practice makes permanent

Recently, I was researching some classes for my son. In our house, this is something we take seriously. What's the background of the teacher? Where did they study? What have they done? What successes have their students had? etc. Trophies in a window, fancy costumes, pictures of kids having "fun" aren't considered. "Fun" doesn't make the list. It's "fun" to skip training and play video games all day, but that's also called "bad parenting." That's not to say that the instructor can't bring joy to the training, it's just not a priority when it comes to training and growth.

So what does our search for quality look like? I'll use myself as an example, since I am Gavin's acting coach, and we were serious about that choice as well. I'll answer the same questions about me.

What's my background? Where have I studied? What have I done? Here are some highlights from my resume. (My CV is almost 20 pages long.)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

Actors' Equity Association (2002-Present)
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (2012-Present)

EDUCATION

Master of Fine Arts, Directing (2008-2011)

• Arizona State University, Herberger College of the Arts School of Theatre and Film, Tempe, Arizona
  

Bachelor of Arts, Theatre/Education, English: (1992-1996)

• Weber State University, Ogden, Utah

EXPERIENCE

Artistic Director/Director of Theatre (2012-Present)

• Utah Arts Academy, St. George, Utah
  

Acting Instructor Stage/Television/Film (2015-Present)

• Independent, Saint George, Utah

Creative Director (2015-2016)

• Kayenta Center for the Arts, Ivins, Utah

Graduate Student Instructor (2008-2011)

• Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona

Artistic Director

• Salt Lake Shakespeare / University of Utah (2004-2006)

Creative Director (2002-2012)

• Theatre Arts Conservatory, Salt Lake City, Utah

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE / TRAINING

Lincoln Center Directors Lab, West (2012)

• Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, California

Viewpoints and Suzuki Training with Anne Bogart and SITI Company’s Leon Ingulsrud, Ellen Lauren, Akiko Aizawa, Barney O’Hanlon, Tom Nelis (2009)

• Arizona State University, Herberger College of the Arts School of Theatre and Film, Tempe, Arizona

Economy, Precision, Relaxation Training: One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre, Summer Lab with Denise Clarke, Blake Brooker, and Chris Cran (2010)

• Big Secret Theatre, Epcore Center for the Performing Arts, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

M.O.V.E. Intensive: Lecoq with Sara Romersberger, Period Style with Deborah Robertson, Rasaboxes with Rachel Bowditch (2009)

• Arizona State University, Herberger College of the Arts School of Theatre and Film, Tempe, Arizona

Note: There's a lot missing here, including 100+ directing credits, honors & awards, and workshop/panel presentations.

What successes have my students had? This one's fun to answer.

I have had students go on to some of the following top programs:

• Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
• Guildhall School of Music and Drama
• New York University's Tisch School of the Arts
• Boston University
• University of North Carolina School of the Arts
• University of Southern California

I have had students go on to perform lead roles in/on:

• Broadway
• Regional Theatre
• Disney Resorts
• Film
• Television
• Cirque du Soleil

In terms of awards, my students have received top honors in nearly every competitive event this state has to offer:

• Region & State Competitions
• Utah Shakespeare Festival / Southern Utah University High School Shakespeare Competition
• Utah Theatre Association Scholarship Awards
• YoungArts

And then there's Gavin and you can find most of his work here:

Gavin Lewis IMDb

Practice doesn't make perfect ... practice makes permanent.
Who are you practicing/training with? Are they the best that you could find or are they just fun?

If you're looking for fun, great! If not, do yourself a favor and do your homework.