Expert: Kenneth D. Plonkey - 2/14/2010

Question
Hello. I am an 18 yr old girl who wants to be a singer & actress. I've done school plays & I'm currently enrolled in university taking an acting class. I've been told I'm very good & will go very far if I stick to it (singing & acting) I take my crafts seriously & I do work very hard to improve because I believe there's always room for improvement. I'm torn right now because I know what I want to do, but I don't know what to study in school because they always say you need a back-up plan if you want to get into entertainment & you don't need a college degree to be a singer or an actress. So please, advise me in what my first steps should be to becoming a professional, working actress/singer. I'd love to be signed to CAA or WMA and Hollywood Records or Jive Records (basically any big, dependable agencies) but I don't know how to get there. Should I do ProScout? Should I just send a headshot & resume to casting directors? Besides continueing to work on my crafts throught community theatre what should I do? I know age is a big factor in the entertainment industry, and I love to act/sing/dance and the sooner I can get into the industry, the better. I really need guidance, especially since I am now 18 & I cannot depend on my parents for my career choice. Thank you so much for your time & your feedback would truly be appreciated to the max. Have a wonderful day.

Answer
Hi Chanel, I truly hope you are gifted enough to go far with your talents. College does not seem the right venue for your quest, however, especially since you do not mention being in any shows. Back up plans are for failures. I will tell you how to get my free book later on. There are two different things that you need to do to be two different things, actor and singer.  To be an actress, you need to be in lots and lots of plays at school and in the community. To be a singer you have to have a good voice teacher and sing at every opportunity. These two paths can coincide but they can also be at odds with one another.  If you have a voice suited to musical theatre, perhaps you should be in in a musical theatre program somewhere. To be signed by a big agency or record producer, you have to be extraordinary in ability and achievement. The paths I suggested above can lead to such achievement..  ProScout and the thousand of similar talent fair showcases such as iPop and so on are for the very very very talented and experienced, the very very photogenic and the very wealthy. For most people they are just a shredder to throw your money away in. Sending unsolicited photos to CDs and agents will just irritate them and land in the trash. First, you have to have a really solid resume. Don't be in such a rush to get into the industry, that will only get you scammed. I want you to read my blog all the way back to last August and to read my book The Tao of Acting at my website, kenplonkeyacting.com Then write me at my aol email address and lets get you started. God bless, Doc