Module 1: Task 2d - Inquiry

What in your daily practice gets you really enthusiastic to find out more about? Whom do you admire who also works with what makes you enthusiastic?

I am very enthusiastic about music. I enjoy searching for new music to listen, play, dance, choreograph and work out to. Not only do I use music for my own enjoyment, I use music to stimulate new ideas and to motivate me during exercise at the gym. I find that driving sounds within music motivate me to continue to perform the strenuous movements which I would normally find difficult to do without. There has been much research into to the psychology behind this,  research which provides evidence that listening to music during exercise can alter the way the brain interprets how we feel whilst exercising. This includes the way we interpret pain and fatigue, often elevating levels of arousal, mood and perceived effort. A leading psychology expert on exercise to music wrote in one of his publications that "[Music]... can be used as a legal stimulant or as a sedative prior to or during competition, it is known as pre-task music". Dr Costas Karageorghis (et al 2010). So, in other words, it is the equivalent of a legal, performance-enhancing drug. 

I am sure that there are many people, who are as equally enthusiastic about music as I am. 

Michael Grimm, my former guitar professor, is someone whom I admire, who also works with music. He, too, uses it for his own enjoyment and for stimulation purposes. Through music, he finds new ideas and many ways of motivating himself, developing creativity in his students and helping them to find an identity within their music. I consider him to be most fortunate that he is able to use music, something that he feels so passionate about, as a way of earning his living. After many years as my guitar professor, Michael has become one of my great friends whom I am able to discuss everything about music as an art form and as an industry. 

Possible ideas for further lines of enquiry:

How does music in our workplace environment affect the way we work and think? Is the use of music to control moods beneficial?

What is the relationship between enthusiasm and quality of work? Does a high level of enthusiasm always mean high quality work?

What gets you angry or makes you sad? Whom do you admire who shares your feelings or has found away to work around the sadness or anger?

Throughout our lives we find ourselves working with many different people from many different backgrounds. I love the variety that this brings and I love performing with them. However, I can not say that I am entirely in love with the industry. One thing that frustrates me is the common misconception or prejudice that those who work in the performing arts do not have a 'proper' job. After my performances, it is not uncommon to receive comments such as "when do you think you'll get a proper job, then?" or "do you ever think of getting a real job". Because this frustrates me, on every occasion I tell them that what I do is 'proper' and that it is how I earn my living. Unfortunately, the reply alone is not always sufficient to change their misconception.

Without sounding too rude, I often have to re-school them about the meaning of the very word 'profession'. I explain that a profession is any paid occupation and that it is very 'real' and that I do work hard for my living. Many forget that my fellow colleagues and I are, in fact, providing a service of entertainment and not giving up our own time for our own enjoyment.

Definition according to the Oxford English Dictionary:
"profession"

A paid occupation, especially one that involves prolonged training and a formal qualification:his chosen profession of teachinga barrister by profession

The name of any individual doesn't come to mind. Nevertheless, I have held many conversations with other people in my area of work who think the same as I do regarding this. I admire anyone working in the industry who holds the same or similar opinions and who attempt to rectify the common misconception.

Here are links to a couple of articles regarding a controversial incident where the Passport Office rejected a photo counterpart signing because the Passport Office staff did not consider 'acting' to be a proper job.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/9116749/Acting-not-a-proper-job-says-Passport-Office.html

https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/2012/exclusive-outrage-as-passport-office-says-acting-is-not-a-proper-job/

Possible ideas for further lines of enquiry:

How does criticism affect the way that we work and react? Where does constructive observation end and unwelcome criticism start? 

Why can't the arts be accepted as a socially-credible profession? Who takes this decision?

What do you love about what you do? Who do you admire who also seems to love this or is an example of what you love?

There are many different things that I consider help to define what I love about what I do. These have matured and developed over the many years I have dedicated to training and even more dramatically so during my time working in the industry. Today, what I love the most is the enjoyment of working alongside other talented people. I enjoy interacting with other cast members, sharing the same enjoyment and having fun. (Sometimes hidden from the audience.)

An example of this can be seen in a video of the Australian tap group, 'Tap Dogs'. Where you can clearly see them interacting and having fun on stage (especially towards the end of the video). Should the embedding of the video not work, you can visit https://youtu.be/YDlkqJGCx-w .

Possible ideas for further lines of enquiry:

Does enjoyment of what you do enhance the perceived quality of your work? If not, what effect does it have?

Whilst in the process of creativity, how does working with others compare to working alone? How can we profit from mutual inspiration?

What do you feel you don’t understand? Whom do you admire who does seem to understand it or who has found a way of making not understanding it interesting or beautiful, or has asked the same questions as you? 

I do not understand why some people in my industry think so little of themselves that they agree to underprice themselves or even work for free. I understand that it can be difficult, initially, to obtain credentials to put on a CV. However, I am of the opinion that nobody should ever work for free unless for charity or by amicable agreement. Working for free affects those who use performing arts as their main source of income. It lowers the value of the work, thereby making it increasingly difficult to find financially-feasible employment. It is becoming a growing problem. I agree with the claim that "action is needed before working for free becomes so endemic that artists are forced out of the profession." Equity (2014). From the point of view of the employers, I do not blame them for trying to get artists to work for them for as little as possible as it would be better financially for them, however, I do not understand why performers succumb to this, even though it appears to be in their better interests to do so. I admire the members of the group 'The Hustle!' who banded together to help raise awareness of the implications of this practice.

Possible ideas for further lines of enquiry:

Can 'experience' be used as a substitute for salary? Is there any evidence that working for free ever results in meaningful employment?

How do you decide the appropriate ethical response in a given situation? To what extent are disciplinary responses different to that you might expect more generally in society? 

In the performing arts industry, working in physical contact with another professional is considered the norm. As a male dancer, performing sophisticated lifts with a partner is not an uncommon practice. On occasion, in order to execute some of the lifts, I have to place my holds on various different parts of the partners body, some of which can appear to be quite intimate. However there is always a mutual, professional understanding that what is being done is necessary in order to successfully achieve the end result for the benefit of the choreography and eventually the audience. Placing your hold in an intimate location, in a general environment, quite understandably, would not be deemed appropriate and would not be acceptable without prior consent.

Here is an example of a lift that demonstrates a situation discussed above:

Possible ideas for further lines of enquiry:

Do we, as artists/performers, sacrifice ethics for the benefit of creativity? If the audience isn't bothered, do we need to be?

REFERENCES:

Inside Sport Psychology - Costas Karageorghis, Peter Terry 2010

Funny Video TAP DOGS.mov - Youtube.com
ACE must tackle 'working for free' culture Equity says - Equity Feb 2010
Oxford English Dictionary