Not getting onto Musical Megawatt is interesting. It kind of forces me into a corner. I can either
A) Stay at magnet, do more big sibbing, more classes and hope to improve in the eyes of the people who make the choices.
B) Go home and recoup money and maybe take classes in a different city.
To stay at magnet, or even roll to PIT or UCB is still to stay at Magnet. New York City is small and I'd just be tangentially trying to get better. A lot of friends say, "It's all politics."
The problem with that is that it's meaningless. What can I assume from not getting into a Musical team?
14 people are better than me at Musical Improv. That's a fact because they got picked not me. It could be because of the team mind, could be because of politics, whatever. It's a fact in the eyes of Magnet. So, staying at Magnet trying to prove myself to people who already have me at a disadvantage is not going to work. Retaking all musical classes may not make me any better. Something is missing. I can't blame it all on the callback either. People were more familiar with me than others, so if I could get back that night, I'd give it another go, but it's not that.
The fact is, I'm in NYC for two reasons, Musical Improv and Voice Over. I've been unable to pull great jobs through VO, and I've been unable to pull real house teams on Magnet or PIT. If I go back home, I'm able to live rent free and help my parents out a bit. I also will be making money to put to classes at maybe UCB in LA, Annoyance in Chicago, other places. Maybe through them, I'll reach a new level. Have I peaked at Magnet, as far as musical improv goes, I don't know if they have much more to teach me. So, I didn't pick up everything. Need to round my education.
The fact is, I'm not going to fight this. Wander around showing everyone that I didn't want it as much as I did. I did want it. Plain and simple. You don't always get what you want, but to stay around and fight people's opinions of you is stupid. Give em a break, don't walk around like this desperate little puppy praying for table scraps. Or worse, don't go around being a bad sport.
I'm an honest guy. I may have been overconfident. Maybe I am overconfident. Just gotta get over yourself and move forward. Luckily, I know very few if any people read this blog, so in essence this is a diary of my improvisational life. I hope in 10 years, I'll be one of the best at this. And this blog may show that this was a turning point in my life.
Right now, I'm hurt. I want to know why, but how can I expect anyone whom I consider a mentor or friend to be honest. I don't want the politics/whatever. I'll find my own way.
One of my good friends Giana texted me and kind of implied that I was running home with my tail between my legs.
I want to get better at musical improv and as of a month from now, I will have taken ALL classes in NYC on musical improv. Do I retake these classes? No ofcourse not. You don't do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. Humility is here. But, I'm too old to waste time wandering NYC aimlessly waiting for the next audition. I'll be back for the next audition maybe the one after that. All in due time.
Everyone has a different path. Mine just moved.
Friday, March 8, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Rough Couple of Days
I'm gonna cut to the chase here. I got offered Magnet Circuit Team as a opposed to Magnet Musical Team, which to me is a loss. I was shooting to be able to perform on the stage where I've been going to shows for the better part of the year and now I'm not. Anywho, you're probably thinking howd this happen. Here's the rundown of the weekends events.
1) Saturday Auditions: We did some improv scenes, I felt great about them, I could have been more aggressive but I literally felt great. Next up a spot song, the suggestion was cowboys and indians, I did a song about a child who wanted people to play with. I got a lot of great reponses, I did a little dance, enjoyed myself. I felt great about. Probably the best thing I did. Then we did an opening number.
After that I killed time, I had a class with the PIT but magnet auditions were on my mind all day, I was distracted. I went to the love bar to just kind of kill time at Doug Widdick's spot song hosted by Kathleen Armenti. I had a great time there, if you ever get a chance to do a spot song (solo improv song) go to the love bar on the occasional Saturday and try it out. It is amazing.
Low and behold I get an email saying, You're called back. I'm just happy as hell. I go home with a smile on my face. I even plan on doing 3 hours of improv with abbie before the auditions as a warmup.
2) Sunday pre-callbacks: I do a great class with TJ for Musical Improv 2. We work on life force songs where a character finally puts their foot down and says no. That propels the character into a song. It was great and though it was kind of chaotic it was great stuff. Had a good time. I'll probably go into more detail later.
I then did an amazing bunch of sets with Abbie. a bunch of 15 minute sets then a 40 minute set that was just crazy and amazing.
3) The Callback. We did a narrative. I didn't feel good about it. I know what I did wrong.
a) Was Antagonist, but wasn't villainy enough.
b) Wasn't making strong enough choices
I was in my head. I didn't help the narrative at all. Maybe that's what killed me. But, since it's 730am and I've been ranting to myself, might as well unleash a little.
