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[0:00] Charlie Murphy: Hello, hello, and welcome to Mapping The College Audition, a podcast where we explore the landscape of the college theatre world and try to demystify this daunting audition process. I'm your host, Charlie Murphy, Director of MTCA, Musical Theatre College Auditions, and today we have a spunky fun show lined up for you. Allison Blackwell is a longtime friend of my partner and a newer friend of mine. She's also a fabulous MTCA song coach and a really incredible vocalist, which you'll get to hear tiny snippets of on the pod today. Very exciting. This is another one of our artist exploration series where we're going to look at the college process and what carried forward into the career of some successful artists today.

We're continuing our different paths series for the past few episodes, where we're going to look at different people who didn't just get a BFA in acting and musical theatre, but have forged a really successful path for themselves in a different way. Allison talks today about the decision between making performing a career or a hobby. She talks about joining conservatory style program after being in a BA environment. She talks about the humility of being great, but being told you have more work to do. She talks about learning how to balance your checkbook, and there was much controversy about whether she did or did not need math, well, after college. We'll have to get into it. She talks a lot about the value of regional theatre and growing as an artist and a performer, and she talks about acting on a screen in this new virtual world of how much even theatre is going to be about acting on a screen. Let's get into that interview with Allison.

[1:41] Charlie Murphy: Well, it is such an honor to have Allison Blackwell on the podcast. Allison went to Spelman College, where she got a BA in English and Theatre, and then the Boston Conservatory, where she got an MM in Music. Allison has done a lot of Broadway shows, including Pretty Woman, Night with Janis Joplin, Porgy and Bess, and The Lion King. She's also performed with, I think, every orchestra in the country. It seems like literally every city that has an orchestra, she's performed there. She just finished a run of Who Could Ask for Anything More? The songs of George Gershwin at Barrington Stage Company, which is why she missed my baby shower. I'm not there about it. And she's also an MTCA song coach. So we're so honored to have you on the pod today, Allison. How you doing?

[2:34] Allison Blackwell: I'm great. How are you? Thank you for having me.

[2:37] Charlie Murphy: Of course. Let's dive right into the audition or the college sort of look at things way back when you were 16, 17, if you can kind of remember what you were thinking about. Not way back when, let's not make it sound like that. I just mean, way back. Watch it. Watch it. No, seriously, it does feel like eons ago. But yes, 16, 17, Allison, Allison Miller back then, not Blackwell, because Blackwell is my stage name. 16, 17. Honestly, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I loved music. I loved performing. I was in choirs. I was in theater. I was playing violin. But I didn't know what I wanted to do. But I know that I love music. And both my parents were musicians, concert pianists and conductors of orchestras. So I was immersed in music my whole life. But I just at 16, 17, didn't know what if I wanted to just make this a profession. But I knew that I wanted to be a part of my life.

[3:29] Charlie Murphy: Do you remember what your list looked like? Like what how many schools did you apply to? What kinds of schools did you apply to?

[3:37] Allison Blackwell: Oh, I list was about small six or seven half for all women schools, interestingly enough, and then some were just a mix. So about six or seven. And my top two were Spelman College, which I went to and St. Olaf. Interestingly enough, because it had a great music choral program. And Minneapolis, you know, has a great theater world to there. And so I wanted to meld both the world of vocal singing and also theater. So those are my two in Atlanta, of course, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Alliance Theater. It had a strong theater program. So that was in my mind. And then we'll talk we'll get a little deeper into it. But but just tell me a little bit about so how many were there years between Spelman and Boko? Or what what kind of prompted the the mm then that came? Right?

[4:25] Allison Blackwell: So I got a degree in English because I initially decided to be an entertainment lawyer. I got a drama. Yeah. So I decided to go that route because I loved performing performers. I love performing, but I didn't know if I want to make that a career. So I took a year off and worked for Congress for a year in D.C. for Congress. Why is that not in our bio? I should have read that. Oh, no, no. It's another kept secret. I worked for Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Cleveland, Ohio, which is where my family's from, Cleveland, Ohio. And so I took a year off and did that. And I didn't like it. I didn't like it because all I wanted to do was sing. And I was singing at work. They were tapping me on my shoulder like, please stop singing.

