Second week into classes, the back-to-school season is up and running! I’m really happy to be back at school doing what I love with the people I love for my second year as a musical theatre major. Being a sophomore, I feel like I definitely have a better hold on navigating things around campus, but there’s also a lot of new additions to my school's performing arts program this year, which is keeping everything (as always) a learning experience!

ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME ends with the Little Girl in the show being told to 'tell me a story'. I think one of the most incredible gifts I've gotten from ONCE UPON A ONE MORE TIME is my story. A story of a summer that I never expected. A story of a summer that I will remember forever. 

Here’s my advice to you: maintain your integrity, both academically and in every aspect of your life, including theater.

Here it comes: the big, scary, college audition! I promise it's not as scary as it seems. Here are a few tips and tricks to make it easier and more fun.

Academic integrity is the choice to be honest and this is very important to your instructors. Therefore, it’s important to realize that maintaining your academic integrity prepares you to be a person who employers will consider trustworthy. So, how does a student maintain academic integrity? There are a few ways to do this. Here's how!

Musical theater is a challenging thing to “grade”. There aren’t many classes with essays that could be plagiarized or tests where you could choose to cheat. However, if your homework is to do the exercises your voice teacher assigned to you, it is easy to view the assignment as one that can be skipped over.

As noted in my previous blog, I am taking a semester off— living at home, working, and taking enough online classes to maintain the required credit count for a scholarship. The classes I am taking this semester are all within my current decided major– film production.

I have been challenging myself to expand my horizons and listen to new genres and styles of music. I have come to love styles of music I never thought I’d listen to. Listening to a wider variety of music has helped me come to appreciate music as an art form. “Good music” can come in all shapes and sizes.

Don't copy anyone else's intellectual property! It will end badly! Here are some tips on why you shouldn't do that and how to avoid it, because it's not cool.

I thought I knew exactly what it was but after a quick search, it turned out to be more than just maintaining your grades which was what I initially thought it was.

All in all, I would say I had a pretty eventful first week of school! I’m definitely eager to see what the rest of the school year has in store for me.

I’m a horrible theater kid. One year into college and I haven’t even taken a theater class yet.

So how are you feeling, Jordanna? Thank you for asking…. As of right now, I am doing good. I’m trying really hard to stay on top of my classes, and to not let other things take priority. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on that. I’ve implemented some strategies to help my brain not melt from overheating. 

This is when I had the best idea that I honestly should probably trademark. Welcome to what I call “Crusty Days.” 

As part of my college plan, I take a lot of Elementary Education classes. Every semester, the same questions appear over and over again: What do you want to teach? Why do you want to teach that? Aren't you worried about xyz with that?' With more standard replies like 5th grade ELA or 3rd grade Math, a discussion follows about the pros and cons, the personal experiences around it, and the need for such skills or materials.

Everyone has heard the term 'burnout' and while it looks different for each individual, the general consensus is just a feeling of lifelessness in the sense that everything you had to give was used up. We talk about burnout a lot with academics or high-stress careers, but it is usually connected only to work of some kind. I feel that it is in the absence of work, the time where you finally get to reflect on the race you've been running, that the burnout really settles in.

I’m really joyful about everything going on and I can’t wait to see how everything is going to turn out.

Stage Fright is a very normal thing to have. Even Barbra Streisand had it! I halted my live performances after I didn't dance anymore (that was another story!). I can’t really tell you what caused my fear, but I will tell you how it affected my life in so many ways. I want to mention that stage fright also never stopped the idea of performing on stage for me, it just stopped me from actually doing it (if that makes sense).

I’ve mentioned it already, but a small burnout from me can happen during the decision of cleaning my room. I’ve watched my chaotic room get worse over the summer and finally I decided to take some action.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to start your own theatre company? Midsummer Ensemble is an up and coming company that put on their first show just last year! Here is a Q+A with some of their members.

I wanted theater to be a way for me to escape into another world for a few hours a day, taking on a character and focusing on something that I know I can do and I know I can enjoy, whether that’s a music rehearsal, blocking session, or choreography. 

Ever since I was in middle school, I used to stay up for hours on end watching concerts and performances from 54 Below. As corny as it sounds, Getting to be in the Do Not Sing List was such a dream come true and little Grace wouldn't believe it.

It is easier to get caught in the rat race than to fear it. Getting ahead is a good thing, but before you do the ‘what,’ it is good to know the ‘why.’

I experienced a lot of burnout this summer. I was memorizing line after line for a scene I had to do the next day, and I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I hate memorizing. I took a break over the weekend and reset myself. Here's what I realized.

'Above all, be the absolute best you can be, and help create a safe environment for others to do the same.'