Dissertation module so far...

As I'm approaching the end the research part of my inquiry, I thought now would be as good a time as any to talk about my experience through this process.

The process has been very interesting and enlightening - it is reassuring to know that there are many other people in the same boat as me, with regard to injuries and the attitude they felt from teachers about these injuries.

I have managed to get a true idea of the differences between performing arts and sports training - it has really surprised me just how different it is, and I've begun to look into why this is too, by looking deeper into how course content is devised.

I still have a handful of interviews and focus groups lined up, which will be talking to professionals in the field, as well as a couple of tutors, to that insight will be interesting, as I often wondered myself what the teachers thought about the way things worked in my college, such as procedure with physio or doctors appointments, and the rehabilitation process.

I think the surveys have worked really well - they have enabled me to pinpoint people who I really want to hear more from, or those who will be able to give a hugely valuable contribution to the inquiry. The focus groups have also managed to provide an comfortable and enthusiastic environment for students to speak their minds on subjects, without the fear of teachers telling them off or judging them.

I was wondering if someone could update me on the goings on during campus lectures this term, as work isn't letting me attend them!! I've had a brief look on everyone's blogs, but nothing is making sense to me (just for a change!!)

Ellie x 

Critical Reflection and Summary : Digital Portfolio

Here is my online portfolio, put on my blog since I couldn't master my own wiki page!

My journey during this module has been easy to track, thanks to my Delicious page : 

http://www.delicious.com/eleanor.mattley

All the links I found significant to my inquiry are listed on my Delicious page, however, I have highlighted those that I feel were most beneficial to me this module, in this blog.

I began by creating my delicious account, and then proceeding to reading many and various SIG discussions. One in particular attracted my attention : 

http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=145821545478191&topic=79

One of the questions on there, 'Is a three year vocational course enough to prepare graduates for the professional performance industry?' I realised that I didn't think my vocational training prepared me enough, and I immediately knew the reason for it - I came out of my training injured and unsure of my options. I asked myself 'why'? I also found this discussion : http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=145821545478191&topic=75 and reading people's comments, I realised I was not alone in my thoughts.

On the SIG board, I noticed a discussions appear relating to injuries, posted by a girl I actually trained with : http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=145821545478191&topic=99

I found many of the comments on this interesting, and used them to inspire my surveys and interview questions.

The following links are numerous articles that I have come across on my mission to find out about injury rates, health myths and education on safe practice: 

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/24091

http://blogs.voices.com/voxdaily/2009/07/the_dangers_of_whispering_for_your_voice.html

http://www.vocalist.org.uk/things_singers_should_avoid.html

http://www.danceuk.org/news/article/professional-dancers-work-through-injury-because-employment-fears/

The following link, in particular really opened my eyes to the issues surrounding injuries, and has influenced the progression of my inquiry: 

http://www.citraining.com/pdfs/Psychology-of-Injured-Dancer.pdf

When looking into education behind the injury rates, I looked at various specifications for different vocational qualifications : 

http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcses/art_dan_dra_mus/new/performing_art_overview.php

http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/newgcses/art_dan_dra_mus/new/dance_overview.php

http://web.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/arts/dance_overview.php

http://www.trinitycollege.co.uk/site/?id=270

http://www.trinitycollege.co.uk/site/?id=494

The following links are to my preliminary trial surveys:

http://app.zoomerang.com/Home/MySurveys.aspx

http://www.surveymonkey.com/MySurveys.aspx

Here are the links to two of the blogs I posted about the module tasks:
http://eleanormattley.blogspot.com/2011/05/task-5c.html
http://eleanormattley.blogspot.com/2011/05/task-6c.html

Task 6c.

The 4 inquiry tools have given me a real insight into what works and what doesn’t with regard to gathering data for an inquiry.

Initially, I used my pilot survey to pinpoint my target audience, so that I could interview relevant people. The recommended survey website, www.surveymonkey.com was great, although the free trial limits you to only having 10 questions per survey. I suppose you could write a number of surveys and link them together, but this is quite laborious and not entirely practical when thinking large-scale distribution.

I noticed some fellow BAPPers were using www.zoomerang.com for their surveys, and I found that I got on much better with this survey template– there is a higher limit to the question number and, like SurveyMonkey, it automatically compiled the data into percentages, which made it easy at a glance to identify how many people were of use to me in my inquiry. I mean, it would be pointless for me to interview someone who has had no dance training, or any injuries, because they wouldn’t be able to provide information on the subject.

Being an insider in an organisation that offers Performing Arts qualifications is great, because you have the opportunity to observe on a daily basis. You can even subtly question your students as part of the general class, and you find that their answers are often not what you expected. In a less formal setting to an interview, you can often retrieve information that students are only prepared to share when they are relaxed and comfortable. It also helps that they didn’t see me as ‘proper teacher’, in that I didn’t have the power to give them a detention if they said anything inappropriate.

