Welcome back to It Pays the Bills! Today’s guest is Marissa Landy, who speaks about her experiences singing on tables, working as an estate agent, driving an ambulance and more, all on top of her creative pursuits.
A bit about Marissa:
Marissa is a creative who likes to dabble in as many areas of the Arts as possible. Her main roles are acting, writing and directing but has over the last few years built up her composition portfolio and has recently formed a funk-rock band called WOOF. Her main interests in theatre are absurd comedies, musical theatre and shows that aim for social change. She runs Baloney Theatre Company, and is currently directing, producing and composing their latest show The Room Upstairs.
Instagram | Twitter | Baloney Theatre Company | Baloney Instagram | Baloney Twitter | WOOF | The Room Upstairs
In the condensed transcript below, I’ve italicized my questions and comments. Paid subscribers will receive a bonus edition next week, Perks of the Job. Enjoy!
Hello, I'd like to welcome my good friend and fellow creative and actor Riss, who has agreed to come on the show with me. Would you like to introduce yourself, say a few few lines about yourself?
Okay, hello, everyone. I am Riss. I'm actually called Marissa. But everyone since I was a teen has called me Riss and it just stuck. I am an actor, musician, a composer, writer - it’s one of those things where the list could go on. And I always think that it sounds really cocky to say the list, but it is just that's just what I do. But it doesn't pay very well, so then I also can’t - it doesn't feel valid to say it. But I'm sure that's a conversation for later. But I guess mainly, I'm an actor and writer.
So what we've pinned down then is that you are an actor, a writer, a director, a musician, composer, producer, as well.
I always leave that one out, because that really has happened out of necessity, and I can't stand it. But it has to be done.
But it has to be done. You're also in a band, we should talk about that as well.
I am in a band. I'm in a very new band called WOOF, as in the sound a dog makes. We haven't released anything yet. Been gigging away, and I absolutely love it. And I think it's one of those things that when you are a “creative”, you want to do as much as possible in your life. I definitely feel that way. That's why I ended up doing writing, directing, composing, because I want to dip into everything and hope that something sticks. I think that's something a lot of creators can relate to. It's like, do everything and eventually, one will make you some money or get you some level of success, whatever that may be for you.
But I always - for some reason, I love rock music. I love jazz and lots of other genres, but rock metal was my thing since I was a teen. But I never pictured myself being in a band. And then only recently did I go well, it’s about time I gave it a go. And now I'm like, oh, maybe that was my calling all along. So who knows, WOOF might be the thing that sticks, so stay tuned for that.
Yeah, it’s the long and winding road, isn’t it? So you have all of these creative things - what is your current day job? What's currently the thing that makes you money?
Currently, the thing that makes me money is music teaching. Finally, I'm doing that as my only day job. For a very long time, I couldn't do that. But I have enough students now to pay the way. I just do it from my own home and I'm completely self-employed. I don't work for anybody whatsoever, which is wonderful. It means that I get to do auditions whenever I like, go to jobs whenever I like. So I've had - since I became self employed, I've had two or three acting jobs where I've had to go away from London for a while. And my students been fine with that. We've gone on Zoom. And so, yeah, so I teach singing, piano, music theory, and sax and flute whenever people want that, which is very rare. Yes, it's the most normal day job I’ve ever had.
Which leads me to my next question and one that I've been particularly excited to ask you because I know some of your previous day jobs. So - I know you have the list prepared - can you list us all of your previous day jobs, please?
Oh my gosh. This does feel like the question for me, because it is a ridiculous list. I have worked - we'll go through the boring ones, such as: I have worked in clubs, and I flyered for a very trendy brand on Brick Lane for a while.
Let's get into the more interesting ones: I worked as a massage therapist, I worked as a carer, I did work for a call center for a while, which wasn't interesting. It was horrendous. I worked as an ambulance care assistant, which is the most exciting one, during the pandemic. So worked on the ambulances, I've worked as an estate agent, selling and renting out houses. I've worked as a lecturer, I run a fringe that happens in London - don’t get paid much for that. But I definitely do that as well. I’ve sung on tables for a living, used to sing on tables in a in a club before the pandemic, that was actually a great job. So that's my list that I can remember.
How does your day job feed into or relate to or oppose your - maybe we should say creative projects slash your acting life? I think nowadays you have a kind of, easy - like you teach -
Exactly, I just teach the practice. So it, kind of, in a way, it keeps me warm, I guess because like I’m constantly singing.
