Perform

PERFORM Performing:

Where in the World Does It Come from?

A Long Journey to the Long Center:

Picking the Perfect Piece

A Dancer’s Guide to Chosing the Right Music

Backstage with the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Into the Music World: Revealing the Reality Behind the Beauty

Leap into the Performing World

Summer 2013 PERFORM | 1

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Table of Contents

6 8 10 12 16 19 22 24

Contributors Editors’ Note Performing Jeté-ing Past Cancer Practical Practicing A Long Journey The Perfect Piece Into the Music World PERFORM | 5

Contributors

Marijka Danielle Tilton

entered the world on March 24, 1998. From the beginning, her parents could tell that she would be a handful. At the age of six, she started playing the harp and ballet and hated both. After a year, she convinced her parents to let her quit ballet, even though her teacher and other parents mentioned she had a talent for it. However, her parent didn’t let her quit the harp. When Marijka turned 11, she nearly quit the harp when her parent realized that the harp had caused many problems in their family. However, she didn’t quit. From then on, she motivated herself to practice and she progressed quickly. Then one day, in eighth grade, she saw her middle school dance team performing. That summer, she took four dance classes each week which kindled her love for dance. Today at fifteen, she swims on a year round swim team every day, studies, reads, and she continues to dance and play the harp and hopes to make a future for her life with both.

Sophia Grace Amstutz has been going on

adventures and causing trouble since July 15, 1998. She can usually be found at school, rowing practice, or engulfed in her studies at home. She’s never had much of a fondness for reading books, so she has always depended on her own creativity to keep herself occupied. In her early years, at age three, her mother handed her a violin and told her how to play it, commencing the musical sentiment that would stay with her forever. She has broken her left arm three times, but that has never slowed down her determination to keep playing. In the third grade, she performed a concert with a group of other violin students with a cast on her arm and a smile on her face (now that’s dedication!).

After taking a year without playing her instrument, she carried on in the fifth grade, and has been avidly studying ever since.

Sarah Elizabeth Nebhut and her twin sister,

Andrea Nicole Nebhut, began their life on April 24, 1998 and moved to Bloomfield Hills, MI, at six months old. Sarah started dancing at the age of eight at Dancin’ Inc in Auburn Hills, MI. After that year she moved to Austin, Texas and picked up dance again at the age of 12. Today she takes tap and jazz classes at D’Ette & Co Dancers as well as taking dance classes at school. She made the 2013-2014 LBJ First Ladies Dance Team. Her favorite dance styles consist of tap and contemporary, but she loves almost all styles of dance. In her spare time she likes to listen to music and watch Pretty Little Liars and Glee.

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Editors’ Note Dear Reader,

Performing holds a special place in each of our hearts. We all come from different places and different backgrounds, but performing brings us all together. All three of us feel connected to our studies and academics, which shows why we study at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy; because learning means that much to us. But we also devote most of our free time to the arts; some people think of practicing the arts as a chore, but to us, it’s a gift. It’s wonderful to be able to enter such a different world and reach such a high level of sophistication using performing. With this magazine, we hope that you, our reader, will want to do the same, whether or not you have the same special association with performing that we do. This magazine represents a nutshell of the performing arts society; how it feels to perform, how it feels to engulf yourself in the world of performing, as well as other little bits of information that we feel all performers should know.

Since all of us either dance or play an instrument (or both), this magazine incorporates both dance and music. We hope to give you adequate advice to help you make the best performances and the best decisions concerning your performing career as well as provide you with inspiring articles about successful performers.

Marijka Tilton

Sophia Amstutz Sarah Nebhut

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Performing: Where in the World

Does it Come From?

Art and Story by Sophia Amstutz

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC Slovenia

BALLROOM DANCE Old England

CLASSICAL BALLET Italy & France

OPERA: This form of art,

involving vocalists and instrumental musicians, originated in Florence, Italy at the end of the 16th century when Jacopo Peri produced Dafne, the world’s first opera.

THEATRE: This dramatic

area of performance originated in Athens around the 6th century BC, where this art form appeared at festivals, rituals, weddings, funerals, and more.

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TANGO

Argentina and Uruguay

PERFORMING ARTS: The entirety of

performing was introduced in Greece during the 6th century BC, thanks to a man named Thespis, known as the first person to ever appear on a stage as a performer, according to Daven Hiskey, the author of the article “Thespis of Icaria Becomes World’s First Actor,” as well as several others regarding history.

