Any moms of "professional kids" out there

College Majors Musical Theater Major
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<p>Also, AlwaysAMom brings up a good point.....since it is very difficult to make it in this field, it is a big benefit to have a college degree (whether it is a BFA or a BA one by choice) because a college degree opens more opportunities to work and have a career of any type. While my D has followed her passion, I am glad she is earning a college degree. I hope she makes it in her field, but I know with a college degree, she will have a better chance of a career in general, not just on stage. </p>

<p>Like your D, while my D may have had experience or talent before going to college, she has learned so much in college and is a much more trained performer now than before college. She also has gotten to grow up more in college. By the way, my D is also a singer/songwriter. She plays guitar like your D but her primary instrument is piano. Since she goes to school in NYC, she can do some things off campus while still staying in school (her primary objective is school for these four years), but for instance, she performs as a singer/songwriter in gigs in the city while in college. </p>

<p>If your D wants a career in this field, she may decide to do a BFA in MT, along with other kids who have had previous professional work or are Equity. But she may want a more liberal arts type of college and do additional training as well. That is the decision she'll need to make. I understand your third option of just hitting the audition circuit (no college) but it is my opinion that she will fare better on the audition circuit at age 22 than at age 18 and also that she'll even have more training by then. On top of that, she'll have earned a college degree which will have implications for her future even off stage if it comes to that. </p>

<p>Another thing, as I mentioned earlier, they often cast 18-22 year olds to play teen characters. You said that your D is tall and may look more mature for her age and it may end up that when she is 18, she may not be cast as a teen given her looks. Then, it will be hard for her if she is trying for young adult roles and she is up against 25 year olds. My kid is about to graduate and she is 20 and 5'3". I think her best chance may be to be cast in a teen role as she can pass for a teen easily and is over 18 (which many shows prefer). I don't know how she'll compete with 25 year olds who will all be at the same calls as her for non-teen roles. But at least she'll have the training of her BFA program under her belt as it would have been even harder to compete at 20 without it, I think. It's already gonna be very tough odds.</p>

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<p>I think it's a great idea to have a backup plan. Actors can make great salespeople, attorneys, or teachers. But those usually require having a degree.</p>

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<p>I think one problem young people who are aiming for careers as performers have is the way that they define "success." Of course, most/all performers hope to/dream of someday plying their craft on Broadway. But if we define success that way (Broadway only), very few of these young people will be "successful." I am happy when I hear my kid say that she would be thrilled to be able to make most of her living on a professional stage. I am glad when I hear her being realistic and realizing that she is certainly going to have to wait tables and take other, non acting jobs in order to make ends meet. Phoebe Strole (whom I know soozievt and her D know!) spoke at my D's studio at NYU and she talked about how she has been on Broadway and it was great, but there she was, just like everyone else, trying to find the next job. I think that's a reality that cannot be ignored. We do our kids no service if we encourage them to think being on Broadway is the only yardstick for success and that they will be able to get there right out of college and that they won't have to wait tables or do other non acting jobs to pay their bills. Most will have to, for sure.</p>

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<p>NMR...I'm glad you brought that topic up. I can't tell you, given my line of work, how many students tell me or write in their college essays, that their goal is to be "on Broadway." I believe in reaching HIGH. I truly do. But I don't believe in defining success as narrowly as "being on Broadway." It is also very unrealistic in terms of the odds. If you don't make it to Broadway, it doesn't mean you are not a successful performer. I would much rather hear a young person say that they hope to make it onto the professional stage. That itself is very reachy but possible. It would be like a ball player who said, "I hope to make it into the Major League" as opposed to, "My goal is to win the World Series." Keep reaching high and dream. But set realistic but reachy goals that are not so narrowly defined, let alone soooooooooo difficult odds. Of course a MT performer would love to be on Broadway but to make it as the main goal, that is not realistic and is not the only measure of success. I don't know what the adcoms must do after reading the umpteenth essay that says, "I plan to be on Broadway!" :) </p>

