<p>KatMT:</p>
<p>I think the money from waiting tables varies by the restaurant, n’est pas? Lovely women who are cocktail waitresses at upscale bars tend to earn more in tips than guys at the Spaghetti Factory. At least, that’s always been my impression ;-).</p>
<p>I worked with a guy who’s a bellhop at a very upscale hotel in downtown LA. He can leave when he wants, come back when he wants, and makes very good money.</p>
<p>Tarhut… yes, you are right… it depends on the establishent… and the shifts that you work… that summer I was working 6 shifts a weel… dinner Tuesday through Sunday, as well as Sunday brunch… Monday off… not the best summer of my life, but it did give me time to audition, which was good, but I was exhausted… I didn’t make nearly as much waiting tables during the “off-season”.</p>
<p>I didn’t even think about the hotel market… my cousin (also an actress), used to concierge at a nice hotel in mid-town… she made very good money, and had flexible hours. </p>
<p>I eventually found that I preferred catering to waiting tables… good money… better employee meals… better hours… and a solid hourly wage that was not based upon how charming you could be… it also was much better for my voice… I was rarely asked to speek while passing appetizers, and champagn (sp?.. see I said I could never have made it as a proofreader 
!)</p>
<p>substitute teaching isn’t great everywhere. In our part of Louisiana, with the third best school system in the state (and this system really isn’t “bad” even considered nationally), a sub with a degree is paid $50 per diem, a masters $55 per diem. You could make as much or more flipping burgers or working Wal-mart without having to deal with the discipline issues that comes with some of those classes.</p>
<p>Very depressing, for the statement it makes about the overall committment to education here.</p>
<p>WmonMTDad:</p>
<p>Wow. And you can actually get subs for that kind of money? Where I live, the subs are actually paid a bit more than the average teacher, though there are no benefits, so I suppose the average teacher is actually paid a bit more in total comp.</p>
<p>Wow. Just wow.</p>
<p>I think one must have special training to be a dental hygienist. You can’t just walk into a dentist’s office and do it! :)</p>
<p>Another “wow, just wow”. My oldest D is a teacher and the subs here are paid $185/day.</p>
<p>The other issue with subbing as a possible ‘occasional’ job for actors is that in many places, you can’t register to be a sub unless you’re a certified teacher, which most actors are not.</p>
<p>I would have to say that largely you get what you pay for. Notice my opening qualifier: $50 with degree…you don’t even HAVE to have a degree and you could still be paid $40. Clearly, the philosophy is that a sub is nothing more than a baby-sitter/classroom monitor.</p>
<p>Here, the education is available, but it is imperative the student and parents/gaurdians stay engaged and seek it out. I said our system is third best in the state. It is. In S’s graduating class of 400+ this year we’ll have 5 NM finalists and 2 commended. The average ACT at his HS is above the national average. 10 out of 100 in the top band made All-State. 25% of the Choir made All-State. Yet we have negligible attention paid to drama, speech, etc. He’s done all his theatrical work at the community theater and their student’s program. He’d had to synthesize his musical work through independent assistance from choir and band directors that are willing to invest in him because he sought them out. And in the name of “No Child Left Behind” they are in the process of dismantling the gifted program in the middle schools. It seems the easiest way to keep anyone from being left behind is to put a ball and chain on the sprinters and marathoners. But all of this is best left to another thread where I can get on a solidly contructed Soap Box!!!</p>
<p>Louisiana has many, many issues. A lot of us truly hoped that “KatRita” would open the door to start with a blank sheet of paper and revolutionize the state. 18 months later we’re saying “A catastrophe is a terrible thing to waste”</p>
<p>alwaysamom:</p>
<p>True, but in many places, one can acquire a license without having an ed degree. A bachelor’s degree qualifies. That’s been the route some of my friends have taken over the years. Some of them have then taken some ed classes to acquire a license because it pays better.</p>
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<p>Well - another Wow, just wow here! Do you mind me asking what state pays $185/day??</p>
<p>If subbing is an interest (and - let’s face it, it is NOT for everyone!), I’m sure it’s a simple matter to call the state dept. of ed., and see what the sub requirements are. I know that, by state, it ranges from – hs grad., with a pulse; to college degree - any sort; to must have an ed. degree and be qualified to be certified or licensed same as a “real” teacher.</p>
