Are you theatrical or performance-oriented?

[Gaze]

Are you someone who has a theatrical or performance background or orientation? Are you someone who finds fulfillment in some kind of performance? How does being a performer make you feel? How does your performance or performer orientation match with your personality?

Just a note, that performance may include acting or singing in plays, media, or vocal.

 

[Siimplicity]

I am so conflicted about this...
I led a band in high-school (somehow??!!) and was the singer and song writer. it was all fine in the garage and studio, practicing and creating. stage and audience terrified me. I don't know how I even did it. I would hide the minute the set was over.
conversely, I've always regretted that I never got into acting. lol!

I suppose I love the art of it all, but then can't handle the exposure that goes with it. I feel very bad for the folks who are famous and can't do anything normal without it being broadcast across the planet. I think I am most comfortable in obscurity or with a tiny audience of those I know

 

[Milktoast Bandit]

I've been in a few bands. It was always fun playing music, but I was terrified of the crowd. No matter which instrument I played I always looked down, rarely interacting with or acknowledging the audience. There were but a couple of times where I became quite intoxicated and truly let my ass show. (Literally played a song with my pants around my ankles) I'm definitely not gifted in the performing arts! However, put me in an environment where I am comfortable and I magically transform into a master of improv comedy. Go figure...

 

[Scientia]

Yes. I don't do it anymore but I enjoyed being in productions. My youngest honestly said he didn't like the idea and was terrified that people would see how awesome I am and would want me for themselves. He was truly afraid this could happen. I gladly gave up looking for anything too public and now I just help other people, like students, prepare for being on stage.

 

[koizora]

I've done several solo performances as a singer in high school whenever there were music festivals organized in our school. I may be shy as hell but the feeling I had after I had performed for the first time is one I will never forget. I didn't do anything extravagant though: it was just me on a stage singing covers of songs. Yet I loved it. I've heard several people saying that they hadn't expected this of me, a quiet girl singing her heart out in front of more than 100 people.

I haven't performed since I graduated from high school and I miss it deeply. Sadly I didn't have the opportunity to go on stage again since I don't write my own songs (I hope to get to this after I graduate and am able to fully focus on it!) and honestly, I despise the talent shows on TV. If those shows were genuine, I would've auditioned every time. I regret believing that I was unable to write songs in high school.. and basically getting discouraged about my own singing abilities. I should've just tried and had more confidence, as now I realize I can sing. But yeah.. when your classmates in music class half ignore you because you like to sing R&B instead of Musical songs.. (they literally asked me why I often sang R&B, while their only repertoire was that of musicals) you tend to start to doubt yourself, especially at that age.

To come back to my personality vs. performing: I don't understand it either. I normally never try to stand out and seek attention from others, in fact, I don't really like it. But performing is something else to me. I can't really describe it? I guess it gives me kind of an adrenaline rush. Sometimes when I watch concert videos from artists and I see the crowd they're performing for, I just get chills or tear up. I think that must be such an amazing experience.

 

[invisible]

[FONT=&amp]I played a challenging arrangement of "Alley Cat" in front of 900+ other students aged about 12 to 17 for school when I was 14. About a third of the way through someone started clapping to the beat and after a few moments the entire hall was clapping along. After I finished the audience erupted in screaming, cheering, stomping. I think the response was partly ironic, but also a genuine response to a 14 year old having the guts to get up there and do that, and to do it really well. While I was playing I went into this sort of weird trance where my fingers completely took over and did everything perfectly, I did not make a single error. It was a surreal experience. I have performed on stages at other times when I was younger but that time was special. There is definitely a performer in me and I think there is a musical talent in me, it was not too difficult to get honours level results when I was doing examinations when I started playing piano. I love music and piano and singing and I would love to develop that part of me. I recently got hold of a beginner level piano accordion from a relative and I'm planning on taking some voice lessons, I think it would be fun to get a repertoire and perform on the street or even in pubs. I haven't had a piano for over 10 years since my old one, which was a German piano from the early 20th century, reached the end of its service life (I have super sensitive hearing and what happened to my piano took the joy out of playing), and I couldn't afford to get a new one, but as soon as I get a job again that's the first thing I'll be saving up for. I have often felt musical inspirations in me but I never really wrote them down, but I would love to explore what it's like to write music in future.