All

around the world, performers show themselves through the arts every day. We may seem absolutely dedicated to our own form of performing, but ask yourself, “where does this art come from?” If you don’t know, then you might not devote yourself to your art as much as you think. Use this map to discover new things about the performing arts, and to understand your field of performing.

DANCE: Dancing started in

Egypt, where it acted as a very large part of social gatherings, weddings, funerals and more.

Dancing in this era also eventually led to the development of Greek theatre, says Bamber Gascoigne, an author writing for History World, who has also published several written works regarding history.

CLASSICAL BALLET: This

form of dance originated in Renaissance France and Italy in the 16th century, when Baltazar de Beaujoyeulx combined dance with the narrative aspect of comedy and created the first ballet.

RUSSIAN BALLET: In 1738, the

RUSSIAN BALLET Russia

PERFORMING ARTS Greece

THEATRE Greece

Russian Empress, quite impressed at a performance of ballet, desided to start a ballet school in Russia called the Imperial Ballet School, now known as Vaganova Academy.

BALLROOM DANCE: This

majestic form of dance originated in England, where the art developed during the Renaissance period with the help of Jehan Tabourot.

TANGO: This traditional

DANCE Egypt

OPERA Italy

dance, known for its interesting rhythms and melodies, started in Argentina and Uruguay in the mid 19th century, although certain Tango styles existed in Cuba and Spain during the 18th and 19th century, says author José Luis Ortiz Nuevo.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC:

Making music using wind instruments goes all the way back to a cave in Slovenia in the 43rd century BC, where a flute made out of the bone of a bear (created by the Neanderthals) was discovered, says Gascoigne.

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Jeté-ing Past Cancer: Jade Greenough’s Journey Story by Sarah Nebhut

Photo by Vanessa Lindsley

12 | PERFORM

J

ade Greenough’s tap five class begins promptly at 7 p.m. at D’Ette & Co. Dancers. The dancers put on their shoes and get up onto the dance floor. Greenough, a dance teacher and member of the Texas Association Teachers of Dance, tells them to warm up their feet, not their mouths. With her bubbly personality that lights up the whole room and her outstanding confidence you would never guess that she battled ovarian cancer just five years ago.

According to the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance, one in 72 women will get diagnosed with ovarian cancer during their lifetime. Greenough became one of those women on August 19, 2008, at only 28 years old.

About a week and a half before Greenough’s diagnosis she lay on the ground in front of one of her classes in so much pain that she couldn’t even stand up. At that point, Ray-Rice came in and took Greenough to the hospital.

Greenough grew up in Austin, Texas and, at 15 years old, Greenough started assisting D’Ette Ray-Rice, the owner of D’Ette & Co. Dancers, with her classes. Greenough attended Southwest Texas State University and Arizona State. She then returned the Texas in 2003.

for her classes and took over some of her responsibilities so that she could focus on getting better and not worry about her classes.”

“To me dance is a story and it alerts an outlet....”

“To me dance is a story and it alerts an Once Greenough was diagnosed, she secured an acceptance into Seton’s program even though she didn’t have any insurance.

“So, I got diagnosed with ovarian cancer and I did not have insurance so we did a lot of hurrying to see who would actually help me out and... got into the program at Seton with the help of D’Ette and a bunch of other people,” Greenough said.

She had a total of three sessions of chemotherapy and seven surgeries, one of which removed her right ovary. In April of 2009, Greenough’s doctors declared her in remission and, after she

had decided to remove her left ovary, the doctors declared her cancer free. “...They said I was cancer free December 15 of 2010, because that November I had removed my left side,” Greenough said. “I had decided to go ahead and take out my left side because there was a mass on it but we couldn’t tell if it was cancer and we couldn’t biopsy it, so instead of taking the chance I just took everything out, and after doing that there was no ovaries, so there was no longer a chance of me having it in my left side, so I was called cancer free....”

Throughout her cancer journey Greenough had a few financial struggles. On a couple occasions rejection for treatment or programs struck her due to her financial strains.

“It took us awhile because I got denied twice before the spring time, a lot of it... financially,” Greenough said.

Throughout Greenough’s experience with ovarian cancer, she continued to dance and teach at the studio.