And I started to perform in D.C. Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. Ended up doing a concert there. And I just realized up through the year that this wasn't for me. And that's when I applied to basically two schools at that time had an M.M. because now it was changed to M.F.A. But Boston Conservatory and I think Cincinnati had the program. Right. And this was your specific look at musical theater then? Or were you thinking about music in general?

[5:28] Allison Blackwell: Musical theater and master's. I didn't want to go back four years and do a B.F.A. or B.Q. whatever. So I looked specifically for a master's program that will kind of give me what I needed. And Boston was the best choice. It was still near to the East Coast and my family, my parents. And Boston was another great theater town and near New York. So I could audition for New York as well if I wanted to. So that was that year break that I took.

[6:00] Charlie Murphy: I love it. So let's we'll do a little bit of like now look at the college years and we'll do it maybe a little. I'm going to say the college years and then the grad school years. We'll do a little bit kind of doubled. Let's just start off with Spellman and tell me a little bit like maybe in a couple words, what was the experience of Spellman like for you? So what was the actual experience of going there? What did it feel like to be a Spellman student?

[6:17] Allison Blackwell: I found those four years who I was. And I just feel like when I was in high school, I didn't know who I was and who should I be. And, you know, those four years allowed me to figure out who I was and what I was meant to do. I was meant to do greatness and be great at everything I did. Not saying I didn't know that in high school, but the four years really gave me pride, dignity and the tools to not only be a performer, but also to survive in the world, meaning to balance a checkbook, have an academic career, a great program so that I could really go into the world and be prepared for whatever I wanted to do. So prepared. Dignity. Hope.

[7:02] Charlie Murphy: Yes. And then what if I ask you the exact same question about Boco? What was the experience of Boco like? So how would that be? Maybe differ from. I mean, that's a conservatory. So honestly, ripped me down and built me back up. I mean, it just ripped me down as far as humbled me and then built me stronger. So I was even stronger to go into New York City because I thought I was great. I thought I was great. But getting there, it's like, yeah, you're fine. But so are all these other people. And so it was a humbling situation, especially being older in a master's program. It was humbling being told you're great, but you have a lot of work to do. And knowing in those two years that I had to work triply hard to catch up to all the other people who had four years at Carnegie, at Juilliard and are going for a master's program because I didn't have that kind of experience. So built me up, tore me down, built me up, but left feeling even stronger than Spelman College. Honestly, I love it.

[8:01] Charlie Murphy: OK, we're going to play the first of two games today. The first game is going to be about your Spelman College experience. So this is a college flash background. OK, your answers. The only thing you're being graded on in your answers are the number of questions you're able to answer within 60 seconds. Now, if you choose to be funny, if you choose to tell us stories, that's your choice. But you're trying to get the record so far is 12. We've had one person get 12 answers in 60 seconds. I'm asking questions about your Spelman experience of the best that you can remember. OK, the hardest class for you in school?

[8:28] Allison Blackwell: Math.

[8:29] Charlie Murphy: Social butterfly or bookworm?

[8:31] Allison Blackwell: Social butterfly.

[8:33] Charlie Murphy: Something on your dorm room wall that you remember?

[8:37] Allison Blackwell: Princess Diana.

[8:38] Charlie Murphy: Class that you've never used again in your life?

[8:41] Allison Blackwell: Spanish. No, no. Oh, no. Uh, yeah, like math. No, I use that.

[8:47] Charlie Murphy: Classmate you learned the most from?

[8:49] Allison Blackwell: Jesus. I'm Nicole.

[8:51] Charlie Murphy: Nicole. Worst fashion choice you made in school?

[8:54] Allison Blackwell: Oh, God. Not wearing a bra.

[8:56] Charlie Murphy: Do you ever possess a fake ID?

[8:59] Allison Blackwell: No.

[9:00] Charlie Murphy: Do you ever sleep through a class?

[9:02] Allison Blackwell: Yes.

[9:03] Charlie Murphy: Most embarrassing costume you wore in college?

[9:06] Allison Blackwell: Oh, God. That West Side Story outfit for Velma.

