Task 3c: Sources of information

Finding the correct and most relevant information is of the utmost importance when trying to build a career. For me, I rely on the correct information to know what to prepare and where to go for auditions and castings and a lot of the time just the odd name that it wouldn't hurt to research. My top five sources of information at this point in time are as follows:

• Web 2.0, The Stage, and Spotlight, online registration for auditions and articles.These are updated everyday with new events and auditions that may be relevant to me. The stage is also a good source of information for whats going on in the industry with all the articles available.
• My phone... 3g allows me to check any website for quick information and email updates, texts and calling means I can be kept constantly in the loop.
• Pineapple dance studios, the notice boards for auditions, up and coming events and related industry contacts.
• Word of mouth, within my current networks, friends and colleagues talk about people and things that I should know, so they inform me.
• Social networking sites, such as facebook and twitter, let me see if someone within my professional network is attending something, for example, a workshop, or audition.

Over time, the top five sources obviously adapt and change due to trend and reliability, for example there would be no point looking on twitter, if it goes horrendously out of fashion because no one would be posting anything useful on it. Friends and colleagues are fairly constant but again, keeping in touch and saving time for them is important so as to keep up a good relationship and back and forth information. I pretty much always have my phone with me, I use it constantly to check updates on facebook, twitter email, and texting seems to be the quickest way for me to keep in touch with people, especially when I am at work and unable to call. With all this information flying about, ensuring that it is all organised efficiently is extremely important because time is precious, especially when you don't often have much spare.  People organise their information in different ways, for me the best way is note-taking online, and my diary. I have two calendar type diaries, one on my phone (for when I don't have a pen to hand, or I need to be reminded nearer the time) and a written calendar diary (where I jot simply times, names, and addresses).  Looking at Melanie Brown's blog, I saw that she has a similar top five to me, with the odd variation, she seems to use very similar sources to me for her information. 
Looking at Chelsea Johnson's blog, again I am seeing a lot of similarities to my own current sources of information, however the one common theme on both hers and Melanie Brown's, is that where, like me they mention the use of web 2.0, both have their CV and head shot available online to send at any point. For me here is a point where I can see and issue and I can learn and remedy it. If I needed to send a CV or head shot, I would need to either send a hard copy, or I would need to be at my computer where I have digital copies saved. I do not however have them saved to the internet, such as Google drive, or saved in a draft email that I could just send via my phone at any point. But this is all easily fixed so I can set that up and consider myself a bit more prepared than I was at the beginning of the task, which is a nice thought.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UBF-vrYGKjqDHIMj2XohL7fGa26y1cyf13sTM8NX-kQ/edit This link has also been posted on my professional facebook page where I can direct anyone  trying to research me.
I love reading other people's blogs from the course because actually, they as people, are great sources of information within my current practice. Perhaps they should be on the list, as we have already seen I have made a self improvement due to their knowledge. The bapp blogs that I read and comment on, are external sources which effect the way I think within the context of the course, however as I integrate their thoughts and opinions, I am forming my own and realising on reflection that actually it effects my professional frame of mind a lot more than I realised. When I saw that the task talks about external sources of information, it got me thinking. Really that could be anything... It could be the ballet show you went to see, 'Wicked' on Westend, or the busker in the tube, who actually, was very talented. I mention these because now I have finished my training, I watch things differently. I still of course watch them in awe and amazement, but I find myself questioning their technique, critiquing their abilities and picking out their pros and cons as a performer, not to be nasty or overly appreciative but to see what is getting people jobs these days. To find similarities and differences between my self and the performer and to learn from what they are doing. TV and radio interviews: how are they talking and thus presenting themselves, newspaper articles, how are these performers being viewed? What are they being praised or criticised for? In the article what club or workshops did they say they went to? These are all aspects of a successful performers career that I can learn from. Whether it gives me clues on where to go to further my contacts or whether it is just what not to do, valuable information is constantly being transmitted and therefore integrated into my own way of thinking and acting as a practitioner. Media aside, at college, I remember teachers and professionals telling horror stories about how an ex pupil behaved once and how badly it had been viewed, so even this has impacted my behaviour and made me much more weary on how I present myself.

Relying on the work of others to know what is going on in the world, is a bit of a down fall, but as John Donne said, "No man is an island". And I think really we do all rely on each other in so many ways.  I love the BBC news arts and entertainment articles, it keeps me up to date with whats going on generally and some times links to much more specific and tailored articles or blogs of the journalists. I rely on that and the stage website for other articles and information to keep me in touch with whats going on.I love the interviews and reviews on 'The Stage' as they act like a tiny insight into the real mind of practise professionals. Also what I've found previously is that when I'm reading one thing, an advert for something else pops up and may be perfect for me. For example, when on the stage website looking at auditions, one of the companies that is sponsoring the event would be perfect for future recording studio use. Perfect! I wouldn't have heard about it otherwise.

As I continually flicked through the many, many blogs, I came across a point on Sarah Johnson's. In her completion of task 3c, she lists books and magazines as one of her top five sources of information and it just occurred to me that actually that is the one thing that has been missing off of a lot of people's lists, including my own. Though, of course, I read books and magazines, they did not pop into my head as one of my top five sources of information. (Concerning!) I think I'm pointing this out solely to reiterate how big web 2.0 has become as a learning and knowledge tool/ source, because the fact is, most of us do turn to the web (even if it is articles and magazines on the internet) before we pick up a book.