"Never bend your head. One of the first things I pay attention to in a lesson is your posture. Although good posture is important for your singing, that's not why I observe your body language when you come to work on your voice. Your body signals tell me a lot about how you feel about yourself, your current situation, and if you are ready to sing. It's time to start giving yourself permission to pose with confidence. Where are your hands? Are they in a clasped prayer-like position on your lap in-between your legs? That tells me you may be scared, tense, or insecure. How about your shoulders? Are they slouched forward? When I see this I may sense sadness or defeat or you are simply tired. Conversely, if your eyes and body are alert, I know you are ready for the task at hand. Or like me, you went to Catholic school for many years and out of fear and nun training you have a stiff and straight back position! "If you doubt yourself, Sometimes I wonder if something is in the air. This past week I had several students exhibiting tension and apprehension in their attitudes. It is finals week for many, but even my adult students showed signs of stress. I am grooming one of my 15 year old students to be able to play guitar and sing through one of her original songs and to stay focused throughout. When she derails, she bites her bottom lip and shakes her head negatively. My 13 year old student is working on an audition piece and the anxiety is closing her throat so she thinks she has something "stuck" in it. One of my adult students had the weight of his work day getting in the way of having fun during his lesson. And one of my young professionals who sounds amazing most of the time, didn't like how she sounded so she sabotaged herself with over-analysis and negative self talk. "Don't fake it until you make it. A couple years ago I chanced upon a great TED talk by the Harvard social psychologist, Amy Cuddy, called "Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are." What inspired me most was the fact that with just two minutes of empowering body poses you can increase your testosterone and lower your cortisol levels. That translates to you feeling more confident and lessening your stress. I started to incorporate these changes in students during lessons by having them pose like a comic book superhero character or just holding up their arms in a victory pose. The changes I witnessed were dramatic in some students and verified Cuddy's work. "Act the way you'd like to be Take some time out to pay attention to how you hold your body. If you are crossing your legs and folding your arms, plant your feet firmly on the ground and feel pride in all of your work. The world wants to see you spread your wings and display your gifts. And if they stare Just let them burn their eyes on you moving And if they shout Don't let it change a thing that you're doing Hold your head up, woman Hold your head high ©1972 "Hold Your Head Up" by Argent Peace out, rock on, and strike a pose!
Zuke
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Guest blog by Katie McCort
Millennials are conditioned to the anarchic world of online piracy: a playground where any and all of our entertainment needs are available for free in high quality at the touch of our fingertips with relatively no consequences…to us, anyway. If you are one of the many millennials who is guilty of indulging in online piracy, then I am guessing that the tens of billions of dollars of losses to the U.S. economy and tens of thousands of lost jobs in the music industry alone are not important to you. What is important is that you are living in a time where you can hear a song and then instantly download it to your laptop, phone, and iPod; chop it up and make it your ringtone; burn it onto a CD for your less tech-savvy family members; mash it up with another song and upload it to YouTube; and copy its chords and reconstruct it into an original cover all without paying a single penny. As one of the few millennials who insists on paying for music, I have had the pleasure of hearing just about every justification as to why this generation’s participation in this crazy cyber circus of free downloads and file sharing is not their fault. In this post, I will discuss four of my favorite myths of music piracy and the mistakes millennials make when using these myths to justify illegal activity. Let’s start with the excuse I hear most often: Myth #1: “I’m Broke” If you’re guilty of preaching this myth, I am guessing that you are under the age of 26 and work at least a minimum wage job, if you have a job at all. When convincing yourself of this fable you take the time to pride yourself on your proficient personal finance skills, claiming that if you can obtain music for free then why not conserve costs? You then further justify your robbery of hundreds (maybe thousands) of dollars of music with your incredible wanna-be talent agent skills by declaring that it is better to offer the artist “exposure” instead of never listening to them at all. Why this is a myth: I have witnessed the individuals who sermonize this myth proceed to shell out $18.50 for ridiculously overpriced tickets to an IMAX movie on a monthly basis on top of the $59.99 paid out for yet another zombie apocalypse video game, the $19.99 gleefully cashed out