[9:09] Charlie Murphy: Your worst college audition hiccup?

[9:11] Allison Blackwell: Lost the words and threw the sheet music up in the air.

[9:14] Charlie Murphy: Part you want to go back and play again in college?

[9:17] Allison Blackwell: Ella Fitzgerald.

[9:19] Charlie Murphy: Oh, did Ella Fitzgerald. Ella made it in there. That Ella. Oh, gosh, it was close. Wasted too much time on the math or Spanish or Spanish math. I know, I know. It's horrible. That was horrible.

[9:29] Charlie Murphy: You don't use any of it again, you know. Megan, how did we do there?

[9:33] Allison Blackwell: Very close. It felt very close. I know. If we're counting the last answer, it's 11.

[9:39] Charlie Murphy: Oh, it's so close. That's fine. That's fine. It was that math. It was math, Spanish. And I realized you do new math. How dare you? I couldn't remember. She talked about bouncing a checkbook. Come on. I know. I was like, oof. Princess Diana on the dorm room wall. I loved her. And she died my second year in college.

[9:56] Allison Blackwell: Uh-oh. Don't get yourself. No, it's fine. I'm old, honey. That's fine. No, honey. Don't, don't. It's fine. I loved her. And so I just loved everything about her. Her dignity, her presence, and just felt like a good-spirited woman. And I just, I feel like I loved her. So that was definitely on my wall.

[10:09] Charlie Murphy: I love the audition hiccup. I feel like that's a good thing to do today if you forget the words. Just fling them up in the air and let it go.

[10:12] Allison Blackwell: Oh, when I tell you full-on, I reenact it for my aunt all the time, and she laughs the whole time. It was literally for the whiz. No bad news. And I just got lost after screaming for like two minutes. And I was just like, no bad news. No bad news. It was a nightmare.

[10:27] Charlie Murphy: You must have booked. That must have been a book.

[10:30] Allison Blackwell: No, I didn't get it. I shouldn't have. It was a sham. Super fun. Let's just do a little slower back. And maybe now let's think about the vocal experience where you're now getting this really intense training. Like you said, this sort of tore you down and then kind of built you back up. What is maybe the biggest thing that you take away from like in the tearing down and the building back up?

[10:50] Allison Blackwell: I'm so grateful that this was added in skillset-wise. So many things, but you know what? Just don't surf through the words and the music. Really think about what you're singing about. Interpretation. You know, I just loved singing. You know, we all love singing, but when you really break down what these words are saying.

[11:15] Allison Blackwell: Welcome back everyone to the Broadway Show, this is the show where we talk about what the music is and how the music is connected to the words. It's important. And I thought I just surfed through stuff because I could just sing and they really told me like, Allison, you can't just sing. You have to act. Everyone has a great voice at a certain point. But what separates you from everyone else is going to be how you interpret the song and the lyrics and the music and you can interpret these songs. So I think that was the thing that really tore me down the most was like, you have to do the work. It's great advice. Um, what about if you could now go back now, these years later with all this experience under your belt, what would you go back and teach at that school? If you could go, I would add this class in or if you wouldn't teach it, you go out with someone else to teach this, but I was missing this from my training program.

[12:03] Allison Blackwell: I just feel that there just needs to be a class about quote unquote balancing your checkbook. What do you do when you can't perform when you do have a break? You know, I worked at Gap and Macy's for a little while to make money, but you know, there's, there's temping. There's other things you can do. I think there should be a class that teaches children what to do when you have a break, because that was hard for a lot of my friends. Like, what do I do? All I know is to sing and dance and act. And that's true, but you also have to know how to use the other tools that you were gifted with besides performing, because some people can direct, some people can write, why not get into that? Why not figure out what else you can do? So I think a class that also explores what else you can do to supplement your income is very, very important.

[12:53] Allison Blackwell: I think so true. And sometimes even if the school's not actually teaching the opposite, the opposite is almost encouraged. Like I remember alumni coming back and saying, well, I never had to work a day job in my life. Like it was like, they're so proud. I'm like, well, good for you. And back then I was like, that's amazing. I want to be that person. And now I'm like, well, good for you, whatever, like, you know. And that's the goal. The goal is to go to New York or wherever you're going, Chicago, Philly, wherever you land and to work consistently. That's wonderful. But that's one or 2% of us that are able not to have to get some type of other income. And that's just reality. And I think it should be taught and told not to make people scared, but just the reality of survival and this business.