Greenough said that continuing to dance during those times helped her

“I liked working with kids and watching them learn,” Greenough said. “So, I guess really what got me... wanting to do it was... actually watching what I was doing change other dancers.”

Greenough has loved dance from a very young age, but her reasons for loving dance so much has changed.

“I think my favorite part about dancing as a child was performing and that’s just ‘cause I liked to be the center of things, but now my favorite part... about dance is probably the stories,” Greenough said. “To me dance is a story and it alerts an outlet....”

“Everyone in the studio was very supportive and helpful,” Ray-Rice said.

“Many of the other teachers subbed

Greenough does a step with her class and tells them to keep moving their arms when they dance.

Photo by Patricia Nebhut.

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cope with the cancer and made it just a little bit easier on her. She also said that it made her thankful for everything given to her and made her even more passionate about dance.

“Actually being at the studio and working with kids and being in that environment,... that made me kind of forget that I was, quote on quote, sick,” Greenough said.

“And, you know, kids can make you happy in an instant, so... I had something to go to that made me feel good at least for a few hours.”

Sometimes the kids would get caught in the crossfire from Greenough’s moodswings. Sometimes she wouldn’t act like herself because her hormones became unbalanced. After her treatments Greenough would have to miss her classes for at least a week to two weeks to get her immune system back up. Greenough also missed major events like parades and shows.

“I go from smiling and laughing, in 60 seconds I could be crying and in another 60 seconds I could be mad, and it’s all part of the drugs, that it does that to you, it just makes you emotionally unbalanced and the hardest part was not being able to be at major events,” Greenough said.

Ever since Greenough got diagnosed, her students started reaching out and doing activities like Race for the Cure and the National Ovarian Cancer Center. For many of the students, cancer had never affected them or anyone close to them before, so it became a completely new experience for them.

“I even had a kid say to me, ‘I don’t know anyone with cancer,’ and my response was, ‘now you do and it happens,’ and I think that it was kind of an eye-opener that it can happen to anybody and I had never really thought about cancer because it had never affected anyone close to me until I got it and you really start to like pay attention and think of ways to help cancer resource places and that kind of thing,” Greenough said.

Greenough said that every time

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she went into the hospital, her students would call her to sing to her or do something that would make her laugh. Many of the younger students didn’t really know that she had cancer because she always taught with a wig on for them, but she did teach bald for her older students.

“My younger kids, for them I just think that they thought I had really cool hair because I always changed my wigs; they never saw me bald,” Greenough said. “The older kids saw me bald, I would teach without my hair on, but I think that it was an eye opener for them and it made them kind of appreciate some things a little better and it also made them kind of reach out and help.”

“...I think that it was kind of an eye-opener that it can happen to anybody and I had never really thought about cancer because it had never affected anyone close to me until I got it....”

Ray-Rice said that Greenough taught the students that no matter what they go through, they can do it with a positive attitude.

“I think that her students became even more attached to Jade during her treatment and it gave them the opportunity to see someone deal with an illness in a positive way,” Ray-Rice said. “Many people have a hard time maintaining a positive attitude during treatment but Jade did her best to laugh often and everyone helped her to stay positive.”

Greenough also thinks that, if people could take anything out of her experiences, that anything is possible with a positive attitude.

“I’m hoping that they really have to stand up and fight it and be passionate about it and laugh about it and cry about it and I believe that everything was given to me for a reason and I hope the kids saw that even through real, real hard times, they can still come out on top with the love and support of family and friends,” Greenough said.

According to Greenough, her mom and little sister took her having cancer the hardest. They couldn’t believe that it was happening and wanted to have the capability of taking her cancer away.

“My mom just wanted to take it away, she just wanted to take it on and say it was hers and me not have to deal with it, which you obviously can’t do. When I first got diagnosed it was, you’re going to do this or it can kill you,” Greenough said. “We gotta figure it out and so my doctor was very abrupt with it and wanted us to know how serious it was and I think my mom and my sister had a real hard time with it.”

Greenough’s family had an extremely close relationship before her diagnosis, but after her diagnosis they got even closer and started spending more quality time together.

“We were already a really close family, but we started appreciating like the little things that we all did together, like when we do like family lunches or things like that and we started having more quality family time... like during the holidays, we all go out as a family, so I think in that aspect we really started enjoying our time together more knowing that we can’t control things that are going to happen,” Greenough said.

