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ttqs84
Deinonychus
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11 Sep 2011, 2:53 pm

perhaps this topic been discussed already and forgive my ignorance but i need to know: are there any job opportunities for us Aspies in the music/entertainment industry and can we thrive on it?

i'm currently in musical theater school. it's the only one in my country (Colombia), and the talent pool there isn't so great mainly 'cos our founder is only interested in profit rather than admitting talent and discipline. three things are focused there: dance, theater, and vocal music.
i'm amongst the few who can sing and act. but here are the problems i'm facing in this school: i can't understand music theory very well 'cos i can't learn as fast as the other neurotypical classmates; therefore, my grades are low with that. i have a firm idea of what acting is all about but and when it comes to reciting lines i have slight memory issues and i kinda stammer on the words (mainly 'cos Spanish isn't my first language even though i can speak it). as for dancing, i got two left feet for it and i also have low grades for that. and above all, knowing i have Asperger's i don't socialize with anyone there 'cos they're all neurotypical and i have a long history of bullying. Autism/Asperger's isn't common in Colombia. the only person who does get me is my vocal coach.
here i am at 27 and i'm suppose to graduate next year but i don't know what to do with my life. all i know is that i don't wanna spend the rest of my pathetic life in Colombia where i see nothing going on for me. is there any hope whatsoever?



Last edited by ttqs84 on 11 Sep 2011, 7:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.

CosmicRuss
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11 Sep 2011, 4:31 pm

Have you thought of Stage Management or Stage Lighting Design or even Directing as a career ?
I had friends who went to drama school in London and neither of them act now but both are quite successful, one as a Casting Director the other as a Lighting Designer.



ttqs84
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12 Sep 2011, 5:26 pm

CosmicRuss wrote:
Have you thought of Stage Management or Stage Lighting Design or even Directing as a career ?
I had friends who went to drama school in London and neither of them act now but both are quite successful, one as a Casting Director the other as a Lighting Designer.


the truth is i never wanted to work behind the scenes. after i graduate (hopefully), i won't have any financial assistance from my family. the school i'm at don't have 'behind the scenes' courses, and i don't know if the jobs you mentioned will help pay for food & rent.



ttqs84
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18 Sep 2011, 1:47 pm

i see my question still hasn't been answered. i made this topic because there weren't any sources for individuals on the spectrum who'd like to pursue a career in the music/entertainment industry. is it because the industry is prejudiced towards us?



pineapple
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18 Sep 2011, 9:26 pm

I guess the main question is, are there jobs in Columbia that are relevant to your skills? And if not, are you able to go elsewhere to seek a job? If your vocal coach does get you, can you talk this over with them? All the actors and singers that I know also have "day jobs" doing unrelated things. Some of them do get paid to act, but it's not enough to live on. Anyway, I can relate to what you're saying. I attempted to work in the music industry in the US. There's a lot of exploitation and it's pretty low-paying unless you have skills that go beyond the average. I realized that if I kept music as a hobby without trying to get paid, I might actually have a better chance of being involved on a meaningful level. Although that leads to the question of what your main job is going to be. I wish I had some answers for you.



ttqs84
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18 Sep 2011, 10:27 pm

pineapple wrote:
I guess the main question is, are there jobs in Columbia that are relevant to your skills? And if not, are you able to go elsewhere to seek a job? If your vocal coach does get you, can you talk this over with them? All the actors and singers that I know also have "day jobs" doing unrelated things. Some of them do get paid to act, but it's not enough to live on. Anyway, I can relate to what you're saying. I attempted to work in the music industry in the US. There's a lot of exploitation and it's pretty low-paying unless you have skills that go beyond the average. I realized that if I kept music as a hobby without trying to get paid, I might actually have a better chance of being involved on a meaningful level. Although that leads to the question of what your main job is going to be. I wish I had some answers for you.


the only type of work i got in the US was retail. when i applied for full-time they gave me part-time with minimum wage. earning minimum wage doesn't provide a stable life of course, what with the US economy being what it is these days.



sp1lls33d
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05 Oct 2011, 12:59 am

An Aspie would do well in being a musical engineer, provided they can actually find work in that field. I wouldn't be surprised at all if many of the people already doing it were aspies. It involves sitting in a studio by yourself and tweaking a bunch of knobs until the sounds are perfect.