<p>Not a state, actually, we’re in Toronto. :)</p>
<p>I do not not know if the same rules apply in NYC, and the boroughs, but in upstate NY you did not need to be a certified teacher to substitute. Certified teachers often do get paid more, but anyone with a bachelors degree qualifies as a non-certified teacher. Some schools will hire substitute teachers if they have at least 2 years of college, and substitute teacher aids if they have a high school diplolma or GED.</p>
<p>It’s been a while since I’ve posted, but I thought that I could mention a few things from our experiences. When My S wanted to continue into college and get a BFA in MT we were concerned about the possibilities of having a career that would allow him love what he does and to be financialy independent.</p>
<p>He agreed that if he didn’t get into one of the schools that we identiified as a top MT school that he would do a double major even if he needed 5 years in college.</p>
<p>As it turned out, he got into his first choice school, went on to graduate in 2004 and is currently in a broadway show. Even with all this success and the fun he is having, he has seen successful colleagues who talk about leaving the business. It feels like watching A Chorus Line all the time.
In the song “What I Do For Love” The actors are essentially,constantly asking do I stay or do I go.</p>
<p>Our S just had a friend decide to go into business after 2 Broadway shows…because of the insecurity. My son has started to write music and look at all the opportunities in performance, while still loving what he does.</p>
<p>He and I agree that you have keep your options open. </p>
<p>As parents, my wife and I had to work hard at supporting our S, while being honest with him. This doesn’t mean to give up a dream too quickly, but it meant to look at all his gifts and see what are the things that he could enjoy. </p>
<p>Many of the parents on this forum aren’t in their childhood first choice careers but have thrived. My wife and I support our son to have the alternatives that will allow him to have a happy life that allows him to succeed. In the meantime, I can’t lie…it’s a thrill seeing him fulfill his first dream.</p>
<p>Thanx for listening…
MTGRADDAD</p>
<p>Hi, I figured I am in a good position to speak on this subject. My S. graduated from Tisch 2 years ago with a BFA. His support job is as a substitue paralegal. He makes 20+ an hour often scoreing overtime. The work is not fun, but it pays for his apartmant, his theater company and extras. He lives in Washington heights and has a roomie, but also has lots of room, and a great neighborhood. he is currently working at a theater downtown, and gets door to door service on the A train in less than 35 minutes. He is persueing his craft… See review: The Black Crook, at Backstage.com, He’s the director, and playwright although he is playing that part down. Does he get discouraged? Yes thats the game. He does keep plugging at it and we hope it will pay off!</p>
<p>Camge, I understand that staying power counts for a lot! What do you have to do to qualify as a sub paralegal? Sounds like a great actor/playwright job!!!</p>
<p>Just a thought here…
The original poster has a SON who wants to pursue MT and grandparents who are questioning that choice. Do you think males who choose this field are ‘supported’ differently than females? My D is an MT major who wants to perform (not teach or write or anything else at this time), and I actually had a friend say, “Oh well, she’ll probably get married and he’ll support her.” (My D has never had a serious boyfriend, so a proposal is not forthcoming!) I know back in the olden days, some girls went to college get their MRS, but I am not one who thinks a woman needs to have a man to support her. I have been divorced 11 years and plan to stay single, so I definitely have never even thought about my D getting married just to have a steady income! No one in my family really understands the MT field, but no one has openly questioned her choice either. I wonder if it would be different if she were a boy?</p>
