Hello, and welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. I was a casting director for film and TV and commercials for over thirty years. I transitioned to a celebrity acting coach after I cast a film New Jersey Drive with executive producers Spike Lee and director Nick Domez. I auditioned every rapper from Biggie Smalls to Tupac, and I realized that rappers and musical artists they needed help
transitioning to acting. My clients consist of musical artists from Buster Rhymes to Eve, Missy Elliott, Angela Yee from The Breakfast Club, and Vanessa Simmons to name a few. I also coach sports stars and host as well. I feel I have the best of both worlds. As a casting director, I know exactly what they're looking for, and as an acting coach, I can coach you to be remembered in that room. Now I know, I know actors want to get the job. I get that, but being remembered by
a casting director that is powerful. And now it's time for meditation of the day. Healing begins where the wound was made. Alice Walker, confrontation is healing. Whether you say it to the person that has hurt you, or you write a letter and burn.
It, which is my favorite because I'm really dramatic like that.
Whatever it is, do it, don't let it fester in your body, in your spirit and your soul.
Even if you're not ready to confront that person.
Just write it out, write things down, just get it out.
If you can go to therapy, go to therapy. Therapy is great, but just.
Do it, because today I will ignowlge is what my healing is. Before we get started, I like to remind everyone to go to Crackical Network to view seasons one and two of my show Inside the Black Box that I co host with the great Emmy Award winning Joe Morton. Look out for news on season three soon. Welcome to the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore. One of the great things about doing this podcast is when you meet incredible.
Dynamic, phenomenal outsteady.
I need a fisaurus because I want to say so much more and I want to welcome you guys, and I want you guys to stand up for singer, songwriter, producer artists. Winner of the twenty twelve Soul Trained Music Award for Independent artists of the year widely idly regard it as the king of independent.
Soul and R and B. Please put your hands together for.
Eric wrote, thank you, Thank you so much, Tracy. I appreciate that.
Oh man, I I was crafting something and going through all of your bio.
But I'm very familiar with your music.
But I just you know, wanted to you know, know, so many other things, Like it really was a thirst like after I read all of the information first it was like, oh, I can't find work because I just found Let me tell you, I'm so serious, Eric, when I say this, I feel so incredibly blessed to have the sense of sound, to be able to no, no, no. And I know you understand what I'm saying because I got quotes. I got Eric Ropus quotes, ladies and gentlemen.
I'm a droplet.
I am so grateful to be able to hear your vote, to be able to experience the stories and which you write and and and literally you.
Use your words.
Thank you so much for using your words to say something. It's not negating those who don't, but I'm just saying thank you.
We have you on the show.
Thank you.
No, I appreciate I often say that I'm I'm one who I've dedicated my life to the art of combining words, you know, not just the ones that I combine, but but you know, listening to Tory Moore, Tony Morrison or
Wilson or just whatever. When when someone puts something together that I haven't envisioned before, I sit up, like, you know, because there's a, there's a, there's and and also which we get into just the layers, right, it means it means one thing right now, say it thirty minutes later, it means something different.
Say it tomorrow means something different. And uh and I you know.
So for you to say that, I really do appreciate it. And I often say, you know, to me, the first instrument that all of us use is the art of listening, you know. So so yeah, so, I mean I think.
So powerful for actors to hear that, because that is the truth in acting as well. One of the things that I wanted to start off because well, first of all, my daughter went.
To ahu, hey h yep, yeah seven seventh mom, But I wanted to because this is the thing.
It's one thing to sing a song, right, but it's another thing for a song to engage in you and touch your soul, your soul or your spirit where you.
Want that song to be a part of your marriage. Yes, you know you have to me that gift.
I grew up in the in the late sixties, early seventies, Earth Went and Fire, temptations, you know, whispers like that's how I grew up. Songs taught me to grow up. So and the messages you know, Earth wind and Fire. We are people of the mighty, mighty, people.
Of the school.
What so you to me embody all of that in twenty twenty four, Thank you so.
Much, Thanks a lot, because you understand right, you feel what I'm saying.
Because my generation, my friends, we search for you.
We put you on and we take out the laptop and then we start writing a scene, we start writing a short story, we start visually. The music for me is an inspiration to start to create. And that's the my life.
That's the my life.
Honestly, I appreciate that, and I've been there.
I've used other muses to help me write or help me find my way. So I mean, if I'm if I'm adding that to anybody, that's a great compliment.
So I thank you for it.
But yeah, I mean I think there's a there's a combination.
You know.
I grew up I think the church. My older sister was into theater and music, so of course theatre. I'm major in musical theater at Howard. So applying all these different things, I often say a lot of times that I learned more about so at Fine Arts.
The first floor was theater, the second.
Floor was like art and design, and the second floor and the third floor is music. Wow, my classes were first floor and third floor. I would go up and down all day and I would tell everybody I learned more about music on the first floor in theater classes that I learned on the third floor. You learn about harmony and melodic structure and time signatures and things of that nature. And my vocal culture was up there as well, doctor Eickerberger, who was incredible, so breath control and things
of that nature. First floor is all about emotion and character development, you know, and just the power of the word, and you know, so different things.
So I had to fortunb. I would over tell everybody was.
It was a blessing going from the first floor to the third floor to the third flid the first flo so I was applying both things all the time, but the magic was in those theater classes, those data classes. I think a lot of the stuff that I apply in my writing and on stage to this day is from those classes.
I mean I.