for the new book in their favorite book series, and, of course, the $15.50 for the giant cheese pizza they had delivered from their nearest Italian food joint when there was plenty of food in their fridge. With the money they spent on their food cravings alone, they could have purchased a three month subscription to Spotify PLUS the app on their iPhone that would allow them to take Spotify on-the-go. If you relate to the above individuals at all then, like them, your issue is never the bank; it’s how you measure the cost of music relative to other goods that you purchase. This produces an unfortunate situation for the music business since the accepted religion of online piracy has created a reality where a buyer’s consumer surplus will consistently be in the red if they are forced to obtain music for any price other than no price at all. In other words—music is worth $0.00 to you and any figure above $0.00 is not worth your income. Bottom Line: You’re not broke. You just view giant circles of dough slathered in tomato puree, salt, and mozzarella cheese to be of higher value than the song whose lyrics you just plastered all over your Facebook page. Myth #2: “Major Labels are Corrupt. I Will Pay for Music When More Money Goes to the Artist.” If you spend time attempting to moralize this myth, you probably assume that major label executives sit on giant bags of money as they think of innovative ways to steal away their artists’ hard-earned profits. Finding this blasphemous, you don your hand-stitched mask to hide your secret identity (you’re a superhero, after all!) and rush to the nearest torrenting site to really stick it to the record company by not paying a single cent for their product! You surely have them foiled this time…. Why this is a myth: Attempting to protest alleged corporate abuse of your favorite artists by strangling the profits of the record labels just makes you look like that kid on the playground shouting “he started it!” while being dragged away from a fifth grade cat fight. Record labels will never be altruists, however, strangulating profits to punish them for their greedy ways will only limit the amount of profits that the industry as a whole can benefit from. No record company ever has nor ever will hold an emergency meeting to allocate more money to the artist as their business is plummeting into bankruptcy. Furthermore, no matter how much the artist is paid by the record company, they will receive more when you spend $0.99 to purchase their new single on iTunes than if you pop the song’s URL into a YouTube to MP3 convertor, effectively giving the artist a whopping $0.00. If you still loath the record company so much that you think eliminating the artist’s source of living is worth it as long as you can crush those darn megalomaniacs, then consider this: If you are not giving money to the record companies, you’re giving money to the pirating mogul who just received a nice fat check from the company whose advertisement you just exited out of. Ad revenue generates millions of dollars for leaders of the online piracy business including Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom and the recently arrested creators of The Pirate Bay. Essentially, these are people whose profits are procured from copyrighted material whose costs to produce range anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few million. However, these robbers are reaping the benefits of other people’s work with very little production costs. This means that the business of pirating is almost 100% profit. I don’t know about you, but I think I would rather give my money to the villainous record execs sitting on their bags of money, looking over their contracts, and twirling their mustaches. At least they got up for work this morning. Bottom Line: With great power as a consumer comes great responsibility as a consumer. If you really care about the artist, just buy the music. Myth #3: “Music Today Sucks! I’m Not Paying for This Crap!” If this sounds like you, you have most likely created a strong bond with the music of your parent’s generation and refuse to accept anything with a synth to be acceptable to your eardrums. You claim that since no artist these days can make music, the few songs that you perceive as halfway decent can be ripped off of a torrent site and casually uploaded onto your playlist that you promise you never listen to. Why this is a myth: In competitive markets, producers enter an industry when the cost to produce goods is less than the profits received. Likewise, when production costs are higher than profits, producers exit the industry and resources flow to other sectors of the market. The music industry is quickly becoming a distressing example of the latter, wherein online piracy is causing the market demand for music to become so pitiful that industry players are attempting to squeeze out profits anywhere they possibly can. As a result, potential songwriters, artists, managers, and producers devote their skills and resources to other industries. To illustrate this, let’s take three great artists: Mick Jagger, Art Garfunkel, and John Legend. These three artists—like many other artists—have skills that can be valuable across multiple industries. Mick Jagger dropped out of the London School of Economics to pursue his career