We recently connected with Leah Mueller and have shared our conversation below.

Leah , appreciate you joining 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?

I went through this process a little backwards. I grew up loving to sing and perform and was involved in every thespian group, every choir, and every production I could get my hands on. All of my closest friends went to undergrad and studied theatre, while I chose a related, but more stable major of Music Education. I ended up teaching at a local school district and I loved it. I got to direct shows with my students and conduct the choir and lead a Rock Ensemble class. It was wonderfully fulfilling. However, after six years, I found I wanted to feed into my own artistry. So I took the bold step of admitting to myself (as a 30 year old woman) that I really wanted to be an actor. It was something I always knew deep down, but had never voiced out loud. So, I went to New York and auditioned for grad schools and ended up at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN pursuing my MFA in Acting. Grad school is certainly busy and stressful, but it has been really special to be back in the space of being taken seriously as an artist and pushed to be better at my craft.

I often get the question “an MFA in Acting, what are you planning to do with that?” as so many creatives are asked. I am not going to go back to public school teaching, but I am going to be teaching again. My husband and I recently bought a musical theatre performance training studio in State College, PA. The school offers classes that culminate in musicals. The best part is that the school is attached to a house that we also bought, so I have a dance studio right in my home! What a dream! While it is a little scary to own your own business, the possibilities are also so exciting. I can teach whatever I want and respond to my student’s interests and what excites me creatively as well! Owning a business is certainly not as stable as a job as a teacher at a public school and the hustle is REAL, but being an entrepreneur is feeding my creativity in a new and exciting way. I am slowly growing into the role of being a business owner and CEO (!!)

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

When I was in third grade, I went to our Community Theatre’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and I was in awe! I danced the entire intermission and sang in the car the whole way home. I told my Mom that I HAD to do that and I auditioned the next summer and performed with the community theatre every summer until I graduated from High School. I was really lucky that my Grandmother would pay for us to take bus trips to New York City every winter as a child to see a Broadway show and I caught that theatre bug HARD. I was involved in the aforementioned community theatre, all the school shows and choirs, a children’s theatre group called Metastages, and with a local Musical Theatre training studio: Singing Onstage.

Fast forward twenty years and the owners of Singing Onstage, my good friends Heidi and Rich Biever, were moving out of town and selling their home and business (the studio is in the home.) They called to ask if I would be interested in purchasing both. Now my husband and I own Singing Onstage in State College, PA.

Singing Onstage provides musical theatre training and performance experiences to students in Central Pennsylvania. Every class and summer camp culminates in a performance of a musical theatre showcase or full musical theatre show. The classes are offered for students age 5-18. I am always the most proud when students start the run of the show and I can step away as a director. It is so empowering to see students grow into story tellers and feel confident in their ability to share their voices onstage.

I am so excited about sharing my love of musical theatre with students. I grew up in State College so it is really special to return to the community that raised me as a young artist and give back to future generations of students.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

The most important thing society can do to support artists/creatives is to value their contributions with financial support. I have worked for free as an actor more times than I can count. So often I’ve seen those in the industry doing work “in kind” or getting paid far less than what their contributions are worth. It would be amazing to see society value the arts by paying more for it and for wealthier individuals or the government to subsidize performances so they can be accessible for all patrons.

As a business owner I try to make sure to pay my contractors well and to value the creative work that they bring to the studio. However, as so many business owners do starting out, I often have to figure out if I can pay myself. It would be wonderful if all arts based businesses were supported and encouraged so that they can thrive and inspire more creatives.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

As a theatre artist, I am a storyteller. One of the most exciting things is when you tell a story that resonates with audience members. When people see their own stories being told or see their experiences reflected onstage, it can be really powerful. For just a moment you feel less alone and connected to an experience outside yourself. It is even better when you find yourself connecting with a story about someone whose life experience is vastly different from your own. I find that this ability to inspire deep empathy is one of the most rewarding aspects of being a theatre artist.

As a theatre teacher, my job is to help students tell stories. In doing so they learn SO many other things. They learn the importance of community and teamwork, how to sing, dance, and act all at the same time, and how to trust themselves and their abilities. The latter often helps with self confidence. I once had a student who was extremely shy and could barely talk to other students during school. She participated in the musical every year of middle school and by 8th grade she was singing a solo onstage in front of hundreds of people! Seeing students blossom in their self confidence is one of my favorite parts of being a theatre teacher. Additionally, I love when students collectively feel their own agency on stage. I have them rehearse and rehearse and get to know their characters, but with live theatre something will always go awry at some point. I love seeing my students handle unexpected moments like professionals, like scooping up a dropped prop or smiling and nodding at an unexpected audience reaction.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.leahmueller.com/
• Instagram: @singing_onstage
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-mueller-ba9b7613
• Other: Singing Onstage Website: http://www.singingonstage.com/

Image Credits
Picture of me with two students and computer: Nabil Mark All other pictures: Will Yurman Headshot: Savita Sittler