter a week of vacation to ski the Rockies, I will be thinking of creative ways to network and promote myself in 2009.  What are some ways that you promote yourself in your career? What is the most creative thing you’ve ever done?Next week, we’ll talk about it!