with The Rolling Stones. Art Garfunkel invested his talents by being one half of Simon and Garfunkel instead of utilizing the M.A. he received in mathematics from Columbia University. And John Legend followed his passion for songwriting instead of spending time analyzing African American literature after studying the subject at the University of Pennsylvania. At the time, each of these artists saw the music industry as a worthwhile investment. Today, as the industry becomes less and less profitable due to piracy, talent is less and less likely to flow to the business. Arguably, it would be more intelligent for Jagger, Garfunkel, and Legend to take their education to other sectors of the market if they were looking at the industry in its current light. This example does not just apply to artists. Many great music acts were shaped by the managers and agents who pushed them to succeed. However, individuals with a great eye for talent and a great business sense to match will not invest their time and skills in an industry that cannot promise a worthwhile return on their investment. Bottom Line: No rational person wishes to enter a dying industry where costs of production exceeds profits. If you want music to improve, try giving incentives for talent. Myth #4: “Music is Everybody’s Possession.” This quote originated from John Lennon who I am pretty sure sat on millions of dollars from songwriting royalties and most likely would have protested if his entire catalogue was being confiscated for free by the business of internet piracy. Regardless, this quote has been adapted to fit the agenda of the modern age. All-too-often I hear millennials give the excuse that pirating music is their right since music is art and art should be free. Duh. It’s common sense. Why this is a myth: Music is not a public good. Sure, maybe music doesn’t work like that giant pizza you bought when there was already food in your fridge. Once you eat a slice of the pie, it’s gone forever--presumably quite happily--in your stomach. On the other hand, once you download a song, there is no additional cost to the producer if your friend comes along and downloads the same song (this is referred to as a “non-rival” good), assuming both you and your friend, you know, pay for it. So, yes, music is everybody’s possession in the sense that your use of a song does not hinder your friend’s use of the same song. That being said, music is still a private good that costs anything from a few hundred dollars to several million dollars to create. To record one single for sale it is likely that the song went through a production line of paid employees from the songwriter to the artist to the producer to the engineer to the graphic artist designing the cover art to the employees on the label marketing and distributing the song for the final sale (that you bypass for the free download on Kickass Torrents). Bottom Line: Music is not free. Nice try. As consumers, we hold the power to decide the success or failure of a product. Usually, this system is proficient and puts quality goods above those of lesser quality. When it comes to online piracy, this system falls to pieces. If the music industry falters it will not be because they did not innovate or create a good product. The business’s failure will rest solely on the sense of entitlement possessed by most millennials who view the freedom of erroneous technology above the talent and skills of the artists they enjoy. Katie McCort is a student at American University working towards a BS in Business and Entertainment with a concentration in telecommunications and public policy. She currently writes for Substream Magazine on legal and political issues within the music industry. Follow Katie at @KmMcCort My knowledge of gardening is limited to weekly trips to the farmer's market. A couple months ago I was talking with my friend, Kristin, who has a gorgeous yard and garden and she encouraged me to start a small one. I enlisted the help of my husband, Kent (who wasn't very thrilled about the idea at first), and started doing baby steps of research. Jumping into something that's out of your league can be rather daunting and you may quit before you start. I don't have much planted in my yard or square foot garden, but it's more than enough to give me a sense of accomplishment and the need to go outside daily and check on the progress. Of course I had these grand visions of rows of vegetables in a deer proof cage as the ultimate yard kitsch, but knowing so little of gardening I had to start small. So small in fact, I started with seeds and you can do the same with your career!