Once I discussed ideas for my inquiry with the head of the department where I worked, she offered me the chance to hold a focus group with Year 11 dance students. I feel that this worked very well, in that the atmosphere was more relaxed than in an interview, and this allowed the students to feel more comfortable. They volunteered information, and fed off each other’s energy, which was great to see. I will definitely be using this tool in my official inquiry, as it made the job enjoyable and quite comical at times, with some of the statements that were flying about.

Two girls in particular gave some really interesting points, and I would like to interview them, once I have permission to collect data formally, and I have sorted out a letter regarding parental consent.

I did most of my interviews over Skype, for the plain reason that many of my peers live miles and miles away, some of them live on a cruise ship on the other side of the world, so a telephone of face-to-face interview just wasn’t practical! Skype works really well, because you can see reactions as well as hear answers to your questions. It was also a good excuse for me to have a catch up with my friends!

I do think that all of the inquiry tools worked well, for me, and I will be using them all during the next module.

Task 5c

In a professional context, many things have to be taken into consideration with regard to ethics, especially in a school environment, working with minors.

In a performing arts situation, such as a dance class, you have to be especially careful with how you treat students; many dance teachers prefer a hands-on approach to teaching, physically putting students’ arms/legs in the correct position, for example. In an upper school environment, you have to be especially tactful with your teaching and critiquing – to students who aren’t used to the sometimes harsh treatment in a dance class, you have to try especially hard with the wording of corrections, so that they don’t feel singled out or victimised in any way. I found that, being a casual member of staff, I could build a relationship on a less formal level with my students, which made teaching much easier, i.e. I could turn corrections into a light hearted situation, since it wasn’t my role to discipline them. I then found that I had more of an impact when I did have to be ‘strict’ with the students, because I was so laid back for most of the time.

In a vocational school, this approach would not really work, and I know from experience that I worked better when receiving the wrath of one of the stricter teachers, and similarly, compliments from them meant much more to me. Although the ethical legislation of each school is pretty standard, the type of student you are dealing with makes the margins slightly less rigid. In a company situation, for example, I have known choreographers to humiliate dancers in front of the entire company using the ‘tough love’ approach. This is simply not suitable in a state school environment.

Safeguarding procedure also became much more apparent at my place of work. At college, taboo subjects such as weight, eating disorders and financial situations were openly talked about, and the students had an understanding of each other that made this possible. In a state school, however, confidentiality legislation is much stricter, and you also feel much more responsibility to inform the appropriate superior, should students share information with you. This happened to me on a couple of occasions, and I had to refer to the safeguarding procedure guidelines for advice, as I never was exposed to this side of things at my own school.

With subjects such as nutrition, fitness and injury, I managed to develop a questioning technique with the students which built up a trusting relationship with them, which allows them to share more honest information with me – this was hugely beneficial during my inquiry process this module. I hope that these methods work in the other organisations I am hoping to work alongside, during the next module.  

Award Rationale

I’ve been thinking long and hard about my qualification title. The path of my inquiry keeps coming back to the root of everything: knowledge and education. I am exploring the issues faced during the transition from training to career, especially regarding injury prevention, care and rehabilitation. I have experience in this area, since I have a long standing back injury, and I also broke my ankle 8 months ago.

My back injury occurred during my training, however I broke my ankle after my training had finished, and I noticed a huge difference in my psychological state with them both. Even though my ankle injury was more serious and more threatening to my career, I have been calm throughout the rehabilitation process, discounting the initial panic when it first happened. I believe this is because I was away from the many pressures to return to full health quickly that I faced whilst at college.

I read into the psyche of injured dancers, and I discovered that many felt the same pressures as I did. I wanted to understand why teachers have certain attitudes towards injuries, and also whether this stems from a lack of education. Why are there so many injured dancers or singers, and why, like me, don’t they know what their options are if they become injured? Why is it just accepted in the world of Performing Arts that the majority of performers are injured? I am exploring this, and my inquiry is pointing towards it being down to the lack of education available to performing arts students, about this subject. Therefore, I am proposing the award title :

BA (Hons) Professional Practice (Health within Performing Arts Education)

ATHENS

Hi everyone,

I'm having real problems logging into Athens - I've been trying and trying without success!
Any help would be appreciated!

Performance and Education Inquiry

I have thought long and hard about inquiry ideas, and I came to the conclusion that my passion lies within the area of injury and education right now, as I am recovering from injury currently.

