Student Blog: A Chat With My Pals

How absolutely insane it is that we have come to the end of the year! I completed my 1st year in May and soon I’ll be starting my second semester for my 2nd year. I’m already halfway into my degree. I’m not quite ready for it all to pass me by so fast.

For my final blog of 2023, I thought it would be fun to ask my classmates some questions to give you a better idea of what goes on in our little musical theatre course at the University of Winchester. You have already seen things in my perspective, and to paint the bigger picture, bringing in the perspective of others brings light to more things that we experience on this course. The prompts that I had given them was “What do you find most difficult on the course, and how do you manage it?” and “What is your favorite thing about the course?” Alongside their answers are the favorite pictures that I asked my friends to send from classes and other leisurely cohort things.

Aislinn Goss (she/her) says: “For me it’s time management - trying to grasp everything all at once and use my time efficiently so nothing gets left behind whilst trying not to get overwhelmed or burnt out , I write myself little timetables for any free time and try to dedicate equal time. My favourite thing on the course is the 1-1 singing lessons and the self practice - serves as reflection and let’s me keep my own pace. Doing an exam that’s the majority of the overall grade while also doing normal work and having to balance it all while looking after myself and not falling behind - despite wanting to prioritise the module worth the most.” :)

Aether Carter-Grist (they/them) says: “I personally find dance the hardest because it’s the most demanding. I manage it by trying to keep up with my skills and trying to remember that it’s okay to make mistakes because it’s not my strongest. I’m in a classroom which is an environment to learn so I’m in a safe space to make mistakes. I find singing the most enjoyable because I love getting to expand on my skills and repertoire. I’m more of a singer than a dancer, so it makes me feel confident.”

Sam Murray (he/him) says: “I think for me what I find most difficult is the motivation to keep going. Knowing the over saturation of the industry and the demand from our lecturers on a day to day basis I often find myself wondering why bother, what’s the point in pursuing my passion when the chance of success is so small. However more recently I’ve begun to understand that success doesn’t mean fame and fortune, but can be measured in one’s happiness. It’s hard to chase your passion especially in an industry that can be ruthless but I know that as long as I am happy with what I am doing and am open to exploring all avenues that I come across, motivation can come easy.”

Rory Stock (he/him) "I would say that dance is the toughest part of the course for me, I'm not much of A dancer and much prefer the acting/singing side of MT. It's hard to put everything into a part of the course you have little enthusiasm for. The only way I can really manage it is to just throw myself into a dance, even when I can't do the steps, and just pray for the best. It's never going to match exactly with what we're being taught, but just knowing that attempting to do a dance and putting some energy into it is enough to get me a pass is a huge weight off my chest. Hard to pick a favourite part. It would either be the adrenaline I get before doing a performance I've been shitting myself over for weeks and relief once it's over, or it would be the amazing people I've met on the course, without whom I wouldn't have stuck around for as long as I already have.”

Eloise Chandler-Williams (she/her): My favourite thing is probably us getting the opportunity to meet people from the industry and actually I really liked that we did swing because its something not many people get a chance to do.  The most difficult thing for me has always been juggling everything and realising its okay to have different strengths than others. To help get over this I've tried to really look at what I wanna do and what I personally want to improve on but also realising what has improved over the last year. I think as well being yourself is what will get you the job more than if you can do the splits or 4 pirouettes.

Ella Attree (she/her): I’m someone who can easily become overwhelmed by work I’m given on the course, and my reflex way of coping is to put it off and do something I enjoy and find easier instead. For example, in my case, I’m most confident when singing but least confident when dancing. Therefore, because my confidence in my dance ability is low, I immediately try and avoid it by practicing my singing repertoire instead. Whilst this is also important, this way of coping is preventing me from developing my dance ability. In my second year, I have been working on this and trying to drill a different/more productive way of practice into my everyday life, which is breaking it down. If we have a certain piece of choreography we’re learning, I’ve found it’s far easier to break down and work on each movement individually rather than trying to rush the process of learning it all in one go and becoming overwhelmed. This can be applied to any element of the course, breaking everything down into smaller segments allows you to go into more detail and working on making yourself better bit by bit. What I love about our course is how much it allows us to get to know and bond with our classmates. As well as the course being extremely enjoyable, it can be very challenging and draining at times due to the amount of work and hours it requires us to put in. Reasons such as this is why it’s great to have each other’s support through it all, as the industry of musical theatre often resolves around ensemble work, and through this experience, we’re able to develop our communication and group creativity skills.

Anastasia Fedotova (she/her): The thing that I like most about the course is that you get to be your true theatre kid self because you are surrounded by people who understand you and literally feel the same way. The constant struggle is, obviously, self-doubt, because when you face something new to you, you feel like it is almost impossible to achieve, but with teachers to listen and help (as well as students), you can overcome nasty voices in your head. Coming from a classical musical background and after years of being taught how to sing opera, it was uneasy to put my mind and body around “mt” sound. I will never forget the lesson when I was able to give a full belt in front of peers and a teacher and how happy I felt to finally achieve something that I was working towards. The thing that made me feel even better was positive feedback from people from my year who witnessed that growth and celebrated it with me.

Amber Morton (she/her): I think what I find difficult on the course is the burn out coz I'm constantly working. I manage this by thinking about the bigger picture of the career and how fun it is, and I keep motivated coz I look forward to the 3rd year show. the thing I like most on the course is the people. all the friends and nice lecturers I've met make it so fun to come in coz I look forward to seeing everyone.

Louisa Rothnie (she/her): For me the difficult thing is when people aren't as committed as others. We work so well as a team when we all come together and when we have fun and be there for each other it's always amazing !!!!

A massive thank you to my friends who tolerate me so very well and for doing this for this blog. It felt like a good way to end the year by spotlighting my classmates who bring so much joy to this course as so much of what I’ve written always involve them throughout my experience,,. I hope this has brought you all some insight on the course that we’ve been in for a year and a half already. I love these wonderful people so very much, as well others on my course who were not featured in this piece. Glued to the hip every day, classes are always such a joy with the best troop.

That is all for this year. A Happy New Year to all, and I hope everyone has an incredible 2024!

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