Why is it that young artists think they can jump from singing a song well to getting "discovered" and signed to a label? I know I had my fantasies when I was younger and had no idea how much work and time went into creating an artist. What are some seeds that you can plant to get you started on your dream? SONGWRITING One suggestion is keeping a journal of excellent song titles. Anytime someone says something clever, write it down. It may inspire you to write a song about it. While you have the journal open, write down some phrases that roll off your tongue. You don't have write a whole song lyric in one sitting. You can piece the phrases together when you have a collection. Don't worry at first about random thoughts. Collect enough of them and you'll have a garden full of ideas! (Pun intended.) MUSIC If you're still in school, every day you learn something new and by the end of a school year, you've learned quite a bit! Imagine if you put just a fraction of that time into practicing your instrument. The more you educate yourself as a musician, the more you will be respected. IMAGE & BRANDING The other day, Grace's mom, Kristin (not the same as aforementioned), asked if I knew how to sew. Ummm...buttons and hems and that's about it. If you learned how to sew, you could create some amazing outfits for yourself without investing a lot of money in fashion. Don't rely on a fashion consultant if you don't know what you feel comfortable wearing. Your image is going to be an extension of who you already are. PR & MARKETING Were you the kid in school who sold the most candy bars to raise money for your chorus or band? What stories did you share to compel them to buy the candy? Those same skills you used will help you sell your music when it's time. Pay attention to the little details on what inspires people to help you. Are they supporting the arts, and if so, why? Let's suppose you do find someone who wants to promote and write about you. Make sure you give them a lot of stories to write about! INVESTMENT Maybe you're the one in the family who always socks away money in your piggy bank from gifts, allowance, and small jobs. You can use that skillset today to save money to record your music. There are some artists who use crowd funding sites, but wouldn't you really rather earn and save the money yourself? I do encourage my students to use those sites to raise money where 100% goes to a non-profit of their choice. By the time you earn the right to have someone invest in you, they will want to know how much money they can make off of you, not give to you! Prove first why you are a worthy investment by investing in yourself. BOOKING Are you the one who plans the family vacations or decides on the restaurant you go to with your friends? Then you have the aptitude to shop for locations to perform your sets. If you can't book yourself and already have a following, then no booking agent will be interested. MANAGER Calling all moms and dads! Yep, if you are fortunate enough to have parents who support your musical endeavors, then they are your first managers. How do you communicate with them? If you can negotiate with the help of your parents who know you the best, then you are on your way to understanding how to work with a manager. If you have the desire to be a "star" then remind yourself that it is a full time job that takes hard work and planning. Start planting your seeds now! Peace out and rock on! Zuke In writing this book, Mr. Sinatra was extremely fortunate in securing the collaboration of his well-known coach and voice teacher, John Quinlan. They have written a work which, I hope, is the beginning of a subsequent series of books of this type. -Tommy Dorsey, A Word of Commendation, "Tips On Popular Singing" ©1941 Every lesson I teach is usually a bit of a warm-up consisting of the standard lip bubbles, siren slides, fricatives, and anything that's helpful and specific to the student. After that, we move on to repertoire. For me to say I use one particular method would do a disservice to the multitude of great teachers and associates I have culled my teaching style from and use today. I prefer to say I use the smörgåsbord method. I have tested out numerous methods, suggestions, positions, crazy ideas - you name it! - on my own voice just in case it applies to a student. What's good for the goose, isn't necessarily good for the gander. Whether it is a ballad, a hill-billy, a swing number, a novelty song, a marching song or a comedy number, the popular song has that ‘something’ which makes people forget their troubles and cares, when together, better than any other medium. -The Publisher, “Tips On Popular Singing” ©1941 My last student yesterday, Bob McKay, is a true joy to teach. Bob is a Senior VP at SEPPIC and our conversations range from him telling me about the chemistry of his product line to our past readings of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky with a dose of the latest financial investment advice on the wild ride of Apple stocks. But what do I love most about Bob? Every single week he brings in the coolest songs to work on, which help me to remember things about my past that I thought were gone for good! The way I teach Bob is so very different from the way I teach my 12 year old pop student, Grace, and the way I teach her is different than my professional dancer, Sky. It's important that I keep up on vocal pedagogy information so I can serve my students well. John Quinlan was a vocal coach but he didn't teach my father how to sing. Nobody did. -Nancy Sinatra, July 2001 Bob brought in the Frank Sinatra version of the song, "I Get A Kick Out Of You" by Cole Porter, originally from the show Anything Goes, but made famous by 'Ol Blue Eyes. I was paying attention to how Frank almost chews every word he sings when I remembered that I had a copy of his vocal method book. (Don't ask!) I am still helping Bob to get rid of jaw and tongue tension, so listening to any of the Rat Pack singers is extremely helpful. By