Case Study #1

Following a great chat with a fellow performer I have added this post as a case study.

Male, age 35, currently working as a vocalist for a holiday park show team.

My colleague had a quite a few ideas about how mature performers feel in regards to their careers.

He felt there was a point when your career naturally reaches a plateau and the decisions you make are based more around your life than about your development as a performer.  For example he has made a decision to work for a holiday park as the job is UK based, has no duties and so that allows time to develop other interests but also means he can work alongside his fiance.  The contract he is currently undertaking is ten months in length and he has worked for the company for four years so feels that, as far as performance jobs go, it is pretty secure.

My colleague talked about how outside pressure can make you sometimes feel that your life as a performer is sometimes misunderstood.  Again this idea of people looking at performers as not having a 'real' job was raised.  He said that friends and family from outside of the industry have raised questions about why he doesn't have his own house, mortgage, pension etc.

The point of age was raised and how the industry views more mature performers.  He believes all performers have a 'sell by date' and will find it hard to find work beyond that point, this also makes him feel he should stay in his current role.

Performer phsycology was also discussed and how performers are constantly viewed by others.  He feels that where other people are interviewed and gain work through talking to people he suggests that performers are more viewed through a 'window' when they are auditioned and also when they are watched from stage.  He suggests this may also cause problems for performers when they go to seek advise as the fear of gaining a true opinion might be uncomfortable.

The future of the industry is something that my colleague worries about, as technology develops such as audio visual and auto tune etc he wonders where the industry will move to in the future.  He feels there may be a time when singers are no longer required.

He believes performers struggle at the end of their careers because they are constantly 'looking for more'.  He says that when you address these feelings you can find a more secure job and be happier with your work/life balance.