A little while ago Greenough’s sister got tested to see if she could possibly get ovarian cancer.

“She had never found anything to

on things now,” Greenough said.

“I just want to use as much of this life as I’ve got that I can and really enjoy it and I kinda thank cancer for making me do that because I used to be just a worrywart and be stressed out about life and I still get stressed out about life. Having cancer made me live the life I should have been living, but I wasn’t and I waited until I was 28 years old to start,” Greenough also said.

“My life completely changed, I became, I can’t say a different person, but I have a different outlook on things now.”

At the end of Greenough’s tap five class, the students change back into their street shoes and say, “Thank you, Ms. Jade,” on the way out. Throughout Greenough’s journey with cancer she continued to laugh and have fun even with all of her struggles. Greenough continues to inspire people with her cancer story and her positivity throughout the whole experience.

Greenough sits down to put her shoes on as she gets ready to teach her tap five class. She loves the syncopation and challenge that tap gives her. Photo by Patricia Nebhut .

see if she had it, and she just did that this year and luckily she was negative and everything was A okay, but you never know,” Greenough said.

Ray-Rice said. “I felt like it was my job to keep her from worrying about the studio and to be there for her to talk to anytime she needed me.”

Ray-Rice even felt like she had to keep Greenough from worrying about the studio so that she could focus on getting better.

Greenough said that it felt like someone looked at her and told her that her life could end. Having this experience prompted her look at life in a new way and live life in a better way.

“Jade has been a part of my life for such a long time and we are so close that it was almost like having my own child going through cancer,”

“While we all thought we were helping her, she was really helping us to learn how to overcome challenges with grace and laughter,” said RayRice.

“My life completely changed, I became, I can’t say a different person, but I have a different outlook PERFORM | 15

Practical Practicing

How to Effectively Practice String Instruments and the Piano Art and Story by Marijka Tilton

I

f you play an instrument, you know how it feels to reach a difficult spot in a piece and not know how to practice it. Delaine Fedson, a harp teacher and a harp instructor at the University of Texas, provides tips for effective practicing. There is also a lot of useful tips and tricks online. An article by musician Adrain Try, who lost motivation to practice, but looked online and found ways to get back on track, provided tons of help. All the tips were beneficial to both beginning musicians as well as advanced. Peter Spitzer, gives useful tips for practicing more effectively and thoroughly. He has a lot of useful information about practicing, probably due to his MA in music, that prove very helpful. These tips should help you get back on your feet with practicing. As the saying goes, practicing makes perfect!

HOW TO REACH THE RIGHT TEMPO

HOW TO MEMORIZE MUSIC

If you play a different part in each hand, play the parts individually at first. If you play only one part, play slowly and repeat small sections of the music.

This applies to two parts as well. The metronome proves useful as well. It keeps you on beat and if you get ahead of the metronome, you can’t ignore it.

Play the piece several times a day. Playing the song at different times of the day when you catch yourself in different moods helps so that when you perform, you come prepared to perform no matter how you feel. If you practice all at once, you might get tired out. Every time you play, repeat small sections over and over until it’s stuck in your brain.

OR

Once your able to play the correct tempo, change it to make it harder so that when you play the real tempo again, it proves much easier. Playing the piece at a higher tempo makes playing the song at the correct speed less difficult.

OR Mix it up! Practice at a different rhythm than the music tells you. Change the rhythm. Play in a different key. You can even improvise. Practing doesn’t have to feel like a chore--it can be fun!

Technique should stand as a top priority always. As a beginner, many musicains will put instument-safe stickers on the neck of the instrument to help them know where to find the key nots. This helps you learn faster and doesn’t slow you down.

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HOW TO PLAY MUSICALLY Research the composer and their style of music, the era in which they lived, and how they wanted the song to sound. Some composers leave the music up for interpretation. Others style their music in a very detailed and intricate way. Sometimes depending on the setting, you can be more expressive, or yourself with the music. However, if you are in a competition, try to play the song how the composer intended it to sound.

OR Sing the song out loud. Hearing what it should sound like helps you actually play it like that. When you sing out loud, it forces you to take breaths and reveals where those pauses should go. This should reveal to you how the song should sound.

Good posture is important for every instrument, but piano especially.

Aligning your body prevents back problems later in life.

