Boston's Artsy Youth Struggle for a Future
Liz Meyrovich, 19, moved 3,000 miles away from the Portland, Oregon home she grew up in to attend Emerson College, one of Boston’s many prestigious performing arts schools. Unlike many other aspiring actors and actresses who move to
Los Angeles straight out of high school and work in minimum wage service industry jobs while going on numerous auditions, Meyrovich decided that she would get a degree. She was a musical theatre major, hoping that a degree from Emerson would fuel her career as an actress. But one year and $32,000 later, she came to the realization that it wasn’t going to happen.
"I’d heard that, something like three percent, of Emerson graduates get a job as an actor,” said Meyrovich. “I didn’t think it was worth it.”
Meyrovich, along with thousands of other young aspiring actors and musicians, was drawn to Boston for one of its many performing arts schools, which includes Berklee College of Music, The Boston Conservatory, and The New England Conservatory. But she, like so many others, realized that it might not be the best way to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
The increasing costs of tuition for these private schools combined with tough industry standards and a struggling economy have left many young adults in a lose-lose situation. Those who do graduate are left with thousands of dollars in debt and a degree that they cannot use to pursue other career options. As a result, Boston is left with a large Bohemian-like subculture of young artists, actors and musicians who are struggling to make a future for themselves.
"Everyone in Boston is in a band,” Meyrovich joked. “Everybody is a musician or an actor. It’s kind of scary to see just how many people there are around here who are like me – who want the same thing that I want, because unfortunately, there isn’t enough room for all of us. And it sucks because a lot of really talented people don’t make it because of that.”
The big decision for many young adults like Meyrovich is whether or not to pursue a degree. The recent fame and success of Berklee dropouts John Mayer and Gavin DeGraw have many hopeful young performers questioning whether or not college is necessary. Does the entertainment industry care more about credentials or talent?
According to Janet Neely, a Career Services Associate at Emerson College, training is necessary to become a performer.
"There is no one formula for success,” Neely said. “Very few actors or musicians have no training at all. Some choose to study privately while others choose to pursue a college education.”
However, the cost of tuition for these private performing arts schools will be a major determining factor for many young adults. At Emerson, tuition plus room and board adds up to about $32,000 – double what some of the graduates make in a year according to the Post-Graduation Survey Results: Class of 2001. At The New England Conservatory of Music, students pay up to $36,000 a year.
But the price of training is not the only thing holding these young aspiring performers back. Finding jobs in the entertainment industry is the biggest hurdle.
According to Neely, the future of performing arts graduates is uncertain.
“Very few graduates secure performance jobs right out of college and at all,” Neely said.
Emerson’s Post-Graduation Survey: Class of 2001, which surveyed 58% of the graduates with a bachelor’s degree in performing arts, showed that only 26% were employed in the Theatre/Arts industry. Fifteen percent were employed in retail, which was the second most common industry among the respondents.
According to the report, the average salary of the respondents was between $20,000 and $24,999. Thirty eight percent of those surveyed earned under $15,000 a year.
Although recent Emerson graduates may be facing financial difficulties, the school has been known to produce some famous faces including Tonight Show host Jay Leno, Happy Days’ Henry Winkler and actress Gina Gershon.
The lack of jobs in the entertainment industry has forced some people to give up on their dreams. Northeastern University freshmen Christa Lewis 19, wanted to pursue singing as a profession and even took private lessons for many years, but decided to major in business for security.
“I had to be realistic,” Lewis said.
However, the financial uncertainty of performing arts professions hasn’t stopped Meyrovich. Although she is no longer attending Emerson, she still intends to become a performer.
“I might move to New York and just start auditioning,” Meyrovich said. “It’s a tough industry, but someone’s got to do it.”
Nina Scalise, 22, who also hopes to break into musical theatre, agrees. “The more people who think that [the entertainment industry] is too hard to break into, the fewer there are who try, which leaves room for those of us who really want it.”
