tmjones

Just trying to put some feelers out there...I apologize in advance for how long-winded and sloppy this post may be to read. I am an actor who's currently on-tour with a Broadway musical. Several years spent working as an actor in NYC has left me with a desire for more stability in the workplace and my life in general. I graduated from the University of Michigan in 2011 with a 3.76 GPA, but my degree was in musical theatre- not anything science related. My specific interests lies in vocology and voice rehabilitation, particularly for injured singers. I've had just about every kind of voice injury under the sun, and I would never have maintained my sanity were it not for the professionals who led me to recovery- I want to be that for someone else. Broadway performers are "vocal athletes," and they need coaches! I hope to teach voice one day, and am extremely drawn to the fact that a background in speech pathology would grant me the ability to work in-office and independently. I know they're somewhat rare, but I do know of specialists who work regularly (as SLPs) with performers, and conduct research in clinical settings, and maintain voice studios on the side. I know a lot about the voice, and I know that I would bring a great deal of passion and empathy to a career in SLP/vocology. I guess my question is: How far does passion take you when applying to these programs? Specifically, for a program that has a designated specialty track for Voice Disorders. I'm only 26, but I already feel that my brain is a far cry from what it was in high school, or even 4 years ago in college! As an actor, I haven't had to do very much logical/critical thinking in a while, and honestly I'm terrified of the GREs (to further perpetuate the "stupid actor" stereotype). I know I can compete with the best of them when it comes to desire and interest, but I understand that these are very competitive programs, and I'm nervous I won't stand much chances getting into anywhere- let alone earning scholarship money that I would definitely need. It's something that I'm starting to think strongly about, but in terms of the logistics, I'm still just continuing to gather information. This may have been too vague of a question to receive a straight answer, but does anyone have any insight about whether I might be able to get in on the game at this stage of my life, especially given my somewhat varied background? I appreciate any and all opinions. Thanks! TJ