Performing Arts
J-Lo. Heath Ledger. Bono. 50 Cent. Alicia Keys. Jerry Seinfeld. Clint
Black. Mikhail Baryshnikov. Jennifer Aniston. It may seem like a diverse
list, but all these folks have at least one thing in common: They’re
performing artists.
Performing artists do just what they advertise: they perform. Whether
it's live or on film or video, they act, sing, play music, dance, tell
jokes, or otherwise entertain us. While other artists, such as writers,
sculptors, or painters, are focused on creating or producing things like
short stories or paintings, performing artists channel their talents into
performances that entertain, amuse, provoke, and delight.
Because of the fame and fortune accorded those who succeed in Hollywood, on
TV, in theater, and in concert halls, untold millions are drawn toward
careers in the performing arts. Very few succeed financially (the notion of
the "starving artist" is well founded). Only those with
determination, talent, discipline, and luck manage to find careers in the
performing arts in which they can support themselves.
What You'll Do
You've probably seen shows like Behind the Music and
biographies of film and TV stars on cable TV, and you may think you have a
pretty good idea of what being a musician, actor, or other type of
performer involves. What you may not realize, though, is that much of what
you see on those programs is not necessarily part of the story for most
performing artists. The spiral into drug and alcohol abuse, the knock-down,
drag-out arguments on the set or in the recording studio, the tragic loss
of the original bass player in the tour-bus explosion—none of these things
is part of the formal job description for performing artists.
Rather, performers who succeed on the world stage spend years laboring to
learn the nuances of their medium of expression. For actors, for instance,
the work involves mastering the ability to seem to be people other than
themselves, via skills such as vocal dexterity and control over their
physical actions.
Of course, many others practice the performing arts in local or regional
settings—at high school talent shows, community centers, clubs, and
libraries. Some manage to make a living at it; others perform as a hobby.
As a result, the majority of performing artists supplement their incomes
with one or more additional jobs. Many wind up teaching (often in their
field of artistic expertise), waiting tables, or working in areas
peripheral to their primary field of interest. For example, a musician
might support herself by writing advertising jingles, or working on sound
effects for a movie. An aspiring Broadway actor or dancer might find
himself dancing in a Snoop Dogg music video or on the stage of an amusement
park, working as a film extra, or performing with a local theater company
or at a neighborhood cafe. Others work in arts administration, fundraising,
or managing arts organizations, auditioning if and when time permits.
Auditioning is a big part of most performing artists' careers. Actors,
for instance, audition with directors and casting agents, hoping to show
that they can play the role for which they're auditioning. Musicians
hand out tapes and CDs of their music to convince nightclub and theater
owners to book them for gigs. Typically, performing artists without
established careers have to spend a significant part of their time
auditioning (or making and handing out samples of their work), if they want
to advance in their careers.
The Art of Performing
All performers face the challenge of conveying certain emotions and moods.
They make countless small decisions at conscious and unconscious levels.
These are generally physical decisions: which piano keys to press, when,
and with what force, and in what sequence, or what to do with the hands,
legs, eyes, and mouth when giving a soliloquy.
While individual interpretation and expression are important in the arts,
actors, dancers, and musicians are at the mercy of their audiences, in
addition to their managers, directors, conductors, or choreographers. They
may find themselves in roles that do not excite them, or playing music they
don't particularly love, and they may spend countless hours rehearsing
and performing on nights and weekends, or traveling with their band or
troupe.
Who Does Well
Those who do well in the performing arts are creative, expressive
individuals who are passionate about their craft. Patience, perseverance,
and stamina—in addition to talent, practice, and a thick skin—are crucial
to success; performing artists must get accustomed to rejection. Actors and
professional dancers may perform the same roles for months, sometimes
years. Film and television actors must sometimes shoot the same scene over
and over again. And regardless of how a performer is feeling—whether he or
she is exhausted or in a bad mood—the show must go on.