I found myself looking through articles on the internet, and reading blog entries of peers who are also going through the recovery period at the moment. I found that the same issues kept cropping up - 'what am I going to do next?' 'Why, after so many years training don't I know what options are open to me?' and many felt resentment at the general college attitude towards injuries - 'it's your own fault, and you need to get back dancing/singing as quickly as possible'. Having experienced this myself, I wanted to look into why this has become the general attitude towards injuries.

This is the link to my Delicious page - http://www.delicious.com/eleanor.mattley/?page=1 - there are some very interesting links on there including vocal and physical injury articles, and also qualification specifications for National Diplomas and GCSE/A-Level performing arts subjects, which I have used to see where this lapse in education is happening. It has been very insightful so far, and I cannot wait to get started on my professional inquiry during the next module.

I have 3 surveys which I need just a handful more participants for to get a proper statistical sample, so if you could spare 5 minutes to take them, that would be great. The links are :
<a href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2Z8GQQF">Click here to take survey</a>
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22C7QQ9LL8K
http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22C7QS6LMDT

Thank you in advance!

Campus Session - 21/02/11

The focus of this session was 'Ethics', referencing Course Reader 5.
We began by discussing our interpretations of the word 'ethics' :


- good and bad
- fair and just
- rules
- protection
- core values
- regulations
- virtues
- right and wrong
- morals
- code of conduct


Ethics ----->>> 'Ethos' - Greek for 'Character'.
We established that it can be a fine line between an ethos and a purpose/mission. E.g. in a school, the purpose/mission is WHAT is done, the ethos is HOW.


Virtues - values, good-bad qualities. E.g. kindness, patience, honesty.


Once we had established the terminology, we put it all into practice, firstly by exploring our own personal values -


Personal Values
* Determination/drive
*Optimism (see the good in everyone and everything)
*Honesty
*Respectful - treat others as you want to be treated.


Professional Values
*Determination/drive
*Motivation
*Respectful
*Always give 100% effort, no matter what


From comparing eachothers' professional ethos, we could determine that a 'good professional' in any career field requires qualities such as:
*Determination
*Reliability
*Ruthlessness, where necessary


Conflicts with Personal Ethics
*Salesmen often find themselves facing a moral dilemma, having to push-sell items they don't necessarily believe in, as a way of paying their bills. Mark gave a brilliant example of  this, from his own experience.
Doctors also face ethical issues on a daily basis - they take the Hippocratic Oath, and yet personally, their compassion must urge them to put terminally ill patients out of pain and misery.
I am also no stranger to brushing certain morals under the carpet, if it means I can pay my bills or afford to go to an audition that week. It has made me think how many personal ethics we have to forfeit, in order to be a successful professional.
The reader highlights a thought provoking example of this. For those of you who haven't got around to reading this, here's a short extract:
'In 1993, Kevin Carter, a documentary photographer, came across an impoverished girl in Sudan struggling to crawl towards water where everyone else had headed. As he was observing her, a vulture landed near the girl. Carter waited for nearly 20 minutes for the bird to spread its wings in order for a good photograph, but it never did. After taking some photos anyway, he did not help the girl reach the feed station and instead left her to die. The controversy continued when in 1994 Carter won a Pulitzer Prize for the photograph. Sadly, he committed suicide on July 27th, 1994 due to the extreme guilt that he felt for letting the Sudanese girl die when he knew he could have prevented it. His suicide note read, "The pain of life overrides
the joy to the point that joy does not exist."
There have been many arguments that Carter’s lack of intervention on the girl’s
behalf was fully justified. Before leaving on the assignment, he and the other
photographers were instructed not to touch anyone for fear of epidemics.
Furthermore, the ethical role and duty of a photographer is to observe and not
interfere.' (BA Professional Practice Course Reader 5, Professional Ethics, 2010/11).


We also discussed the affects law has on ethics, i.e. enforcing ethics. Comparative ethics can be seen between countries with different laws and different cultures. Examples of this include polygamy and homosexuality.


We were then given the following passage -
" The film 'Billy Elliot' tells the story of a boy in a mining town in the North of England during the miner's strike and his fight to study ballet. One scene showed 'Billy' practicing pirouettes over and over again in his quest to get them right. The delight on his face was obvious when he showed his dance teacher his achievement but the delight instantly turned to disappointment when no praise was offered. Instead his arm placing was criticised."
We were given three theoretical approaches to ethics, with which to 'make sense' of this passage, so to speak. They were :


*CONSEQUENCIALISM - e.g. an approach used by Utilitarians - 'The greater good'. e.g. killing one person to save nine lives.


*DEONTOLOGIST APPROACH - There is no 'grey' area, where morals can be reasoned, depending on circumstances. Something is either right or wrong, black or white. e.g. All lying is wrong, no matter how small or big the lie.


* VIRTUE ETHICS - Assessing the situation and the character of the person, before making a moral judgement. e.g. Crimes of passion.