Thought, like you know, I was casting, Oh my god, I was maybe twenty some years in before I started.
I did a film called New Jersey Drive, Yes.
And I auditioned everyone from Biggie to Tupac.
And I was sitting in the session.
Like the need to understand, like not every character transition.
That's where I came up with, you know, this idea, maybe.
I should, I should work with musical artists, athletes and hosts who are transitioning to TV and film.
Yeah.
He you know, it just makes such a natural transition. And I'm speaking to you because as a casting director.
Immediately think of these characters for you.
Right watching you perform and saying, as an artist like you are what we talk about in terms of being able to take emotions and engage them with an audience of the people you don't know. And you've been blessed to be in stadiums and arenas where you've seen a huge amount of people be emotionally affected by lessons.
Yeah, because it's universal and relatable. Right, how does that like?
I work with a lot of musical artists and we're music soul child. I work with him O great, one of my favorite people. So how does that like? You know, as a singer songwriter, how does that feel when you see how your words, how you structure and words with your words, and it is and affects.
People because I honestly.
Feel like it's natural transition for you guys go from music to television or film.
It's so interesting too that you mentioned like a Biggie or Tupac, and I think you know their their number one instrument also was their imagination, so so to be able to expand the stories that that even Tupac can people. We just take them those two examples. They made such definitive and full and colorful stories in their music.
Right. You believed every character when they were upset. You believe they were.
Upset, when they they were talking with a level of hatred on the bottom and their gut. You believed it. So I think a lot of it is just one believing it. For me, you know, I'm in an interesting place where I really trust the art of like getting out of the way of myself, allowing allowing the art to show up and and even like mistakes mean different for me now wherever before I wanted to be so like super flawless and things of that nature, and lessons
I always tell everybody lessons. The beauty of that was when I had the opportunity to record during a pandemic the morning I went downstairs to record that song, about three o'clock in the morning, I went downstairs, and it's the morning of my anniversary, and I think, just during a pandemic. It's the morning my anniversary, and I think, just the feeling I had as I'm going downstairs, everyone finally went to sleep. I'm turning the equipment on. We're
still not worries, We're still not fears. And it was, it was. It was a very unsettling, unsure thing. But hey, it's my anniversary, and man, we made it through a lot of storms together.
Yeah, you know. And I think that's just where where I was.
But if I went to work the day before I wrote something different, or two days later I wrote some but that's just where my heart was at the time I click record. And what I will tell you my process in writing now is to figure out who I want to be in the song, but the music is telling me right, and then I hit record and just be it. So so really, the only line I had when I like, we take lessons for example, the ad was God has a funny way of showing you lessons.
That's the only line. The rest of it, the rest of it is was me just being in character. Now, mind you, that doesn't mean I don't make mistakes and I'll rewind it. I mean I probably do one hundred versions of like freestyling this character before I really start really get into it. But the more I define the character, the more it removes what doesn't need to be said.
So only this left is what needs to be said. Right.
So then when when you know, now we're performing it now, you know, singing at weddings all across the border, or there's no way I can get off a stage.
Anybody have to sing the song.
But for me, I'm in this interesting place now where I'm like, but I didn't really create that song.
I found it. This was in the right place at the right time.
The words already existed before, before for I ever even spoke words, someone said, someone used the word gods want to use the word lessons someone you know, you know, So I'm really just part of the structure of I took. I took the glass, the jar of water and the glass and I poured it. And then they saw me walk through the room holding the glass of water. And now I put it on the table, and as I as I put it on the table and walk away,
it's not mine. So every night I'm literally I'm letting go of it and watching people drink, right, and when they go with it, because so it so at the same time as fast as I sing it or whatever. Sure we have publishing and copyrights, and I started that, but I'm talking bigger, right, So.
The reward is all the reward.
I know that it's quenching your thirst, and the beauty is all the rewards. I won't be to see how much it how much it strengthened your relationship or strengthen your faith to you know, go I'm gonna start dating again or whatever, like, you know, all those different things that we might not be privy to.
Singing.
The song extends, the song goes and grows way bigger, and and I've been I meet a lot of artists who are like sitting on their hands and they're waiting for the right time. Do you think that this needs to be this? And but I don't want to get robs whatever, I'm like, what do you mean, it's not yours anyway, it's not yours anyway? Like perfect your craft right, and make sure that you're in tune so you're in the right place at the right time to to to
be of service. That's really what it is. And then you know, so when someone else is singing along or you know, inevitably that that couple, that guy's been his arm and around he and then he hugs a little tighter when that song come.
On, you know what I mean?
Like, yeah, I've I ain't even state when they turn to each other singing a song. So you know how much it means that they they spend money to night, they got dressed, They probably paid money for the parking just so they could hear this one song, so that they could have that moment.
That's their moment, right you know.
So so when I go in the studio now, like I go in there tonight, Yeah, I have to not walk in going let.
Me recreate another lessons. It's like, what is here?
For me today and allow what was what was showing up to be able to find it, to put it together because there was no pre production or no assumption when I made lessons, and when I made it, I didn't had no idea how big it was going to be.
It was.
It was just another song for me, you know. And but but also I have cameras in the in the studio. We did something earlier that day at Zoom or something. So as I'm working on the song, something told me, hit the camera, hit record and sing it down. And so all right, the camera wasn't there. I didn't set it up two days ago. I didn't set up you know. So I had recorded a song I really loved the day before that, but for some reason, that camera was
there that day. I press record that time. I posted them far went to bed that night, you know what I mean.
