When work is a privilege…. October 30, 2009
Posted by Ria Keen in Uncategorized.trackback
People in the performing arts industries can often be heard complaining about how tough the industry is (it is), how hard they work (they do), the long hours, the huge amount of unemployment, and so on and so forth, ad infinitum. We all find a million reasons to grumble and gripe, and convince ourselves that we’re hard done by.
For example, I can often be heard moaning about how much work I’ve got to do and not having enough hours in the day to write arrangements, record vocals, learn songs, teach my private students, lecture at drama school, work as M.D. for the choir, run my college (VIDLA), etc etc. Then this week, I was told by a colleague whose ear I was bending about how much work I had on “You shouldn’t moan, you know – it’s better than the alternative.” How right she was!
Thus, suitably chastened, I found myself on Saturday 10th October
Steve Maitland
lined up to do a charity show at the lovely Pershore No.8 Theatre, working for my buddy Steve Maitland, doing his Michael Buble Tribute show in aid of the childrens’ charity Acorns and Breast Cancer Awareness.
Also on the bill was a small troupe of dancers, three of whom (Lizi Chambers, Laura Edwards, Jon Salthouse) were graduates of the drama school where I teach and were a complete joy to work with, plus the Voices Unlimited Contemporary Choir, for whom I am the musical director, and local singer / songwriter Ady Marshall. A fabulous pianist with whom I have worked before, a great stage manager and the legend that is Dan Reeve on sound, completed the team.
So we all spent the day in a lovely, comfortable theatre, sang / danced / played to an appreciative and sold-out house, then had an after-show party in the hotel across the road. OK, so there had been a LOT of work leading up to the show – in my case writing arrangements / recording parts for the choir, and learning stuff to sing with Steve. But the day itself, and the fact that so much money was raised for these good causes, reminded me not to moan about the privileged position I occupy, in doing a job which I absolutely love. Note to self: moan less, celebrate more!
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