[13:36] Allison Blackwell: That you could be the phenomenally successful Allison Blackwell, or Allison Miller, we've discovered here on the pod today, breaking the cake. But that you could be phenomenally successful and have to work at the Gap at some point in your life, or have to be teaching or doing other things. That's just there's going to be in the course of a long career moments where you're not always employed.

[13:52] Allison Blackwell: Absolutely. And that's okay. And there's nothing wrong with that. I think there's shame put on, on that. If you are not working, what are you doing? Oh, I'm working at Gap. Oh, I'm sorry. No, don't be sorry. It's fine. It's fine. You know, so okay, we're gonna take a really short break. And then when we come back, we're gonna play a Broadway divas trivia. Oh, Lord. Okay.

[14:17] Charlie Murphy: All right, we are back with Allison Blackwell. And we're gonna play our little known Broadway divas trivia game. These are some little known facts about some Broadway divas, all of whom that you know, and or have worked with in some capacity. Okay. This is a fill in the blanks style game. So you your own honor code, but we'll just say the first thing that comes to your mind is the right answer. Okay. Okay. You ready? Audra McDonald is auditioning to play the lead in the new musical version of Game of Thrones. What song does she sing?

[14:46] Allison Blackwell: Oh, come on. I mean, it had to be something for Marie Christine. Uh huh. What for Marie Christine? Uh, beautiful. I don't know. Beautiful. Maybe something like that. I just needed a little bit of it. I needed to hear a little you know, yeah, beautiful, beautiful. Talking about Jon Snow. Talking about Jon Snow. Beautiful. That's Audra Ann. Audra Ann.

[15:14] Charlie Murphy: All right. Anne L. Nathan is doing her fabulous one woman show entitled the L stands for Leslie. What is her closing number?

[15:24] Allison Blackwell: Oh, how dare you? Um, I would love to hear her sing. I would love to hear her sing and the world goes round. Real talk. Oh, I think she would slay that. Do we get a little preview of that too as well? Oh, how dare you? Sometimes you're happy and sometimes you're sad. But the world goes round.

[15:44] Charlie Murphy: Heck yes. Yeah.

[15:45] Allison Blackwell: You didn't know you'd be singing today. I'm sorry.

[15:47] Charlie Murphy: It's fine. I'm warmed up. I'm very warm.

[15:49] Allison Blackwell: Okay, Samantha Barks is about to adopt a rare and endangered pet animal. What is she adopting?

[15:59] Allison Blackwell: Okay. I feel like she would love a koala. I love koalas. But you know, because Ivy her, her baby is like furry and stuff. So I'm gonna say a koala.

[16:11] Charlie Murphy: She's already got a furry baby.

[16:14] Allison Blackwell: I'm gonna say koala.

[16:16] Charlie Murphy: Alicia Umpress is going all out for Halloween 2021. And looking absolutely fabulous. What is she going as?

[16:27] Allison Blackwell: I don't know. I feel like in some way like a Katy Perry ish outfit. Oh, because that body for me is snatched. So I feel like something like early Katy Perry. Like something in that era. Yeah, I feel like something with lots of color, anything with lots of color, but not yet into the tiger. She's not a full tiger roar. I feel like it's colors. I feel it's lots of colors. That's her style. Yeah.

[16:53] Charlie Murphy: Okay. Elizabeth Stanley is dressed to the nines attending the Met Gala. What is she wearing on her head?

[17:03] Allison Blackwell: Child she's to be wearing a crown. As far as I'm concerned right now. Carrying that child. So a crown. She's gonna wear a crown. That Beyonce. Remember that thing Beyonce had when she was pregnant and did that performance on that award show. She's gonna have a crown, a gold crown.

