Even in the arts, actors, singers, dancers, and
musicians must survive and thrive in a competitive community as rude and rough
as any. Ambitious parents often introduce toxic gamesmanship and back-biting
attitudes very early as their children are judged and ranked by the awards they
receive, the parts they get, and the schools they are admitted to.
Every aspect has a competitive element, and
everything matters — how many lines you have in a play, whether you are first,
second, or third chair in an orchestra, and whether you are placed in the
center or side in a dance number – and everyone wants a monologue or solo.
So we had mixed emotions when our daughter Aby was
offered a scholarship to the renowned Interlochen Center for the Arts Summer
Camp. She wants to have a career in performing arts, so we couldn’t deny her
the opportunity to receive world-class training and intermingle with some of
the most talented young people in the world.
We knew it would be an enriching experience likely
to result in lifelong memories and possibly career-enhancing skill development,
but we worried whether the experience would enhance or undermine her
confidence, whether fear of rejection would prevent the joy of participation,
and whether she would be taught to think of her fellow campers as friends or
foes. Would they teach her techniques for getting an edge in a dog-eat-dog
profession?
We knew she had been up for the lead in “Jane Eyre”
but was ultimately given a small part. So when I went to see the final
production, I was nervous.
I was relieved, delighted, and frankly surprised to
see how she had flourished. She was excited and happy. She loved her director
(J. W. Morrissette, Chair of the Theatre Studies Program at the University of
Illinois) and her play mates, and she made friends with dozens of amazingly
talented and apparently really decent kids in every field of the arts.
It was no accident, and it couldn’t have been easy.
Despite the extraordinary aptitude, endowments, and
early achievements of these remarkably talented young people, only a small
percentage will accomplish their career goals in the cold, competitive world
ahead.
And while I can’t vouch for all the programs at
Interlochen (as each seems to be run like a separate school), I did talk to
some of the administrators and was encouraged and impressed by their commitment
to preparing these budding and blooming artists for the hard realities of the
professional world, and to doing so in the context of a social and learning
ethos that cultivates their love and appreciation for their art, nurtures their
human qualities, encourages them to be mutually supportive, and helps them
become better balanced, better people. That itself was an impressive
performance – five stars!
About the author: Michael Josephson is one of the
nation’s most sought-after and quoted ethicists. Founder and president of
Josephson Institute and its CHARACTER COUNTS! project, he has conducted
programs for more than 100,000 leaders in government, business, education,
sports, law enforcement, journalism, law, and the military. Mr. Josephson is
also an award-winning radio commentator.
This article was published by the Josephson
Institute.
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