I thought there was nothing very spectacular about the set as well. It was kind of a tongue in cheek, we're trying to be funny thing. I don't like that, I believe that if we ground the characters in realism the fun will come about. But, I have to yes and it, my only shot was a bad villain. I tried to kill one out of the two protagonists to force a doubt song, but then it just turned into a chase where nobody wanted to die. I recognize that it was a callback, but that was weird to me. I love dying, I want people to kill me. It could be a game. I don't know.
Here we are two days later. I get a message saying Grats, You're on a Circuit Team. There are 2 teams being formed, circuit is not one of them. I know a lot of people on that circuit team and their great people but it's literally my level 3 class. Honestly, I've already performed with them, I was hoping for something else.
The fact is, there's is something missing. I did all the classes that were available. Poured my heart out, showed respect for the forms and I still didn't get in. It's me. There's nothing else. I respect Micheal Lutton and Micheal Martin's opinon, I am not good enough to get in. Politics or team dynamic aside. That's it.
My problem is that I thought I was in. That in itself is a problem. So, not long after that email, I decided to move back to CA and get my nest egg back in order. It's one of those few times where everything kind of comes together. I cleared my schedule for the possibility of a Mag team. Now, that's gone, I have a lot of free time. I find myself waiting for Monday and Thursday and hoping that I have shows. SOOOOOO, I'm off. April 10th. Bye NYC. I'll be back.
When I come back, I'm finishing the PIT program, finishing the Magnet Improv Program and maybe the UCB as well. Just need the money to fund it.
1) Saturday Auditions: We did some improv scenes, I felt great about them, I could have been more aggressive but I literally felt great. Next up a spot song, the suggestion was cowboys and indians, I did a song about a child who wanted people to play with. I got a lot of great reponses, I did a little dance, enjoyed myself. I felt great about. Probably the best thing I did. Then we did an opening number.
After that I killed time, I had a class with the PIT but magnet auditions were on my mind all day, I was distracted. I went to the love bar to just kind of kill time at Doug Widdick's spot song hosted by Kathleen Armenti. I had a great time there, if you ever get a chance to do a spot song (solo improv song) go to the love bar on the occasional Saturday and try it out. It is amazing.
Low and behold I get an email saying, You're called back. I'm just happy as hell. I go home with a smile on my face. I even plan on doing 3 hours of improv with abbie before the auditions as a warmup.
2) Sunday pre-callbacks: I do a great class with TJ for Musical Improv 2. We work on life force songs where a character finally puts their foot down and says no. That propels the character into a song. It was great and though it was kind of chaotic it was great stuff. Had a good time. I'll probably go into more detail later.
I then did an amazing bunch of sets with Abbie. a bunch of 15 minute sets then a 40 minute set that was just crazy and amazing.
3) The Callback. We did a narrative. I didn't feel good about it. I know what I did wrong.
a) Was Antagonist, but wasn't villainy enough.
b) Wasn't making strong enough choices
I was in my head. I didn't help the narrative at all. Maybe that's what killed me. But, since it's 730am and I've been ranting to myself, might as well unleash a little.
I thought there was nothing very spectacular about the set as well. It was kind of a tongue in cheek, we're trying to be funny thing. I don't like that, I believe that if we ground the characters in realism the fun will come about. But, I have to yes and it, my only shot was a bad villain. I tried to kill one out of the two protagonists to force a doubt song, but then it just turned into a chase where nobody wanted to die. I recognize that it was a callback, but that was weird to me. I love dying, I want people to kill me. It could be a game. I don't know.
Here we are two days later. I get a message saying Grats, You're on a Circuit Team. There are 2 teams being formed, circuit is not one of them. I know a lot of people on that circuit team and their great people but it's literally my level 3 class. Honestly, I've already performed with them, I was hoping for something else.
The fact is, there's is something missing. I did all the classes that were available. Poured my heart out, showed respect for the forms and I still didn't get in. It's me. There's nothing else. I respect Micheal Lutton and Micheal Martin's opinon, I am not good enough to get in. Politics or team dynamic aside. That's it.
My problem is that I thought I was in. That in itself is a problem. So, not long after that email, I decided to move back to CA and get my nest egg back in order. It's one of those few times where everything kind of comes together. I cleared my schedule for the possibility of a Mag team. Now, that's gone, I have a lot of free time. I find myself waiting for Monday and Thursday and hoping that I have shows. SOOOOOO, I'm off. April 10th. Bye NYC. I'll be back.