focusing on how Frank pronounced any "ooh" sound, Bob noticed how far back in the throat Frank sang. Just that awareness alone helped Bob to open his sound more. Is that considered a method? Nah...just years of observation and sharing of information. If the student desires to attain success in the popular field, good health, hard work, and plenty of patience are obligatory. -Introduction, “Tips On Popular Singing” ©1941 A daily (and yes, that means 7 days per week) vocal warm-up routine is necessary for any singer who wants to be taken seriously. You have no excuse with the over-abundance of methods and programs available for free, minimal cost, and some priced so high I wonder what their motivation is. Teachers charge anywhere from $50.00 to $500.00 per hour for a lesson. Does a high price mean quality? For me, anyone more expensive than my attorney is suspect, but that's my personal threshold. You be the judge for yourself. Audition different teachers to find the best one for you. Ask students about their experiences with teachers. If I am not the best teacher for you, I will let you know and try to help you find someone better suited for your needs. Any good teacher will do the same. What crazy vocal method(s) have you tried? I'd love to hear about your experiences!
Peace out and rock on, Zuke I went on a weekend trip to Pennsylvania with Zuke and zuketunes student, Emma Brooke. The Millennium Music Conference was a place where musicians and people in the music business come together to learn new things, share their experiences and talents, and build relationships with one another. Budding artists are given advice on how to grow in this changing and demanding industry from those with more experience. I was a bit out of my element, as I am not that well versed in the on-goings of the music world. However I absolutely adore learning, no matter the subject, and it was a really rewarding experience. For those of you that are working on your music, and your art and whatever else you have going on in your life, all of you would have learned something valuable at this conference. I am here to share with you one of the most important things that I kept hearing about this weekend. That thing is: NETWORKING. At this conference, the expert panelists speaking about the music industry brought up the importance of making social connections. Networking is a valuable experience because it can open up so many doors for a person. However, I noticed that a lot of attendees weren’t speaking to the others. They left their business cards on tables all throughout the conference rooms and some made sure to speak to the experts, but, nobody came up to me to personally promote themselves. And I thought, ‘How strange! Well why would that be? It seems so easy!’ And it is! Emma was a great networker. She went up to nearly everyone she met and was not afraid to strike up conversation, make them laugh, and leave them smiling with her business card in their pockets and a meaningful memory. She was able to make an impression with a simple interaction. I thought back to the other attendees and thought about why I would be reluctant to do what Emma had done. Intimidation, laziness, and not understanding the importance of networking seemed to be the only conclusions I could draw. Networking may seem intimidating at first, but I promise, once you think about what it really is and how important it can be, you’ll see how simple it can be to do! What is Networking? I’m sure you all hear that term a lot these days, but it’s a term that won’t ever die and is just as important then as it is now. Networking is really just a fancy term for “building relationships." Meeting new people is SO important. This weekend, I was fortunate enough to have met some brilliant people. And, even if they were part of an entirely different field than what I myself am interested in, it was great to learn new things from people I’m not used to speaking to. There’s nothing wrong with expanding your social circles! Mom always said not to talk to strangers That’s fine advice, and something that you should definitely listen to. But if you’re around people you trust, and in an environment that promotes building contacts, don’t be afraid to go up to someone new. Of course, there will be people you meet that seem a little off, but trust your gut. Use proper judgment and gut instinct to determine whether or not a person you’re meeting is genuine. Give everyone a chance, but you guys are smart, you’ll know who to talk to and who to be wary of! What about Social Networking? You can people socially, via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Email, etc. If you’re looking to promote yourself as an artist by using these social media sites, try and think of how you’d interact with someone in the real world. Use these sites to build a friendship with people by sharing your interests, interacting personably and responding to everyone. Read articles and blogs from people writing about things you are interested in, and don’t be afraid to send the author an email asking questions or thanking them for writing about so and so. They’ll either respond to you, or they won’t! But any conversation can lead to a possible connection. (Be cautious with people you talk to over the internet as well.) What if I’m afraid