For task 4C I decided to contact six different people from my professional community in order to gain a well rounded perspective. I wanted to be confident in my opinions and giving my decisions and lines of inquiry more substance ultimately justifying my award title.
The following is an example of the questionnaire for want of a better description I sent out to gain the support from my Employer and professional associates:
My aim for module 4c: Develop my questions with your own professional community beyond the programme, with special reference to your employer(s) or professional associate(s). You should gain the support from your employer or professional associate(s) either with their authority as your employer, or their support as a
Professional associate.
Professional associate: Actress
I started a discussion group on face book with the topic Musical Theatre in Education here are my initial inquiries. I wanted to look at how Musical theatre training starts and the process a performer goes through to achieve the end result working in the professional industry.
I am looking to understand your perceptions of Musical Theatre within an Education and professional setting and have started my own SIG on facebook with this topic. I’m hoping to gain a variety of opinions to see how Musical Theatre, whatever your interpretation of it, impacts Education/learning. Please answer from your own perspectives and let me know which industry/field you are in.
What is Musical Theatre?
Musical Theatre is a collaboration of theatre combining music, songs, text and dance.
Is there a sustainable place in main stream Education for Musical Theatre?
Giving people the opportunity to express their feelings through music movement dialogue and through choreographed routines gives them room for self development. Having that freedom to express their emotions, through a controlled and safe way is a vital element of growing up as individuals.
Do you value Musical Theatre performers as professionals and as a sustainable profession?
Yes, personally it has allowed me to grow through characters and movement, opened my mind to different points of view and to have my own perspective on things in a confident and supported way.
Is a three year vocational course enough to prepare graduates for the professional performance industry?
Yes, it gives the tools and techniques to experience the industry and find out which path to go down after the third year.
Which is more important professional (life) experience or professional training?
Professional training gives both, you have your own life experience as you are training, so I feel with training you have to work along side this an integrate with society also. So with the professional element of training you get the best of both worlds as both are vital.
What does a Musical Theatre performer need that any other professional don't in order to be successful?
To be flexible in all three areas and develop both as ensemble and as an individual.
What is your understanding of Musical Theatre acting compared with straight acting? Do you see the two as the same? If not can both be accomplished by the same person?
Yes it is required as an actor to be flexible and adapt to all surrounding where ever and whatever they be. To Act is to react and this is required in al areas.
Whose image is least important and why from a Singer, a Dancer, an Actor/Actress or Musical Theatre Performer?
Image is an important factor in all areas of the industry, although I would say acting and singing. A wide variety of versatile looks are needed so you don't have to be a specific "type", compared to being a specific weight for lifts and movement. Although within Acting and Singing you are your own business and you have to keep healthy, but embrace what you have and be versatile for varied roles.
How important is the type of vocational training received when compared with the age it was attained?
It is very important to learn technique at a young age to be able to use that stamina as you gain more experience allowing them to express their natural emotion and add their own unique quality to their work.
In various other discussions via blogs and SIG'S I've talked about the importance of the age for a dancer to start training as I believe it is more vital to be taken into consideration and start sooner. Would you agree with this statement? Yes.
For those of you who have more than one area of ability i.e. Singer/Dancer/Actor do you feel that time/age become more or less important having other skills to rely on to help sustain a career?
Yes, both Acting and singing have a more flexible age range as they can cater to different audiences, and each role will be varied. Which contrasts with dancing as the demand is so high on the physical aspect that an older age would be a disadvantage.
I feel it can take years to be considered a 'professional' Actor or Musical Theatre performer in today's industry compared with Dancer's who can leave college and be considered professional straight away. Why can't the same be said for Musical Theatre performers or Actors are there different standards/ judgements of Dance to Musical Theatre or Acting?
The younger you are, the more flexible you are and with training and technique this is a huge advantage, whereas with Acting, time and life experience aids the tools and variety you can add to a character.
My developing questions relevant to my professional practice:
Looking further on in my career I wondered if I wanted to teach in an accredited college like the one I originally trained at as a Musical theatre teacher covering Dance/Drama and singing. Would I need to increase my theoretical knowledge in order to be taken seriously as a Musical Theatre teacher?
I have years of experience teaching as a vocal coach and a dance teacher in many styles. These opportunities have come from my professional experience supported by my initial training but are they enough if I want to go beyond this to teach at a Vocational Level (Diploma/Btec).
What courses could I potentially complete to increase my chances becoming more hireable to teach Musical theatre in this kind of institute?
A PGCE
How can I get rid of the assumption behind the term Singer/Dancer? Putting Musical theatre performer seems too vague?
Go into depth in covering letter with where you skills and talents are.
Is it possibly to break into straight acting from a predominantly Musical theatre acting background? If so what more could be done to enhance these chances?
Life experience.
I know I have many different questions which are all linked in different ways to my professional practice now and looking to the future. I want to question different aspects of the industry in order to strengthen and therefore broaden my professional practice through these inquiries.
I think my line of enquiry will be looking in to how the Arts are necessary and beneficial within academia and beyond in order to sustain a performance career.
My Place of employment will be prime location for my inquiry.
My Proposed Award title: The award I seek as a result of doing this programme is BA (Hons) Professional Practice Musical Theatre Education.
What are your thoughts on this, do you feel the term Musical Theatre is to vague? Would the term Dance Development & / InEducation be more suited in your professional opinion?
No, I feel because the course is so practical that the training you've had performing should be the title, it is well recognised. The education side should come afterwards. If it was more a theory course then the second title may be beneficial but with the physical and practical side to the course being much greater, I feel "BA (Hons) Professional Practice Musical Theatre Education" would be much more suited.
Any suggestions and reasoning for this would be well received as my award tile should reflect my knowledge and expertise.
This first perspective came from an Actress (who I have previously mentioned) currently studying a BA (Hons) in Acting and professional stage practice in her second year. I have briefly spoken with the other people and hope to gain their full feedback soon so I will keep my blog updated with these as they come in.
I believe from this and my discussions through the SIG's on facebook that I have enough feedback to make my decision for final my award title.
