I had the most tiring Voice Production class today. The most taxing part of today's lesson was reading a passage from Shakespeare's King Lear. Basically we were asked to read a monologue by King Lear as he was cursing on a mountain because of the bad treatment he received from his two oldest daughters. And we had to experiment with our bodies (sounds wrong) and use them to express ourselves while reading the monologue. So being the angry passage it was we all stamped our feet and shouted in exasperation and ran all around the room; doing it 4-5 times in succession was really really tiring and I felt so taxed out by the end of the 30 minutes. Newfound respect for Theatre people seriously. It's not easy to be able to act well (and I'm saying this from my experience in a really really REALLY fundamental-based class).

This led me to realise that there really is no easy way out of studies or work or life in general. I used to think that it would be "easier" to study things like music or theatre or the arts. But upon experiencing it for myself I definitely don't think that way any more. For example, in theatre alone an actor has to learn voice production, enunciation, expression, body language, audience captivation, use of space, etc. and those are just the bare basics. Haven't even mentioned things such as variation of tones and how to interpret and analyse texts. People take years to study theatre for a reason. Same as music, same as art, same as any other major you want to take, really.

Which leads me to get really angry when people tell me that I learnt music just so that I have a "backup plan", so that if anything I can just "teach music". Please, if only it were so simple. If it were that easy I would just collate as many diploma certificates as I can and I would be one of the best music teachers in the world. But it doesn't work that way. To be a good music teacher would be to get a degree in music, or a Masters or even a PhD. Having a piano diploma does not make you qualified to be a music teacher (okay, maybe last time it was sufficient but not in our current time and age). I can have a piano diploma but that may just mean I can play and memorise pieces well. Doesn't mean I know all about the history of music and music analysis and theory and certainly does not mean I have the ability to teach, just because I have this qualification on paper. People who think that having a paper qualification is enough are just way too naive and don't know enough.

I also hate it when people tell me that "things like music don't need to go university to study one". Seriously? I know that the arts and all were not as recognised in the past, but that's because the people who were involved in the arts in the past were actually the only ones who were good at them. Natural, raw talent. Still that doesn't mean they didn't work their asses off getting as good as they are/were. And that certainly does not undermine the importance of the arts in contrast to science. In fact what would life be without the arts, I don't know. Many people probably won't want to live in such a world. But I digress. The point is that if you're serious about something, there's no easy way out. And if you're committed to it you won't say things like "don't need to do this la" because you would want to do it anyway.

Oh my gosh I don't know why this post became so angst.