<p>In my view, if my D makes it professionally on stage or even in the field of performing arts in any capacity, that will be a success in terms of her goals. </p>

<p>By the way, while my D has performed with Phoebe Strole, I personally do not know Phoebe. But anyway, that is a good story because even young actors who have been on Broadway, doesn't mean they can do it again. This field involves short term jobs and even professional actors are always job searching!</p>

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<p>soozievt, my D said that Phoebe was kind of funny about the whole thing, saying something like "I've been on Broadway! Yippeee! But now I am out of work and trying to find something ..." It made quite an impression, let me tell you.</p>

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<p>Thanks for info, did not mean to imply that non-equity was not professional, hence my use of quotes around the term "professional". Will look at the site you referenced, just would like to see the implications (good and bad) of being equity, when/if the time arises.</p>

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<p>beernut, there have been threads on CC in the past, if you do a search, on turning Equity or not as a young person. </p>

<p>NMR....I think having someone like Phoebe Strole come into a MT class and say that is GREAT because it is so realistic and I think there are SOME kids in this field, who are not realistic and need a dose of reality (while still seeking their dreams of course!!!)</p>

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<p>NMR, Phoebe's story is that of every Broadway actor, literally. Even the ones who are fortunate enough to ever make it to Broadway will find themselves back looking for work again when their show closes. Even actors who many would consider some of the most successful in the theatre community spend more weeks unemployed each year than they do onstage. This is the reality of this business. I know two extremely talented young actors who were in the closing cast of RENT who have not booked another show since the run ended last September (I'm sure that more than two of them are in the same boat but these are the ones whom I know personally). Their stories are, unfortunately, common, and they're the ones who have had incredible success in their early 20's, something that most young actors will never have. I agree that it's good for students to have dreams but they also have to make sure that those dreams are realistic and that they don't set themselves up for great disappointment if their measure of success is getting to Broadway. Most of these kids will not have a career onstage, nor will they be able to earn a sustained living as an actor. That is the sad but honest truth.</p>

<p>By the way, Phoebe was on 30 Rock this week.</p>

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<p>When my D was attending a master class (day before auditions) at Wright State, the faculty was talking about job prospects, what motivates the kids, etc. They mentioned that the reason you should go into acting or MT is because you love it and can't imagine doing anything else, not because you want to be famous and work on Broadway. They also pitched the college education angle and its value later in life. They indicated that to be successful in a BFA program, you have to be disciplined and committed, probably on a higher level than most of the other students at the university. The BFA is so demanding, there just is not the free time that most other college students have. Discipline and commitment are very transferable skills to many other careers and other areas of life. You get the opportunity to grow up in a hurry.</p>

<p>I was very impressed with the way they presented all this to the kids. I don't have firsthand knowledge on the BFA program discipline (my D will be a frosh next year), but I can certainly say that the discipline of music and private lessons and regular practice has long been known to benefit kids, and those involved in music tend to be more successful in whatever they do.</p>

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<p>My S is a HS Senior,18 yrs. old, Equity with an agent. He thought about going to school for a BFA in MT but is leaning towards Screenwriting/Playwriting in college. He figures he can take master classes (many offered free through Actor’s Equity for union members) and continue to take voice lessons with well respected teachers in the industry while going to school for a major and minor in other things. He can still audition for shows, continue his training outside of school and still have a career in MT, continue auditioning for TV and Film and come out of college with other skills. He just can’t see himself going to school for MT when he can train and work outside of school. Most MT auditions come down to skill not your degree in MT. Just another angle on this topic.</p>

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<p>beernut, alwaysamom, and soozievt’s points (edit: and notmamarose) about the realities of this field are excellent, and those are the attitudes that I am happy to say my daughter pretty much has. She just wants to be on stage; Broadway is where much of the work is, but she won’t feel like a failure if she’s working anywhere. And she knows she’ll be living hand to mouth. She’s willing to do that because that’s what she wants to do. I want to point out when you mention, bailyboy, that your daughter might find herself unhappy living a lifestyle with considerably less financial security that what she grew up with, that such a thought has occurred to me with my daughter, little Miss I Want Clothes, but then I thought, well, if she gets out there, does it, and decides it’s not the lifestyle she wants, then she’ll decide to do something else, and there’s nothing wrong with that, and she will have had an amazing experience and wonderful stories to tell her whole life long.</p>

