Family not reeeeeeally aboard

savvygleek92
Sat, 07 Aug 2010 17:37:29 +0000

I’m sorry to hear that your family is “unaccepting” of your d’s career choice for the moment. I can attest to people asking me all the time “Why aren’t you majoring in something where you know that you will be financially secure?”

I’ve always been an arts kid. Always have, always will. I saw my first musical when I was 3, and my mom remarked, “You were enthralled by all of the performers onstage. You were completely quiet for those 2 and a half hours, eyes glued on them, never moving an inch. You could see the longing on your face.” Whether it’s been music, theatre, or even art class, I’ve ALWAYS pictured myself doing SOMETHING in the artistic field.

So many of my friends are sure about what they want to do with their lives: Engineering, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Doctor, Lawyer, Pediatrician,Psychologist, and Dentist. And many of these people I know wish they could pursue a degree in either music, music education, theatre, or musical theatre. But they are only choosing to pursue the other degrees because they are scared. They want financial security and stability. They want a perfect life and want to know that they will always be safe.

Someone asked me a couple of months ago, “What do you want to major in?”
I replied without hesitation, “Musical theatre. If that doesn’t work out, some other field of theatre or perhaps even music therapy as a last option.”
They responded, “Oh. Well, you know, I could really see you as a cute, little housewife!”

I have never wanted to cry so hard then in that particular moment. Why did it seem as if my dream of becoming a performer was so unattainable yet anyone who wanted to become a dentist automatically had a ticket to “SUCCESSFUL, FULFILLING, AND HAPPY LIFE” land? I felt that I deserved the exact same ticket as everyone else…

I, for one, wish that I COULD pick another degree and remain happy and move on. But that’s not who I am. I’m a stubborn musical theatre girl. I get more thrill from watching a three-hour musical then partying on the weekends. I would rather stay home and listen to all of my Broadway albums then go to a concert downtown. I would rather hang out with my choir and theatre friends than my other friends. My whole life has been centered around THE ARTS.

If I were to change degrees, I think my whole life would fall to pieces. I really do. Frankly, if I don’t make it into a BFA MT program, by God, I WILL be a part of the BA program and will repeatedly audition until I am a part of that BFA MT program.

Thankfully, both of my parents and grandparents, and all of my friends, are very supportive of my college decision. They understand that this is what truly makes me happy and that if I pursued anything else, I would be miserable. They believe in me.

As long as you believe in your D, that’s all the support she’ll ever need. I know that the love and support I receive from my parents touches me each time I think about the countless hours they have spent looking up colleges that are no more than a day’s drive away (so they can see my in shows of course! :)). “The Map” up on our wall labeling all of the colleges we are looking at. The 2,100 miles my dad has spent driving my mom and I to 7 different states over a one-week period. The college visits they have scheduled and have fought with admissions to schedule.

Your D obviously has a great support system judging from the rant that you posted. Your words are truthful and honest and something that everyone can learn from.

Best of luck to you and your D for future endeavors in the MT world!

P.S. BREAK A LEG AT AUDITIONS! :)