to talk to people? I understand what it’s like to be shy and intimidated by others, but you just have to remember one thing: who cares!? When you meet someone new, you either hit it off or you never speak again. With that logic, wouldn’t it make much more sense to try and talk to them? You clearly have nothing to lose, but so much to gain! What if people don’t like me? This isn’t that uncommon of a fear, and there’s an easy answer to this question: WHO CARES? You’re awesome, and someone will notice. Don’t worry about impressing people. Own who you are and that confidence will be impressive enough. With that confidence in mind you’ll be able to meet anyone! I don’t know what to say! Talk about anything! Compliment someone’s shoes! Talk about the music you like! Bring up some topic in the news! Heck, the weather isn’t exactly the worst thing you could talk about. A conversation can start from the simplest of things, and can bloom into so much more. Little conversations spark bigger discussions, and those discussions can teach you something you may have not already known. Sharing little stories helps build these social connections, and even if nothing at all happens from doing that, at least you had a cool conversation with someone new. The three of us met some amazing people this weekend, and we made connections that could possibly come in handy for our futures. We were able to take our experiences with these new people and learn things we hadn’t before. After only three short days and countless interactions with others, we all came back with a greater understanding of certain subjects that we may not have been knowledgeable in before. My point is, you never know who you’re going to meet. So just get out there and talk to any person you can, at any opportunity. These new people just may bring something new and of value to your life and future career. Hey Zukoids! The other week, I shared with you my dilemma over internships and how hard making decisions for the future can be. But life is full of decisions, and even if you guys can’t specifically relate to my situation, I’m 100% positive you all know about the difficult decision making process. I’m sure you go through this often, and we probably all would agree that it’s easier to hide from making difficult choices. But, making these decisions is just something that has to be done if we want to grow. I’m still having trouble deciding what my best option will be. So I’ve put together a small list of tips that’s helped me so far! You may use these tips yourselves to help make any decisions that could be troubling you! Tips For Making Decisions: 1. Make a Pro/Con List: Weighing out your options on paper is probably the most effective way to decide on something troubling you. Doing this will not only help clear your mind, but you will also be able to physically see what the better decision may be. 2. Ask around for Advice: Going to a friend or family member that you look up to and admire could be a great way to gain some outside perspective on your dilemma. Don’t let other people tell you what to do, but let their personal opinions (ones that you trust) count for something. They might offer you some words of wisdom that you did not see before. 3. Trust yourself: Don’t over think things. Sometimes having faith in yourself and “trusting your gut” alone can be the best decision to make. Have confidence! 4. Don’t Stress: It is important to realize that there is no such thing as a “bad decision,” and that good outcomes can come from any situation you put yourself in. Things have a way of working out, especially if you’re driven. Don’t let your worries totally consume you! 5. Be Happy: You might not be completely satisfied with a decision you make right away, especially when you may still have so many conflicting thoughts. But just remember that whatever you decided to do, make sure it’s a decision that is going to make YOU happy. At the end of the day, personal happiness is the most important thing. When you are happy, you’re healthier, and you are less stressed, and more clear-headed to make even more important decisions down the road! Casey Internships. Internships. Internships. For the younger kids that haven’t quite gotten to this point in their lives yet: this word has been haunting me for the past 4 years. INTERNSHIPS. Okay, so maybe that word isn’t as scary as this other one is: Decisions. They’re both just words, but they bring about an immense amount of overwhelming pressure, uncertainty, and self-doubt. I have been hearing about how important it is to obtain an internship in college from the very beginning. And, the earlier you get an internship, the better. Unfortunately, my May graduation date is just around the corner, which only piles on the pressure to find one for my upcoming, and final, semester. I’ve been applying to nearly every relevant and semi-relevant company and position related to what I think I want to do with my degree in the future. It’s overwhelming because there are so many choices, That’s when the self-doubt kicks in, and my indecisiveness. Is this what I really want to do? What do I actually want to do? Will I even be good at this? Although I’m always nervous about making decisions for my future, don’t let my talk of this “scary internship” frighten you. They aren’t a bad