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Acting in Plays, Singing/knowing someone in the business

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Expert: - 2/23/2010


Question
QUESTION: hi im krista and im 18 preparing myself to go to college as a theater major and my question is if you know somebody in the show biz or musical theater industry, is it better of having a chance of getting more parts in roles than those who don't know anybody in the business? and my other question is do you need a equity card to have roled and auditions? and how useful are they?

ANSWER: Hi, Krista –

Thank you for the posting. Why private?

Many performers share your concerns. Please re-submit your question openly and I will respond.

Best regards,
Seán Martinfield

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi im krista and im 18 preparing myself to go to college as a theater major and my question is if you know somebody in the show biz or musical theater industry, is it better of having a chance of getting more parts in roles than those who don't know anybody in the business? and my other question is do you need a equity card to have roled and auditions? and how useful are they?

Answer
Hello, Krista –

Thank you for the question.

Part of my job as a professional vocal coach is counseling my clients on the subject of the Equity card, i.e., membership in AEA – Actors Equity Association. I am not an Equity advisor. Membership qualifications and other information is available on-line. But the questions I get are usually based around mis-information and fear.

Some performers don’t want to become a member of AEA because they fear it will get in the way of them doing a particular role (they’ve always wanted to do) at a non-Union house. The answer is simple. You would have had to accumulate a lot of eligibility “points” doing a lot of leading roles at a lot of local theatre companies before being able to join AEA. Wait till that is your reality and, thus, your issue. If you are at that point, then you would also know all the exceptions and rules that Equity has about waivers, etc.

Bottom line: Every performer in a legitimate Broadway production is a member of AEA. Sometimes it happens that a performer is plucked out of relative obscurity and is suddenly on Broadway. When that happens, you bypass the earning points-thing and just let the Producer or your Agent walk you to the Equity office where you pay for your membership. If the show closes on Opening Night, at least you got paid for your rehearsal time, etc.

Knowing “someone in the Industry” means you are a part of the Industry. That translates to Networking. All the time. Even in school. Especially in the Community. You must do something about it everyday. Think about the theory of the “six degrees of separation”. In other words, within six well-placed phone calls – how removed are you from the person or situation that will get you what you think you want?

There are absolutely no guarantees of employment in any field of the Performing Arts. Every year, thousands of people earn some sort of performing arts degree. The vast majority are seldom heard from again. Because? It’s all about competition – even if it involves getting an appointment for an audition through someone you know. And if you get the job? You still have to please the Critics. Or the Producer will find someone else who can.

Along the way, every aspiring performer learns the reality of their Box Office appeal and their own personal stuff about stamina and endurance – along with keeping food on the table and paying their bills. Especially the student loans.

So will you.

I am a professional singing teacher and vocal coach in San Francisco.  When you are in the Bay Area and want to book an appointment, contact me through Craig's List. This week’s connection is: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/lss/1613749887.html
You may also contact me through my website: http://www.thebeltersmethod.com/The_Belters_Method/Welcome.html
I am the Editor and Publisher of SanFranciscoSentinel.com.  All my articles and interviews about the Performing Arts provide a link to my personal e-mail.

Take a look at my You Tubes:

Lorena Feijóo - A Look at "Giselle" with Seán Martinfield
”As Time Goes By” – aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria
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Below are links to my recent interviews and articles about what's happening on San Francisco's cultural scene:
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Best regards,
Seán Martinfield

Acting in Plays, Singing

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Sean Martinfield

Expertise

I am a professional vocal coach in San Francisco. In addition to answers from a previous web site (Askme.com - where my "tag" was "VocalCoach") I have published over 2000 responses related to vocal training - particularly as it relates to Musical Theatre and Opera. I have 24 years of experience as Personal Trainer to singers and actors in the San Francisco Bay Area. I sang professionally for 20 years and know what it means to live the life of a musician. I can determine your voice category, i.e., Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Alto, Alto Belter, etc., and how to broaden and strengthen your range. Need an audition song for a Broadway Musical? I will give you suggestions that are appropriate to your vocal category and to requirements specified in the audition notice. I have also created a vocal methodology, "The Belter`s Method". It will enable those in Musical Theatre to practice more efficiently because it focuses on the demands of professional performers as well as to those auditioning for school and community productions, and as University and Conservatory performing arts majors. If what you want is a better voice and more control over your career moves and choices, contact me. Also, as the Editor of SanFranciscoSentinel.com, it is my privilege to review productions at the San Francisco Opera, Ballet and Symphony, as well as Broadway National Tours booked into San Francisco's Orpheum, Golden Gate and Curran Theatres. I also review works by A.C.T (the American Conservatory Theatre) and Magic Theatre. I cover select films, tributes and retrospects, and various international film festivals – particulary those booked into The City's opulent Castro Theatre – including the LGBT Frameline Festival, International Film Festival, Silent Film Festival, Jewish Film Festival, etc. For private vocal instruction, I can be contacted through SanFranciscoSentinel.com. Look under: Seán Martinfield, Sentinel Editor and Publisher.

Experience

As a vocal coach, I work primarily with singers and actors throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. My students range from absolute beginners to working professionals, from pre-schoolers to senior citizens. The vast majority of my clients come to me through recommendation. I know how to identify any singer's vocal category, i.e., soprano, tenor, alto, baritone, etc. I know how to muscle-up every singer's vocal range and to expand it beyond conventional definitions. I have developed a vocal methodology for those who want to know how to belt, THE BELTER'S METHOD. As a singer who spent half of his career doing Bel Canto, I know that classical or Italian methodologies do not work in Standard American music. Bel Canto cannot be "adapted" to meet the needs of contemporary American music, including the demands of the Musical Theatre. There are a number of major components to my work as a vocal coach. The first is to identify the client's vocal category and to strengthen and maximize the vocal range accordingly. Then it's about teaching a reliable vocal workout that will enable the client to gain better control of their musicianship. That includes scale work to expand the vocal range and to improve placement, breath control, and diction. Then we work on material for the audition portfolio, the immediate job or assignment, a recording session, etc. My task to is to better equip singers and actors who are hoping to or relying upon their performance skills and vocal endurance to maintain a career in the Performing Arts. My clients regularly appear in cabarets and musical productions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Some have worked in New York and gone on National Tours. For more information, Contact me at: Broadwaybelters@yahoo.com

Education/Credentials
San Francisco State University – BA in Theatre Arts; graduate work in Theatre, Philosophy, and Comparative Reiligion. Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley – Graduate work in Ethics

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