Looking at these three approaches, my group came to this conclusion:
Consequencialism - small disappointment for Billy, but correction makes him a better technical dancer
Deontologistical - No positivity about the pirouettes, just negative about the arm lines.
Virtue Ethics - The teacher was doing what she believed to be ethically right, in her role as Billy's teacher, and she knew he would respond well to this method of teaching - 'Body Centered Approach', as opposed to a 'Person Centered Approach'.
Leading on from this task, we briefly discussed our own experiences with these two main teaching techniques,  which worked best for us, and why.




Case Study


Once we had explored these examples, we were given case studies of our own. My group was given an Internet article dating June 2009, about an alternative outreach dance project, organised by a team from the Royal Opera House. A team flew out to China, to teach an intensive creative dance course for a week. The course included students of all ages and abilities, some disabilities, and students suffering the affects of the recent earthquakes. The issues being dealt with included:
- language barriers
- cultural/religious differences
- the approach needed to teach a variety of ages and standards
- the handling of delicate subjects, including disability and the earthquake
- the consequence that their visit would have on the students
Therefore, a good Ethos for this particular project would include the following virtues:
- Appropriateness, and an ability to cater for all needs
- Sensitivity
- Good communication
- Patience


Final Task


Our final task of the day was to re-group, and come up with an appropriate code of conduct for our profession. My fellow 'performers' and I came up with this:


CODE OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS - PERFORMER.


1. Performers must have consideration and respect for the Ethos of those they work for/alongside.
2. Performers must be dedicated throughout, including during the preparation, rehearsal and product stages.
3. Performers must conscientiously use sheet music and choreography, in an appropriate way, during teaching and audition processes.
4. Performers must have a responsibility to deliver to the best of your ability at all times.
5. Performers are obligated to fulfill contract requirements.
6. Performers must strive to not deliberately endanger oneself. e.g. reckless/avoidable accidents.
7. Performers must have a responsibility for the safety of themselves and others in the work place.
8. Performers are obligated to take care of all legalities involving self-employment, i.e. taxes, national insurance.


Conclusion


I found this session extremely helpful on so many levels. I began the lecture at a complete loose end with regard to my inquiry, but this has really whetted my appetite for going down the routes of ethical links and how far people would be prepared to go, to become 'successful'. That also raises the question, 'by which standards are we measuring success?' I left this session feeling that I have gained a lot of tips and aids for my teaching job too, which I will definitely try out next week. Overall, an extremely useful campus session, once again. Now I need to organise my thoughts enough to establish my inquiry.

Campus Session - 08/02/2011

Hi all.


I thought I'd best get this first entry on the go, whilst everything from the session is still fresh in my head!
This session was my first trip to the campus, I regret to admit, but I'm going to try and make it to every session for this module, as I have already felt the benefit after just one session - last module, I felt I was consantly trying to play catch-up, and I could not fully engage in discussions on blogs, as I wasn't entirely sure what everyone was talking about!


I'm going to start off by briefly talking about the tasks of the day -


1. Knowledge


We were asked individually to consider what knowledge we needed, to become successful in our chosen careers. We then were put into groups, relevant to our professions; I was put in a group with 3 fellow performers. We collaborated our lists, and ended up with a big list along these lines:


- Castability (vocally, visually and physically)
- Talents (skills and limits)
- Different learning techniques
- Taking care of yourself
- Social Communication
- Intrapersonal skills
- Web based tools
- Preparation
- Presentation, and awareness of the impression you give people
- Knowing your own mind
- Audition Technique and etiquette
- The ability to critique yourself efficiently


Adesola looked at our list, containing predominantly professional knowledge, and threw in the idea of less specific knowledge. Things such as budgeting, time management and general survival, which are all used by 'ordinary people' and aren't just specific to performers.


We were then asked, in our groups, to present our lists as a graphical representation. As we trie to categorise our list, we noticed a lot of overlaps. I considered using a Venn diagram, to demonstrate the overlap between general and professional knowledge, as we established that things such as time management, social communication and preparation are important in general day-to-day life, as well as in our profession.


However, we then spotted that, for example, web based tools are a sub-category under social communications, so we decided to present our information in the form of a flow chart, which ended up more like a mind map of all the links, using main headings and sub-categories. This, and the other presentations can be found on Rosemary's blog.

<<<<< This is the mind map my group came up with.

Once we had presented it to the rest of the group, Jo came up with an interesting visual interpretation of this idea - she suggested portraying this like a map of the London Underground, each point being the stations and the categories being the lines. I really liked this idea, so I attempted it when I got home. The hand-drawn copy I have done is really clear, as I have been able to incorporate colour into it, which I enjoy using in exercises such as this, and revision. The computerised version is still a work in progress, but I will post it up once it's done, as I feel it really does represent the pathways of knowledge and the overlaps well.

