This month, October 2023, marks the 40th anniversary of me being in my very first musical, Annie. This means that I have been singing, performing, or somehow involved with Musical Theatre for 40 years. (!)

This milestone made me think about who I was then, who I’ve become since, and more importantly, who I was meant to be.

But the real revelation was that I’d forgotten who I’ve always been.

My 10 year old self, who spent almost a year of her life blissfully rehearsing and performing in Annie, the Amy who was unapologetically, unabashedly FULL OF JOY for Musical Theatre and sang unashamed and uninhibited: SHE is who I’ve forgotten and who I desperately need to reacquaint myself with.

I frequently talk with my students (and frankly, myself) about having the courage to believe in themselves and their talent enough to audition. Interestingly, I have noticed that most of the people I have this conversation with are above average, definitively talented students/singers who, for a multitude of reasons (both known and unknown), feel unequal to the task, unqualified to put their voice out in the world. Fear rules them: fear of rejection, of being found out as a fraud, of failure.