Valkyrie Spring 2018 - Issue 3

Making it in
Music Performance
gutierrez’s story:
Alejandro Gutierrez is a musician and actor from Houston, Texas.
By Alejandro Gutierrez
Design by Sara Arms
Keys to Success
n college I learned just how much practicing it takes
Ito stay competitive in my field, and not only do you
have to retain a lot of the knowledge you receive, you
have to hustle and keep learning after you leave to stay
relevant. To my fellow musicians, no matter whether you
want to be a performer or an educator, work on maintaining
the relationships you make in college and beyond. You will
never know where people will go or the opportunities that
might arise if you burn a bridge with someone you didn’t
like.
To me, the most important thing about getting a foothold
in the music performance industry and being able to make
a steady income is diversification. Unless you have Wynton
Marsalis, Jessye Norman, or Itzhak Perlman talent (and
even they practice all the time). Trumpet players, guitarists,
or sopranos are a dime a dozen, but a drummer that can
also play keys, or a vocalist that can play an instrument is
exponentially more hirable, and therefore will have more
opportunities for consistent employment. Also, look for
your people, and find a company that you want to grow
with. Directors like to work with people they know and
get along with because the process is hard enough without
having to worry about whether a new person will be a good
fit.
started my journey at the Atlanta Unified auditions,
I
landing my first professional credit in Valhalla by
Paul Rudnick with the Essential Theatre Festival,
a yearly summer festival that produces regional or
national premieres in Atlanta. The exposure from that show
earned me auditions in town and convinced me I might
actually be talented. From there, I went to the Southeastern
Theatre Conference and United Professional Theatre
Auditions to audition for larger theaters and signed my first
out-of-state contract with Thin Air Theatre, performing in
Singing in the Rain and Girl of the Golden West. Uprooting
your life every few months can be daunting, but it taught
me efficiency, how to leave a small footprint and that I can
live out of a suitcase. I also used Playbill and Backstage to
look for jobs, which is how I was cast in the 2015 national
tour of Buddy: The Buddy Holly story, once again putting
my musical talent to work playing trumpet, guitar and
keyboard, in addition to playing 4 characters. Touring isn’t
for everyone, and cramped quarters with the same people
for months can lead to tense situations from which you can’t
just walk away, but it’s a great way to expand your network
and see the country. I have friends all over the U.S. that I
have stayed with or seen after our contracts were over.
My first national tour was in 2014 with Nebraska Theatre
Caravan playing Mortimer in The Fantasticks. Our road
manager for the tour was also performing as Henry, The
Old Actor. I didn’t know it at the time, but he would become
the Production Manager for Holland America, a subsidiary
SETC
Playbill
Backstage
UPTA
of Carnival, that operates cruises all over the world. We
kept in touch, and this year at UPTA I ran into him in the
lobby after my audition. Less than two weeks later I received
an e-mail with an official offer to join the cast of Music of
Denali, a dinner theatre in McKinley Park, Ark., a division
of Princess Cruises, another subsidiary of Carnival. If
we hadn’t stayed friends or gotten along, I wouldn’t even
have been considered, let alone offered a position. As if that
wasn’t enough, I already have a roommate in Alaska, as
another friend whom I met on a tour of A Christmas Carol
was also cast and contacted me as soon as he saw me in the
company Facebook group.
My upcoming contract in Indiana took a little more
perseverance. I met with the Artistic Director of Round
Barn Theatre in Nappanee, Ind. at a conference last year
but had no mutual connections. We spoke about their
season and agreed to continue the conversation after the
conference, because she had other candidates with which to
meet. We e-mailed a few times, until suddenly she stopped
responding. I followed up for over a month but never heard
back. I saw her again this year, and she remembered me
from all the e-mails and apologized for not following up.
We have a great conversation and were able to come to an
agreement to music direct 3 shows in the fall, A Year With
Frog and Toad, Lend Me a Tenor, and Annie.
a networking group that hosts conventions and networking opportunities for theatrical students and professionals.
a networking hub that shares theatre news and allows members to post and search for jobs.
a website that specializes in posting jobs and casting calls.
an organizaiton in Memphis, Tenn. that hosts auditions and networks professionals.
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