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To break into the performing arts, you're going to need to be able to
perform. Training in music (reading playing music), acting (many actors
start with high school productions), and/or dance is essential. Courses
taken outside of school can help you refine your talents and pick up
essential skills for auditioning, rehearsing, and performing.
A degree from a specialized arts college can often launch you toward a
performing arts career; the Juilliard School, the Manhattan School of
Music, and the Berklee College of Music in Boston are three well-regarded
institutions. Would-be performers can also take courses in drama,
performing arts, music, and dance at most universities; some universities
have renowned programs in specific fields (e.g., drama at Yale). (You can
learn more about places to study acting by contacting the National
Association of Schools of Theater.) However, while a formal education is
recommended, it is not essential in many of the performing arts.
Beyond mastering your art—a function of practice and performance—you'll
need to have determination. Successful performers have a drive to succeed.
They practice every nuance until they have it right, again and again.
Memory, charisma, talent, creativity, experience, and inspiration are all
necessary to a performer, but above all else you have a passion for
performing. Performing artists find genuine satisfaction in pleasing their
audiences. And they are willing to sacrifice to do it. They sacrifice money
(because they won't make much, particularly when starting out), and
they sacrifice time (for rehearsals, auditions, practicing, and
performance).
Having contacts can help. The more experience you can get and the more
people you can get to know, the more opportunities will open up for you
down the road—networking skills will serve you just as well in the
performing arts as they do in other careers.
Finally, at the higher levels of these professions, you'll probably
need to become a member of the appropriate artists' union. Stage actors
often need to join the Actors' Equity Association; film actors usually
are members of the Screen Actors' Guild; and TV and radio performers
are usually members of AFTRA, the American Federation of Television and
Radio Artists.
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Opportunities for performing artists are expected to be plentiful in coming
years. Indeed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number
of jobs for performing artists is going to grow by more than job growth
overall between 2004 and 2014. In part, opportunities in the arts are
expanding due to a growing video and music-video industry, expanding cable
networks, and increasing independent-film production. Film, television, and
new media are also creating new opportunities.
But competition for these careers will continue to be very intense; the
demand for performing arts careers will always outpace the supply of paying
jobs. Many aspiring performing artists will never reach the point where
they're making their living entirely from their art.
A life as a performer is not for the faint of heart, nor is it a good bet
for anyone unwilling to live in a major metropolitan area such as New York,
Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, or other large cities that feature
professional dance companies, theater and opera groups, nightclubs, and
symphonies. For theater, film, and television in particular, you'll
probably need to be in New York or Hollywood to be part of the action. (The
same holds true for folks like commercial and voiceover actors.)
Furthermore, particularly in dance, careers can be short-lived and
contingent on physical strength or appearances. Many actors, dancers, and
musicians also have to travel a great deal.
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The career track for any of the arts is pretty simple. Either you make a
living at your art, or you don't. If you do, then you do in a small way
or a big way. Your ability to practice, the luck you have, and the talent
you demonstrate all play a role in whether or not you succeed. Perseverance
also plays a role in your success. As Marlon Brando put it, "The key
to succeeding in Hollywood is to stick around." Your audiences play a
role, too: They are, in the end, the people you're working to please.
Many performing artists have multiple skills. They train in dance as well
as acting and music. Shows on Broadway highlight the diverse skills of
performers.
Acting
Whether your dream is screen acting (for films or television) or stage
acting, in Hollywood or on Broadway, there's a variety of paths actors
can take. Some end up in regional theater troupes, some find lucrative
careers in radio doing voiceovers, and others appear on daytime soaps or
television commercials. (By some accounts, television commercials account
for 60 percent of all acting jobs.) Sometimes, working actors (such as Mel
Gibson or Jodie Foster) end up directing or producing their own films.
Regardless of the venue, actors memorize lines, rehearse with fellow actors
and directors, and perform in productions. Their job is to interpret their
roles, get inside a character's thoughts, and convey the
character's feelings as convincingly as possible. Roles may involve
speaking parts or singing and dancing.
