Time has just published a list of the “20 Best- and Worst-Paid College Majors“. View the complete list here. Not surprisingly, several categories of arts are present in the “worst-paid” list, specifically: visual arts; performing arts; and drama and theatre arts. What really grabbed my attention was the editorial commentary included in the photoessay. On the page dedicated to Visual and Performing Arts, the content reads, “With three common arts majors appearing on this list, the old ’starving artist’ adage appears to remain true. But hey, artists don’t do it for the money anyway, right?” My jaw dropped. Seriously, editors? This personal aside was permitted to be published under your brand? Clearly, no one at Time has spoken recently with any performing artists.
So, Time, let me tell you a bit about performing artists: We do it for the money. We also do it with the knowledge that our highly specialized skills are seen as quantifiably marketable … Read more »
I had the good fortune to be invited to write a guest blog for SuchAVoice, a voice over training and production company. It was initially published on Thursday, 10 December 2009. Following is the original tale.
I am a classical singer by training. It is common for bulletin boards in the hallways and corridors of conservatories and schools of music to be papered with recital posters, concert listings and calls for auditions. So, it’s not unusual to find instrument- and score-laden students poring over them interestedly. One day, as I was doing just that, I noticed a rather boring-looking flyer on pink paper calling generically for “3 men and 3 women”. A telephone number was listed at the bottom of the sheet.
Perhaps someone is trying to assemble an a cappella or early music ensemble, I thought. I called up to discover, in fact, it was a company holding auditions for a radio commercial. Having never done anything of the sort before, I thought,
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This morning, while I was in my pajamas and cleaning the bathroom, I received a telephone call. It was from a number I didn’t recognize, and since my hands were a bit damp and dirty, I didn’t answer. Upon returning the call (once the toilet was cleaned), I discovered the number belonged to the line producer of the commercial for which I had been booked, and who was on set and wondering if I could arrive earlier than my call time, which brought up an interesting issue and a revelation:
• I had yet to receive any information regarding the shoot’s call time and location (leading me to believe the commercial was not filming today as previously mentioned), so this phone call was news to me; and
• I was expected on set in 12 minutes, per the call sheet.
Needless to say, I was late to set. I had been as responsible as I could be, calling and sending … Read more »
A week ago I attended the first annual Boston Book Festival. It sounded fun and there was a superb lineup of speakers/authors. While I didn’t get to attend every session my heart desired, I did sit in on three great ones that were not only informative but which left me, surprisingly, with a single realization that I’ve been pondering all week: few of the people I heard attained the goals they set out to achieve.
John Hodgman: John Hodgman wanted to be an author and, in fact, did end up an author, but only after publishing a single (but brilliant!) short story in the Paris Review, becoming a literary agent instead, appearing on The Daily Show, making a-bajillion ads for a computer company that shall remain nameless but is my favorite nonetheless, acting in movies and amassing a small army of slightly off-kilter but passionate followers.
Scout Tufankjian: American photojournalist Scout Tufankjian didn’t know … Read more »
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