[17:18] Charlie Murphy: A full crown. That's an aggressive choice. I think that would be I would be like to see that. I would enjoy that very much. Alison, you have won the little known Broadway divas trivia game. Oh, five for five. All correct. Unbelievable. Yes. Very fun. Thank you for that. Yes. Um, I'd love to do a little bit about your professional life as well. So maybe tell me a bit about like, so now you've graduated. You spent the year you went to Congress. Amazing. Now you've gone to BoCo. You've graduated. What was it like navigating those first couple years of being in New York City or, you know, trying to make it be a professional actor? How did that go?

[17:37] Allison Blackwell: Yeah, I mean, honestly, I left to go and do Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera Dreamgirls right out of Boston Conservatory to work with Norm Lewis, Billy Porter, Montego Glover. And so just that experience alone got me excited to go into New York. And I remember seeing Billy Porter on the street and he told me, I was like, I gotta get on Broadway, gotta get on Broadway. And he said to me, go do regional theater. That's where you're going to get all your experience to learn the roles you need to because Broadway, it's going to be hard for you to get certain roles. But regional theater is where you're going to grow as an artist. And as a performer, go and take those roles. Broadway is not going anywhere.

Go. And I listened to him. And right away about three or four months after I came to New York City, I booked Paper Mills Ragtime. And then from there, I continued to work regionally for a while until I basically did Porgy and Bess, Lion King, Las Vegas 2009. So I was regional theater, but I was working Gap and Temping until I got that show. And then I just kept doing show after show and audition for regional theater, Sacramento Music Circus, you know, all that type of stuff all over the country, basically. And so that was basically my experience. But that golden advice from Billy really changed my perspective, because we're told Broadway, Broadway, Broadway. But him saying to me, who to star legend, go into regional theater, there's nothing wrong with going to regional theater and growing as a performer. It changed my whole trajectory and my whole life and my career. Honestly.

[19:26] Charlie Murphy: It's really interesting. That's very similar advice as our Queen Elizabeth Stanley gave us as well. Yeah, not not surprising that the two of you are so close. Um, what about other places where you felt like connections from school, or the school's reputation sort of gave you a leg up in booking work? Was it more about the actor you graduated? Or were there places where you go, it was really helpful having this degree or having these people that I met in school who were able to get me in this door?

[19:48] Allison Blackwell: Yes, I feel I feel like Boston Conservatory definitely helped because master's program, we didn't really get a showcase, which is which is hard where the freshmen kind of did. But we got to have people come to visit Boston Conservatory. And I definitely made some connections through their meeting some casting people and getting in the door. Initially, I didn't have an agent when I came to New York, I was just going to open calls for a long time. So I think Boston Conservatory did help me, but it was my sheer will. And just my hustle personally, that I feel helped me a lot more than the name and my talent. Because I was still studying, even though I didn't have a lot of money, I was still studying voice, I was still trying to take acting classes, I was still trying to stay in an educational place, because, you know, I wasn't working as much, but I want to stay on top of my craft. And I think that made the difference a little more than the name of the Boston Conservatory, for me.

[20:47] Charlie Murphy: Totally makes sense. And are you doing anything you're doing at the moment to continue your education? Are you taking any classes or voice lessons? Or are you keeping that that sort of seed growing of the educational mindset?

[20:58] Allison Blackwell: I mean, for me, I have kind of switched on taking classes for TV, film and commercials. That has been kind of my move since the pandemic kind of hit is moving into there. I just got a commercial agent a little while ago, but it's something that I was really trying to get into. So the classes I've been taking have primarily been TV, film and commercial, but I if I have like Gershwin, I prep with my coach to prepare for the Gershwin material. So I have a coach, but regular weekly or monthly right now, not as much because there's just not a lot of theater opportunities right now. But yeah, whenever I have a show, I definitely am coaching and getting the voice together.

[21:37] Charlie Murphy: I love that. Um, let's do a couple questions as an MTCA coach. So I'd love to hear a little bit about stuff that you've learned now coaching this process. Maybe just start off like, what have you learned from working with our students? Any big surprises of Oh, my gosh, now I'm, I've really learned about this process differently, sort of from the student perspective.