<p>Wow on that substitute pay! Here the substitutes do not need to be certified teachers and all subs get the same pay regardless of which degree they hold. I work occasionally as a substitute teacher and am paid $65/day and I have been a certified teacher in the past and have a Masters degree in Education from Harvard. So that is about $9/hour! Meanwhile, my 18 year old in a BFA program recently did a job related to her field and got $50 in an hour and just got offered a job transcribing music for a Tony nominated playwright and is paid $25/hour and once performed in an hour long production and was paid $2000. Even in high school, she was able to give voice lessons at $25/hour and directed a MT program for kids and made $3500 in two weeks. So, meanwhile, I do agree that the field of MT doesn’t usually pay so well or is not steady work, I must say there have been times my “kid” has been better paid than moi (particularly with regard to substitute teaching!). I agree with others, however, if you have have skills beyond performing, you can always get work. For my own particular aspiring MT performer, I feel she has a separate resume and skills and experience in musical directing, arranging music, accompanying, composing songs and writing shows, etc. and truly enjoys those aspects and I don’t worry that much about her earning money related to this field, though she surely is going for it when it comes to being on stage. I think many performers have other marketable skills.</p>
<p>PS, having been in the field of Education my entire adult life, it is another field that doesn’t pay very well but I am a strong believer in pursuing fields that you love. Same with theater (which isn’t as steady).</p>
<p>Yup, I think you hit the nail on the head. We do look at our males differently than females. That’s why we told our son that we’d pay for his theatre-education pursuits as long as they involved a college degree (as opposed to a training program). Yet, on the flip side, I wonder how family-friendly a MT career is for the females.</p>
<p>Camge- My son also live in the Heights. He’s a block from the a train and loves the location. He was on the train one night and struck up a conversation with a famous Hollywood Actor who lives in Hudson Heights. He told my son that washington Heights and Hudson Heights were the gems in the city. Quiet and reasonably priced (for NYC) In my son’s building, there are 8 apts occupied by performers and that is just one building.
Not having a D who aspired to be an actress I didn’t consider the significant differences. I hope that I would have given her the same advice that I mentioned before. My S went to a conservatory, but it was within a university so if he had double majored, it would have been easier. Actually he went there because he wanted a campus life… what a joke, he was in the theatre every waking moment…he got to 3 football games in four years. Actuallly he didn’t complain…too much. He did however get a dvr for his tv for Saturday football so that he could watch between shows.
I found that the struggles for boys is intense in HS. They can become alienated from old friends who see acting and dancing as GAY. Whether the boy is gay or not, he needs a peer group that accepts him and HS age kids are known more for cutting jokes than support.
My S actually used some of his anger at the harassment to do some of his best work in HS. By the time he got to college, no one seemed to care if you were walking through campus in dance clothes and being a straight male dancer was only judged based on whether you are good at your craft. He developed a group of friends based on mutual interests…It’s nice to know the adolescents mature.
MTGRADDAD</p>
<p>MtGradDad…
You said a mouthful. My S was told 4 years ago he had some significant natural dance talent but chose to put off any training until last summer when he made the final decision to follow his passion in MT. In large degree it was because of public perception. He didn’t worry about being a band geek, and his friends in theater all shared that passion and respected his work but dancing was very different. He’s only just now willing to admit it to a circle beyond his closest friends. There are times that I almost get the sense that this field is more challenging for straight kids, guys at least, because of perceptions.</p>
<p>My S’s dance career actually started at age 5, before he knew that it wasn’t cool to be a boy and dance. Lucky for him he had an older sister or he never would have seen the inside of a dance studio (we just wouldn’t have considered it). He just put on his sister’s tape shoes and that was it.
However when he was about 10, we were told that as good as he was at tap , he would have to take ballet to be a good dancer. You know ballet is the foundation…BLAH, BLAH.
Anyway he was so concerned about the feedback of a class, we found lessons at a class that was 20 miles away So that he could be comfortable. Later, to avoid people finding out, he took private lessons. By the time he got to college he felt secure about himself and is really comfortable with his dance.
It’s funny, what has made him a well rounded working actor was a struggle to feel safe.
By the way, he was also a band geek in HS. We was a drummer in the marching band…the percussion and the tape dancing was a really great combination.
I’d love to give him the drum set, but his apt. But, his neighbors would send me hate mail…He already has a guitar and a Piano in that apt. He also has the complaints to go with playing music in close quarters.
MTGRADDAD</p>