Hats off to the graduating class of 2018! This post is for you (and anyone else who is looking forward to starting their college career/continuing their education). I will be sharing my college experience as a bright-eyed thespian attending AMDA and some things I wish I knew while I was there. I hope this will encourage any and everyone who is embarking on this journey of furthering their education!
My anxiousness got the best of me when I began attending The American Musical & Dramatic Academy of New York in the Fall of 2009. I was eager to wrap up my high school career and just as eager to begin my Acting career! By week 2 of classes I was ready to get on with it. I wanted to hit the ground running. I was 18 and now I am 26. If there's one thing I have gained since then, it's patience. I think it's safe to say that I was taking opportunity for granted. The microwave society that we live in (and that I was raised in) puts pressure on us all to pursue rapid success, rapid advancement, rapid this, and rapid that! No one taught me the value of persistence and hard work. I also had perfectionist issues. I tried too hard to be the best that it blew up in my face a couple of times; humbling me before my peers. Ultimately, the phone calls to my mom and bonding with my roommates helped take the edge off. I began to enjoy the moment. I still can't believe that was 9 years ago. My advice to you as you begin your college career or continue it is to not rush the experience! Take it all day by day and enjoy the opportunity that has been given to you to study your passion. This is the first step that will ultimately shape your future.
There are some things I wish I knew beforehand that could've made my experience better.
People put a lot of pressure on me to have things figured out: where are you going? what will you study? how will you pay for this? But no one really bothered to walk with me through the motions. My guidance counselor wanted me to stay in Pennsylvania, but never took my desires into consideration (I mean, hello, it's my life not yours. I have to live with the decisions that I make!). Everyone had an opinion. I wish that I would've considered my options. I should've done more research and reached out to established actors in the Theater community to hear about the choices they made in pursuit of their Acting career. It doesn't matter what you want to do; research and a thorough knowledge of your career choice is key! I should've applied myself more to search for scholarships to help lighten the financial load. There are so many things that I know now that I didn't have a clue of then, but the silver lining is that I can be a well of knowledge to someone else and a resource (especially to any aspiring actors/screenwriters out there). Fortunately for me things panned out decently (only by the Grace of GOD). I didn't save up for school, but I was able to work at my school before/after my classes to generate extra money. My peers who did work during the summer before school began blew all their money midway into our first semester; thus my dorm room became their local pantry! It's interesting how things workout because if I knew then what I know now, I probably wouldn't have attended AMDA (but would've worked, saved up money, do some Acting in Pittsburgh, then go to New York to further my Acting career). The thing is we can't go back in time and it benefits no one to live in regret. I don't regret going to AMDA, it was actually a dream come true! I wanted to have roommates and stay in a dorm. I wanted to have a college experience and study Acting in New York City. I got that! I would regret not growing or knowing anything at all after being exposed to my experiences. My time at AMDA and living in New York auditioning/performing after graduating has given me an edge. It was all apart of my training and it's paying off. I'm humbled by my experiences. I have respect for myself as a performer and as an artist. I will not let anyone walk over me or abuse my talent because I've been there and I've done that. I know a scam when I see one. All-in-all, I'm a professional because of everything I have endured.
I learned a lot during my time at AMDA. I learned how to warm-up/prepare my body for performances, how to speak/breathe properly in Standard American dialect, the differences between stage acting/film acting, and so much more. What I gained the most was how AMDA shaped me as a woman and as an actress. My teachers (who were also my directors) put a demand on me and they pulled things out of me that I didn't know I was capable of. They showed me that I can dig deeper and give more of myself. My training was under 2 years because I continued through the summer of 2010 graduating in February 2011. The pace of our studies moved swiftly compared to a 4-year training program at another school. We would spend at most 3 days on a scene or topic of study, test, then move on to the next thing. This pushed us all as students to work hard; thus diligently preparing us for the real-world of Acting. When it comes to memorization of lines, I can thank AMDA, for the rigorous demand it put on me. Every week we were memorizing something! I am a better actress now then when I was training in school. Studying at AMDA and my real-world experiences have worked together to make me the performer I am today. I am more grateful for my training now then when I was eager to graduate years ago!
Years later, I am making plans to go back to school, and I am excited to continue the journey! My favorite part is that I am more patient then when I was 18. I am glad that I have had experience performing and auditioning. The best part is that for my field of study I can continue to do so while furthering my education. I am planning to get my BFA then my MFA to ultimately receive my "Doctor of Fine Arts degree". I had thought about pursuing this years ago in my early 20s, but thought it wasn't for me (I didn't think I had the patience or needed it). I don't need it, but I want it. I firmly believe that it will take my Script Development business to the next level adding clout to my credentials. I also want to start my own network and to be taken seriously in the industry. It wasn't time then and it isn't necessarily time right now at this moment, but I am planning and preparing for it. I know what to do and how to go about it. I'm a different person now and I can't wait to meet the woman I will be when I accomplish my goals. It's all worth the wait, the time, the hard work, and especially the negative opinions of others who don't believe in you or are professional doubters. All of it makes having the dream(s) fulfilled sweeter.
Here are some links to websites that assist you in searching/applying for scholarships that best suit your ability and needs:
https://www.fastweb.com/
https://www.niche.com/
https://www.scholarships.com/
And for those interested in a career in Acting, checkout past AESTHETIC posts on the subject:
https://mariahfranklin19.wixsite.com/aesthetic/my-aesthetic/book-the-gig
https://mariahfranklin19.wixsite.com/aesthetic/my-aesthetic/for-actors-only-mini-actors-workshop
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