The Call Back

When I had originally talked to the AMTC judge during Logan's audition, she had made a few comments that seemed to tip her hand that she would be calling back, possibly even the same evening. When I went to bed without a phone call, I thought perhaps I had misread her intentions.

We started to move into the new week without expecting a call back and with a nod toward what fun we had had going to the audition.

But while we were in church yesterday, she left a message on my voice mail and I caught up with her after a few rounds of phone tag. These were her conclusions:

Logan is a cute girl with a cute voice. She doesn't have the pitch of the caliber they need but perhaps it is something she can pursue in the coming years. Because she didn't really meet their standards, she couldn't get a call back for singing.

However, she is receiving a call back for acting and modeling. Her judge thought she had a natural timing and lean towards acting. She had asked for the modeling based on her own judgement that Logan may do well- I am guessing for things such as catalogs, advertisements, et al

The next step are The Bridge- a series of weekend classes held in Atlanta (or New York or LA or a handful of other locations...in case we have family in any of those places that may help alleviate some travel expense) Once she completes The Bridge, she will take part in a professional photo shoot and be given 3 talent showcases of her choice at their SHINE event in Orlando (where network scouts, directors & producers & casting agents are invited)

The deposit is $500

The remaining balance is slightly under 5K and can be made in installments.

There is a full time military and/or ministry discount (Uncle Nick, want to adopt Logan for a year?) and some kind of fundraising that has been mentioned but not explained in detail.

When I explained I would have to go home and talk with her dad about it, and have him on board regarding finances, there was no pressure to act now or lose our spot. We were encouraged to take our time and prayerfully consider what we thought was best to do. We were encouraged to not enter a financial hardship nor proceed if we weren't all on the same page (in other words- they did not seem money hungry to me)

Unfortunately, that's where this story ends. We've not made a decision yet...Someone will be following up with us in the coming days. The judge was kind enough to give her cell number and the invitation to call her if we needed anything or had any questions.

Time Will Tell.

 (It Always Does) 

Whether Logan attends The Bridge or not, I know this weekend has boosted her confidence and I am sure more auditions are in her future.

Logan's First Audition

Logan's PreAudition Practice

As I mentioned in the previous post, Logan found out less than 24 hours prior, that AMTC was in town for auditions. With very little time to deliberate, she picked a song and a monologue to sample for her "judge"
She didn't truly settle on which pieces she would use until about one hour before these practice videos were taken. I took them to give her feedback as she practiced... and also, to have my sweet girl singing and acting and being brave on film :oP

We have about a dozen or more takes of both, but I chose only two of either discipline to share. In all, she probably had appx. an hour and a half of practice time before the real audition. I may be biased, but I think she did a stellar job in that short amount of time. It does make me think that she would be well served by in-depth coaching from people who know singing and acting (as opposed to my off-key-no-acting-still-in-my-own-shell-self)

Song ~"I Wish We'd All Been Ready"~ (she'd never heard this song before that morning)


Monologue~Because Of Winn Dixie~


I did not film Logan during her actual audition- I was too busy wrangling a run around Rye. But the judge/coach had Logan read an additional script and sing Happy Birthday- she then asked Logan to model walk, even though Logan had not signed up for modeling...All the while, the judge is taking notes but not sharing any feedback with us.
We left knowing that if they liked anything they had seen, we would receive a call back before 5 PM the next day...if we hadn't heard by then, don't take it personal, God has a plan for us and He's merely protecting us from getting off His track :)

NEXT UP: Waiting For A Call Back

The Audition

Logan Aleece Brewer

This is Logan. 

She has always wanted to be Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

Literally.

She has asked to dye her hair bright red. 

She has threatened to change her name legally once she is of age. 

And at least one costume in the past consisted of a mermaid's tail. 

So, it should come as no surprise that Logan also wants to "sing and dance"

I believe wanting to act is just another way to end up as Ariel on stage someday :) 

And the singing... well, we all remember that singing mermaid... and the big ideas she planted in little girls' heads: 

"Wish I could be.... part of that world..." 

Logan  has "dreamed" of acting or singing or just somehow ending up "on the Disney Channel", but based on her shy nature, we have never really pursued it. 

Not to mention, we didn't feel like a career in that industry is always an easy companion with maintaining certain standards.

But recently, one of Logan's dear cousins (and friend) (and fellow Pink Bedroom Junior Society Club Member) was cast in an upcoming television show. 

Her cousin's success added to the positive effect on her confidence and comfort in front of people that have resulted from UpWard Cheer, helped Logan muster enough courage to go to an audition herself. 

On Friday, she asked me, "Couldn't I just search for auditions online and see if anything decent (wholesome) comes up?"

I told her I didn't see why not.

She jumped online immediately. 

What she discovered was that Actors, Musicians, & Talent for Christ (AMTC) was in town... the very next day.

We looked at their web site, we talked to Coach Dad once the boy's game had ended and with only a few hours to go before the audition, Logan chose a song and a monologue to use at the audition. 

The audition was across town, on the other side of The Big City ( I so hate driving there!) and directly following her game... so we knew we'd be hustling to make it - and we were right- we ran about 15 minutes late- (a fact NOT helped in the least by Google Maps and the truck's GPS conspiring together to send us 15 minutes in the direction of a back entrance when  2 minutes of straight driving would have gotten us to the front gate (Grrr!)

But, we had called and they had assured us we would be fine to come on and sit in on the informational meeting. You see, we knew from the beginning that the audition was to be accepted/invited to the talent management company... not for any one specific role. The information session was to make sure everyone was clear on that, to put forth the Christian foundation of the company as well as highlight some of their "success" stories. 

I have tried to balance everything I've seen and experienced against those who claim that this set up is a  scam. I have seen modeling agencies use a similar format where the audition was a front for taking modeling classes.. I have concluded that this set up is likely the way AMTC generates the necessary revenue to operate their company, but not necessarily a scam...more like those Art Institute Aptitude tests...maybe you're good at it...maybe not... if so, there's a course you can take and further develop your skills and knowledge...if not, ah, well... what did you lose?

Because no money was asked to audition and all of the information was shared before auditions occurred, there was no feel of bait and switch or high pressure obligation. 

We chose to do the audition because of the aforementioned courage that had been mustered... even a community theatre audition is good for someone who needs practice... so, to that end, because there was no initial cost, we really had nothing to lose. 

From a spiritual standpoint, I believe in the founder's sincerity when she shares her conversion story, but I can also understand why some people have claimed it was just a convenient re-branding scheme...especially in light that they are now a non-profit ministry. Only the founder and God know for certain, but we must take people at their word unless and until they give us a reason to doubt them. The emphasis on prayer and God's will in roles that work out or do not as well as the focus on modesty and age appropriate materials made me comfortable with the organization. I do not believe we are aligned completely theologically- it appears that there is a more charismatic slant to the leadership at AMTC- but I didn't hear anything that would cause me concern over Logan taking classes from them or being in their company...

Coming Up: Logan's Pre-Audition Practice