Do you want to pursue your major as a career?
By Lilah Cardillo
Vincent Van Gogh, famed starving artist’s “The Potato Eaters”
Going to an arts school allows students to connect with their passions, but the arts aren’t exactly known for being lucrative. Most writers make about $28,500 annually, painters around $25,000, and dancers in the realm of $38,000. Even the most successful artists are, at some point in their journeys, dissuaded from the path—in the practical world, artists tend to be devalued. So what does this mean for the artists of tomorrow, many of whom are most likely walking these halls? DSA students undertake a selective audition process, and devote a considerable amount of time to their arts majors. But how many of us actually want to turn our current work into a future career? I’ve considered a career in writing. The desire has waned over the years, but I value the skills of communication and language I’m learning now more than anything else I do at school. Although it’s highly unlikely that my name will end up on the back of a book, I love Creative Writing. But the question remains: If not to be career artists, why do people go to DSA? What’s in it for us, other than the pure love of the game? I discussed this with multiple fellow students in the hallway, and the responses were much more varied than I expected.
Do you want to pursue your major as a career?
“I think it would be fun to write comics. I like writing dialogue, it works better for me. I value Creative Writing for the people most.”
-Isaac Gutierrez, Grade 10, Creative Writing
“Yes. If you make art, you are an artist—I make art, so I am already an artist. I hope I can keep doing that in the future.”
-Oliver Leon, Grade 9, Visual Arts
“No, I want to make money. I value band because it’s fun to play music”
-Ani King, Grade 10, Band
“It could be interesting. It’s not exactly my style, but it’s a good career. I prefer the most technical aspects like sounds and lights, it helps out every other major at DSA”
-Zoe Hurd, grade 9, Stagecraft and Design
“No, I've always wanted to be an architect. VCA helps me see the world cinematically, and it’s a fun hobby”
-Emma Maldonato, grade 9, Video Cinema Arts
“Yes. I’ve been acting since I was very little, and I love doing it.”
-Keeley Robinson, 10th grade, Theatre
“Yes, I want to do acting but I don’t want to do anything onstage. I want to do film. In theater, we learn about communication, people skills, and memorization. It gives you a deeper understanding of how people works and how we do things, so a performer can apply that to their work”
-Cha-Cha Anders, grade 10, Theatre
“Yes, definitely. In class, we talk a lot about talking to people and professionalism, so as well as just a class, it teaches you how to present yourself professionally.”
-Fiona Andrews, 10th, Theatre
“Yeah, I’d say so. I’ve gotten really into poetry recently. Creative writing forces you to learn a lot of different genres and really makes you better overall. I’ve definitely gotten a lot better at writing”
-Sammy Chadd, 10th, Creative Writing
“No, I don’t. I really like playing piano. It’s something I hope to continue doing for the rest of my life, but it’s not something I can see myself going into, because there’s not that much money in it as a profession. It’s mostly based off of luck. Also, at DSA we focus mostly on classical piano, and someone would be more likely to go into jazz piano as a career because it’s a bit more flexible.”
-Vince McCush, Piano, 12th
“I’d like to think about it, but it’s not confirmed. The biggest thing is I want something that makes money, and musicians don’t really make money like that.”
-Hardie Vaughn, Guitar, 10th
Overall, the insight of my peers proved surprising in some ways, and affirming in others. DSA students move into the adult world with skills not many people can claim to possess. In my opinion, the artists of our community are all equally bound for success.