2. The 'Big Question'


After a short break, we were asked what our 'Big Question' was. Once we'd established our own questions, we shared with the rest of the group. There were questions such as "Why are Musical Theatre actors taken less seriously than 'straight' actors?", "How does music influence children?" and my personal favourite, "What is next?". My question related to what is next for me, while I am still recovering from my ankle injury. We then took our questions and explored a selection of sub-questions, which we may then use during our inquiry.


3. What are  the opportunities and challenges of being an 'insider' in your profession?


My group, a selection of performers and people involved in visual and Arts management, found that a lot of the challenges faced by performers could be used to the advantage of those on the 'other side', for example age and experience. Experience may seem important; however, especially in this economic climate, experienced dancers will be less willing to work on a voluntary basis or for lower pay  than they are used to, whereas fresh graduates will be prepared to do pretty much anything, as cliche as it sounds, to get a job. Below is a table summarising our findings.

Challenges	Opportunities
Stereotyping – stunts growth	Stereotyping – can mean you have a job for life
Supply of graduates every year	I am a graduate right now
Knowledge can hold you back	Experience and knowledge
Age changes castability	Age – depends what directors are looking for
Staying current
Making contacts
Maintenance (staying at the top)

When I looked at blogs, such as Mark's, I saw a different approach to this task, looking at opportunities and challenged from a different angle, more specific to the inquiry. Below is a table summary of his thoughts which I found I could relate to.

Opportunities	Challenges
You are in the perfect position to understand problem areas that need to be fixed	You may be too involved, and therefore overlook basic/obvious elements of the inquiry
You have a passion and an interest for the inquiry	You may have preconceptions and may have a desired outcome, which could lead you to manipulate the results to suit your needs/only focus your attentions on information that supports your own preconceptions.
You would be directly affected by the inquiry, and so in a position to reap the benefits	Difficulties may arise if you have a strong emotional attachment to the inquiry, or to a person affected by the inquiry. This could raise ethical issues.

4. Specialist Interests Groups (SIGs)


Our final task of the day was to discuss how best to go about setting up SIGs, as aids in our inquiry. We considered questions such as:


- How many SIGs should we join?
- How do we decide on membership? (exclusivity, numbers, etc)
- What do we expect of the SIG members?
- What responsibilities should I have, as a member of a SIG?
- What technologies should we use?


My group came up with the following suggestions:


- We should join around 3 SIGs, so we can give them all a decent amount of attention - don't spread ourselves too thinly!
- The possibility of each of us BAPP students being able to invite two guests of their own, that will have a beneficial contribution to the SIG.
- The members should be expected to contribute to discussions appropriately, and try to check up on, and have an input in, the SIG at least once a fortnight.
- Suitable technologies could include the Blogs, Facebook or Twitter.


When the groups came together, we were all pretty much on a similar wavelength, and steps have since been taken to set up a SIG on Facebook. The creator of each thread will be responsible for Blogging an overview of the discussions on the particular thread, and this main group will eventually split off into more specific SIGs. The address for the Facebook is >>>>> hBA-Professional-Practice-Arts-Middlesex-University, for those of you who haven't joined it yet!

Task 2c

This course is encouraging the expansion of our methods of reflection, and as I looked through the course reader, I began to consider how some of the theories of various thinkers may apply to me and how I reflect. I began by looking at John Dewey’s theory of reflective thought; it is a theory which is very appropriate for this course, in my opinion. His theory suggests that the higher the level of engagement with the education, the higher the quality of the education. This immediately struck a chord with me, as the importance of communication through learning, using our blogs etc, has been reiterated to us from the start. This example was the easiest for me to relate to. My own experiences support his definition of active thought, as being ‘active, persistent or careful consideration of any belief’ (Dewey 1993), as I have noticed during this module that I have not gained as much out of some aspects as others and this lack of, I suppose, knowledge and understanding is in correlation with my periods of limited communication with others on the course.

The theory of reflection on or in action as suggested by Donald Schon (Schon 1997), was another that I found easy to relate to. Reflection in action is used constantly in dance. For example, one day  you may be more ‘on your leg’ during adage or pirouettes than on other days, and you will have to alter weight placement, impetus, etc accordingly, as with improvisation – your situation is never identical from class to slass, day to day, performance to performance. It can be simply referred to ‘thinking on your feet’ which is always necessary in a performance. Schon described this process as follows,

‘The practitioner allows himself to experience surprise, puzzlement, or confusion in a situation which he finds uncertain or unique. He reflects on the phenomenon before him, and on the prior understandings which have been implicit in his behaviour. He carries out an experiment which serves to generate both a new understanding of the phenomenon and a change in the situation.’ (Schön 1983)

During my time on tour, there was a moment when I had to use this. One of the cast members had been battling a throat infection for a number of days, until their voice eventually went completely, unfortunately during a performance. I took it upon myself to step in, and with a reassuring look in their direction I sang their verse.

