Advice from André De Shields

André De Shields is nothing short of a legend. In his nearly 60-year career, the actor, singer, dancer, director, and choreographer has won a Tony, a Grammy, and a Primetime Emmy, among other awards. On Broadway, he was in the original productions of The Full Monty, The Wiz, and Hadestown, where he originated the role of Hermes. Most recently, he appeared as Old Deuteronomy in Cats: The Jellicle Ball, a role that earned him another Tony nomination. 

Earlier this year, in an interview on National Public Radio, he offered some career advice that seems in line with our early-semester discussion on goals. And when someone like André De Shields offers advice, I figure it's in all of our best interests to pay attention. 

In his 2019 Tony Award acceptance speech, he said, "Slowly is the fastest way to get to where you want to be." NPR's Steve Inskeep asked him to expand on that idea. De Shields said, 

"Most people misunderstand that and say 'Slowly is the quickest way to get to where you want to go.' That is not what I said and it's certainly not what I meant. Now, because I am 80, I remember when 'fast' meant 'dependable,' meant 'secure'...[as in 'stand fast']...That's what I'm talking about when I say slowly is the fastest (surest) way to get where you want to be—not 'go.' That's a New York interpretation of it, because if you're not constantly in action you must not belong here, that kind of thing." 

I appreciate how intentional De Shields is about his words (an unsurprising trait for such a successful theatre artist). There are layers of wisdom in what he says that would seem to apply to all aspects of life, including singing training. So let's take a closer look. 

First of all, he advocates that we work slowly. I take that to mean that real progress doesn't happen immediately or on a short timetable. Rather, it is cultivated over many thoughtful hours, days, and years ("...not for just an hour, not for just a day, not for just a year..."). So we should make intentional choices as we go through the process of getting where we want to be, but we should also be patient with ourselves along the way. 

Second, De Shields says that slowly is the fastest way, as in the most dependable way. This seems to say that there are other ways to get where we want to be, some of which may actually be quicker than working slowly and purposefully. I suppose some people haphazardly or accidentally end up where they want to be. But the most dependable way, the most reliable way, the most responsible way (both words listed as synonyms for "dependable" at Thesaurus.com), is to work slowly—in other words, deliberately or gradually (Thanks again, Thesauraus.com.). 

Third, he makes a distinction between where we want to "be" and where we want to "go." Once again, brilliant word choice. One of the definitions for the word "be" is "to exist or live" (Dictionary.com). But another definition is "to belong." So, working toward where you want to "be" could mean working toward where you want to live, exist, and belong. That goes along with what De Shields calls the "New York interpretation" of his words, which falsely implies that if you aren't constantly in action then you must not belong. 

The other distinction worth noting on "be" versus "go" is that the first word lives in the present and the second is concerned with the future. If we are always focused on where we want to go at some point down the road, we may miss the opportunity to fully be, exist, and belong where we are. Since nothing in the future is guaranteed, focusing more on where (and who) we want to be now feels like a better plan than expending all our energy on trying to get somewhere else (or be someone else) at some later time. 

So what does that mean for setting goals? How can I make a three- to five-year plan, as we discussed in the last blog, if my focus is on being in the present? 

For starters, the word "be" is still a verb, meaning it can still be intentional and active rather than static. "Being" the best singer I can means that I will do something today that supports being the best singer I already am. That includes exercises and practice sessions that are designed to build skills, develop artistic capabilities, and simply enjoy what I am capable of doing today. Of course, it also has the added benefit of contributing to future growth, even if our focus is in the now. Imagine where you will eventually be in three to five years if you can commit to the slow, daily, dependable work of building where you want to be now. 

How has it been working on your goals these first few weeks? What have you noticed? Do you need to make any adjustments to your original goals? 

Now go practice.