[21:57] Allison Blackwell: I think the biggest thing I tell everyone, I just who they admire, and how different it is from when I was coming up in the ranks. So I'm used to hearing like, oh, Audra, or Marin, or like LaChanze are, you know, you know, those type of people, Glenn Close, Patti LuPone, and they're saying totally different people.

[23:58] Allison Blackwell: A lot more stress in the kids preparing for pre-screens and getting music together and the cuts. And that is, I think, a difference. I feel.

[24:08] Charlie Murphy: It's so true. I think, yeah, when we were growing up, anxiety was not a word that I heard a lot. And now it's like every student will talk about, I have anxiety. I mean, just like that's almost a given.

[24:18] Allison Blackwell: Yes.

[24:19] Charlie Murphy: What about the industry as a whole? I'd love to talk a bit about like, how do you feel like it's changing in this year of 2021? You know, both with the questions about demands for racial equity.

[24:28] Allison Blackwell: Yes.

[24:29] Charlie Murphy: The questions about equity in general in the Broadway world, but also just like the pandemic and the virtual world that we're living in and how that may be changing the business. I'd love to hear a little bit like kind of where you think we are now and where you think we might be going. Not to make you prognosticate on the next five years, but wherever we think we might be.

[24:46] Allison Blackwell: This is like a two part answer. I think we're now in a virtual world and that's something that we didn't deal with when I was younger. But now I feel like it's the year and the years of the camera, knowing how to sing, act on camera, what side is best, the right makeup, the right microphone. It's a whole different world. And I think that's the additional stress for the kids as well. They're now technicians on top of having to decide what to sing and then produce the producing basically everything. And so I think that's the game changer for all of us is that it's a new day, new dawn. We're now technicians in addition and producers in addition to performers. So I think that's a new thing that I don't think it's going to change for a long time.

And I think it's probably going to stay for longer than we thought initially it would. How is theater changing or adjusting to what's been going on the last couple of years? I won't know that until I step back in the theater. To be honest with you, a lot of people are doing lots of wonderful things and we definitely see changes in artistic directors and programs and funding. But for me, I think about what about when I step into a show? What are the protocols for COVID? How are we going to protect it for mental health days if I take off because I'm not mentally well? That type of stuff, racial stuff, discussions, EDI training, all that stuff, I won't be able to answer until we people get back in the room and we start hearing what's really going on.

But so far, I think there's been lots of great progress. We have a lot to still do. But I think there has been good progress. And I think if people still stay on that course, and just remember, it's not about you. It's about we, I think we'll be in a better place.

[26:42] Charlie Murphy: What about in wrap up, is there any big piece of advice you would give to, let's say, young artists, maybe young artists who's just graduating from school and figuring out what their sea legs are as they enter this business? What would you want to say to them? What piece of advice would you give them?

[26:58] Allison Blackwell: Yes. I would say, always remember, your journey is your journey. Do not compare yourself to anyone else's successes or what they're going through. I felt coming out of school, stressed to be on Broadway and I have to get, but as I got older, I realized just do your own path. Be on your own journey. Don't compare yourself to other people. It's just fruitless and it's just not healthy. So that's what I would say to a younger self, a younger Alison, just follow your path, work on your craft, be prepared, be a good person, stay humble. Just worry about you and growing artistically as a person and you will be fine. Trust your path and be kind to yourself and your journey and your path.

[27:46] Charlie Murphy: I love it. That's great. Great advice. All right. Well, if people loved hearing you today, which I imagine they must have, where's the best place to follow you? Are you Instagram, Twitter, Facebook? Are you on all these things?

[27:58] Allison Blackwell: I'm on all of them. Instagram, the Alison Blackwell on Instagram. I have a website, AlisonBlackwell.com. I'm on Twitter, A Blackwell NYC. I have a Facebook fan page. You can find, just Google Alison Blackwell.

[28:16] Allison Blackwell: Fan page for Alison Blackwell is what I have there. Yeah, that seems great. The number four. Perfect. Awesome. Well, Alison, thank you so much for coming on the show today. It was such a pleasure getting to chat with you.

[28:25] Allison Blackwell: Yes. Thank y'all.