In doing so, I had to change my whole ‘intent’ for the rest of the scene, or else the lyrics would not have made sense to my character. It was one of the scariest moments on stage I have ever had, throwing myself out of my comfort zone like that, but it made realise that I can do it. It is the same with actor when they have to adlib for whatever reason, be it a late cue or a missed line.

Performance on action is a notion that I am very familiar with, and it is my most preferred method of reflection. During my time at The Hammond, I was required to reflect weekly on each subject, looking at corrections and things that went particularly well, and why. Students also have termly assessments; during feedback sessions, we were asked how we thought they had gone, and whether we agreed with our given marks, or not, and also the reasons behind our opinions. The same can be said of our annual fitness assessments, the results from which were used to develop an ongoing training regime to better ourselves technically. This process was of huge benefit to me, as I have had an ongoing injury, and these results were able to highlight my weaknesses, so that my exercise plan was specifically useful to me, rather than it being a generalised one for the entire class.

We were also provided with reflection sheets for theatre visits and workshops. This broadened our reflective practises to the work of others, rather than just ourselves. I enjoyed looking at the choreography, lighting and musical ideas of others, as well as the teaching methods of others during the workshops. It helped me to highlight which aspects of each experience are valuable to me personally, enabling me to better channel my focus in what I do.

The school also encouraged us to reflect on any auditions we did, during our time there. We had weekly sessions of ‘Audition Technique’ which were mock auditions with feedback at the end. This helped us to iron out any major problems and to remember key highs, before we auditioned in the ‘real world’. This initially helped with the self-reflection process, but there is no true substitute for the real thing, which is why I am enjoying being able to reflect on my current job, and current ‘real’ auditions.

My job is perfect for me to be reflecting alongside it, as I am constantly being given targets, and I am able to see those targets being met, and the journeys to get there.

I am able to see what works well and what doesn’t work so well, with regard to teaching methods and approaches for individual students. It has been, and continues to be, a huge learning curve for me, and I feel that I am really benefiting from it.

From my journal keeping, I have realised that I become more and more critical of myself, as more time passes. Maybe this is due to having more time to dwell and linger on every part of the performance, whether it be in class, on stage or during a day of teaching; I tend to engage in a much deeper reflection. This, for me, has always been the source of my main problem – a lack of self confidence. My constant nit-picking of myself has worn me down, to the point where I had very little self belief. That was, however, until the start of this course. I have seen, through the incorporation of other methods of reflection, that I can channel my criticisms in a more positive and constructive way and, upon reflection, see each slight blip in a performance as purely a learning curve, and not something to freak out about.

I researched the frameworks of Reid and Moon, before I began writing my journal, and I found a model, shown below, created by Gibbs, which seemed to mirror the frameworks in a way that I could easily understand.

It was this framework, similar to that found in the Course Reader, that I used to aid my journal writing and my reflection on a specific day. I am a believer in structure, and while I know sometimes writing needs to be spontaneous and free, I like this framework to refer back to, when writing in my journal.

Task 3a Current - networks

    In this day and age, millions of people around the world use the social networking site Facebook as their main networking tool, and I am no exception. I have friends working all over the world, so it is a fantastic way to keep in touch with them, for free. We can exchange information publicly or privately, if we choose, see up to date information, photos and videos, pretty much anything. It is also a quick and easy way to post information relating to my career, such as show reels, headshots, and information about my job, skills and personal information; basically promoting myself.  Facebook enables me to search for people I have met through my line of work, and ‘befriend’ them on there, since the majority of people I know have a Facebook account. As far as networking is concerned, this is an invaluable tool, as I then have access to their friends list, which could contain a hugely beneficial contact. I can continue contact with people long after our working relationship has ended, which could open up many new opportunities for me. I am also able to join various groups and pages that will then send me updates for auditions, performances and many other things that are of interest to me and of benefit to my career.  

    

I have also created a Skype account recently, to keep in touch with my friends, although this tends to be purely for the social aspect. However, it lends itself to being used in a more professional way, also. My Blog, which I created only at the start of this course, is great for me to communicate with others connected to this course. I can upload extracts of my work, receive feedback and also chat to the other people on the course. I can also read other people’s thoughts and ideas, and comment on them; I do not have any of my ‘non dancer’ friends on my Blog, as I would like to treat it as a purely professional networking tool. I am also considering creating a private Facebook account, purely for my professional friends, as I feel that would be a more beneficial way of promoting myself, for many reasons.

