I don’t know if other freelancers do this too, but I tend to deal with the constant rejection and nervousness of being a singer by sending out as many résumés as I can. Each time a “we’re not interested” rolls in I immediately throw it out or delete it, and send out two more résumés. As coping mechanisms go, I could do worse.
I’ve had a moderately busy year, so every few weeks I am shuffling things around – moving them from “upcoming” to “roles”, editing old credits, adding an accolade. It’s hard to look at that ever-changing word document with fresh eyes, but I really do try.
We all work so hard to make sure that what is on that paper makes us sound legit. Too many credits with one company? Dump a bunch of them. Sang for free? Try to make it look like you got paid. And how to communicate to all the companies out there that the credit that appears to be the most rinky-dink was actually the most lucrative?
I waffle between wanting to look like I have a special focus and wanting to look like I can do it all. I hem and haw about what to include in order to look “professional”, when in truth I have no idea what “professional” means. And this is all before I even start singing.
Being my own brand is hard enough when I’m in the audition room. Agonizing over how to fit it into the tables in my Word document keeps me from those other details, like, say, learning my music. I don’t mind playing the game, but deep down I don’t believe that it makes any difference. Even if what I have on my résumé affects whether or not someone hires me, it can’t possibly affect what kind of artist I am.
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