HOW TO PRACTICE A TRICKY SPOT If you find that repetition and playing the piece slowly are key. Repetition proves very useful to overcoming a tricky spot. Quality should not go down the drain either. Instead of repeating a part 100 times really quickly, repeat the section 20 times but really focus on perfecting it.

OR If you feel like you’re not getting anywhere, take a break from practicing for an hour or so, if you can, it might just be that you’re tired. When you practice, make sure you don’t feel bored. You will find if you can make pracitcing more fun, practicing for a longer amount of time will prove easier. Focus on the quality and not the quantity.

Begining muscians shoud practice 20 to 30 minutes a day.

Intermediate muscians should practice 45 minutes to 1 hour a day.

Advanced muscians should practice 1 to 3 hours a day.

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A Long Journey to the Long Center: Backstage With the Austin Symphony Orchestra

Art and Story by Sophia Amstutz PERFORM | 19

G

lass tiles of blue and green line the three-story wall surrounded by a large, pure white band perched on top of a gathering of majestic, snow white pillars. Ladybird Lake sits in the distance, right below the illuminated Austin skyline. The music that fills the regal hall inside is just as breathtaking as the building itself, all thanks to about 80 musicians attentively practicing in the backstage quarters. This elegant construction acts not only as a home to the culturally thriving community of Austin, Texas, but also to the Austin Symphony Orchestra.

“I like to go outside and see the skyline,” Maestro Peter Bay, the symphony’s conductor, says. “To have Ladybird Lake right in front there . . . it’s a very beautiful place to experience a concert, it just makes the whole evening or the whole afternoon that much better.”

Music enables the cultural aspect of Austin to truly come to life, and the Austin Symphony Orchestra may occupy a larger part of this culture than one may think. This full orchestra enables musicians to grow to a higher potential with their musicality than they could with a teaching job or an amateur career in music. Not only does this orchestra use its music to bring keep the community of musicians in Austin alive, but it does the same for spectators and other Austinites. As a major part of the city considered “the Live Music Capital of the World,” the Austin Symphony allows its audience members to stay educated about the performing arts and classical music, provided with a beautiful space to see performances, all while being enchanted by the sweet music of the orchestra.

“the experience that you will take away ...will be something that you will not soon forget” 20 | PERFORM

The seats perched in front of the stage inside of the elegant concert hall at the Long Center.

“I think just the collaborative spirit that we’ve had over these 15 years has been very, very positive, and I feel overall that I’ve grown as a person and I’ve grown as a musician because I get to work with them on a regular basis,” says Bay. Although it helps to work well as a group, a collaborative spirit is not the only thing that makes this ensemble so different than it has stayed in past years. Today, when someone goes to see the Austin Symphony play their favorite piece, they step into an architectural paradise: the Long Center. About 6 years ago, the best seat in Bass Concert Hall, the orchestra’s original performance hall, still gave only a satisfactory impression, according to Daris Word Hale, a bassoon player for the Austin Symphony

Orchestra. The Long Center not only provides a fantastic acoustical experience for spectators, but it also gives the Austin Symphony a home that remains permanent for them, and them only.

However, the performance center isn’t the only thing that has grown over recent years. Since the orchestra was first founded about 100 years ago, the group has nearly doubled in size. However, the Austin Symphony has always overflowed with devoted players, and over the years these players have grown musically to their fullest potential, and helped the ensemble to develop in the process.

The Austin Symphony does not play like a normal symphony; it’s not your average Chicago Symphony or

San Antonio Symphony. If you close your eyes, they may sound identical, but the Austin Symphony chooses to go about everything offstage a bit differently. As Daris Word Hale has explained, the ensemble’s part-time, per-service form of employment may hold the future for orchestras all around the world, as opposed to the common fulltime set up of other professional groups, requiring musicians to attend rehearsals and performances 52 weeks of the year.

“the collaborative spirit that we’ve had over these 15 years has been very, very positive” Despite these sorts of distinctions between the different kinds of symphony orchestras, the Austin Symphony musicians must always play just as well as a group like the Chicago Symphony, and hold the great expectations of this 102 year-old group.

“The Austin Symphony has a really strong work ethic, and everybody in the orchestra wants to sound as good as they can possibly be. There are no slackers in [the] orchestra, and of course the kind of music we play doesn’t allow for any slacking. It’s very challenging music and we have to always play our best,” explains Bay. As the largest orchestral group in “the Live Music Capital of the World,” it can seem rather difficult to keep up with the flourishing flock of pop, hip hop and jazz concerts all over town.

