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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

What It Means....to Be A Performer

Hello there!
It's Christmas Eve, and I'm leaving for SHINE in FOUR DAYS!!
Beyond excited :)

As I finished up my online training with AMTC and prepare myself to go before the judges/agents, I have a few things I'd like to share.

As it says, this post is about what I think it means to be a performer. A performer could be a comedian, dancer, singer, actor, musician. Anything really, As long as you are standing before a crowd and entertaining them. Maybe this is even applicable to speakers, too.

You've probably heard a lot of what I'm going to write. But I thought I'd share for people who are interested in my career what it means to be to be doing what I am doing.

The number one thing that holds true for me as a performer is my philosophy that performers (particularly musicians, I guess) don't get to have secrets.  Yes. I just said that.

We don't get to have the deepest fear inside of us that we try to very hard to keep anyone from seeing. We don't get to be upset with people for talking about our deepest parts. We don't get to be shocked and embarrassed when people find out our secrets.  We put it all on the line. We tell everyone in the entire world how we hurt, breathe, live. What our hopes and joys are.  How we really truly feel about love.  How our childhood was. The people that have done the most for us. Our greatest mistakes.
That is our job as a performer.  To show real life to people.  To be ourselves and nothing else.
We aim to make people feel our emotion and  to relate to what we are saying.

Now maybe this is just me. I've never been a cutter or suicidal...I imagine that's a very deep secret for most people.  Or maybe there's something else that you hide. And no matter what you will never let anyone see that part of you. That's cool. I'm not saying that's wrong. I'm just saying for me, I hold nothing back.  My OCD is hard for me to explain sometimes.  It's going to be hard to go in front of agents and tell them that I have mental issues.  But it's not about getting the job, cause God has that.  It's about praising Him and carrying His message into the world.

While watching Married to Jonas (cause yeah, I totally watched that show, and loved it) Kevin Jonas said the following about performing: If you hold even a little bit back, you're not doing you're job.
That is 100% true.  As a performer, I need to put it all there, all on the line.

Nick Jonas recently wrote a song called "Wedding Bells" and while introducing it in New York, he talked about how being a musician meant writing about he awkward things. He also said that this song was probably the most uncomfortable song he's written. By listening to the song he's talking about how the girl is getting married, and he really just wants to have a "Speak Now" moment and tell her that he doesn't want her to marry the other guy, he is still in love with her and wants to try again.  Clearly, the song is about Miley Cyrus.

What Nick wrote is inspiring to me.  That has got to be the worst song to sing.  So personal, so soothing for yourself, but it front of everyone? Knowing she's going to hear it? Humiliating.  But he has gained even more of my respect.

Now...second point...or...different point...whatever you wanna call it ;)

I read this in the AMTC training. Basically, it says that practice is work, but performing is play.  We do all the work, we work hard remembering scripts, working on songs, but once we get on stage-we know our material backwards and forwards and we let go. We have fun.  I love that! I really want to be able to simply have fun on stage-that's what it's all about!

Being a performer is hard. We don't get to be normal.  We are the ones who display emotions for people.  But that's also cool for us because we get to do what we love! Furthermore, we set boundaries.  We encourage people that it's okay to wear red lipstick like Taylor Swift. Or wear the latest trends.  People may not get it. They'll comment, talk about, or question it-but that's ok.  Cause God is preparing us for His stage. We stand as lights against the darkness of media.

The most exciting part about this for me is that I get to stand here and be one of those inspirational people.  I get to stand and repeat the words off of a card I received: Believe in your dreams and have the courage to make it happen. Your dream may not be exactly what you hoped, but dream of God first-and you will be fulfilled and happy.

DREAM ON,
    Dorothy Marie

P.S. Merry Christmas!!



1 comment:

  1. That's pretty cool Dorothy!! I especially like that last bit about standing against the darkness :) Keep shining.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you!!! I love comments :))