This is the time of year many students are finding out that they did not get into the school of their dreams. Perhaps they got in nowhere at all. It is tough and many students may feel like life has come to a screeching halt. It is important to remember that pursuing this career is a marathon, not a sprint. Thanks to reality TV shows and mass media, we get used to the idea of young performers quickly rising to the top and becoming stars. Those who are that lucky to be stars at a young age are part of the < 1% of all performers. The reality is most take their time to climb to the top. There was a recent article in the Journal of Voice called “Backstage at Broadway: A Demographic Study.” The authors surveyed 135 Broadway performers in 2013. To me one of the most interesting statistics was average age. According to their findings, the average age of female leads was 44 with 23.5 years in the business. The average age of male leads was 41 with 24.5 years in the business. In the ensemble, the performers were only slightly younger: around 34 for both men and women with approximately 15 years in the business. To me that means that the average Broadway performer is not an overnight success. So give yourself a break and allow yourself to get comfortable with the idea that it will take awhile to get your career going. Perseverance and hard work can take you far in life. Keep working hard and you may be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Matt