[28:27] Charlie Murphy: Okay. Well, I hope you enjoyed listening to Alison as much as I enjoyed getting to chat with her. Isn't she just a sparkling wit and just an amazing vocalist and human being? So it was just so fun to get to hang out with her for a bit. I want to take a little bit of a deeper dive into something Alison said, which I think is so smart and something we all as actors can recognize this moment, which is the humility of kind of realizing where you are in the world and how you're going to have to deal with it. To make another sports analogy, because of course I'm going to make a sports analogy. I like to refer to this as you're like, welcome to the NBA moment. Or if you prefer a different sport, you can put a different sport in there, right?

Athletes will often describe their first encounter with like a truly great player. Maybe they've been great players themselves in college and now here they are in the NBA. I remember JJ Reddick, who's like, was like a really good college basketball player and now is a perfectly good NBA player. He was talking about this moment on his podcast, like his very first experience. He got into an NBA game and he was like this hot shot player at Duke. He was like whatever player of the year and all these things. And I may be paraphrasing the experience, but it was something like he got in, the guy who he was guarding, like called for the ball, was like, Hey, give me the ball, like bodied him up, scored.

And then he went down the court the other time, came back to court, same exact thing, having to call for the ball, I got a rookie on me, scored and then he gets taken out of the game. And that was like his NBA experience was just like getting scored on twice and then being taken out. And like famously in the NBA, there's often like a little comment may be given like, welcome to the NBA, Rook, you know, sort of from the other players. For artists, it's not going to be nearly as aggressive as that kind of moment. But the same thing can happen. It's often maybe a moment when you're going to realize that you're not going to be able to skate by on your talent alone. Often in high school, those of us who do go to conservatories, those of us who do want to make a professional career out of this may have that thing where they go, I am better than other people around me, I am able to kind of just to skate by my talent.

And then you go to a conservatory, or sometimes for people to be going being a big professional show and being full of a talented cast, right? And you're surrounded by that talent. And you realize, I'm maybe not special, just because I'm talented. Everyone else had to get into the school and the show as well. And I think what you choose to do with that moment is so huge, right? Are you the kind of person who keeps kind of banging your head against the wall, just forcing yourself to ride on your talent, insisting that your talent must be so prodigious that it'll carry you even without doing the work? Or are you able to step back and assess where you are honestly, and put in the work needed to get where you want to go?

Right? You might not be special just because you're talented, but you are special for being who you are. So remember what you did that got you you did get into this school, you did get into this show, right? And what is that thing that you do better than anyone else? How can you hone those skills to make your specialness even more dynamic and specifically yours, and those areas where you're weaker? How can you keep working to pull yourself up toward that level you want to get to, even if you know you're never going to be the flashiest dancer in a Broadway cast? Can you get that skill to a point where it doesn't hinder your ability to be in an ensemble? If you're never going to be the biggest vocalist, can you work with your voice enough that you get to tell the kinds of stories that you as a special actor can tell with vocal ease?

And I think to Alison's point, all of that, it takes a real kind of true humility. In Kenneth's episode, we talked a little bit about like loud humility versus quiet confidence. And this is where I would define maybe a big difference between like outward humbleness, or like the act of performing humble and true vulnerable humility to realize, here's where I am, and here's where I want to be. And for someone like Alison to be able to know, I am this fabulous singer, I have been able to write on my voice, but am I leaning on that and not really diving into my song and terp? And if I want to be that special kind of actor, like Audra, like whoever her, you know, idols are, that's the kind of work that I'm gonna have to put in to get to that point.

I think it's so important if you're going to progress beyond that first moment of welcome to the NBA and get to where you want to go in your career. Well, if you enjoyed listening to this episode, and you want to hear more, you better hit that follow button. We would also appreciate it if you rate and review us. I suggest five stars if you want more NBA slash NFL references, and like an ironic five stars if you're the kind of person who calls it sports ball. You can also reach out to us with questions for the pod at mailbag at mapping the college edition.com. If you're interested in working with MTCA for help with your individual prep for your college edition journey, please check us out at MT college auditions.com. To my young artists out there mapping their journey, find yourself friends who see you in a Beyonce style crown. They will be friends for life. See you next week.