I'm so excited to be going to Love Acting's Showcase at the end of March 2023 in New Orleans!  This is a big deal for our class to be able to introduce ourselves in person to local film industry professionals, thanks to Jency Hogan with Love Acting.

Acting is my latest goal.  I am working to become a really good actor.  I completed my first paid job in 2020, during the pandemic.  I sang and played the piano to Amazing Grace for the Simply Piano App. Then I landed a role in The Show Must  Go Online with Playmakers of Baton Rouge as Tommy Tooth. During the pandemic I did about 50 auditions online and finally landed my first movie role where I played Young Nathan in Tad Caldwell and the Monster Kid. Since then, I have been taking acting lessons with CYT of Baton Rouge and Love  Acting and am still doing a lot of auditions. Here are a few pics on set.

I really like modeling.  I've had a lot of fun since my first professional show in 2019 with Coastal Fashion Week: The Movement.  Every year since, I have participated in several shows each year and with different groups. In addition to several Coastal Fashion Week shows, I've walked as a runway model for One of a Kind Baton Rouge Fashion Week, Victoria Henley's Magnifique Fashion Shows, and Barbizon's 2021 Passport to Discovery Finale Runway Show.

What a blast!  The 2021 Passport to Discovery was in Orlando, FL and I had a great time.  I made some awesome friends, was chosen to walk in the finale fashion show, and I won an Honorable Mention Award!  All in all, a great time, thank you Barbizon and Passport to Discovery!  I met some great agents too and signed with The Envy Agency, thank you Daniel Mahan.

As you know, I got my start by enrolling in classes with Barbizon.  Well, this year I decided to compete again in their Baltimore, MD competition in June and I'm looking forward to attending their Passport to Discovery competition in August.  Meeting other aspiring kids who want to be models and actors is really fun.  Meeting new prospective agents is also great, although a bit nerve wracking.  Check out my latest pics from the competition.  I was so excited to win 2nd Runner Up in my division!

 Fast forward this blog!  2020 was a blur in the pandemic, but I didn't let it slow me down. At the end of 2019 and early 2020, I signed with 4 agents, yes 4! Then, I auditioned over 50 times using Backstage, Kids Casting and Actors Access.  The online auditions possible due to the pandemic actually helped me to be able to submit so many auditions and this practice paid off, finally at the end of the year. I walked as a runway model and was selected as a host for the Baton Rouge Fashion Week, just before everything was shut down. I auditioned for and received the role of "Tommy Tooth" for a virtual play "The Show Must Go Online" with Playmakers of Baton Rouge, and I booked the role of Young Nathan in the feature film "Tad Caldwell and the Monster Kid" and became a Brand Ambassador for Glow Art Apparel in December.  During 2020 I also booked a commercial for the Simply Piano app where I sang and played the piano to the song, Amazing Grace.  And I also was selected for the cast of the play "The Show Must Go Online" produced by Playmakers of Baton Rouge.  And over the summer I worked on my acting and vocal skills by participating in CYT of Baton Rouge's "Westside Camp."  All in all 2020 was a great year for me and I'm looking forward to 2021.  Two of my agents recently sent me auditions and I'm crossing my fingers!
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In October, I participated in Barbizon's Passport to Discovery cruise.  What a blast!  I met so many wonderful people and made so many friends.  Walking as a model on a huge stage and partying with hundreds of other models on the Carnival Cruise Lines ship was totally amazing!  In order to prepare for this competition, I walked as a runway model in July for the Coastal Fashion Week: The Movement and I complete training sessions with Barbizon.

So I'm off and running!  I'll be signing with an agent soon, I've got 2 offers.  I can't wait to act or model in my first paid job!  But it's going to happen soon.  For those who are just getting started, here's some advice.

1. Get into some training or education on this business, how to model, how to act or play music.  For me I signed up with Barbizon and that's been a great avenue in to the business.  But there are lots of other groups, just check in your local area for opportunities like acting schools, music lesson places like School of Rock or at your school.  Many schools offer programs in arts such as music and drama (mine doesn't).

2. Ask a parent to make a profile on Kids Casting or Backstage and check out the types of roles being posted.  It's interesting to see what might be possible.  Then try to submit for something and maybe you'll get selected.  My mom put me in for Celebration of Music and I was selected!  I didn't win but the experience was worth gold and helped build my self confidence, as my mom says. 

3. If you are scared to be on stage and perform, the only cure is to do it more and more.  Me, I've been performing since I was a little kid.  When I was one or two, the pre-school made us sing for our parents, and so on and so on.  But I always liked performing.  I did magic shows when I was 4 and when I started taking piano lessons I performed at recitals.  The more you do it the easier it gets, that's my advice to get over the jitters.

This was the most awesome experience!  I had to walk on a huge runway with hundreds and hundreds of people watching and there were about 75 judges, OMG!!  I also performed my TV Commercial and competed in the music competition, I sang "Hit Me Back" by Jacob Sartorius feat. Blackbear.  I didn't win the music competition but I did earn an Honorable Mention award and I receive 16 "call-backs" from agents interested in me!  Wow, this has been amazing!

Well, the show was a great experience and I'm glad I got to do this.  See some pics below.  On the portfolio page there's a video of one of my walks.