[/FONT]

 

[Gaze]

I like to perform in character and also sing, but mostly vocal recitations of poems or speeches. I enjoy this because when I'm playing these roles, I'm not myself, and I can lose myself in the performance. I have stage fright but yet, I stand in front of people almost every as an educator. But it's worse there because it's me on the spot. I get anxiety, and experience extreme self consciousness. I have to think of it almost like a performance of sorts, just so I don't stress out as much. It's probably why I prefer anonymous vocals. I've always wanted to do voice over work but never really panned out. If I could be faceless and perform well, that would be great. Otherwise, I think I'm likely to shrink into the background, and hope I don't embarrass myself too much on the few occasions I do perform.

 

[aeon]

Are you someone who has a theatrical or performance background or orientation?

Not really. I was in a play in junior high. Sometimes I think I should have pursued this more.

Are you someone who finds fulfillment in some kind of performance?

Absolutely. Now this may sound odd, but in my early 20s I was once Santa for children.

That experience ranks alongside any other I have had for being one of pure joy and utter wholeness of my being.
“Fulfilled” could not even begin to explain it.

How does being a performer make you feel?

Free. Finally free. Inside mostly, but outside too. But alive, in the moment, everything is right.

How does your performance or performer orientation match with your personality?

Well, it would be fair to say I am dramatic, mercurial, and sensitive, and it should be known I put a high value on whimsy, quirk, and silliness.

And for sure, I do sometimes like to act when interacting with children, usually in the form of a cackling madman of some sort, or some kind
of zany goof, as long as the audience seems appropriate and the parents seem cool with it. This would be in the grocery.

It usually takes a couple of drinks to quell my nerves, but if and when I do karaoke, I go for it, and take it really seriously.
Seriously as in enjoying myself and having fun, but also really respecting the song.

I’ve decided recently that I am going to learn to play electric bass. Both for my own enjoyment/growth as well as the social aspects of
playing with others, and for others.

A few years ago two people in line behind me, the cashier, and myself all got to singing Extreme’s “More Than Words,” and in harmony at that.
All because it was on the overhead and I dared to sing one line. People clapped for us. It was the best kind of spontaneous fun.

I always have terrible nerves thinking about things like that, but once underway, they go away and it becomes easy.

I like to play-act when driving so I can curse in silly ways like “You ruffian, a pox on you!”


Cheers,
Ian

 

[dang]

My dream is to sing. Stay tuned.

 

[Night Owl]

Oh if only I had been dealt more opportunities to formally cultivate and express that side of me. I would have loved to be involved in theater, in a musical, and day dreamed about being in a band (I don't play an instrument) and even started towards that path until I went down another which I don't regret taking in the least.

However, when I was 12 I did quite a bit of acting and excelled. One time I played Rapunzel in a mock play, and always had to make the lines my own with a little improve. When I was 18-19 I also was involved in a drama group, that was really fun. I avoided drama at high school because my school was more sporty, and the drama department was so poorly developed, not to mention it was a little lame - that put me off; either way, visual art occurred at the same time, so I chose that as visual art is much more up my alley. After high school I also hosted youth events on the odd occasion, and did a weekly skit set that was 80% improve. Now, I suppose I can be satisfied in putting on the odd skit, or acting out the odd scene from Les Miserables in my home. I'd like to write a play one day. In fact I intent to!

 

[t5juyt]

I enjoy recording, but don't really have a desire to perform publicly. I've done karaoke. I sung for my passengers when I was a flight attendant. But writing a song, and then crafting a recording of it - that's what I enjoy. I'm not a great singer. I have pitch problems, which my co-producer loves to point out. Therefore, I get even worse when I tried to record in his studio, so much so, that sometimes, I couldn't sing without my voice cracking. Now, I record my vocals at home at email them to him with the accompanying music tracks.