We'll go to two.
Thousand comments that morning. So I was like, wow, wow, So it's it's really about listening in tune, like being in tune with like we should record, but no, don't don't go. I mean I shouldn't record this. It's like, right, really trust the gravitational pull, the artist, gravitational pull that that is pulling you because once again, you're you're the vessel.
Right right, You're.
And I've been you know, I go through this a lot of things, like just like you, just if you watching nature right, like the animals and the plants around you are trusting this gravitational poll because they don't have assumption, they don't have choice, right, they don't have insecurities or doubt any of these things that talk us out of
I'm not gonna do that. So why not just trust the gravitational pull that is happening artistically and not let it not, Let not let yourself talk you out of the idea or the feeling or the direction or whatever, you know, because like I said, even if I make a mistake on stage, then that might turn to a left turn musically, and then five minutes later we're somewhere beautiful,
right you know. So you know, like we ever have like a lot of let's say the bass player can't make the show, so we have a sub bass player to come in, and a lot of times they'll be nervous, and I'll tell them if you mess up, mess up loud, don't get.
Up here, timid. I want you, I want you to I want you to dig in.
You mess up, mess up like man, like, No, I'm not gonna turn around and be curtseying like what you're doing.
You know.
Wow, I want you into it. So take a chance. If you take a chance and it's wrong, then we're gonna be wrong together, you know, and we're gonna find where we're gonna be at. Well, I'll tell you that person sitting in the back of the room watching the show is not gonna be like, I don't.
Know what that bass player was doing, you know, right.
Right, So there's a better chance that man that basebok was into it. Now, yeah, something that might do something. So live, man, live and figured out.
I love your disposition, your attitude, Like it's so free and inspiring to these actors. Because one of the things that I feel i'm as a casting director. I start
out when the script is white pages. I go from white pages to being on a premiere you know, carpet, And so there's a certain amount of patience, visionary, faith, resilience, stamina that you need to have in that journey, each of those journeys, right, especially when there's a film that I love and I'm so you know, excited to be a part of it.
And patience is the thing that's lacking. Patience, Like it's like, you know, I love.
That's why lessons, because you guys, you have to If you haven't heard lessons, you have to hear lessons. You have to, you know, get lessons on your phone, because lessons feel so much better than mistake. I have learned a lesson. I made a mistake. Mistake feels so self punishing, but lessons is like it's a brand new day, like and you stay present and open, And that is what my company is, the spirited Actor.
I just want people to relax.
I just want people to just trust and know that there, whatever your religious beliefs, there's a bigger picture out there that you can't even conceive.
Yet not supposed to conceive it until you're there, and hopefully you're fortunate enough and aware enough to recognize it when you're there, right right, Like recognize that this is what you prayed for. You know, it took a lot of work to get there, or it's taking a lot of work to stay there. This is what you prayed for,
this is what you worked for. So lessons really, you know, it really represents you know, I ran into a lot of brick walls in my life, right, and as much as I as much as they hurt, I survived them, and they made me better. And I would not be here right now without those brick walls.
I wouldn't have the kids I have.
I wouldn't have the wife I have in the career I have without the setbacks, without the failures and all those things that so you need them. The problem is once again that you when you run into a figurative brick wall. And I don't want to speak for the major things like cancer and things like that. I can't speak for that, right, that's beyond beyond my knowledge of wisdom.
But like just the basic levels of setbacks, the only person stopping you is you for dusting yourself off and embarrassingly or pridefully or egotistically continuing, right, And when you look at a Denzel, when you look at Holly Berry, or you look at Aretha Franklin, it's the audacity to continue, during, during, and after the failure. You know so, and what happens
is now, of course I'm fifty years old. Now I'm looking back right, right, And then maybe I didn't need to know this in my twenties and thirties.
But the failures help.
You, you know, I mean.
The failures, the failures help you. It doesn't help. It doesn't seem like it helps you in the moment. It's staying in the moment. But but for me, I'm constantly pulling as a writer, I'm pulling from everywhere. I'm pulling from fourth grade heartbreaks, you know what I mean, things that nature. So you pull from these moments, you pull from the family members you lose, you pull from all of that, and it adds depth and layers to even four little words, five five phrases, you know, things of
that nature. It puts it puts so much weight in there, and that's how you get there, you know. And that's that's living, that's life in general, you know. So that's the part of just really trying to trust. I think, listen what we said listen listening number one, Patience and trusting, and they're all they all like they're like first cousins of all, you know. And and so I'm one who I really try to listen as much as possible. And I believe, I believe I'm patient. But trust, trust is
like it's really up there. It's a high priority for me. I gotta trust myself first of all, because I think a lot of times, well, like I said, well, we'll chicken out or we won't take that chance. So we won't put ourselves in a position because we don't trust ourselves, we don't trust it right. And I've been through enough now to know that I'll be okay.
Yeah, I'll be okay.
And and another part, so you know, we make a song up every night at a show. When we do a show, we'll make something up from scratch. And I always tell everybody that's it's worth the risk, like it could possibly not work, but it's worth the risk because if it works, it's magical. It's like a timeless I'm twenty years from now. A guy will come up and go, man, I was at this show in Detroit. He made a song about toenail clippings. I you know, and how did
you How do you still remember that? You know, he couldn't tell you what outfit I had on or what songs we sang that night, but he remembers that because we took a chance. You know, we took So I'm all for it. Man, Let's figure it out. Let's find what's there, you know, and let's see if it works. If it doesn't work, heat, but.