Actors must audition as if auditioning itself is a full-time job, sometimes
going for years without a role. They must be prepared to accept rejection
and criticism. A talented actor may not be cast in a given role because of
his or her physical attributes: too short, too tall, too young, too old, or
just plain not right.
Most actors start performing in school, or begin work as part of a
technical crew and go on to get training in summer-stock theater companies
or local stage productions. Initially, relatively inexperienced actors may
work as extras in film roles, with few or no lines to memorize, or as
understudies for off-Broadway shows. From there, with some luck, once they
have developed experience, confidence, and credits, they move up to more
challenging and larger roles. Many hire professional agents to help them
secure roles.
Dance
Whether it's ballet or break dancing—on television, in a music video,
for a supper show, for a classical ballet company, or off-Broadway—dancers
strive to interpret and convey a narrative or abstract idea or emotion
through movement. More often than not, dancers start out performing in
groups and occasionally work their way up to solo pieces. They dance in a
variety of venues, from dance and opera companies to music companies.
Regardless of their preferred style, dancers need grace, rhythm, strength,
and stamina—and years of practice to perfect their art. Many supplement
their dancing careers by working as choreographers or teachers.
Most professional dancers start young, often around—or even before—the age
of eight. The more performing experience dancers accrue, in college, in
shows such as “The Nutcracker,” or on tour with musical acts, the better.
While not necessary to most dance careers, it can be helpful to have a
college degree (to teach at the high-school and college levels, an
undergraduate and often a graduate degree is necessary). Much more
importantly, dancers are well advised to keep up with what other dancers
and choreographers are doing. Reading trade magazines such as Backstage or
Variety can be helpful.
Music
Professional musicians perform in front of live audiences or in recordings,
using their voices or their instruments or both. In addition to singing or
performing in a band or with an orchestra or symphony, musicians may also
compose, conduct, and teach.
Musicians might play many different styles of music in a variety of
environments. The level of talent and training necessary to succeed as a
musician depends on the style of music performed. To be a first violinist
for a major metropolitan symphony, for example, musicians must be able to
read and interpret music—and have considerable talent. To play blues at the
local bar or to sing with the local church choir may require less training
(though not necessarily less practice); musicians who perform in such
venues are often self-taught.
Instrumentalists and vocalists express emotion through their music, and
strive to achieve precision, harmony, and a beautiful or otherwise
interesting tone. They should be knowledgeable and passionate about music
and possess rhythm and melody. And, ideally, they should love practicing
and refining their craft.
Regardless of their musical aspirations, to be a recording or performing
artist, musicians should make a quality tape of their music and accept as
many performing opportunities as possible. Many musicians start performing
at a young age and go on to attend schools of music or to get undergraduate
and advanced degrees in such specialized fields as songwriting or
conducting.
Other Performing Arts
Mimes, stand-up comics, clowns and circus performers, disc jockeys, and
street performers are a few other performing artists. Like actors, dancers,
and musicians, they toil for years at their work and often perform purely
for the joy of entertaining audiences. In some rare cases, they make
fabulous sums of money; typically, they don't. Their success depends on
their talent, determination and luck. Some find financially stable work
performing at, for instance, children's birthday parties or circuses.
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Salaries for performing artists vary tremendously. Those few who make it to
the pinnacle of their profession can command immense paychecks. Jim Carrey,
for instance, was paid $25 million for his work in Bruce Almighty.
Julia Roberts was paid $20 million for her role in The Mexican.
Britney Spears and Madonna both make some $40 million per year.
Sadly, most performing artists never even come close to those kinds of
compensation packages. Following are average salary ranges for some
performing arts fields:
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Actor/Performer: $15,000 to $65,000
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Musician: $20,000 to $110,000
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Music Director/Composer: $15,000 to 70,000 or more
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Dancer: $18,000 to $45,000