Ahhhh... the comfort of it all. The knowing. Oh
happy day.
 |
| Not on purpose - I was just making scrambled eggs. |
Do you think I’m nuts yet? Okay, see what had happened was….
I called my favorite teacher – my acting teacher who I had
not spoken to in years. He is one
of my most favorite people in the world and my favorite teacher of all
time. First I sent an email. I literally jumped up and down when I
got his response back inviting me to call. We spoke just before the holidays and he suggested I call
back the first week in January so we could set a time to get together.
I called the first Monday after New Year's and wondered how
long I should wait before trying again. As the days passed without a response, I started to
agonize over it. I debated with
myself. On one hand, I didn’t want
to bother him. He is a very busy
man doing very important things and I am just a former student from years ago
who reached out for help with auditioning techniques and updating and
perfecting some monologues. He’ll
call when he can, I told myself.
On the other hand, he was always so encouraging about calling him and
keeping in touch. He would
appreciate me following up and calling again. He is one of those amazing gifted teachers who surpasses the
lessons themselves in his teaching and ends up guiding his students through
life-changing revelations that inspire them forever. He would WANT me to be persistent. He would appreciate my spirit and be proud. Yet still, in my heart there was the
terror of the possibility of offending him with my neediness. This is my acting teacher and a DAMN good one at that. He has the ability to look into my soul
and see what I am feeling. I remembered how nervous I was when I
first went to meet him all those years ago. I had been absolutely terrified and he assured me that it
was because of the importance that I had placed on that meeting. He was THE best and I so wanted him to
teach me. He did. Russell and I both were fortunate
enough to take private classes with him for a couple of years. I let the week pass and decided to call
again the following week.
I left another message for him the following Tuesday (Monday
turned out to be too hectic of a day). He
called back that afternoon. J J J After discussing schedules and
objectives, we set a tentative reconnect that weekend.
Before we hung up though, he said, “You know Tanya, you have
to be more aggressive with me. It
took you way too long to call back the second time. This is your art form
for God's sake!” J J J I laughed out loud before replying, “I
was hoping you would say that.”
This business of music and entertainment is full of
challenges and disappointments – as is life and business everywhere. Here especially though there is
auditioning and rejection aplenty.
I like to believe that the only person who is truly capable of making
you fail is yourself – when you quit.
I’m not going to stalk my teachers or casting directors or
agents (I could go on and on here - and am pretty sure that stalking is never OK) but I am glad to be reminded of the value of
persistence – especially by someone who cares. (Launching into song…“Can you feel the love tonight…” - IDK
just felt like it OK?)
“Nothing in the world can take the
place of Persistence. Talent will
not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is
almost a proverb. Education will
not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
- Calvin
Coolidge
“Our greatest glory is not in never
falling but in rising every time we fall.”
- Confucius
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