We were lucky to catch up with Rebecca L. Hargrove recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca L., thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I am blessed to be able to say that I am able to support myself as a full-time artist. When I graduated with my Master of Music in 2015, I had zero performance job opportunities at my disposal. By chance, I was introduced to an HR employee at a major record label and they were able to help me obtain a full-time job at the label. I spent 4.5 years there learning the business side of music. The label also supported all of my creative endeavors. If I ever had to audition or leave for performance/filming opportunities I always had a job to return to. I used to tell my parents that the day all of my gigs lined up I would be out of there!

I was filling in for an assistant in the legal department when the head of legal asked me to look up the starting salary for lawyers graduating from JD programs in NY. The amount of money was so large that I told God, “if I don’t book something this week I quit and I’m asking HR for a promotion.” As soon as I said my phone rang. It was a theater company that I had auditioned for years ago asking me to audition again for their upcoming tour. I booked it that week. Soon after I was asked to sing at Carnegie Hall, booked a lead role in a world premiere opera, and was asked to join the 2020-21 season at The Metropolitan Opera. Finally, after years of skipping lunches to audition, networking my butt off, and saying “YES” to any and every opportunity I had to shine — I was able to leave.

Knowing what I know now, the only thing I would change is knocking on more doors and advocating for myself without shame. I used to be so ashamed that I was an artist with a “regular” job, but so many of us are. I believe things could have moved along faster and maybe I wouldn’t have been at my desk as long, but I wouldn’t trade the friends and relationships I built, or the lessons I learned while there for anything.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Who is Rebecca L. Hargrove? I am a New York-based actress and singer hailing from Maryland. I began my formal musical training at the age of 8 while taking piano lessons. Those lessons fueled my desire to study voice and theater. It was while watching Tupac Shakur’s Behind the Music on VH1 that I discovered Baltimore School for the Arts, his alma mater. I applied, auditioned for voice and theater, and was later accepted into the school’s music program for the next fall. At BSA I learned how to sing classically, thus beginning my Operatic career. I later attended Oberlin College Conservatory and Mannes the New School for Music for my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. After graduating from The New School I had zero job opportunities or contracts. I knew that only depending on the operatic industry wouldn’t serve me well so I expanded my horizons to training in and pursuing acting as well. I didn’t know how I would survive living in New York City and trying to support my own ambitions. I was fortunate enough to get a day job at a major record label – answering the phone lines. This was my saving grace. At the label, I learned the business side of the music industry and made lasting connections/bonds with my co-workers. They supported my dreams to the fullest. Allowing me to audition whenever I needed, take leave for shows or shoots, use the studios to practice, and even connected me with industry professionals who could mentor and advise me. I told everyone that “the day my gigs line up…was out of here.” It would take almost 5 years for the day to come, but it did.
In 2019 I was cast in a touring production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s ‘The Mikado,’ was asked to join Jason Moran and Alicia Hall-Moran in concert at Carnegie Hall (my debut), and joined the cast of ‘Evita’ at New York City Center, and made my Metropolitan Opera Debut in their Grammy Award Winning production of ‘Porgy & Bess.’ Since then I have been thriving, despite the pandemic! In 2021 I started a film production company with my artistic partner and friend, Kedren Spencer. As KSRH Productions we co-wrote, produced, directed, and starred in our first short film ‘Last Call.’ We are currently in post-production on the film and looking to use it as a proof of concept for an Untitled TV series. I also returned to The Metropolitan Oprea for their production of Terence Blanchard’s ‘Fire Shut up in My Bones.’
This year I returned to New York City Opera for the world premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon’s opera ‘The Garden of the Finzi-Contini’, made my Berkshire Theater Group debut in the world premiere of Tara Wilson-Noth’s play ‘B.R.O.K.E.N. Code B.I.R.D Switching, my Baltimore Center Stage Debut in ‘Our Town’ as Mrs. Myrtle Webb, and was cast in my very first television pilot called ‘The Wilsons’ starring Reggie Hayes of UPN’s ‘Girlfriends.’ I can also be heard in theaters on ‘The Woman King’ soundtrack scored by Terence Blanchard.
It’s been a wild ride that words can’t even begin to describe, but I am most proud of my patience and tenacity. On my lowest days, I never allowed myself to give up or quit. I would love for readers to know that this road isn’t easy. Most “overnight successes” take years to happen. If you want to be up-to-date on mine follow me on IG at @rhargrov and on my website at www.RebeccaLHargrove.com to see what’s next!

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My artistic goal in life is to obtain E.G.O.T. status! Thanks to the Met ‘Porgy and Bess’ I already have a ‘Best Opera Album’ Grammy, but I know that God has more in store for me. Through KSRH Productions I know that there are Emmy’s to be won, I believe that there are more plays and musical opportunities for me to make it to the Tony’s, and I’m prayerful that there is an Oscar award-winning role with my name on in it my future. This means that every day I am striving to learn more, do more, be better at my craft, and share that with the world.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is being able to affect audiences and change hearts. There’s nothing more thrilling than live theater. It’s there that you get the immediate reactions of the audience and they will tell you if they’re on the ride with you or not. There have been countless performances where audience members have expressed admiration for a piece or for the performance in general, but my favorite comments are when audiences see Black excellence displayed on stage and have their minds blown. Especially young Black children who aren’t used to seeing themselves in traditionally white spaces and learn that they too are capable of doing anything they so desire.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.RebeccaLHargrove.com
• Instagram: @rhargrov
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/rhargrov
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4-vVzkWfQAFulltPClRWig
• Other: Imdb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10199894/

Image Credits
Jacey Rae Russell, Berkshire Theater Group Jill Fannon, Baltimore Center Stage Paula Court, Bard Summerscape Daar es Saalam, National Black Theater