He leaves you.
And that's what I say to actors. You have to you have to take a risk. You can't be safe. You have to you have to raise stakes and trust yourself. And I see visually when a challenge comes, or a hurdle or an obstacle, I see this mirror falling in front of me and my reflection and knowing who I am, that I can get through this because in my lifetime I have dealt with the heavy.
Things, you know. And so the fact.
That my son, after he got hit back far twelve years ago in November, traumatic brain injury is a live, speaking, walking, talking working was on my show, is beyond a miracle, beyond especially you know when I was by myself there, champion, No, he's going to be fine. The doctor told me that I was too optimistic, too positive, and I needed to get a grip on reality. And I said, whose reality?
Yours are mine. I'm taking my son home. And I took him home and he's you know, you would never know, but I feel like, you know, like and I booked mark this experience because I said, Tracy you don't see it now, but something amazing, beautiful.
Outstanding is going to come out of this experience.
Right And looking back now almost twelve years ago, you know.
Knowing that what got me through two things.
God doesn't bring us here to leave us and God doesn't give us more than we can handle. That made me every day wake up so proudful, prideful to know that God was like, Tracy, you got this, You're good, you got I know, Tracy, I know, I know, but you've got this, Tracy in the end, just hold out, wait till the story for right. So now I know that nothing is impossible. I've seen those turned to yes's.
And when you fall into your knees and beg God and made promises and compromise and all those things and God did it, there's no reason to fall on your knees anymore.
No no reason. So that's where my life is.
I want to applaud you just from being an incredible mother. First some oh thank you.
And you know what's so interesting to see the doctor who's telling you that you're like you should limit your faith technically is what he was saying, right, Yes, you're not being realistic. And it's like but first of all, we come from places of creativity. I walk in that room with nothing and I leave with something. Right, So it's like we so you're by the book of this is how we work, this is how we fixed.
This is the timeline we have.
And it's like, but there's other channels to get to there's a brain injury here, but there's other channels to get in here, there's other channels to connect. And it's clearly that it was a level of creativity that was used to heal your son. Right, I'm not saying that once again beyond my pay grade of I don't know
those things. But yet that's the part of faith. That's the part where I often say my proof that God is really songwriting, my proof by my number one when when you hear the pastor and say, and then God told me right now, I can't speak for how God told them, but I've sat in this studio back here, and God has told me things like literally, I'm writing stuff beyond my wisdom. I'm writing stuff beyond my knowledge. I'm looking at a piece of paper going what did
that mean? For only for me to find the answer six months later. Placing things in my life lyrically to help me get through what's about to occur that's beyond my knowledge. So there's at no point should should it not be faith, should it not be creativity? In all things, right, doctor has to be creative, and I'm sure plenty of doctors are creative, but in dance, in politics, in real estate and doing your taxes, like, there's like have faith and be creative. So even for the actors, when you
get this script, trust that there's something more. Even if it's just three lines, they're find what's under those lines, right, find what connects to you. Okay, I'm thirty three years old. Look at it as a fifteen year old, and look at a five year old. Look at it, twenty five year old. Look at us as if I was married, look at it, look at it, look at it as
if I just lost my mom. And each you say all these things, it's gonna it's like you're just shaking it and looking at it again, like and something's gonna unlock in it. And what's amazing is when you say it, that word but until then means different, and you will have more weight to it because you added this texture that once again, faith and creativity of like a normal English teacher holds it and goes, Okay, this is five lines. This is how you correctly politically say this the right way.
And it's like, no, no, I'm gonna figure out way to say it differently, but I'm gonna use the same words you use. The way I'm gonna use it differently is I'm gonna add. I'm gonna add my sorrow and my heart and my insecurity, I'm gonna add my faith. I'm gonna ad all these different things, and it's gonna sound different. James Earl Jones made things sound different, not just because not just because his voice was low right right, was a history, a texture.
There was so many layers.
He added, Yes, if you actually just paid attention, you'll go it will just give you chills. Because that the word blue meant something different to him when he said it, you know, so so it's like, uh, you know, it's it's that's the magic of it, right, that's the magic. If you decide to apply, you'll unlock things that other people thought could not be unlocked.
And you unlocked something. And like your son who watched think of this, watched you for years. He gets in this horrific accident and now he has to relearn certain things. But he watched you figure those things out. He's watched you take a blank canvas and paint it, you know.
So it's like there's a certain way, and I might lean on therapy and lean on rehabbing different things and all that. Sure you should do all that, but at the same time, don't don't forget to move towards creativity and faith and unapologetically try different things that means something to you today.
You know it means something to you today. So that's great. I mean, I think that's well, it's inspiring.
Hearing about your hearing about your son is I think boys, and you know, I'm worried sick about them all the time, I know, but I know they're going to be all right.
That's what I say. That's how I'm able to let him go outside because it took.
Me a minute. You know, it took a minute.
Eric Robison, the interview went by, and I am so sad that this has been one of the most amazing interviews. He is so much like to be able to just let you know, like I know, your fans talk to you, and people DM and tell you and this and you know, but really, just you want to know.
A way one person the way you change their lives.
You change their lives by listening to your music and knowing that this is only temporary. Things are going to get better and life is good right now. Man, there's something in life right now that's good. So I applaud you and thank you so much for.