My main issue with Facebook, and also the driving force behind me wanting to create a professional account, is the lack of control that you have over other people adding things about you, such as inappropriate comments or photos. I am not opposed to the odd drunken photo, or a dodgy status or two, but prospective employers do not need to see that side to you. After all, in this business, it is positive self promotion that will get you so far. But we are all human, and we all like to let our hair down away from work. This is why I feel a separate account with all your professional contacts is a good idea – you can still enjoy the gossip and socialising side to Facebook, without doing any damage to your professional reputation. It is also a good idea to have a high privacy setting on your accounts – the last thing you need is somebody typing your name into a search engine, finding a quote taken out of context, and using it against you. It is crucial to stay savvy and aware of what people can see.

 I have had first-hand experience of what Facebook can do to jeopardise relationships, on a more personal level, and while you have the opportunity to explain yourself to close friends and family, you can’t always explain yourself to potential employers. After all, the Performing Arts world is so small, you can guarantee that any negativity will spread like wild fire, and then you’re blacklisted by many people high up in this field.

It would be fantastic if my network could reach only those people who are interested in the same things as me, perhaps of there was a way to group certain profiles together, where we could network and discuss things related to our career and share our thoughts, like we can do on the Blog. This would help greatly to expand my knowledge by allowing me to access other ideas, debates, views and discussions. I suppose I could try and track down people to network with by sieving through any friends my current professional contacts have, but this would be time consuming. And besides, many people feel the same way as me about Facebook, and have high privacy settings on their public profiles, so I wouldn’t be able to trace them easily anyway.

Task 2b: Reflective Writing, Journal Writing Experience

I have decided to write about a specific day, which was the day I flew over to Hamburg, Germany to attend an audition, in November 2010.

The night before the audition, I barely slept a wink; my mind was sent into a frenzy of anxiety and excitement. It was to be my first audition in a professional environment, and I was determined not to let myself down. The lyrics to my chosen songs whirred round and round in my head all night, leading to a very restless night. I woke up feeling more tired than when I went to sleep!

The day was pretty much what I expected from a typical audition; we warmed-up in the studio beforehand, both physically and vocally. It was a dance-swing audition, so little dance was required for the audition, so I focused more on my vocals. We were then introduced to the audition panel – the Musical Director, producer, choreographer and the head of costume. The dance captain of the show actually taught us the routine in the audition. We learnt a bit from the Finale, which is one of the few numbers in the show which contains vocalists and dancers together on stage, doing the same steps. It was ridiculously fast, the rate at which the choreography was thrown at us; I wondered at one point if my brain could work any harder! It was hard to focus in a room with so many people in it, though. It was almost confusing, seeing different people practicing different sections of the routine, until they all just merged into one, in my head. I just had to take a deep breath and give it my best shot. We were split into smaller groups, of around five people, and watched more closely by the panel. They then made the cuts.

If we were successful in that round, which I was, then we were asked to sing. We had been asked to prepare two contrasting songs, one of which must have been of the pop-rock genre.  I had chosen to sing ‘Somebody to Love’ from ‘We Will Rock You’, and for my contrasting song I chose ‘You Know How to Love Me’, from the musical ‘When Midnight Strikes’. I believe these were good song choices for me, as they showed off my vocal range well, and are completely different styles, showing my versatility. I had also recently performed them both on tour, so I was confident with the performances enough to be less affected by nerves, than if I hadn’t been as familiar with the songs.

After the vocal audition, we were given a small amount of feedback on our audition.  This was possibly the worst part of the process, as it can sometimes be harder to accept a detailed critique of your performance, rather than just a straightforward ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

Initially, I was terrified that I would let myself down. I knew how fantastic this opportunity would be for me, and I was determined not to jeopardise it for myself. Arriving at the audition, I was cold, tired and full of anxiety, yet so excited.

I couldn’t wait to get in there and get my teeth into the audition – as it was to be my first proper audition, I wanted to see if everything lived up to my expectations, if things surpassed them, and if I satisfied myself with my performance that day.

One thing that immediately struck me was how welcoming the panel were. They were so friendly; not at all how I had imagined they’d be. I think that was what surprised me the most - how down to earth they were, considering how talented they are, and how important they are in the field. Having said that, the audition process was pretty much how I expected it to be.

There are a few things that will always stick in my head –

-          I had never felt so nervous in my whole life!  I will never forget that rush of adrenaline that I had throughout that day.

-          I couldn’t help but notice how happy the cast members looked, when I saw them walking around the theatre. I managed to catch a glimpse of a couple of rehearsals also, and I noticed how much they seemed to be enjoying their work – it seemed like a wonderful atmosphere; almost like a family.

