In our latest blog post, we hear from Musicians Ltd alumni Mya Heiss. Mya joined the Musicians family at age 11, and her time here inspired her to pursue Acting at university.  She shares her experiences and highlights the “life-changing” value our program holds for young people. Read Mya’s story below to hear how Musicians Ltd can make a difference!

Reflecting on your journey from your time at Musicians Ltd to where you are now, how do you believe the foundation you built with us has influenced you as an individual?

I started my acting and musical theatre journey with Musicians when I was about 11 years old and because of this I was able to build up a strong foundation of confidence and fearlessness which I carried through with me all the way through my acting career and studies. Not only has musicians helped me musically, but the friendships and connections I made have truly made me the person I am today. I couldn’t be more grateful for the amazing memories I have with the most amazing people and teachers.

Describe a specific experience or performance with Musicians Ltd that you feel played a pivotal role in shaping your skills and confidence as a performer?

Not too long after I first joined Musicians, I had an opportunity to audition for a scholarship and was very fortunate to have been picked as the awardee. Because of this scholarship I was able to take part in their musical theatre classes and also had a year of singing lessons, which would not have possible without this opportunity. Being chosen as Musicians’s first scholarship awardee was a major confidence boost and the singing lessons have shaped my voice today.

A few years after joining Musicians I found out I had vocal nodules which affected my singing and completely erased my confidence in my own voice. I felt shy to sing and always nervous to hear my voice crack or shake but because of the amazing singing teacher I had at the time I was able to train my voice to work around the nodules and re-built my voice from scratch. Without musicians I would never have made it to where I am today.

How did the learning environment and opportunities for growth at Musicians Ltd contribute to your development as an actor?

The moment you join acting school they tell you that you’re going to do some weird and wonderful things and you can’t let your self get embarrassed or shy away from getting involved. Musicians taught me to always embrace acting and always find the fun in playing a character.

How did the collaborative nature of Musicians Ltd prepare you for working in ensemble casts and collaborative projects within your degree?

Musicians has always been an inclusive environment where anyone was welcome of varying ages and being that I participated in all their musicals during my time there I learnt the importance of working as an ensemble and learnt to work with people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. This is just one of the most important things you have to learn as an actor. No role is a small role the ensemble makes the show or the play better and they often times carry the show.

In what ways did participating in performances and events at Musicians Ltd open doors or provide networking opportunities that have been beneficial to your career?

Performing in all of musicians shows gave me the necessary experience in acting which helped me get into my university to study acting, not to mention the amazing staff helped me film, choreograph and choose the perfect songs for my auditions.

I could not have made it as far as I did without attending Musicians and anyone would be lucky to join them and experience what I have experienced because those were some of the best days of my life.