Yes, when someone boasts about the tickets they won to a live music event, a first guess may not say that their exciting concert includes Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony. But the Austin Symphony Orchestra works hard and performs regularly to bring classical music to Austin, and have succeeded in doing so. Concerts played by this experienced and well-rehearsed orchestra are always expected to be well attended, whether or not the spectators practice the performing arts.

As Arden Ward writes for CultureMap Austin, a website focused on keeping the community updated on the culture and events in Austin, Tex., the many events and groups that occupy the Long Center and the Center itself contribute greatly to the city’s artistic momentum, being “Austin’s Creative Home.”

Although the beautiful sight of the Long Center itself seems unforgettable, the opportunity to hear such well-practiced music truly completes the experience. Bay explains the major distinctness that this live action holds; how watching the musicians onstage provides a truly extraordinary sound, a sound that can only come to life through a live experience.

From the words of Maestro Peter Bay himself, “the experience that you will take away from a night with us will be something that you will not soon forget . . . if you’ve never tried the Austin Symphony, you’ve got to do it, because you will find that it’s quite different from what you expect.”

The lovely Austin skyline underneath the perpetual arch widing around the Long Center.

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Picking the Perfect Piece Art and Story by Sarah Nebhut

P

icking music for a dance performance seems very easy at the beginning, but if you don’t know how to do it, it becomes difficult very quickly. Music can complete a performance, but just as easily it can break a performance.

The following tips help you pick the perfect piece and make the process more enjoyable.

TIP#1 Resident composer and

sound designer for Thodos Dance Chicago John Nevin, says that the first step in choosing music should consist of finding inspiration. Some ways you can find inspiration by listening to music or getting out and looking for things that you may want to incorporate into the performance. Inspiration gives you ideas on the movements or images that you may want to present in your piece.

Look for a piece that you can imagine the image or choreography of the dance in your mind.

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TIP#2 To find the perfect

piece of music, you may want to visit some music downloading websites. Beatport and Juno Download serve as examples of good resources to use, Nevin said. Remember, one of the best ways to find music is to listen to it.

TIP#3 Owner of the Marquette Productions, Jason Marquette, says that making sure that you can picture you or the dancer(s) doing the choreography serves as another important part about choosing the right music. This includes making sure that the performance is age appropriate. You wouldn’t want to see little kids doing a dance that is way too old for them.

TIP#4 Journeyman level judge

and fundamentalist judge for the United Country Western Dance Council circuit, Donna Caudill, said that you should make sure that the music that you choose should fit the character of the dance you are trying to choreograph.

For example, you wouldn’t want to choose a slow classical piece that is typical for a ballet dance and use it for a tap dance.

TIP#5 Once you choose the

music, make sure you don’t violate any copyright laws by using that piece, Caudill also says. In order to have complete confidence that no one will sue you for using their piece, you have to purchase a music license. Even if you bought the music, you can still have someone sue you.

TIP#6 Once you have found

the music that you will choreograph to, you should put the music together or to cut the music down. You may want to put the music together if you chose different pieces. Cutting the music to the right length or to the very best parts of the piece serves as the last step to picking the perfect piece.When doing this you may find that some parts drag or need a little work. If this happens, you may want to continue working with it to get it to meet your expectations and make it wonderful.

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Capezio The Essence of Dance

Into the Music World Revealing the reality behind the beauty Story by Marijka Tilton PERFORM | 25

Y

ou sit on stage with 40 other people, and the room falls into a chilling silence. Your eyes float up to the conductor whose arms raise up in the air. With one swift motion of the wrist, he instigates the booming sound of the basses, then the cellos, then the whole symphony. You chose this life. You live for these concerts. You also live paycheck to paycheck. Does struggling to pay the rent outweigh this one moment of bliss?

Non-performers would probably say no, and Delaine Leonard, a harp instructor at the University of Texas, agrees if you feel happy doing something else, do that instead.

“[Performers] have to be able to withstand severe pressure ... and grow accustomed to the reactions of others.”

