We were lucky to catch up with Annie Gill recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Annie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?

Overall, yes, I am very happy working full time as a freelance artist/creative. Of course, I sometimes wonder what it would be like to have a regular job. But I’ve had many regular jobs in the past! I’ve worked as a temp for the NFL benefits hotline, a barista at Starbucks, in retail stores such as Loft and Bath and Body Works, in catering as a waiter, in childcare as a babysitter, in a box office as a ticket seller, and many, many other positions. That work paid bills, but was not fulfilling like working as an artist. The actor Jim Carrey gave a very poignant graduation speech in 2014 for the Maharishi International University of Management class. In that speech, he says “My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him. And so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job and our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
That sentiment really resonates with me, so I make a full, 100% effort every day to pound the pavement and work hard at doing what I love.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I work in a variety of fields in the arts – I’m an opera/classical singer (who also sings some musical theatre and pop); I’m an actor in TV/Film, commercials, industrials, and on the theater stage; I’m a voice over artist with a professional home studio; and I am teacher of voice and piano, with a private home studio and 15 years of teaching experience.

My love for the performing arts definitely started at a very young age. I’ve always had a natural stage presence, and enjoy entertaining in many capacities. I was very fortunate to have parents who were (and are!) extremely supportive, and who were able to provide music lessons and acting classes from the time I was in elementary school. I studied voice, piano, and flute throughout middle school and high school, and then went on to Indiana University to earn a BM in Vocal Performance. After that, I attended both Boston University and the Peabody Conservatory to earn an MM and a GPD in Vocal Performance. I have been a working professional since my middle school years, however, with my first professional credits in the yearly production of “A Christmas Carol” at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

While in Boston, I worked with the North Shore Music Theatre for two seasons in their production of A Christmas Carol, and also worked with several professional opera companies in the Midwest, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic throughout pursuing music degrees. To date, I’ve sung over 60 roles in opera, operetta, and musical theater, and have appeared in over 40 concert and oratorio performances throughout the US and Europe.

After landing the role of the Opera Singer in the season two finale of House of Cards (2013), I expanded my career to include film, television, and commercials. I’ve since appeared in several feature films, including the soon-to-be-released Wild Fire (Maeve) and The Canfather (Peggy). Television credits include Vaughn Recreation (Kim Vaughn) Curiosity Stream – Forensics, What Really Happened (Paige Birgfeld) RTL Television Network, and Who The Bleep Did I Marry? (Kathleen) Investigation Discovery. With over thirty five regional and local commercial credits, highlights include Orcam Learn, Little Treasury Jewelers, and Roadway Moving. Notable industrial credits include Management Gaps (Kim) OTS Management, Facing Change (Nurse Jill Sheridan), and Diversity and Inclusion (STSO Michell) TSA/General Dynamics.

All of this is to say – I like to stay busy and have a lot of variety in my career! For a long time, I really concentrated only on opera, but I’m glad that I’ve expanded my artistic portfolio to include so many more creative avenues.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I don’t have a huge following, but I’m happy with both my Instagram and Facebook accounts (I’m not on Twitter – I can only manage so much in terms of social media!) I keep my accounts as a healthy mix of professional and personal content, and I’m proud to post clips of my various work online. Posting these clips has lead to more work and contacts! So I really believe that social media involvement can be positively directed if you manage it well.

We’re all so busy and our world move so fast, and I think as a creative in some ways you have to constantly remind people that “I’m out here, and I’m doing X, Y, and Z – it’s really cool, and you should check it out!”

One thing I really love about social media is the ability to stay connected and network with colleagues. When I’m on set or at an audition, or in a show, I try to connect as soon as possible with my colleagues so that I don’t leave without their contact information. Most people are really receptive to this, and they should be (to be honest) because this is how we all can recommend each other for jobs and other work opportunities. For example, I worked a half day on the set of a commercial with an actor. We had some polite conversation, and were able to connect on Instagram before we wrapped. No joking – the very next day, I received a casting notice from a colleague and immediately thought of the actor from the day before; he was *perfect* for the role they were casting. I connected him, and he got the job! There’s something to be said for a good work ethic, kindness, and staying in contact – you never know who you might be able to recommend, or who might recommend you for an opportunity that can potentially change your life and career.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I have many (long and involved) stories that illustrate my resilience, but really I can point to my overall story (and quote one of my favorite composers of all-time, Stephen Sondheim) and say “I’m still here!” A career in the arts is a marathon, not a sprint. Trust me, I have had my fair share of set-backs, disappointments, regrets, and quite frankly even traumatic events, some so horrible that I could have easily said “this is too hard, I quit”.

And one time, after a particularly difficult summer abroad and a disappointing competition result, I did quit – but it only lasted for about three days. Despite the pain, the intense feeling of defeat, and being at an extremely low point, I just couldn’t walk away because I knew my life would be worse without art and music.

When you’re truly an artist, it is not just your vocation, but your career and really your spirit to be a creative. You can get burnt out, you can take a break (and you should), but unless the circumstances become dire and completely untenable, then you know you must pick yourself, brush yourself off, and start all over again (apologies for the repeated musical theater quotes!)

It’s true, though – being an artist is an integral part of who you are, and that loud drum beating will resound in your soul for all of your days.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.anniegill.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anniegill/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annie.gill.104
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-gill-548a9b3/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DivaG81/videos
• Other: Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/annie-gill

Image Credits
Roy Cox Photography