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Hey Reader,
“All the world's a stage…” - William Shakespeare
I often think of life as a really large production in music, theater, or TV/film. Maybe that stems from my background in music and my career in the entertainment industry. Between being a young pianist and then interning at a small regional music production company nearly 20 years ago, my life has been surrounded by rehearsals and marketing decks.
"We're talking about practice, man." - Allen Iverson
It sounds really sexy in retrospect, but it wasn't at all. There were many moments when I doubted myself and felt absolutely absurd for pursuing a career in the entertainment industry. I didn't even know anyone in the business, but I had enough faith (and was naive enough) not to question my passion for it. So, I set out to pair some work with my faith, even as an intern and entry-level employee.
I made sacrifices. I moved away. I took jobs that paid dividends in experience, even when the paycheck hadn't quite caught up. I picked up the kids. I plugged up the phones. I grabbed food for the listening sessions. I ran artists to the green rooms. I escorted artists off the stages. I sat through the webinars. I learned how to read the P&L statements. I turned the lights on in the morning and shut them off when we closed up.
I was doing it all (a little too much at times, but that’s another story for me, you, and a therapist). But the truth is, everyone around me was working hard.
"I remember being a kid and going to games, expecting to see players play." - Kobe Bryant
I charged a lot of what I was doing to the game because I wasn’t the star of the show, nor was I the only one contributing to this production. I saw artists getting up at 3am to catch flights and take the first thing smoking back home so they could tuck their kids into bed at night. I saw execs work with cities to secure permits and rigs so they could deliver exceptional performances to the public. I saw spouses coming to offices because their partners were still working on album rollouts. I saw crews setting up early and tearing down stages after the shows were over.
Everyone was working because they believed in something. When the show starts, the crowd doesn't need to know (and oftentimes doesn’t care) that an artist has a sinus infection and just finished a saline flush to be ready to perform. They paid to see a show, and a show is what they got.
"If the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet the water bill is higher." - Debbie Macomber
I share all this to remind you that creating the life you want is never as easy as it looks, my friend. For anyone. Now, does privilege exist? Of course. I’d argue that is more of a reason you can’t assume you know everyone’s full story. But even your GOAT has battles they work through. I’ve been around long enough to know that if they make it look easy, it could be because they've rehearsed more times than we may ever know.
Don't let the rehearsals you don't see leading up to others' performances make you lose focus on your own show. If all the world is indeed a stage, your role is integral to the success of the show. Get busy rehearsing, so when the director calls “Action,” you’ll be ready.
Always speak life,
Vannesia
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