<p>Tell me anyone in any field who doesn’t end up getting either more training in the same field almost continuously during their lifetime, (or should, if they want to stay competitive) or more likely, who doesn’t end up completely changing fields in this new world and new economy, at least once, maybe more, in their lifetime. So if she does decide for whatever reason, after having done it for a while (and even if she is “successful” she still might have reasons for going on to something else) and perhaps has to go back to school for a while, either for a different BA or for her masters, then…so what? It’s not like all her friends who went into something other than performing arts are guaranteed they won’t ever have or want or need to go back to school for their entire 60 years of adult working life, either. Happily, we get to pick more than one career in our lifetime…they aren’t doomed to stick to a decision for their whole lives that they made when they were a teenager. :slight_smile: If they don’t want to.</p>

<p>Which is a good argument for getting at least that bachelor’s degree before starting work, I think. In fact my best friends husband did have his MFA in theater management and did that for 15 years, and was successful and they had a blast, but, he decided to have a mid life career change, so he went back to get his accounting degree. (what a change, huh) Because he already had his degree he only needed a couple semesters of the accounting classes to get his second degree and now he’s very happily having a well paid stodgy old regular job job, and I think they really got the best of both worlds. Of course he wasn’t in performance, he was in management, so he did have a steadier income, but it wasn’t especially well paid. It’s a lot easier to go back to school and get the credits for a second degree than to start from scratch as a freshman, when you are older.</p>

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<p>@catlovermom</p>

<p>I think your S is wise to determine what he wants to get out of a college education keeping in mind his current interests but also leaving some room to develop new ones. He probably already has a good idea as to his strengths and weaknesses and whether he decides to focus his training on them in college or outside of a college program is a personal choice as is continuing to audition.</p>

<p>My S is a new freshman at Fordham LC who also has a wide variety of both academic and creative interests. He, too, is multi union and was a professional child actor working steadily in the NYC market for nearly six years. He chose Fordham’s BA program to give him room to develop his talents in a strong Theatre program and also allow him to explore other areas of interest. He is a Performance major doubling with either Playwriting or English but maybe he’ll find something completely different altogether after being inspired in one of the core classes. Who knows?!! He has a good solid education, training AND career plan and yet he realizes from his auditioning days that EVERY plan is subject to change! </p>

<p>I encourage your S to consider different types of programs and hopefully he will have some real choices next April. The one thing that you just cannot predict is if what he thinks is right for him NOW will still feel right for him THEN. He wants a career in MT and no that doesn’t mean he needs to commit to a MT program for college and he should absolutely trust his own instincts. But perhaps there is a program out there that would leave room for him to combine his interests. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an either or situation. And maybe your S will be lucky enough next May to have several different options and the opportunity to choose the program that he feels is the best personal fit. Good luck! :)</p>

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<p>I heartily encourage my kids to pursue their passions, in whatever direction they take them. My 15 yr old Son has worked professionally since the age of 8. He is a member of SAG and Equity, having had a national and international stage tour and a couple screen roles. He also did voice work for Disney until age 12 - then tragedy struck, his voice changed!!! Right in the middle of his auditions for Billy Elliot on Broadway. He went from soprano to bass in about 2 months. My sweet faced cherub now sounds like James Earl Jones. Needless to say, he is now, in the words of his agent, “unemployable” in MT until his looks catch up with his voice. Probably around 21 - maybe never. However, he still loves MT. He’s continuing with voice lessons (although more classical these days) and dance and acts in school and community theatre. He also composes and writes. So, whatever he decides to do for college, Dad and I are OK. If his career comes back - great! If not, he will still have a meaningful, useful and wonderful career somewhere. There are many great paths in life.</p>