Need a little inspiration? Our Backstage Experts are full of amazing advice to help move your career forward, and we wouldn’t want you to miss one drop of it. Here are five tips to keep in mind during the week ahead!
Be aware of physical tension while singing.
“If something hurts, feels overworked, or stressed in your mechanism while singing, or if you get easily vocally fatigued, that’s your body telling you that you are not doing something right. Listen to your body, start to become aware of these tensions, work to undo them, and then build back your support and resonance from a much more efficient and healthy place of support.” —Arden Kaywin
Know that it’s OK to panic.
“Cut yourself some slack. Acknowledge how well you’re actually doing. Don’t get caught up in the “should’s.” Change your self-dialogue to something more supportive and loving. Don’t beat yourself up when you get nervous or anxious or feel like you should be able to go into audition rooms and not get nervous.” —Anthony Meindl
Always audit a potential acting class.
“it is crucial to set up audits with a minimum of three teachers who specialize in those approaches that are of interest. Know that some schools don’t allow audits, some charge a fee (so ask), and others only let you audit the master teacher but not the instructor the auditor may be training with. If not seeing the teacher you will be training with as well as their students’ work is not an issue, then sign up based on their reputation and/or what was learned in the research. But if the deciding factor is to know specifically what you are signing up for, then check around until you find acting teachers who allow auditing.” —Carolyne Barry
Crush your nerves with confidence.
“The biggest factor contributing to most actors’ stress and anxiety that leads to nervousness, understandably, is that they don’t know what they are doing. Acting is a skill that takes time and dedication to master. And you need to be at least somewhat masterful to book network TV shows and studio feature films on a consistent basis.Training and becoming skilled makes you competent, which in turn makes you confident, effortlessly. Any activity that requires practice is initially daunting, but once you become so experienced and skilled in it, the very idea of becoming nervous becomes absurd.” —Shaan Sharma
Make it work.
“Unfortunately, sometimes readers just aren’t good. Your job is to make your choices based on hearing and thinking. Plus even if you get cast, the lead might not be there for your closeup, and you will have to act with a monotone production assistant. Or maybe the other actor who is cast isn’t very good and will, also, give you nothing. My best advice is to get over it. It is your job to make it work so use what you are given.” —Joan Sittenfield
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