thing! An internship provides the connections you may need for a future career. You have the prospect of working with and meeting people in the same field as you, and that could be beneficial. The connections you make with those people can possibly lead to the establishment of a working relationship in the future. The right internship would provide the chance to learn new things about what you really want to do and what’s expected of you in the real world, aside from what you were taught previously in a traditional classroom setting. It provides the opportunity to be more social and to explore more of the world than what you are used to. It’s a taste of the real world before you actually have to be on your own. It is important to find an internship that does not take advantage of their interns. A good internship will actually teach you something useful, rather than stick to sending you on coffee runs and trips to the dumpster. This does provide discipline, though, but it is more ideal that you come away from the opportunity with new knowledge and experience in your perspective career field. There is something that I do need to keep reminding myself throughout this process. No matter what internship it is that I do find, if I work hard enough, I will certainly be learning new things. If I am driven, I will succeed in whatever tasks are given to me. I will still make those connections that could help me in the future. As the semester goes on, I will grow regardless, and prepare for the real world in tiny steps. There is a pressure that comes with finding the right internship and making the right decisions for the future in general, but a good tip that I’ve learned (thanks to Zuke) and will share with you guys is this: Don’t worry so much about making the right decisions! Things have a way of working out, and the future doesn’t have to be planned out just yet. Make many decisions, and keep growing and learning from them all. Casey Hello, Zukoids! I hope you enjoyed the holiday! As some of you may know, I have been working on an interview project with Zuke for the past few weeks. My William Paterson classmates and I sat in on a few of her lessons, and had a chance to talk with her about nearly everything. The entire filming process was incredible! It was an opportunity to get behind the scenes at zuketunes and see what was happening with her and some of her students. We immediately saw that these kids, who have their own unique styles and talents, had another big thing in common: they LOVE Zuke. She helps them in so many ways beyond just teaching them how to use their voices. By the end of shooting, even my classmates considered taking lessons with Zuke! Not only did she cook them food and make them laugh, she also gave them helpful life advice. One of the members told me after we left: “That was one of the most incredible filming experiences I’ve had in a long time.” During our interview, we spoke to Zuke and asked her what she loves about her job. She confessed, as it’s no surprise, how much she cares for students and how her ultimate goal is to inspire and motivate them to be their best selves. She gets satisfaction in helping them succeed, as any great teacher should. So my advice for this week is: Do what you love, and love what you do! These students thoroughly enjoy their time in her studio, and love singing. My classmates and I certainly enjoyed filming and editing this project, which solidified our love for the field we are about to enter after we graduate. And Zuke continues to love her job and truly care about her kids. You will be able to see all of this in the final video, which will be posted soon! Casey [email protected] So you want your child to go into a professional career in Theatre, Film or Television? Well, before I answer some frequently asked questions, let me lay on some of the basic realities. First, let me say that any child can benefit from lessons in Voice, Dance or Music in general. It builds self-confidence, an appreciation for the arts and a positive self- image. It builds a sense of team work, structure and work ethic. It helps many kids come out of their shell and form a base of community with other like minded children. Any form of creative art will only help your child thrive in the real world, expand their minds and creativity, no matter what field they choose to go into after high school. However, acting, singing or dancing professionally is an entirely different animal. Let’s begin with the odds. Even if your child is remarkably talented with the looks of a model, on average, one out of more than a thousand will find any kind of success. For every role available, hundreds will go up for it. For every agent who receives hundreds of submissions a week, maybe one or two will be considered for representation. The child must have a mass appeal. Good looks and a big personality, as well as absolute naturalism in their presentation of character, are the prime things casting directors and agents look for. Next, the parents need to be prepared for the life of the professional stage Mom or Dad. If your child is lucky enough to start being brought in for jobs, the parent must be willing to drive into NYC at a moment’s notice, at all hours 5-6 days a week just for auditions. If your child is even luckier to get a job, the parent must be able to drop everything and accompany their child to each callback, fitting and work call and stay the full time, as state law requires a parent or guardian present at all times. The parent must establish a special bank account to adhere to “Coogan” laws and obtain the appropriate state work permits. They must be willing to have their child join the various unions covering professional work. This could cost upward of $2,000 per union. Now to address several oft asked questions: In the acting world, what is the best training for children around the age of 8-13? Professional Acting classes for children of this age are questionable. 