When I come back, I'm finishing the PIT program, finishing the Magnet Improv Program and maybe the UCB as well. Just need the money to fund it.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Tomorrow Auditions
It's almost 2am in the morning and tomorrow I have Magnet Musical Megawatt Auditions at 1:45pm. This has been the culmination of a lot of time and work. There's quite a bit of stake here.
Am I nervous? A little bit. Though I feel weird, because in a way, I feel like I've proven myself in class. I know what I offer and if they don't want it, they won't take me. I honestly feel I have a great chance.
I'm a dedicated hard worker, I wear the Magnet like a badge of honor when it comes to Musical Improv, and I've done a lot of practices and classes with the two people that will have a say in whether or not I get on a team. Micheal Martin and Louis Kornfeld.
I really want to be on a team. I remember the first time I saw Musical improv or even improv in general, OR EVEN an NYC show.
Oddly enough, I'm not nervous, I have to think of this as a mixer. Just go out there have a good time and hope for the best.
I feel like I've kind of been in a slump these last few shows and what not. For the Adorable show, I didn't make moves. I could blame myself all I want, but I honestly felt that staying on stage for those moments would have added more questions. We have this tendency for 3 people to come on stage at once, everyone with an idea and then slowly you navigate it. I think we need to fix that. There is no problem with aggression but I'm curious, I'll bring it up in the next few classes. I'm curious what is the best in that situation.
Anywho, I kind of keeled over like a puppy then. Do I go harder? There is something odd about fighting. I don't know.
In another practice, I just didn't bring the sauce. I didn't feel as free and fun. Gotta fix that.
Tonight, I did a show with Decent Proposal. Now we are a very loving team, we jump on each others idea's and we have a good time. This time it was kind of that amazing mix of AWESOME, there has never been a fight for anything with Decent. We had a pretty great show, I wish I could put it up but it's not the greatest video, I forgot to zoom out. Eck!
I'm gonna write some rules for me to go by tomorrow.
1) Have fun!!!
2) Have an idea, but don't hold on to it!!
3) Dance it up, Sing it up, do something that shows every part of you is enjoying it.
4) Improv, you know how to just do it.
5) Love the song itself.
6) Know that you have been working very hard and trust yourself to make the good moves needed.
HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!!! You will be playing with some amazing people who all know about structure and enjoy themselves. They are all in the same boat. There's gonna be a lot of love in the room.
Am I nervous? A little bit. Though I feel weird, because in a way, I feel like I've proven myself in class. I know what I offer and if they don't want it, they won't take me. I honestly feel I have a great chance.
I'm a dedicated hard worker, I wear the Magnet like a badge of honor when it comes to Musical Improv, and I've done a lot of practices and classes with the two people that will have a say in whether or not I get on a team. Micheal Martin and Louis Kornfeld.
I really want to be on a team. I remember the first time I saw Musical improv or even improv in general, OR EVEN an NYC show.
Oddly enough, I'm not nervous, I have to think of this as a mixer. Just go out there have a good time and hope for the best.
I feel like I've kind of been in a slump these last few shows and what not. For the Adorable show, I didn't make moves. I could blame myself all I want, but I honestly felt that staying on stage for those moments would have added more questions. We have this tendency for 3 people to come on stage at once, everyone with an idea and then slowly you navigate it. I think we need to fix that. There is no problem with aggression but I'm curious, I'll bring it up in the next few classes. I'm curious what is the best in that situation.
Anywho, I kind of keeled over like a puppy then. Do I go harder? There is something odd about fighting. I don't know.
In another practice, I just didn't bring the sauce. I didn't feel as free and fun. Gotta fix that.
Tonight, I did a show with Decent Proposal. Now we are a very loving team, we jump on each others idea's and we have a good time. This time it was kind of that amazing mix of AWESOME, there has never been a fight for anything with Decent. We had a pretty great show, I wish I could put it up but it's not the greatest video, I forgot to zoom out. Eck!
I'm gonna write some rules for me to go by tomorrow.
1) Have fun!!!
2) Have an idea, but don't hold on to it!!
3) Dance it up, Sing it up, do something that shows every part of you is enjoying it.
4) Improv, you know how to just do it.
5) Love the song itself.
6) Know that you have been working very hard and trust yourself to make the good moves needed.
HAVE FUN!! HAVE FUN!!! You will be playing with some amazing people who all know about structure and enjoy themselves. They are all in the same boat. There's gonna be a lot of love in the room.
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