"Our people do not need any training, when it comes to acting and entertainment. Don't you agree?" This is what an older Black woman shared with me as I was sitting in a classroom with young children. After she told me that I should also contact Tyler Perry to see if I could work for him. As I sat there in stunned silence, I could only think of the numerous artists that came before me who may not have trained in traditional settings but definitely did receive training and always practiced in order to be the best of the best. One of the best lines from the documentary, 20 Feet from Stardom is "Artists today have not done enough woodworking," which basically refers to the lack of practice and time spent polishing one's talent. This was told by older Black singers in the film. So where did the woman speaking to me get such a ludicrous idea?
There are so many fingers to point. And I am glad that she looks at movies and believe that it is effortless and that anyone with a thimble of talent can make magic happen. But that is simply not true. It could not be further from the truth. I honestly felt as if her words kicked me in the stomach and completely wiped out all of the hard work that so many of us dive into on a daily basis. No matter what aspect of art you choose to follow, it takes discipline and work to find a way to earn a living from it and for it to be recognized and respected by others. But what about reality television? That does not have the same requirements. They also do not get the same kind of pay or respect. But folks do recognize them. Denzel Washington said it best, "Luck is where opportunity meets preparation." This is why no one will remember many of these shows 20 years from now.
My daughter practices her art daily and some her training is formal and some comes from you tube tutorials. But she is self motivated to improve her artistic abilities and that is what training looks like. I still read plays and look for music for auditions in order for me to find a better monologue and a better song. I utilize coaches and voice teachers and workshops. I practice reading music so that I can have a leg up during rehearsals or when music is emailed to me and I am unable to meet with my voice teacher. None of this would be possible without training being perfectly matched to some raw talent.
I can only pray that the woman that spoke those words can remember those who used to literally sleep at the Apollo theatre and perform 3 shows each day between rehearsals, training, and more rehearsal. I hope that she remembers that one of the greatest contributions that America has continuously given is its entertainment and it transcends Tyler Perry, race, gender, and ethnicity. But none of it would be possible without training and expertise. Something that may continue to be hard to receive as art programs fall victim to the school of hard knocks and are only available to those who can afford them as opposed to every child.
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