Thank you for me something. There's something in life that's good right now. I love that. Yeah, thank you for that. I appreciate that.
That's so that's the word of today. There's something in life that's good for me right now.
Right now.
So that's why I give to you.
So I'm going to bring on el Salathan, who you know, and she's going to introduce the two actors.
That have questions for you.
Nice.
Yes, yes you're I'm not even going to say anything, but what everything you said, mister Robson.
Thank you so real quick.
Just so you know, back in back in my Howardays, I could look out my window across the street into Elsa's apartment. Oh yeah, she was cooking. Hello, yep, we could call. I could call and look at her. Hey, what you cooking? I'm coming from coming over? Yeah, literally, I mean we were the same height to say, to say it just like.
It was.
I was gonna say regular apartments.
And it wasn't like we were close. It wasn't like my window was like right there. It was. It was a distance, but it was like, but we were I mean, if I looked directly out, it was she was directly there. Yeah.
And uh, and it was always it was just always fun. It was like what you're doing. I know what you're doing because I can.
See good line.
I'm coming on against of that food. I see you cook. I'm sorry here, that's okay.
Definitely, definitely.
Well.
Today we have two of our spirited actors. We have mister Mitchell Gase. Welcome back, Mitchell, you can come on camera. And we have mister Mark Boutier. Welcome back. Mark, you can come on camera as well.
And James.
I know right, Mitchell, what's your question?
You at first, oh, well, thank you, pleasure me and you mister Robinson and.
Tracy has been a long time. It is you as well.
My question. You said so much and as you were speaking a question popping into my mind. You talked about creativity and that force of creativity and Hebrew they say, did the UK that life giving force. And you see a lot of times with musicians and actors and composers and things like that creating from that particular place. But where there's good, there's evil, you know, So do you ever get tempted to create from.
That other side?
We hear we hear about actors and musicians going somewhere to create something that may be like outside of their normal, outside of their realm. Do you do you ever see that as a temptation to create from that side or what are your thoughts on people who create from that I guess that altered ego that some people may say that they have to create something that may be outside of their their norm.
Well, I think that's the I don't.
I don't believe in writer's block because I think there's always something right. So if my good side, if I don't find them there, then then I caut my bad side. Right now, I will tell you, you know, if you like horror movies or if you ever listen to Nina Simone has a song called Pirate Jenny, and it's just a brilliant song. As an actor, you should listen to this song. And it's about this lady. She's a maid
on this island and she's cleaning, cleaning a room. But yet while she's cleaning the room and like emptying and washing the buckets and stuff like that, and people are just more out the way made right, she's counting all the houses and everything. And then one night she leaves her light on and then the pirates bomb the island and they flattened the entire island except for the building that her light is on. Right, So then the pirates
come in in a pillage and destroy everything. And then here comes the little maid out with her bucket, and all the pirates turn to her and you realize that she's the leader of this entire pirate organization, and they go, we've captured all them, do we kill them now or later?
And then she goes now.
And it's the most impactful acting job you ever see Nina someone do right while she's playing piano in this whole thing, And it's this beautiful story that the same way if you watch Hannibal, you side with the villain right like you're gonna side from what angle the story
is told. What I will tell you is that it's important that if you are writing Pirate Jenny, that you leave pirate Jenny in the in the in the book, or the all on the stage, and find and find what you need to do to be able to disconnect, because I will tell you. I mean, you know, I sit down here and I write fairy tales all day. Right, So like in this very moment, my kids will be come off the bus at three thirty, So do I
look at it this way? I don't know if your father yet or anything of that nature, but what I will tell you is, so this session is one session, but my kids on the bus, they have their own session going on, right, So I have to let go of whatever I'm doing at three point thirty in that room so that I can receive them in the session they're in when they get off that bus.
Right.
So it is just as detrimental writing a beautiful love song and staying in that love song while my wife's trying to talk to me, or all my kids are trying to talk to me. So there's a point of going, I'm completely connected to the process of making this song, how evil, how beautiful, whatever. If you got to play a villain, go there, pull on every aspect you need
to pull on to be that villain. To darken your life to be it, and then when they say seen, you detach from it, and then you realize, what's the next character? I got to be for home, for the next place, right, And the problem is a lot of times we get so connected that we'll pull that work into the next thing, and I think that's detrimental. No matter what the subject matter is, I think art is art.
So I had this interesting conversation recently. I'm sure it might be her like Sexy Red, right, So I'm not sitting here saying I'm playing Sexy Red. What I'm telling you is that she has every right and her character is probably more developed than most female rappers. She might be saying something that's detrimental and diabolical to black women. My most important thing is that that shouldn't be played for little girls, but to older women. It's a level
of entertainment. It might make you laugh, and whether you agree with her or not, it's purposeful for what it is. It's art, it's created and it's meant to you know what I mean. Because someone might say the same thing about Friday the thirteenth of a Nightmare on Elm Street or anything of that nature.
But at the end of it. It's art, it's someone's getting something out of it.
You just have to be able to detach from it, you know, and realize what's the next session you're going into. Because even lessons or anything of that nature, I follow this thing called process or a product. I learn it through theater life changes. I've heard about twenty years ago. It's probably that phrase has changed my life to where we were talking about the song lessons I did that was really really popular. But when I go into studio, I can't bring lessons in there. I can't go is
this song gonna be a successful? Let I'll never get the next song done right. So I have to focus on the process of what's here and not the product of what it may become or what happened before the process of what I'm in. And then when that's over, like go of that, and now I'm being the process of the father when my kids walk in, on the process of a husband, when my wife walks in. But I worked on letting the last thing go. But whatever
that is, I mean, commit to it. If it's dark, commit to it, but know that there's when I see other people who have committed too much, Like what's my man that played the joke girl.