But why are there so few jobs in the industry? The American Federation of Music (AFM) has cited several reasons for the lack of jobs in music including the lack of corporate music jobs due to budget cutbacks and the replacement of live music with disc jockeys in clubs.
Another trend affecting the jobs in music is the merging of independent labels and major labels. According to Knab.com, over 80% of all records sold in the United States are controlled by five major labels: Sony, WEA, BMG, Universal Music and Video Group, and EMD.
“Big record companies only look for new trends,” said senior radio major Adam Harvey, 22, of Emerson College. “If your music is hardcore rock and the ‘in-thing’ is pop, then you’re probably not going to get signed.”
However, a recent survey done my Berklee College of Music showed that the majority of Berklee graduates were not having as much trouble finding jobs in music. The report, which surveyed graduates from the last five years, showed that 65% of all performance major graduates were exclusively employed in the music industry. Only 11% were not employed in any kind of music industry job. According to the report, the data is above average for a music school.
Recent Berklee graduates are not the only ones to find success. Former students of Berklee include Aimee Mann, Paula Cole, Melissa Etheridge and Tonight Show bandleader Kevin Eubanks.
The Wetfeet Insider Guide to Careers in Entertainment and Sports believes that the shortage of jobs in the entertainment industry is an obvious one: everybody wants it because it is “in the business of fun.” However, according to the book, the entertainment and sports industries have been known to flourish during periods of economic instability, which should provide more jobs in the industry.
But this hasn’t proven true for the high number of recent graduates who haven’t been able to find jobs in entertainment and many other sectors. The National Association of Colleges and Employers annual Job Outlook Survey 2003 reported that only a quarter of employers were planning to hire new graduates in the next year – most of which were government agencies.
Although government agency jobs may not be ideal, many performing arts majors will need to come up with a plan B – and possibly C – if they expect to earn any income after graduating.
“The career of a performer is unpredictable and most performers have jobs to support themselves while they audition and look for work in their field,” Neely said.
Unfortunately, many will have to settle for less than their dreams.
Liz Meyrovich, 19, moved 3,000 miles away from the Portland, Oregon home she grew up in to attend Emerson College, one of Boston’s many prestigious performing arts schools. Unlike many other aspiring actors and actresses who move to
Los Angeles straight out of high school and work in minimum wage service industry jobs while going on numerous auditions, Meyrovich decided that she would get a degree. She was a musical theatre major, hoping that a degree from Emerson would fuel her career as an actress. But one year and $32,000 later, she came to the realization that it wasn’t going to happen.
"I’d heard that, something like three percent, of Emerson graduates get a job as an actor,” said Meyrovich. “I didn’t think it was worth it.”
Meyrovich, along with thousands of other young aspiring actors and musicians, was drawn to Boston for one of its many performing arts schools, which includes Berklee College of Music, The Boston Conservatory, and The New England Conservatory. But she, like so many others, realized that it might not be the best way to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
The increasing costs of tuition for these private schools combined with tough industry standards and a struggling economy have left many young adults in a lose-lose situation. Those who do graduate are left with thousands of dollars in debt and a degree that they cannot use to pursue other career options. As a result, Boston is left with a large Bohemian-like subculture of young artists, actors and musicians who are struggling to make a future for themselves.
"Everyone in Boston is in a band,” Meyrovich joked. “Everybody is a musician or an actor. It’s kind of scary to see just how many people there are around here who are like me – who want the same thing that I want, because unfortunately, there isn’t enough room for all of us. And it sucks because a lot of really talented people don’t make it because of that.”
The big decision for many young adults like Meyrovich is whether or not to pursue a degree. The recent fame and success of Berklee dropouts John Mayer and Gavin DeGraw have many hopeful young performers questioning whether or not college is necessary. Does the entertainment industry care more about credentials or talent?
According to Janet Neely, a Career Services Associate at Emerson College, training is necessary to become a performer.
"There is no one formula for success,” Neely said. “Very few actors or musicians have no training at all. Some choose to study privately while others choose to pursue a college education.”