Many musicians say that rejection has proven common in the entertainment business. Statistics from Forbes.com says the entertainment and media industry has earned the status of fourth unhappiest industry in America. Penelope Wolff, a violinist of over 60 years and lives in Corvallis, Oreg., agrees that rejection frequently occurs and musicians always strive for perfection which can prove very stressful. Not only does stress frequently occur in this business, the average performer earns a salary of $52,000, which some musicians would say does not equal the work put in. What attracts people to this business? “Music is an escape and relief from everything,” Wolff said. Leonard said she enjoys playing with other musicians and participating in something bigger than herself. Each musician has their special reason for why they love music, which to them, outweighs the negatives of the business. However, as a musician, you need to be prepared for pressure and criticism. “..they [performers] have to be able to withstand severe pressure and expec26 | PERFORM

Conard Prebys Hall, state-of-the-art concert hall dedicated by Conard Prebys to the UCSan Diego Music Department. It is these large donations that keep Music deparments and halls afloat. Image by: www.myMzone.com.

tation and grow accustomed to the reactions of others. Their self-worth is often deeply tied to the estimation of their critics,” Juilliard graduate and cellist, Victoria Zevallos said.

The music industry demands high skill levels from its entertainers and so naturally, not everyone makes the cut. Criticism and scorn come from every aspect of this career. From an

Performer’s can often have to perform among thousands of audience members. Though some say they never quite get used to stage fright, most say it gets easier with time. Image by: www.dasworldwide.com.

early age, the people who can withstand this harshness get narrowed down. Many musicians remember how the initial love they had for music carried them through the difficult times. Some may wonder if children are mature enough to deal with the pressure.

“I started playing the drums when I was in 4th grade, but switched to bass in 6th grade. I was about as mature as a normal 6th grader which meant that I was lucky to remember to tie my shoes in the morning,” said Andrew Potter, director of the LBJ High School Orchestra.

Some choose to start at a slow pace when starting an instrument. Others have parents who require them to practice hours a day right off the bat. Either way, starting an instrument young prepares them for the competition. Wolff says starting an instrument from the ages of four to eleven has proven necessary to reaching a professional level in the music world. However, some musicians have started with one instrument and changed to a different instrument and have become very successful in that instrument.

“I remember wanting to through my violin out the window! As a musician, you’re always striving for perfection and that can be very stressful,” says Wolff. Image by: Sophia Amstutz

Leonard said she took two years of piano lessons before her parents allowed her to learn the harp. She started the harp in 5th grade. Today she has achieved the status of president of the American Harp Society and the head harp director at the University of Texas.

Several people agree with the importance in enjoying what you do in your job. People often feel required to choose their career path even before college and stick with it all through life. As people get older though, they change and so do their interests. But, transitioning to a different job or field presents itself as a difficult task. Different jobs require different skills.

Musicians often have to adjust to an irregular schedule. Zevallos says in music, teaching requires persistence, patience, and the ability to connect with each individual you teach. She agrees one needs to have a certain personality to handle the difficulty of teaching.

“I sometimes long for a ‘regular’ schedule, and when I have one for a long time, I get bored,” Leonard said.

This irregular schedule comes up frequently in discussions among per-

formers. The audience determines what will come next in show business. It is a common belief in the entertainment business that one day you are in; next day you are out. This could explain why many musicians have resorted to teaching as a main source of income because of the reliability. Since many factors present themselves in this industry, that narrows down the number of performers in America. Because of this, one finds fewer performers. So what does it take to become a performer?

“A performer is someone that can read the energy of a crowd and comes alive in that atmosphere. They under-

“They [Performers] understand instinctively how to communicate in masse...They are storytellers.”

los said. A performer strives for the reality of not feeling afraid to express themselves. Someone who wants to share their creativity and expression in a way that appeals to the crowd.

“Think of an actor: someone who has learned to merely mimic emotion, or another who is accessing their genuine feelings from life and experience and redirecting those emotions through the material. You decide!” said Zevallos.

All the musicians interviewed in this article enjoy music and the ability to express themselves. Throughout all the rejection and pressure, they all share a common love for music and continued with it. Performers have the ability to present new ideas, create new thoughts, and open new doors in society. Music is a world of old and new ideas. Performers are people who have gotten lost in that world.

stand instinctively how to communicate en masse, delivering grand concepts and eliciting raw emotion from their audience using universal gestures. They are storytellers,” ZevalPERFORM | 27

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