The four years that I spent at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy were the bets of my life and they were years which really shaped who I am today. I often feel very safe when thinking about the head of high school as I was part of a group of 3 friends, all of whom wanted to study performing arts. Unfortunately I was the only one who had parents who would support this decision, as my friend’s parents were a little more stuffy and felt that a performing arts degree wouldn’t help them at all in their careers. As it happens a performing arts college is a tough education and one which most certainly gets you ready for the real world. If you are a parent in doubt or you are a child trying to cornice your parents that you should go, here is how it helped me to be a better person, and a better performer.
Hard Work
Don’t let anyone have you believe that studying at a performing arts college is easy, or that you are not required to work hard, because both of those statements are absolutely miles away from the truth. I never had a hard work ethic which was why I found the first year at AMDA incredibly difficult. The work level was never-ending and at some points I was working 16 hours per day, 7 days per week. I now have a very strong work ethic and I have AMDA to thank for that.
Toughening Up
The world of showbiz and performing arts is incredibly competitive and many people will face setback after setback, something which can be pretty hard on your emotions. I was a very sensitive soul when I first went to college but I learned pretty quickly that I would have to toughen up if I wanted to make it. The result of those tough years at AMDA was that I am now a very resilient person who can deal with criticism and rejection without an issue. This is not only beneficial in the world of performing arts but also in life in general.
Confidence
The common misconception from many is that us performers have bags of confidence but the truth is that most of us fake over-confidence, because we in fact don’t have any. During my 4 years at AMDA all of that changed and whether it was because I was living on my own or because I was surrounded by like-minded people, my confidence in social settings grew and grew. This was the first thing that my family and friends said to me when I got back from my first year and I can tell you that I am a much happier person now that I have the confidence which I never had in the past.
Performing arts studies aren’t just about performance, they teach you valuable life lessons too.