I guess what I want to do as my day job would feed a lot more into my creative practice. My dream would be to compose in the day. Like, I'm just about to go off to do my second Master's, which I feel very lucky to get to do. I'm doing it part time at LCM, London College of Music, which is part of University of West London to do composition as a Master's. And I have composed quite a few things now, but I've never actually been trained in it. Because I have such a strong classical background, composing felt really natural for me but it'd be quite nice to - sometimes doing these courses are all about networking, honestly, like, I definitely want to, I've got so much to learn. But it's definitely more about like, Okay, where can this get me? Who can I meet? Who can I write for when I'm there?
Yeah, how do you position yourself? That's so interesting. And we should also say that you've written a musical - you’ve composed a musical, a massive musical.
Yes. Not seen the light of day!
Yet!
Yet. Yes, I'm trying my very best.
I feel very passionate about it. And I really do hope that something comes with it. But this is another thing of this industry is you could write something and it will be 10 years down the line that it actually sees the light of day. And that will have been the time where it was supposed to happen.
I have two questions left before we wrap up. You've already told us your dream day job. What is your creative dream?
There’s too many. I think some people have one passion and fair dues. But like, I have so many dreams. At the moment, the thing that's on my brain, other than the musical - that is a creative dream, truly - to have that put on anywhere. But, National Theatre would be the creative dream.
But, with WOOF, the band, a dream would be to play a really cool rock festival. That would definitely be a dream. Others, like acting creative dream, would be - oh, there's so many. I guess a Beckett play, or everyone says, like, get on the West End. I'm not sure that is just the creative dream. But there is something very exciting about that. But to play a really cool, not the lead, what do you call it? To be like a really great supporting actor role in a really awesome comedy would be amazing. Because sometimes the leads are boring.
Yeah. You want to be the comedy sidekick.
Yes, definitely! But, I guess getting the musical on stage would be pretty -
The big one.
Mega, yeah. That's the thing I've dreamt about the most. I've dreamt about acting roles, but there's a gazillion that I would love to play. So, I'm just waiting for the opportunities to arise!
And lastly, do you have any advice for anybody who's starting out, thinking about how - I think you know, our acting teacher once told us and I actually really subscribe to this, I think this is true: that being an actor, or a creative in any kind of sense, but an actor is not a career choice. It's a lifestyle choice. So what would you have to say to people who are considering this lifestyle?
Oh man, it is a rough lifestyle! Unless you’re very - lucky’s not the word, I think. Everybody’s talented and skilled. And if you’ve gone to drama school, great, but that’s not always the signifier of, like, talent. Of course it isn’t. Like, there’s just billions of people in this world that are brilliant actors that haven’t had a single bit of training. But, I guess the advice would be, from me, keep creative - that’s the word that’s come up from the start of this! But, I mean, make your own stuff, and collaborate with people if you don’t want to make it yourself, just to get that part of your brain just going. And it also means you can cast yourself and keep - it’s not just about, oh, great, I’m going to cast myself as the lead. It’s more about keeping the acting going, because there will be gaps, most likely. So, making your own work, collaborating with people.
As far as the day jobs go, I think - there is something to be said for finding a skill, or building up a skill, even if it means that you have to take a step back from acting for a short while, that means that you’ll be really well-paid but you can do it part-time. It’s hard to do - teaching is one of them, like if you can teach music, dance, anything, as a self-employed person, that is your best option. Or easiest, I would say. But if you have a background in something else, or you want to train in something else that can be done part-time and is well-paid, just do it. And do it early. Because if you don’t, you will get stuck in customer service jobs for a really long time, and then not be able to really have the time to then do the upskilling.
Wow.
Yeah! It was really good money. And you can get - everybody wants massages!
Of course!
Endless, that’s never going to stop! But you have to find joy in it. You have to. I don’t particularly love teaching, I have to say. I love teaching as a lecturer, but I don’t particularly love self-employed private teaching, but it’s much better than other things I’ve done. But if you can find something that really does kind of float your boat, and - I don’t know, it could be anything, really!
Yeah. Choose the right thing for the right time, at the right place, for the right reasons. You don’t have to suffer.
Yeah, you really don’t! Yeah, and potentially don’t live in London. I genuinely see that people that I know that are based outside of London do better in this world than living here.
Every Job Under the Sun with Marissa Landy