-          During both the dance and the vocal sessions, the accompanist was fantastic. He was able to capture the dynamics to dance to, as well as follow you closely during the vocal audition. It is invaluable to feel so secure with a pianist.

-          I was blown away by the feedback I received. All of the people auditioning received feedback in front of everyone else, so I heard the panel talk to all of us. I was fortunate to receive very positive feedback, but any criticisms were given in a very constructive and encouraging way, which I admired a lot – the panel must have seen hundreds of us, and could easily have lost patience with the weaker members of the group, but they did not.

-          I will never forget the pain I felt once the adrenaline had worn off – my muscles felt like they’d never worked harder! It took numerous hot baths to recover from that day, but I know that I well and truly threw myself into it!

-          Another memorable feature of the day is the ‘Smoking Room’. When I arrived, I had forgotten that there is not a smoking ban in Germany, and so was shocked at first, when I saw people smoking indoors, especially around singers. I was ushered into a room, after the audition, and was faced by a room with couches and ash trays, so smoky I could barely see my hand in front of my face! This was where the cast and crew sat and could smoke within the theatre. I was thrilled, since it was well into the minus temperatures outside! I sat and chatted with many members of the cast and the crew, and was able to get a real insight into the life of a company member. It solidified for me, my passion for this career.

The day taught me many things. Firstly, I was surprised and delighted at how well my vocal audition went, proving that my preparation had been adequate. I didn’t feel unprepared in any way; I think my nerves would have been unbearable if I had been under-rehearsed. I really had put a lot of time into preparation for the audition, and I think that it showed. I also learned that I am more than capable of getting a job, if I keep on believing in myself. I got fantastic feedback, so I really should stop doubting myself – I need to walk into auditions with my head held high, instead of looking like I’m apologising. This leads me onto my final point – I must avoid negativity, as the levels of anxiety and much reduces, if you are feeling confident and positive.

I couldn’t have asked for a better experience that day, but I couldn’t help but wonder what could have gone wrong. I could have completely messed up my vocals – cracked my top notes, forgotten my words, or just not done a good performance. I might have completely dried up with the choreography, had a mind blank, or I could have damaged my foot. I could have injured my back again, or not have been able to carry on, due to pains with my injured foot or shin. The panel could have laughed at me. I know that sounds a bit extreme, but I have known panels to be rude to people auditioning, laughing at them if their vocals aren’t great.

I would have hated it if my nerves had gotten the better of me, and if I had gone to pieces. On the flip side, the audition could have been flawless, but not performance is ever completely perfect – something can always be improved upon.

I have decided to reflect on the day, from the view of the bag I took into the audition, as it followed me throughout the day, and saw everything I went through.

There was a distinct buzz of nerves in the room. All the dancers were showing their nerves in their own way – some were just sat silently, while others jabbered incessantly about nothing, waiting for the audition to begin. Eleanor was on the floor, stretching, seeming quite calm, considering the situation. Once the audition began, the energy in the room rocketed, and there was a whir of panic, as the dancers tried to retain the steps, and perfect the style. The room was a blur of steps and tantrums, anxiety and disappointment, along with a sense of excitement and adrenaline.

When it was time for the vocal round, there was a lot of pacing and murmured practicing of songs. Eleanor was fidgeting constantly, not seeming to know whether she should practice more or rest her voice, doing breathing exercises to calm her nerves. However, once her name was called to sing, she seemed to be confident. She came out of the audition relieved and with a smile on her face. The rest of the room was filled with the combination of relief, from those who had done the audition, and terror, from those who were yet to sing. It’s crazy how much pressure and emotional turmoil the performers put themselves through, just to try and get a job.

The audition was a very valued experience. For a start, the audition was for my favourite musical, so I was very enthusiastic about it, and I am sure that this enthusiasm had something to do with the positive outcome. The outcome of the audition has made me more positive and confident, ready for the next time I have an audition.

By observing others, I was able to pick up on positive and negative elements of their own audition technique, and apply them to myself. Currently, as part of work experience, I am teaching others, which is helping me to identify the positive and negative in the students, much as in the audition. I am able to see for myself what works and what doesn’t, and then transfer that and apply it to myself more efficiently.

Once I have fully recovered from my ankle injury, the audition process will become a more regular thing, so I’ll have to learn to fit it into my working week, along with all of the preparation that must be done beforehand. It also made me realise that, if I managed to do so well with my foot still weak, my injury will not stop me from fulfilling my dreams. It has made me more determined than ever to get back to fighting fitness, and I will be using this course to help me maintain the networking bridges that I made on the audition day. Also, I will be utilising the journal and the reflective process to analyse more experiences, such as the audition, to draw on the good points, in order to minimise unsuccessful auditions and experiences in the future.