Interview 1

 

Questions:

  • How do you find work in your field?
  • Are you signed with a talent agency?
  • Do you do any other work outside of this career?
  • How has COVID-19 affected you?/Has anything changed due to COVID?
  • How do you feel about your career? Are you content with how it is going/what are your future goals?

 

 

Interviewee 1

  • FaceTime interview 10/10/2021 1:30pm
  • Gets gigs through connections and people she has worked with in the past. Freelance work
  • Finds other work while not performing through studio sessions and working in booking agencies for other artists.
  • She was apprehensive when covid made her focus on other aspects than life performance such as forming an LLC, learning how to split royalties, future options of music like NFT’s, and everything in between.
  • Most difficult part of the industry is finding consistent work that doesn’t overlap. “it’s easy to find jobs with the right connections but making a consistent working schedule for yourself where you’re not underwhelmed or overwhelmed is the hard part.”
  • Now that she is settled moving past the insecurities of COVID, she is feeling a lot more confident in her career in the music business.
  • Wants to find the balance between performing live music and doing administrative work.

 

Interviewee 2

  • FaceTime interview 10/12/2021 5:00pm
  • Gets work primarily from booked live performances
  • Is not in a talent agency but does have a booking agent
  • When not performing, he runs a social media marketing company, as well as being a studio songwriter/producer.
  • As live performance was his main income source, he was frightened when COVID completely put that on hold for at least 8 months.
  • Now that COVID restrictions are loosening with vaccine mandates, he is able to perform live again regularly, but still fears the smaller crowds drawn than before the pandemic.
  • Besides the pandemic blip, he is happy with where his career is back at compared to this time last year. He hopes live music will grow in popularity again to where it was before COVID, but that will come with time. He’s just excited to be back on the scene, because he values being able to play live music for others.

 

Interviewee 3

  • Face-to-Face interview on 10/12/2021/ Timing of 7pm/ at Vixenz Studios
  • Summarized bullet points of the interviewee responses including:
  • Vick (Professional Choreographer/ Dancer/ Producer):
  • Gets gigs by phone call and emails
  • Is an independent contractor (as all dancers should be)
  • Production and Creative Director
  • Has not been affected by COVID, but as a dancer yes because there are many things happening slowing down in the industry, but far side business COVID has helped because the pandemic has forced things to go virtual
  • Awesome about career and certain choices within career, and loves networking cause loving the feeling of helping people create their vision come to life

 

Interviewee 4

  • Face-to-Face interview on 10/12/2021/ Timing of 7:15pm/ at Vixenz Studios
  • Summarized bullet points of the interviewee responses including:
  • Kim (Professional Dancer):
  • Gets gigs by personal bookings
  • Independent contractor/ Talent agency
  • Administrative Assistant for Dance studio
  • Have been affected because not many bookings happening/ tour season, and less dance classes be offered due to COVID
  • Wants to advance in career to get better and hopes to teach professionally

 

Interviewee 5

  • Face-to-Face interview on 10/13/2021 timing 11:45am/ at 55 park place
  • Summarized bullet points of the interviewee responses including:
  • Kadeem (actor)
  • Gets gigs by auditioning
  • Does not have an agent, finds bookings on his own
  • Nothing really other than film or acting based work
  • A lot of the in person aspect of acting has been lost. And because of covid they were not able to do smaller gigs. They now edit and record themselves so they don’t have to rely on someone else.
  • Is content but a little scared since acting is such an iffy career field

 

Reflection: Our observations are that people try to get independent contract work during the pandemic because it is most profitable. COVID has affected live performers the most, and those who own private teaching businesses were not as heavily affected. Many performers found other pathways in their art form that involved entrepreneurial skills.