This, this, this is Keith Ledger. This, there's a there's additional.
Things that are added in there that that I don't think always it's not just as way to It's just it's not just the character joker that darkened everything down to the point where he you know, found himself in a life of darkness. It's not just it was, you know, additional things as well that I think comes down the choice.
Great, Yeah, okay, thank you, beautiful question and great answer.
All right, Elsa, thank you, and Mark, what is your question, sir?
First of all, thank you mister Robinson beautiful. I was listening to your song lessons while you were talking on the background, welcome and listen to all your videos. But my question is I saw you did a freestyle for iconic singer Smokey Robinson.
Uh.
How did that feel.
Doing that performance where you're nervous because usually when people do freestyle, you know, you have to have a level of improv And I didn't know that you had a background of acting until I was listening to your interviews. So did he use the acting in your freestyle when you were singing to iconic collegend like Smoky yes.
So, first of all, Smokey Robinson has given us so much and I was fortunate to to honor him at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and it's a group of us and literally they said that we would have a little bit of like we would have like a minute in like thirty seconds to play around with. Because I was getting on staves with Robert Glasper, the musician I've shared the stage with numerous times. We didn't
rehearse anything, we didn't practice it. I had no idea what I was going to say, and really he had no idea what he was going to play. So it's really trusting. But it's but it's if you give me the time, mind you. If they said you have no time sing your main song and it get out the way, then so be it.
But luckily they said there's probably like a minute and a half window.
Me and rob lake each other like, so so why not try the worst thing could that it won't work. I embarrass myself in front of Smoking Robinson. But yet if it does work, you know. And at the same time, my parents were huge smoke Robinson fans, So guess what I brought my parents?
I only only used what was there?
My mom loves Smokey Robinson, she played them all the time.
So that's the first line I said.
I just said what was obviously there, right, you know, with both fair skins, say that that was the funny thing we put in light skin and style or whatever and things like that, and that was a little funny joke or whatever.
But I just use the main things. Like, you know, if you go.
To my family reunion, half my uncles looked like Smokey Robinson, you know what I mean. Like, I just the basic thing was I was doing something that I'm a hip hop kid man. I grew up banging on the car, the cafeteria table, you know, and freestyling. And then when we get in the van and we're driving to the show, me and the band are freestyle on the whole way there,
that to some J Dilla beat. Then during soundcheck we're freestyl and during soundcheck and we're talking about how we hungry and we bored or whatever it is that and then the show starts. Then we go, okay, let's turn that part off. Why It's like it's part of my DNA, It's part of my fabric. So I'm saying that I'm not the only one. I might be the only one who in that moment is like, I'll try it, you know what I mean. But I've also like worked on I mean, I've really worked on making sure like I
hammered in how to make things rhyme. I've written, you know, so many songs. You know, I'm in a I compare it to a person that walks the tightrope, and it's like we look at it, like, my god, they fall, they're gonna die, but they've taken naps, they ate lunch on that rope. They found a comfort in that discomfort. And as actors, every time you get on stage, find comfort in that discomfort. If you're nervous, use it. You know, every aspect of it is part of the craft. It's
not I got a cold. I'm never gonna I just told my the other day and literally I did.
Uh. We had shows last week and I was sick as a dog.
I'm never gonna get on stage and go ladies, gentlemen, I'm sick, but we're gonna get through this. You're gonna see me coughing, You'll see me sniffleing, You'll see me blow my nose between songs and I'm being character. You might even hear me struggling to get these notes or whatever. And what some of the back is gonna say, Man, I think he got a cold, but he is giving it. They might enjoy the show more because I've used the sickness as part of the as part of the equipment
that I'm using, you know what I mean. So it was just a great opportunity to reward somebody who has like been such a soundtrack for me, and so I was like, let's take the chance, and it worked out.
It was cool.
Excellent, man, excellent.
Okay, thank you Elsa, Thank you Mitchell and Mark eminem A.
Thank you, gentlemen. I appreciate you.
Thank you so much.
Well, we're going to sit tight, Eric, because when we come back with Class and Session, these two thespians are going to do some work for you, yeap, Marka, Mitchell, So stay tuned, sit back when we come back on the Spirited Actor Podcast with Me Tracy Moore, and you're still blessed to have Eric Robinson with us. It's going to be a pleasure see you in a minute. Welcome back to the Spirited Actor Podcast with Me. Tracy Moore,
and we are still blessed. We are so grateful, and as Bruce just said a few minutes ago, it's been spiritual here. I'm going to levitate after this interview. I'm just saying, mister Eric Robinson is still with us, ladies and gentlemen. I am so happy Elsa's here. So we're going to go right into class in session for you, Eric.
Yes, yes, you're going to enjoy this one. Eric. Today's classroom session feature mister Mitchell Guayse Welcome back, Mitchell, and mister Mark Gutier. Welcome back Mark. And today's scene is pressure Burst Pipes, written by a page turner. Interior Ronald's car Day. Ronald, with a stern expression, pulls up to his best friend's girlfriend's driveway. Eddie standing outside with a suitcase and several boxes filled with his belongings. Put his things in the trunk and hops in the passenger seat.