However, the cost of tuition for these private performing arts schools will be a major determining factor for many young adults. At Emerson, tuition plus room and board adds up to about $32,000 – double what some of the graduates make in a year according to the Post-Graduation Survey Results: Class of 2001. At The New England Conservatory of Music, students pay up to $36,000 a year.
But the price of training is not the only thing holding these young aspiring performers back. Finding jobs in the entertainment industry is the biggest hurdle.
According to Neely, the future of performing arts graduates is uncertain.
“Very few graduates secure performance jobs right out of college and at all,” Neely said.
Emerson’s Post-Graduation Survey: Class of 2001, which surveyed 58% of the graduates with a bachelor’s degree in performing arts, showed that only 26% were employed in the Theatre/Arts industry. Fifteen percent were employed in retail, which was the second most common industry among the respondents.
According to the report, the average salary of the respondents was between $20,000 and $24,999. Thirty eight percent of those surveyed earned under $15,000 a year.
Although recent Emerson graduates may be facing financial difficulties, the school has been known to produce some famous faces including Tonight Show host Jay Leno, Happy Days’ Henry Winkler and actress Gina Gershon.
The lack of jobs in the entertainment industry has forced some people to give up on their dreams. Northeastern University freshmen Christa Lewis 19, wanted to pursue singing as a profession and even took private lessons for many years, but decided to major in business for security.
“I had to be realistic,” Lewis said.
However, the financial uncertainty of performing arts professions hasn’t stopped Meyrovich. Although she is no longer attending Emerson, she still intends to become a performer.
“I might move to New York and just start auditioning,” Meyrovich said. “It’s a tough industry, but someone’s got to do it.”
Nina Scalise, 22, who also hopes to break into musical theatre, agrees. “The more people who think that [the entertainment industry] is too hard to break into, the fewer there are who try, which leaves room for those of us who really want it.”
But why are there so few jobs in the industry? The American Federation of Music (AFM) has cited several reasons for the lack of jobs in music including the lack of corporate music jobs due to budget cutbacks and the replacement of live music with disc jockeys in clubs.
Another trend affecting the jobs in music is the merging of independent labels and major labels. According to Knab.com, over 80% of all records sold in the United States are controlled by five major labels: Sony, WEA, BMG, Universal Music and Video Group, and EMD.
“Big record companies only look for new trends,” said senior radio major Adam Harvey, 22, of Emerson College. “If your music is hardcore rock and the ‘in-thing’ is pop, then you’re probably not going to get signed.”
However, a recent survey done my Berklee College of Music showed that the majority of Berklee graduates were not having as much trouble finding jobs in music. The report, which surveyed graduates from the last five years, showed that 65% of all performance major graduates were exclusively employed in the music industry. Only 11% were not employed in any kind of music industry job. According to the report, the data is above average for a music school.
Recent Berklee graduates are not the only ones to find success. Former students of Berklee include Aimee Mann, Paula Cole, Melissa Etheridge and Tonight Show bandleader Kevin Eubanks.
The Wetfeet Insider Guide to Careers in Entertainment and Sports believes that the shortage of jobs in the entertainment industry is an obvious one: everybody wants it because it is “in the business of fun.” However, according to the book, the entertainment and sports industries have been known to flourish during periods of economic instability, which should provide more jobs in the industry.
But this hasn’t proven true for the high number of recent graduates who haven’t been able to find jobs in entertainment and many other sectors. The National Association of Colleges and Employers annual Job Outlook Survey 2003 reported that only a quarter of employers were planning to hire new graduates in the next year – most of which were government agencies.
Although government agency jobs may not be ideal, many performing arts majors will need to come up with a plan B – and possibly C – if they expect to earn any income after graduating.
“The career of a performer is unpredictable and most performers have jobs to support themselves while they audition and look for work in their field,” Neely said.
Unfortunately, many will have to settle for less than their dreams.
No comments:
Post a Comment