90% of casting directors are looking for kids who can be real and natural. A child really can’t understand the true detailed craft of acting until well into their teen years. I see lots of kids on TV on kid's shows: Nickelodeon, Disney, etc....do I get an agent to get my kid on those shows? How? Yes, you would need an agent to submit you child for shows like these. The way to get an agent is to obtain a list of union franchised agents from The Breakdown Services or Actors Access, then send a picture, resume and cover letter to that agent requesting an audition/interview. My 10 yr. old has been studying voice and dance since she was 5 but I want her to study acting as well. Where should I send her for classes? For “Real” classes of this kind, you would have to go into NYC. Act Teen is one of the best. My child's school doesn't have a choir or theatre dept. What can he do? This is where private voice lessons, dance classes are your best bet. They can get involved in local community theatre as well. How do I know if an agent or manager is legitimate and not a scam artist? This is a very good and important question. There are hundreds of scam artists and hucksters out there just waiting to take advantage of some star struck kid and their parents. All legit agents must be franchised by the performing unions, SAG/AFTRA and Actors Equity Association. You can check with them to see if an agent is for real. My child has been involved in singing/acting/dance all her life, but we won't let her major in the arts in college because there's no job security. Can you please tell her the arts are just a hobby and not a real job? You’re right in the fact that this is a very difficult and competitive profession that takes total commitment and lots of time and training. However, if your child can’t think of anything else they might be happy doing, then let them go to a serious college conservatory program and let them decide if it is right for them. My daughter usually gets the leads in her shows and I'm afraid she's thinking too highly of herself. Where can I send her so that she's surrounded by other talented students and gets more competition. If she is serious, enroll her in a professional class in NYC and see how she fairs. Or, take her to an open call for a Broadway show and let her see her competition. What do you think about open calls? Does anyone ever get in? Absolutely, people get cast from open calls, especially children. But be prepared for the “cattle call”. If your child is not a member of the union, they will have to attend the true open call where anyone can audition. You should arrive at least 2-3 hours early to sign up and be prepared with 16 bars (only) of music (if for a musical) to sing and to wait quite a while to be seen. Should I subscribe to Backstage? YES! This is your best resource for the non-union and union actor who does not have an agent. Bruce Winant is a working professional Actor, Voice Casting Director, Director and Teacher. He has appeared in 8 Broadway shows, countless Off-Broadway and regional theatre productions, dozens of episodic television shows and several motion pictures. He is also a casting director of voice actors for some of the top feature films and TV shows of the last several years. For more detailed information on Bruce, check out his website: www.brucewinant.com Do you have questions for Bruce? Ask them here!
Last week, I mentioned how inspiration ignites creation, and that creation can lead to wonderful things. As an artist, your work can be important to not only yourself but to others as well. Gina Guerrieri, a communications professor at William Paterson University, was inspired by events in her own life to create a film with her students and colleagues, entitled ‘The Dark Light Project.’ This experimental film hopes to accurately reflect the emotional state of a person experiencing depression. A film of this nature would raise awareness about depression and fight the stigma surrounding it, help those in need who are suffering from this mental illness, and ultimately prevent suicide, to which depression is the number one cause. Her own passion, personal experience, and talent led to the creation of something that can reach and affect so many others, just as your own talents and creations can do for you! The Dark Light Project is being funded by those who believe in the message and wish to support it. To learn more, check out the video and website below, and please share this link with anyone who might be interested in helping out. Even the smallest donation helps!: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/dark-light Thank you!Casey O [email protected] |