My memories of Little Voices & the life lessons it taught me
Rees Parry is one of our former Little Voices pupils who went on to study Musical Theatre at Guildford School of Acting, and has now graduated with an MA.
Here he shares his memories of Little Voices, his 5 biggest learnings from the time he spent with us, and his advice to other young male performers.
My strongest memory of Little Voices is how much fun I always had! For me, Little Voices was a safe space where I could spend hours with my friends while also working on something I was extremely passionate about, which is one of the reasons I carried on for so many years. And the friends I made there are still some of my closest friends to this day.
Before I went along to my first class, I wasn’t aware of just how large the performing world was. Being taught in an environment that was fun, yet still professional, opened my eyes to what I could do if I worked hard.
I was fortunate enough to have Jane as one of my tutors, and she simply exudes passion and drive. But the enthusiasm and encouragement shown by every Little Voices tutor who ever taught me is still with me even now as I embark on my professional career.
Throughout my time there, I covered a wide variety of musical theatre, and that base knowledge helps me to this day. Without Little Voices, I wouldn’t be anywhere near as confident or determined as I am now.
The 5 biggest lessons Little Voices taught me
- How to work well in a team: being able to work with others is such a crucial skill to have in any industry, but especially as a performer.
- Self-belief: the tutors were all so unbelievably supportive and encouraged me to push outside the box, which I believe is what has made me a much more confident and open-minded performer.
- Music theory: working with Jane on songs from musicals was initially challenging as I hadn’t had to read sheet music before. But these core skills are a great foundation for any performer, and I still use them when approaching a score now!
- The importance of having fun: enjoying what you do is crucial to having a long and successful career. Like everyone, I have moments when I get stressed while putting on a show. But when that happens, I always think back to my time at Little Voices and remember how much fun I had, and why I decided to pursue performing as a career.
- The value of working hard: both Little Voices as a whole, and Jane as an individual, taught me that if you put your mind to something, you can achieve it. I left Little Voices all those years ago wanting to be a performer, and still have that drive and work ethic to this day – and that’s thanks to all the Little Voices tutors that helped me along the way.
My advice to other young male performers
My advice to any boys out there who are interested in performing is to go for it and have fun!
When I was younger, I struggled at first at the thought of being one of the only boys in my class.
But I needn’t have worried, because the welcoming environment and generous tutors at Little Voices always made me feel so comfortable. I look back on my time in those classes and feel so grateful at the amount of encouragement I received from everyone.
And even if performing isn’t your end goal, the classes Little Voices offer provide vital skills that are transferable to everyday life. So whatever your motivation, you’ll always come away with so much more than you started out with!
If Rees’s story has inspired you or your child, why not book in for a free trial class? Just contact your local Little Voices office to find out more.