BWW Blog: A New World

Hi BroadwayWorld! Welcome back! If your past weeks have been anything like mine, then I know that they have been absolutely slammed. Getting used of a schedule again in this "new world" after spending so much time on my own has been a work in progress that I'm still trying to master. It's an adjustment that's for sure especially with all of this hybrid learning. What steps are your colleges taking this semester for your education? I'd love to hear the differences in all the universities around the world especially when it comes to the arts. This has been such an unprecedented time; however, I find artists all over are remaining optimistic and taking the best approaches to continue their training.

Our University is primarily online this semester; however, I do have two classes in person. One is tap class (thank goodness) and the other is the study of the anatomy and of the vocal cords. My poor downstairs neighbors if I would've had to tap in my apartment! These are both courses that I'm grateful are in person. Our tap class is still in the studio, but there are "boxes" taped off socially distanced that we have to remain in for the class. We also in both classes have to keep our masks on at all times. It is actually a rule for the entire campus. In the voice study class, we are not allowed to sing and try the exercises ourselves which is unfortunate, but just being in a classroom with desks socially distant and wiped down before/after each use is some kind of normalcy. Anyway besides these classes, the remainder of my studies are online. The most difficult part of all of this for me was simply figuring out which times I needed to be online versus face to face and again as mentioned earlier establishing a schedule. Something that helped me with this was opening my 2020 planner. YES the most useless purchase of this year is finally getting some recognition. The strangest thing of all thus far has been taking my musical theatre voice techniques over Zoom. I hate not getting to watch my peers and classmates perform the songs they work so hard on all semester. It's hard sending your music to an accompanist as a PDF file and never getting to have a proper rehearsal together, but rather just receiving a recording to work on with for a video performance. It's the small things like this I miss as a senior.

Unfortunately, the timing of senior year with this pandemic has not been in mine and many other's favor; however, I'm taking these circumstances and sticking to my motto, "bloom where you are planted." I think everyone is taking to these times differently, and as college artists we have had to find creative outlets in places we never expected. Thankfully, our minds keep us busy. It's my hopes that soon we can all return to our Universities to study as usual safely. Until then, the arts will be run a bit differently, but it's in our hands to take it all in as much as we can and make the most of the situation. I know we as college artists are confused moving forward about the industry we are trying to dive into for our career, but my hopes are that when the time does come it will come back better than ever for older artists and newer artists such as ourselves with open arms. What are your hopes and plans for the remainder of the semester and the future of Broadway?

"Life is different than you planned
And you'll have to stay 'til you somehow find a way
To be sure of what will be." -A New World: Jason Robert Brown

-Another Blog More with Christina

Christina Samanie @crsamanie