After being home for a week, I have had time to sit back and think about all the information I have acquired from New York. When we went to New York, each student was told to find a person in New York and make their own immersion experience in the city. Some students got voice lessons and others did interviews. I chose to interview Brace Rice, someone currently working actress/dancer/model in New York City. Some of my classmates (Evan, Marie, and Meagan) along with myself met up with Brace to ask her about her transition from the midwest to New York, and the things she has learned along the way living in the big city and performing.
Brace was fantastic. I had so many questions, and my interview buddies had a lot too. All of our questions were met with honest answers and advice. For my own questions, I was focused around where to find auditions, and where they are held. Brace told us about Backstage a magazine for actors/dancers and websites to go to for finding audition information. She also told us about classes we can take to prepare ourselves for NYC auditions. Bob Klein has a musical theatre audition class that we can sign up for, and learn what an audition is going to be like, instead of being completely terrified not knowing what to expect. I also learned that Broadway shows are required to hold auditions. They are called "required calls" and they don't have to cast people if they don't have any immediate openings, but this also helps them see what else there is for talent in the area in case a spot should open up. I think the biggest thing I learned was that I can't set my heart on every show I audition for. Brace said that auditioning is like the job part, and getting booked for the role is like vacation, because then you are safe, you have the role, and can concentrate on that for awhile. I definitely think that is a great way to look at an audition, and I'm going to have to practice still taking my auditions seriously, but not setting my whole emotional state of mind on the line if I don't get a part. Sometimes people won't want a short blonde person, and thats ok too! There is always something better to audition for coming up that might be a better opportunity that the one I didn't get.
Brace also talked about "money jobs." Jobs that make you money while you are auditioning around town every waking moment. What Brace said that seems like common sense, but is totally true and something people don't always consider is: like your money making job. Some people temp, some people bar tend or wait tables, but those are not apart of my music/ performing specialty. Brace said to try and find money jobs that make use of the talent you are trying to develop or at least gets you practice using your craft. I couldn't agree more! I loved what she recommended. She worked at a dance studio and got discounted dance lessons, which is definitely something I want to do! She also is finding work doing hand and foot modeling which I find is so awesome, and wouldn't mind doing that either! She gave me so many things to think about, and I'm definitely going to try and find jobs that can benefit me by building my skills, not just earning me money.
I loved my interview/talk session with Brace. She was so friendly and down to earth, which made asking her so many questions easier. I really enjoyed getting to know her, and I definitely want to keep in contact. Hopefully someday we can work together in a show, or run into each other in the audition circuit in the city. Had I not been able to go on this immersion experience, I would have never learned so many inside facts on the performing world, that I would have been clueless about as an outsider. I am so grateful for the information I have learned and the connections I have made with people in New York. Knowing people there and how the performing system sort of works makes the idea of going there less daunting and more accessible to achieve.
Thank you Brace for all of your help! You definitely inspired me to continue perusing my dreams! :)
Abby
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