Did you just break up with Samantha? I had to do it wrong.
I just couldn't see myself being a fine to her kids. They wouldn't have been fair to anyone involved. And it took you a whole year to figure that out. You not only heard her. But those kids, they look up to you like a dad.
Eddie.
No, I know I.
Never met for any of this to happen. It's just it's complicated.
Ronald pulls the car off the road and comes to complete stop. He hits the hazard lights and puts the car in part. He takes a deep breath and looks at Eddie.
Complicated, Eddie, you knew she had kids. You didn't think they'd latch on you. They don't understand adult problems. They just know you were there and now you're gone.
Never wanted hurt anyone, especially those kids.
She just kept pressing me for marriage, and that's a lot of responsibility.
She backed me into a wall. Ronald's stamps off as slightly as he's hearing Eddie's reasoning.
Look, Eddie, I understand you had to do what was right for you and pressure bust pipes for sure, But let me ask you this, you still love her?
I do.
Look at it from this point of view.
The girl's father didn't marry, and she'll probably think she'll never be married with having two small children.
Then here comes this great catch, and her girls adore you.
Eddie. Pond is what Ronald just told them.
Yeah, I never thought about it like that.
She doesn't want your money, she needs your el's love, leadership, and loyalty.
Then what I'm gonna do about her being aggressive about marriage? Yeah, to be honest, it takes a lot longer than a year to see if she's the one before I take the responsibility for someone else's kids.
I think that's fair, and you should tell her just that. If she continues to be aggressive, then do what you must.
So what are we doing? Take me back my things in that card?
Just in case?
I think that's a good idea.
Ronald turns off the hazard likes and looks in the side of your mirror to ensure it's clear before making a U turn to head back to Samantha's house.
Scene read out you guys, phenomenal, phenomenal.
Wow, Okay, Eric, you can give them feedback, whatever you want to give them.
I want to give this time to you.
Let me just applaud you.
I mean, you know so, I'm tempted to just not have anything to say right like I like so, I was for years I was teaching songwriting and I remember when I was teaching at Berkeley, and I told them when I come in here. There's gonna be moments when someone plays me a song and I don't want to be obligated to say something just because I'm the teacher. Sometimes just as a fan go like, wow, my god, that was incredible. It was great. You know, first of all I was as a fan. I just enjoying it.
I love I love scenes. My question is, have you guys read it together before?
This is the first time a freet forree times. This morning, we read it nice. You guys did a great job.
First, let me say this, when Elsa was given the first description and you guys.
Are already.
My favorite part of this entire scene was how you guys were diving into character when she started. If I don't know if you're filming this, if you look back when she starts to talk, you're automatically, Mitchell, you're already going in the frustration mode.
You're like.
Right, and Mark was already going and resent mode. You already allowing the weight of the characters. Were already there. It wasn't like and scene. And that's the beautiful thing is like show up with it, show up there already there, like when you walk into the audition room, walk into the audition room with it if you need to. The one thing I would say, Mitchell, and this is such a small note. You have this truly gifted, very low voice, right, So there's a there's a magic to just allowing the
voice to be just beautiful in all phrases. So there was a level of frustration where you're digging into mark and like w how'd you do that? And where your base really really shows up. Then you kind of had an idea. There was this idea moment, right, It was almost like an aha moment, like I don't know exact line, but you might have said, like what do you think she wants?
Right?
And that gives you some liberty to try something else with your voice, because that's a different At one point, you imagine you're punching them right, and now you're like
almost putting your hand on the shoulder. What would be the difference in texture, in tone and pitch and that in that speech right there, Because when you have a low voice like that, it's almost kind of like I don't know if you follow boxing, but you set the jab up to throw the upper upper cut right, so the low, the lower I keep my voice, that's the body blows.
Right. So then when I go, but then.
They're not expecting it, right, it's like this discomfort. So I would just I would just when you have a script and it goes for I think both of you guys had great speaking voices. You have a lower voice, so it kind of gives you liberty of laying in that, right, So I would just say, you know, experiment with with that a little bit. But I feel like you did a great job of moving your your pitch and your tone around already, Like that's like already acknowledging something you already know.
Right, Mark you had you.
Had an interesting place because you had a place of like just this level of regret, right, you know. I
loved your pace in general. There was a a spot where there was another level of like thinking the turn, like when you had the moment of like you were gone and now you're like you're probably right, I do lover right, and it's like just taking the time and just I would just encourage you guys to still lean on what you already know, lean on the patience, lean on that that and then and then have no problem to pull from.
This.
I don't know if either one of y'all married or this is that data world is gangster right now, So you've been here already, right, applie it literally just apply it in there. But I would tell you, guys, I mean I was. I was thoroughly pleased. I just like this, uh like just two brothers kind of going into this character and you guys like completely transformed before you'll even said a word. I was watching you guys completely transformed into to this car, into the situation, into the characters.
And I was like, they've already won. I was like, they already won. They didn't say a word, yet, you already won.
Because that's the like I said, when I walk into the studio, I'm walking in as a character already.
That's great.
Great, Yeah, I love it.
Great feedback, Eric, I mean, it's not just feedback, but it really is good food for the soul, y'all.
It feels good, you know, and sometimes you.
Know, like not everybody should be coming at y'all like right, but that makes so much sense, and I agree with you. It's so important to set it up before you guys do it, and that's why you guys did so a clause.
Thank you Mark and Mitchell, thank you ELSA.
