What does it mean to be ‘Locked In’ for Musical Theatre, Acting, Sports and Life?
I recently received this lovely email from the parent of a teenager who studied with me:
‘I just wanted to say I never saw X as locked in and focused as I saw them practicing the other night. I’m thoroughly impressed on what you did! I never really got to fully see all the fruits of your labor come to fruition as I witnessed the other day. X said they owe the callback to you. Just wanted to keep you posted, and let you know I really do appreciate you.’
So what DOES it mean to be Locked In? https://www.merriam-webster.com/slang/lock-in
Here are some famous examples:
- Simone Biles at The Olympics, executing a flawless combo on the balance beam to win the gold medal.
- The Knicks’ Jalen Brusen sinks the ball over, and over, and over to win the NBA title.
- Derek Jeter at bat for the NY Yankees to win the World Series (sorry to my Mets fan fam – LGM, it’ll happen some day.)
- Figure skater Alyssa Liu spinning and winning the gold.
- Captain Sully Sullenberger landing the engine-blown plane full of terrified passengers on the icy Hudson River with no casualties.
They got CALMER and MORE FOCUSED as the stakes got higher and the anxiety amps up around them. THAT’S LOCKED IN!!! It doesn’t mean being stiff or trapped, it’s a freedom and flow that comes from having locked in your skill set so you can deliver consistently and joyfully in the big moments.
In musical theatre, drama & tv/film, we think of locked in as having our technique, discipline, and intentions fully formed and available to us when we need it the most – in the audition room and on the stage or in front of the camera.
Voice or acting lessons is one of the few fully immersive experiences in this digital, short-attention span world. You are ONE-ON-ONE with a highly trained, experienced instructor who is completely committed to YOU. You MUST be present. You MUST be in the moment, phone in airplane mode, used only for recording your lessons for practicing the rest of the week.
I asked a couple of my students about THEIR locked in moments:
Beatrice Owens: As I’m currently in tech for Merrily We Roll Along at Signature theater, I am watching the entire cast, crew, and creative team “lock in” as a whole to bring this piece to life.
That looks like working together to blend technical elements into performance.
For me, that means the ideal balance of character and actor brain. When I am grounded in my character and circumstances in the play but able to maintain my actor awareness of where set pieces are, where I need to move my next prop, and being aware of the other actors on stage with me to avoid collisions.
It’s a flow state that comes from practice, confidence, and trust.
Louis Jones: I was in Seussical playing the cat, always did a 1 hr meditation before show, zen out. I found improv skills I didn’t I had, was funny, 110% – fully immersed through consistency & discipline in my training. Being locked in gave me the freedom to let go!”
Dara Epstein: I was studying at AMDA – last MT demo – singing ‘Someone to Watch Over Me.’ It was my last time doing anything there. As soon as I started to sing, the whole room got quiet. I couldn’t see faces but could feel the energy coming to me. Because I was locked in, they were locked in.
What was YOUR locked in moment? And if you haven’t experienced it yet, come in for lessons and we’ll find it together.
See you soon…
Much love from Mama T