There are two kinds of performers....the working pretenders and working professionals.
Pretenders are those who play at being singers. They take just enough voice lessons, dance lessons and acting lessons to get by. Sometimes they reach a certain level of mediocrity and that's enough for them. These pretenders have no drive and expect to either get by on looks or a minimum of talent. They often wonder why they are not at the top. They prefer to enjoy life, going on vacations, going out to dinner, taking trips here and there, having dinner parties, buy lavish gifts for friends and call themselves singers. I have seen many of these singers who have had some talent, and I see then giving up on a career, and I see them working at the mall or at some other job that is meaningless. They have "settled" on some kind of drudgery kind of life. One has to have goals and the drive to achieve them. If you do not have either of these, try to get them. They are so important in any career.
On the other side of the room, there are the professionals.....those who come to voice lessons, don't miss a lesson and generally ask for an extra lesson. The are always honing their craft and they want to be singers or actors or dancers and they will do anything to get there. They ask questions, they go to concerts, they read, and, oh my, they practice!
When I was living in New York, the pace was hectic. Everyone I knew was a working professional. We were all going to voice lessons, dance lessons, drama/acting lessons, coaching lessons. We went to concerts, and after wards we met with each other at coffee houses, restaurants or each others' apartments, discussing the singers, the repertoire, and we talked about technique, high notes, and we tried to figure how each singer was doing a high note or talk about breath control. We went to piano recitals, voice recitals, the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera, Concerts at the New York Philharmonic. We were busy being professional musicians. For me, there were so many parties and things to do that I did not have time to enjoy myself. Maybe I should have, but the wealth of knowledge of the singers would not have been there. I was busy practicing, and so were many of my colleagues.
In New York, I never met any pretenders. We were all working professionals. We were working to get better, auditioning, finding an agent, get management, build a career. While in Europe, everyone in my circle of friends was also doing the same thing, working at our craft. it was a 24 hour career, from early in the morning to late at night when you went to sleep. Career was on our mind.
Orlando is not like New York, certainly, but I see more pretenders than I've ever seen in my life. They come into my studio, never practicing, just doing enough to get by. Most work for theme parks and with this little bit of voice they think that they will get somewhere, be a star or something. What do they know of hard work? They are comfortable. Some just want to come so that I can play their audition songs for them before they go to the audition. Then they wonder why they did not get the part. I think that mediocrity breeds mediocrity.
This was helpful information. I am certainly inspired to be more professional than a pretender. One thing I struggle with a that I need a "real venue" for practice as I like to perform. However, I have not let this be an excuse not to practice, I simply practice in front of the mirror. We are certainly lucky to have a knowledgeable teacher such as Mr. Lujan. As one song says, you are helping to raise many people up to "more than they can be. For that, we are certainly blessed that you are in our midst." DES
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