Absolutely sad part.
I can get Can I give Mitchell and Mark one thing though also I don't know where you guys are at in your work and things of the nature, but I want to give you guys just one thing of encouragement from what I've watched for a long time, right from from actors to musicians to producers to all forms.
The norm is not the.
Norm till it is the norm. And if you are doing something different, if you're doing something that is that you feel is working, but you're receiving criticism or you're receiving nos off of what you're doing, it might just be that the unique approach that you're taking is not the norm yet. But visionaries design things that are about to come right. So imagine the person working on an electric car and everybody's running making gas cars, and they go, well, you.
Work on electrics, what you're gonna plug it in when you get home?
That's corny man through that electric nonsense vacuum cleaning, like it's like it's like, no, I'm I'm making something that. But what I will tell you is one day you're going to turn on the TV, or one day you're going to go to a play and you're going to see a young actor imitating your technique because at some point what you're doing will become the norm. Right, you just have to trust and keep working towards it while everybody's going, why'd.
You say it like that? Why are you doing this? Why do you start that? Why do you start your own theater group? Why'd you do that? Like whatever? This scenario is like, understand.
From Facebook to the buildings in the in New York, that how New York was grafted out.
If you ever look at the history of New York, whatever you think.
Of someonet, why would you graph it out, flatten to fill up the lakes?
What do you talk that's dump build buildings.
Somebody's not going to understand that your vision at some point is going to become the norm. And when it becomes the norm, just say thank you, take it as a compliment.
Keep working.
But that's my encouragement to you because I've watched it. I've watched producers get laughed out of rooms and then they're the most sought after producers. You know, artists who who are getting booed off stage, then they're the biggest artists in the entire world. As well as actors who are just going through audition, audition. Nothing works until the yes comes, and once say yes comes, all the yes come, and not that, then all of the imitators come.
And all of the oh.
I always knew it's going to work, so I would just stay staying encouraged, man, like, use your creativity and it's important like if if you're receiving those, make sure that you are being your yes too. I see the camera light behind you, so like film, like, learn a camera, film it that scene I just did, y'all nailed it. If I was all, I'll be getting in the car, putting a camera on the dash and filming it this week,
you know what I mean? Like just like it is, Like I think those are like very very important important aspects. But I look forward to celebrating you both when you become the norm.
Thank you, and we on the Spirit After podcast.
We're gonna celebrate you every single day. You please you, guys.
I mean, I'm so inspired by your music. I'm so inspired by you as a human being and just being emotionally available and sharing with us today and just grateful. There's two things that I pulled that were my favorites out of there's so much on Eric.
You guys, I love it.
Eric is married, and he said, being blessed to be with a woman.
Who has had my back and who.
Completes me helped me put me in a special mood to create. Oh my god, that just stepped forward me and I said, I that's why I still.
Believe in love, that I'm never not not believe in love.
And then I just want to tell you that I am inspired to dance love and make the best of now, mister Eric Robinson, that's what Eric, That's what.
Eric wants you to feel with his beauty. That's what he wants you to feel. So I feel that, Eric, thank you for that gift.
Eric may appreciate it. I appreciate it. This has been beautiful, even from Spruce counting us in. Everything's been enjoyable.
Moment, well, we enjoyed every single second. And I'm so grateful that Elso brought you on. And you are always welcome to come on while we're here and everywhere we are. Ladies and gentlemen, please please put your hand together. A phenomenal human being, mister two time nominated.
Grammy, much much more, much much more active relate y'all have to read it.
Yourself, mister Eric Robson, singer, songwriter, producer and overall magnificent spiritual human being.
Thanks when we come back.
You're welcome on the Spirited Actor Podcast with me Tracy Moore.
I'm gonna give you a little bit of a little bit. Welcome to Kudo's Corner.
Kudos Corner is where we celebrate actors, support actors.
And just love on them.
This week's Kudo's Corner puts the spotlight on Spirited actor Aaron Bolwear. In twenty twenty three, I have the wonderful opportunity to cast Aaron as a lead in the Rolando Hudson directed reading of Faces in My Fist from writer Lisa McCree. Recently, Aaron was selected as the sole actor to be chosen by three featured writers to perform their works in the Act Up competition during the Hip Hop
Film Festival in New York. This month, he will be featured in the musical I Matter from Initial Entertainment and Productions, as well as their reoccurring stage play That's Not Cool About Bullying in School. In twenty twenty five, look for Aaron in two more of their plays. In addition to his first film role, in King three from Royal Family Films. Kudos to Aaron Boulwear and now it's time to give low. I know what it's like to have an angel on
one shoulder and a devil on the other. Show or positive and negative energy.
Right.
So in nineteen ninety eight, I had a situation. I'm not going to name any names, but I was working on film with one of Michaelis and someone in my past had resurfaced and they weren't really nice in my past.
But I love the way spirit sets things.
Up right because when this person resurfaced in my life, they asked me for a favor, and the favor they needed was to meet one of my clients. Now I had the angel saying do it, Tracy, let it go, forget, and then I had the devil on my shoulders saying, no, Casey.
Don't do it. Don't help them remember what they did. So I chose the angel. I chose to help them, and what that did. The takeaway at.
The end of the day was it was really more painful for that person than.
It was for me.
And I don't believe in revenge, but I definitely feel like the universe came around that time for me and Karma is Real. Hi everyone, The Spirited Actor Podcast with Tracy.
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